TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Kacey Duncan, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Public Art Commission Annual Report
Ward(s):All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Informational report to update the City Council on the work of the Salem Public Art Commission.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Salem Revised Code 15.030(d), states that the Salem Public Art Commission “will report annually to the City Council on the disbursements of funds from the Public Art Trust Fund.” The Salem Public Art Commission’s Policy and Guidelines Manual, Section 4 states “City staff will prepare an Annual Report describing the activities of the Commission for the preceding fiscal year, including revenue received and expenditures made for each work of art. This report shall be approved by the Commission, and staff will file the Annual Report with City Council on or before January 1 of each year.”
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The Salem Public Art Commission is comprised of seven members appointed by the City Council. Between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, the Salem Public Art Commission held seven regular meetings and discussed the following topics in subcommittee: (1) beautification of downtown alleyways (with members of the Downtown Advisory Board); (2) the City’s half percent for art policy; (3) a proposal for a mural with the Assistance League; (4) results of an ongoing inventory of works in the City’s collection (with members of the Salem Public Library Foundation); and (5) responses to a proposal to appraise the works in the City’s collection for insurance purposes. In addition to these activities, the group also approved standards for wrapping utility cabinets with reproductions of art, accepted a sculpture proposed by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde to be situated adjacent to the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge, and accepted a new Leroy Setziol sculpture donation by the Oregon Artist Series Foundation (Attachment 1).
Budget Fiscal Year 2016-17
As part of the City of Salem’s 2016-17 Budget, the Public Art Fund was allocated $30,000 from the Transient Occupancy Tax fund to support future acquisition, management and maintenance of art in the City’s public art collection. Per Salem Revised Code 15.030, 70 percent of these funds are to be used for acquiring public art, 20 percent are to be used for the purposes of managing the public art collection to include program management and community education, and 10 percent are to be used to support maintenance, conservation and de-accessioning of materials in the collection.
The Commission, in partnership with the Downtown Advisory Board and Urban Renewal Agency continues to support an art program for the streetscape in downtown. In each of the last several years, the Downtown Advisory Board and the Urban Renewal Agency have allocated funding for pedestals to display art in the streetscape.
Accomplishments Fiscal Year 2015-16
The Commission completed a comprehensive digital, online inventory of the art within the Salem Public Art Collection. With the enthusiastic support of an intern and the Information Technology Department, the Commission also launched an interactive map of Civic Center buildings and downtown, featuring locations and stories of art in the City’s collection.
The Commission approved a concept for artwork to be located near the new Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge, as presented by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and welcomed a Leroy Setziol basalt sculpture, sited at the southeast corner of Liberty and Trade intersection, to the City’s Public Art Collection. Working with the Salem Public Library Foundation, the Commission developed a draft agreement for Council’s consideration relating to the artworks featured in the Salem Public Library. A subcommittee toured art in the downtown alleys, identified orphaned artworks and researched origination and ownership for possible inclusion in the Salem Public Art Collection. Working with the Public Works Department, the Commission developed standards for reproductions of art to be wrapped on utility cabinets. The Commission issued a Request For Proposal for an appraisal of work in the Collection (for insurance purposes) and began that work. Commissioners recruited candidates to replace outgoing Commissioners, four of whom have served since the Commission's inception.
Next Steps
Following completion of the appraisal of the collection for insurance purposes, the Commission intends to assess the condition of the pieces in the collection to help prioritize maintenance and, if funds remain, professional photography of pieces in the collection.
The Commission is actively considering future placement of art at the downtown pedestal locations and continues to work with the Oregon Artist Series Foundation to identify appropriate works for these locations. The Commission is also developing a program for signage of art in the streetscape and landscape.
The Commission is also interested in working to improve mural program following feedback from the Assistance League and an attempt, through a Request For Proposal, to establish a roster of muralists. Due to limited response, the Commission cancelled the Request For Proposal.
Courtney Knox Busch
Strategic Initiatives Manager
Attachments:
1. Leroy Setziol Sculpture Donation by Oregon Artist Series Foundation.
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