HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.1 CC Lib Art SelectionCITY CLERK FILE # 600-30
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2000
SUBJECT:
ATTACHMENTS:
RECOMMENDATION:
Civic Center Library Arts Selection - Presentation
Report prepared by: Herma Lichtenstein, Parks & Facilities
Development Manager
None
1) Receive presentation from Arts Consultant, Lynne Baer
2) Authorize Staff to enter into an agreement with the artists to
proceed with conceptual design for a stipend of $1,500.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT:
There are sufficient funds in the project budget.
DESCRIPTION: At the start of the Civic Center Library project a portion of the budget
was set aside to include art as part of the overall design. At the beginning of Schematic Design the
Architect, Arts Consultant and City Staff met to identify and evaluate areas that could potentially
incorporate art. The areas included the children's area, the outdoor entry plaza and the glass rotunda.
Each area was assigned a portion of the art budget; the children' s area $25,000, the rotunda, $50,000 and
the plaza, $100,000.
In June the Arts Consultant sent out approximately 1,000 Request For Qualifications (RFQS) throughout
the northern California area. By August the City received eighty-five replies broken down by the three
areas. These include forty-five for the plaza, thirty for the children's area and ten for the rotunda with
about 5 applying for more than one area.
At the end of August City Staff and the Consultants met with the Library Art Subcommittee to review the
work of those artists who responded and narrowed down the field to 3 - 4 artists for each area for follow-
up interviews. City Staff, the Consultants the Library Art Subcommittee, the Librarian and
Councilmember McCormick interviewed the short-listed artists and recommended artists for each of the
three areas.
For the Plaza the Library Art Subcommittee recommends Robert Ellison, sculptor. Mr. Ellison has been
working in metal sculptures for thirty years and has a support staff that includes structural engineering.
His most recent work was for the Alameda County Assessor's Office. He designed a gate and fence
incorporating animal figures for their day care facility. In the Rotunda area a stained glass artist, Peter
Mollica is recommended. His work includes both private and public work, including a recent project with
the Library Architect, BSA. Mr. Mollica has a strong use of color and a very thoughtful approach to his
COPIES TO:
BSA Architects
ITEM NO.
projects. He proposes to work closely with the Architect and other artists to blend his work with theirs.
The third area that was reviewed was the children's area. The Subcommittee recommends a muralist
team, Evans and Brown. Evans and Brown have extensive experience in the area of murals, including the
San Francisco Public Library and the Tiburon Library. Their work is well received and their approach
typically includes incorporating the community's culture, traditions and landmarks as part of their work.
Up until this point the artists were not required to submit a concept, sketches or a mock-up of what they
plan to do. Instead they were selected based on their past work. The next step is for the artists to develop
a concept that will then be presented to the Library Art Subcommittee, the Heritage and Cultural Arts
Commission and the City Council for final approval. The Arts Consultant recommends that the artists be
paid a stipend of $1,500 to develop the concept. Once the concept is approved a contract for the balance
of the work will be finalized.
Recommendation
It is the recommendation of Staff that the City Council take the following action:
Receive presentation from the Arts Consultant;
Authorize Staff to enter into an agreement with the artists to proceed with conceptual design for a
stipend of $1,500.