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NI , 1100'2 STAFF REPORT
�, V HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
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DATE: May 11, 2017
TO: Honorable Chair and Commission Members
FROM: Tegan McLane, Cultural Arts & Heritage Manager
SUBJECT: Utility Box Art Pilot Project Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Commission will receive a report on the Utility Box Art Pilot Project and consider whether to
recommend City Council continue the project, and if so,which areas and themes to consider.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend to the City Council to continue the Utility Box Art Project at a rate of six boxes per year, with
the Public Art Fund serving as the fund source, and if desired, recommend an area for the next cluster of six
utility boxes and/or a theme.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Expenses for the proposed Utility Box Art Program are budgeted at $6,900 ($6,000 in professional services
fees for artists, $900 in supplies for box preparation and anti-graffiti coating). Continuing the project would
require the City Council to allocate an expenditure of$6,900 from the Public Art Fund. The current Public
Art Fund balance is $4,103,494 and there are eight public projects in the adopted five-year Capital
Improvement Program encumbering approximately $1.83 million of that amount. The remaining fund
balance of approximately$2.27 million is available to be used for future projects and maintenance.
DESCRIPTION:
At the March 1, 2016 meeting, the City Council approved and funded a Utility Box Art Pilot Project to paint
six boxes in the Village Parkway District and Dublin High School neighborhood. On January 10, 2017, the
City Council approved the Commission's recommendations for professional artists to paint the Pilot Project
boxes, and work began in February. Four of the six boxes have been completed. The remaining two boxes are
scheduled to be completed by June.
Response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. Staff and artists report dozens of favorable
comments from passersby, including drivers honking and giving thumbs up signs, neighboring homeowners
coming out to check the progress, and pedestrians stopping to chat with the artists at work. In addition, many
people have mentioned it at City Hall and in passing that they have seen and appreciated the boxes.
Staff has received inquiries from two local artists who would like to apply to paint boxes and from one art
teacher who would be interested in serving as the supervising artist for her high school students. Artist
ITEM NO.: 8.2
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Suzanne Gayle, who painted two boxes near Dublin High, said several students expressed that they would be
interested in painting a box in the future, if their art teacher would support them.
During the Pilot Phase, the artist submission and selection process functioned well and needs no alteration.
The box preparation, painting and sign-off process was refined and now seems to be functioning well also
and needs no additional alterations. Staff provides artists with a basic supply kit that includes all materials
necessary to clean, sand and prime the box, following environmental guidelines. Artists provide their own
supplies for the completing the artwork and may use any of several approved brands of paint. Following
completion of the painting, the artwork is inspected by the City's public art manager. Upon approval, the City
provides anti-graffiti clear coating for the artist to apply to the finished work.
The number of boxes in the first grouping, six, was very manageable and easily finished in a fiscal year cycle.
The schedule of soliciting artist proposals in September-October, making selections in December, and
beginning work in February for completion by June 30 worked well and will allow for student artist teams to
participate, should any apply and be selected.
Staff recommends that this program be continued at a rate of six boxes per fiscal year, with the Heritage and
Cultural Arts Commission recommending locations and themes annually for City Council approval.
Possible Locations
Staff suggests that boxes be considered in clusters. Boxes are more likely to be noticed when they are in
proximity to each other, and be recognized as part of a City program.
Staff recommends that only City-owned traffic signal boxes be considered at this time. Obtaining permission
to paint from non-City owners, such as Pacific Gas and Electric or AT&T, can be challenging and would
require a long lead time. There are City-owned boxes at every intersection that has a stoplight, so there are
plenty of options available that do not require permission of another property owner.
Because painted utility boxes are seldom vandalized, many cities add utility box art programs with intention of
reducing existing graffiti problems, since the large blank boxes are prime targets for taggers. While Dublin
has considerably less graffiti than some of the larger Bay Area cities, utility box graffiti does occur. Based on
information from the City's Code Enforcement Officer, areas that have been tagged and could benefit from
painted boxes are:
• Dublin Boulevard from Scarlett Drive to San Ramon Road
• Amador Valley Boulevard from Stagecoach Road to San Ramon Road (particularly the box at Iron
Horse Trail)
• Central Parkway (particularly the box at Emerald Glen Park)
In addition to these locations, a member of the public suggested Tassajara Road at Rutherford Drive.
Another caller expressed interest in having painted boxes in the West Side residential neighborhoods.
Possible Themes
Staff recommends a theme be identified with each call for utility box art submissions, as that gives artists a
starting place for proposing designs and highlights for the community showing how differently artists can
interpret the same idea. The theme need not be the same every year.
However, it might be desirable to identify themes for particular sections of the community, as that could add
to a sense of "unique character" for those districts. This would dovetail with goals identified for the
upcoming revision of the Public Art Master Plan.
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During Commission discussion for a theme for the boxes to be decorated during the Pilot Project, the
following themes were discussed:
• Flowers •
• Historical scenes in trompe l'oeil style
• Variations on a shamrock theme
• Historical photos printed and wrapped onto the boxes
`Variations on a shamrock theme'was chosen for the Pilot Project because it was most specific to Dublin and
offers the widest possible opportunity for artist interpretation. This theme could be repeated, or a different
theme could be identified.
The flower theme, while likely to generate bright and attractive artwork, has been done in nearby cities,
including Pleasanton. A call for historic scenes in trompe l'oeil style will severely limit the artist pool, and may
preclude some very talented local artists who do not work in that style.
The historical photo option, while attractive and educational, may not qualify for use of public art funds. The
Public Art Master Plan currently requires all artwork to be "designed by professional visual artists." Historical
photos alone would not qualify. However, historical photos could be considered if embellished or turned into
a collage by a visual artist. If `embellished or collaged historical photos' is selected as a theme, Staff
recommends covering the boxes with printed wraps to ensure that the photos are accurately reproduced.
Wraps are typically affixed by a sign maker, so the artists would not be part of the installation process. Some
nearby cities that have used the wrap method are now finding the wraps are peeling off their boxes.
In addition to the previously suggested topics, a member of the public has proposed future boxes have
United States flags as a theme.
Staff recommends that the Commission:
• Recommend to City Council to continue the Utility Box Art Project at a rate of six boxes per year,
with the Public Art Fund serving as the fund source.
• If desired, recommend an area in the community for the next cluster of six utility boxes and/or a
theme.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
None.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
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