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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 Senior Ctr Art Design CITY CLERK File# 600-30 AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: July 1, 2003 SUBJECT: Senior Center Art Design Report Prepared by Theresa Yvonne, Heritage and Cultural Arts Supervisor ATTACHMENTS: 1. Photo of Maquette 2. Senior Center Site Plan 3. Rowland Cheney's "Wisdom through the Ages" bronze maquette will be presented at the meeting. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Receive presentation from Staff 2. Receive public comment '~/"'~'/ 3. ApProve artwork FINANCIAL STATEMENT: $ 49,000 is available in the 2002-2007 Capital Improvement Program for the Commission of the Senior Center Art Project. DESCRIPTION: One of the high priority goals for the 2002-2003 set by City Council was to commission Public Art for the new Senior Center. And as a result 1% was allocated for a Public Art component as part of the Senior Center project. In the Fiscal Year 2002-2003, a Request for Qualifications was sent to 2000 California artists to submit their work. The Senior Center Art Selection Committee reviewed the works of the thirty-five responding artists and selected five artists to develop maquettes for the Senior Center. The maquettes were displayed at the Civic Center and the Senior Center for public comment. The comment cards completed as a result of the display were provided to the Committee and after careful thought and consideration the Committee chose Rowland Cheney's sculpture (attachment 1) to be displayed in the courtyard of the Senior Center. A maquette of the sculpture will be presented at the meeting. Mr. Cheney has spent the majority of his adult life teaching art at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. Educated at Chico State and U.C. Berkeley, he works in a broad range of media and technique including bronze, oil, watercolor and prints. Commissions represent the bulk of his work, including a number of bronze bas-relief commemorative sculptures. He completed a five-year commitment to produce a series of five collectable sculptures for the Breyer Corporation. The Termar Gallery of Durango, Pam Driscoll Gallery of Aspen, Colorado and Atilier Frostad Gallery in Sacramento are currently representing Mr. Cheney. COPIES TO: Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission/Parks & Community Services Commission/Senior Center Advisory Committee/Rowland Cheney G:\COUNCILkAgenda StatementsX2003\07-01-03 senior center art design.doc ~ O-i~ Mr. Cheney proposes a bronze sculpture approximately eight feet ( the total wing span) by eight feet (top of the crane to the base) utilizing images that have been associated symbolically with the concept of wisdom throughout the centuries and across many cultures. Cranes are seen worldwide and especially in Asia and Africa as symbols of longevity, good fortune and wisdom. In the sculpture a cranes arches upward carrying its message of light and hope. Owls are an essential part of Celtic European and Native America symbology and represent the wisdom invoked by the ever-watchful solitude of night. Beneath the wings of the owl as part of the wisdom of the woods are seen the faces of the ancients. · Horses have long been connected to wisdom's purity and power. They are transcendent creatures aiding humanities earthly pursuits while retaining a spiritual quality needed to attain true wisdom. The Patina colors and the placement of the elements of the sculpture are meant to provoke a feeling of continuum and balance of life forces that is wisdom. The artwork was approved by the Senior Center Advisory Committee, but the Committee had some concerns regarding the size and the exact location of the sculpture. Upon their recommendation Staff met with the Architect and solidified the exact location best suitable in the courtyard. The Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and the Parks and Community Services Commission approved the artwork and the location. The location recommended is the rear courtyard of the Senior Center in the planted area at the edge of the patio (see attachment 2) It would be in direct alignment with the front doors and should draw the eye down the corridor to the rear of the building. It would also be visible and accessible to the public that rents the community room at the Senior Center. RECOMMENDATION: It is the recommendation of Staff that the City Council take the following action: 1. Receive presentation from Staff. 2. Receive public comment 3. Approve artwork Following approval of the artwork, Staff will finalize an agreement with the artist. The agreement will be brought before the City Council at a subsequent meeting for approval. ATTACHMENT