HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.2 FreewayUnderpassArtCITY CLERK
FILE # 900-50
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: March 20, 2001
SUBJECT:
Freeway Underpass Art Project
Report by Bonnie Leonard, Recreation Supervisor
ATTACHMENTS:
None
RECOMMENDATION~
1. Receive presentation from Art Consultant, Lyrme Baer and artist
team.
2. Approve artist team and basic conceptual design for Freeway
Underpass Art Project or provide alternate direction.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: There are sufficient funds in the project budget
DESCRIPTION: In 2000-2001 the City Council identified the funding of a Freeway
Underpass Art Project as a high priority goal. The project was referred to the Heritage and Cultural Arts
Commission to determine the scope of project options and to provide input for the budgeting process. At
the April 13, 2000 meeting, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission addressed the issue and
recommended to the Council that the project encompass both sides of and both approaches to the
underpasses at Dublin Boulevard and Amador Valley Boulevard and 1-680. The City Council
conceptually approved the Commission's proposal on May 2.
In September, the City Council appointed a Freeway Art Selection Committee. The Committee includes
representatives of the business community, members of the community at large, representatives of the
Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and a representative from the City Council.
Lynne Baer was engaged as the Art Consultant to lead the project and in October a Request for
Qualifications (RFQ) was issued. Artists were asked to submit twenty slides of their work for review by
the Freeway Art Selection Committee. The Committee completed screening the responses to the RFQ in
early February 2001. Three artists or artist teams were selected as finalists and the Selection Committee
conducted interviews on February 21.
Artists were not required to bring a solidified concept to the interview, however, they were requested to
come prepared to address the following:
Knowledge and understanding of the Dublin community.
Proposal for community involvement in either conception or creation of murals.
Concept and approach to the selection of subject matter for the murals.
Materials and area of underpass to be utilized in creating murals.
Concepts for one or both underpasses.
Method of working and timeline for the project.
G:\Hrtg Cult Art Comm\CouncilX3-20-01 freeway.doc
COPIES TO:
Lynne Baer/Artists/Selection Committee/Heritage & Cultural
Arts Commission
ITEM NO. ~
The Freeway Art Selection Committee and Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission recommend the artist
team of John Pugh, Daniel Galvez and John Wehrle to complete the artwork for both underpasses. The
recommendation is based on the conceptual designs for the project presented by the artists, the artists'
approach to the project and the artists' work on similar projects. All three artists are well-known muralists
and bring extensive experience and expertise to the project. The artists will be in attendance at the City
Council meeting to present the conceptual designs for the project.
As the design develops, the project will be brought back to the City Council for further review. For
example when the basic color scheme is developed, specific vignettes are fashioned, the column treatment
is established, and the approach treatment is produced. It is anticipated that the artwork will be
community driven and will develop as the mural is put in place.
It is the recommendation of Staff that the City Council take the following action:
1. Receive the presentation of the Art Consultant and the artist team.
2. Approve the artist team and basic conceptual design for the Freeway Underpass Art Project or
provide alternate direction.
Following approval, Staff will ~nalize the agreement with the artist team. The agreement will be brought
before the City Council at a subsequent meeting for approval.
Regarding the project schedule, Staff is scheduling an initial, informal review of the basic conceptual
design with Caltrans to ascertain the amount of detail required for the formal review and approval. Once
Caltrans approves the project, the installation process, which incorporates community workshops, will
take one year to complete.
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