TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Councilor Tom Andersen, Ward 2
SUBJECT:
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Motion from Councilor Kaser (Ward 1), Councilor Tom Andersen (Ward 2), and Councilor Chris Hoy (Ward 6) to save the Salem Peace Mosaic
Ward(s): Ward 1
Councilor(s): Kaser
Neighborhood(s): CANDO
Result Area: Welcoming and Livable Community
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MOTION:
We move that the City Council support saving the Salem Peace Mosaic. We further move that Council direct the City Manager to draft a letter indicating Council’s support and that he propose an amount not to exceed $15,000 in the City’s FY 2020 budget to assist the citizen-led fundraising efforts to save the Salem Peace Mosaic.
DISCUSSION:
The Salem Peace Mosaic was installed in 2011 on the frontage of the YMCA building on the corner of Court Street NE and Cottage Street NE and is part of the City’s public art collection in downtown. Creating the mosaic involved a collaboration of artists and residents, and it is a beautiful representation of the values of our community. The YMCA has announced plans to redevelop the property, which will result in the loss of the mosaic. The artist and a group of residents are working to save the mosaic by having it moved to different location. The initial cost estimate to save the mosaic is $250,000. It is our understanding that while the YMCA supports saving the mosaic, the organization does not have the funding required to save it.
The group working to save the mosaic is actively raising funds and has reached out to a number of organizations, as well as the Mayor and several City Councilors. The Mayor expressed his support for the project in a letter dated February 25, 2019, which is attached.
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Attachment:
Letter from Salem Mayor supporting preservation of the Salem Peace Mosaic, dated February 15, 2019