TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Kacey Duncan, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Agreement between the City of Salem and the Salem Public Library Foundation relating to artwork placed at the Salem Public Library and West Salem Branch of the Library
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Shall the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute the attached Agreement between the City of Salem and the Salem Public Library Foundation relating to artwork placed at the Salem Public Library and the West Salem Branch of the Library
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the City Manager to execute the attached Agreement between the City of Salem and the Salem Public Library Foundation relating to artwork placed at the Salem Public Library and the West Salem Branch of the Library
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Salem Revised Code 15.020(d) states that the Salem Public Art Commission “shall have the authority to select, acquire, receive, borrow, commission the design or fabrication of, and maintain, deaccession, document and register all works of art within the City’s public art collection.” In 2016, the City began a process to comprehensively inventory, appraise the art work in the collection for insurance purposes, assess the conditions of the art work, and prioritize maintenance of the collection. Many works in the City’s public art collection, dating back to the 1972 opening of the Civic Center facility and the 1974 Mayor’s Art Invitational, are housed in the Salem Public Library.
The City of Salem owns the main branch of the Salem Public Library and leases a property in West Salem, which houses a branch of the Salem Public Library. The Salem Public Library Foundation was established in 1981 as a 501(C)(3) organization to raise and administer funds for the creation, implementation, and sustenance of non-tax supported projects and services for the Salem Public Library. In this capacity, the Library Foundation accepts donations of and acquires works of art for display in the Library.
In 2012, the City Council adopted guidelines for the Salem Public Art Commission’s Policy and Guidelines Manual. The Manual reflect expectations for the two organizations as it relates to acquisition of art work for their respective collection and communications regarding movement of art work featured in the Salem Public Library. The purpose of this Agreement is to clarify which pieces in the Salem Public Library facilities are owned by the Salem Public Library Foundation and the role of each organization in maintaining the works in their respective collections.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The Agreement clarifies roles and responsibilities of both the City and the Library Foundation as it relates to both the City and the Library Foundation collections on display in the City’s Salem Public Library facilities. Attached to the agreement is a listing of all Foundation owned art work placed at the Main Branch and West Salem Branch of the Library. This list will be periodically updated as Foundation owned art work is added to or removed from the Library facilities. Among other provisions, the agreement states:
• Both parties are responsible for maintaining the condition, curating (movement, protection and display) and de-accessioning of art work in their respective collections.
• Placement of artwork within the Library is subject to the approval of the Library Administrator.
• The Salem Public Art Commission will coordinate with the Salem Public Library Foundation when considering the placement or relocation of art work in the City’s Public Art Collection that (a) was originally displayed in Salem’s Carnegie Library (as featured in Attachment B of the Agreement) or (b) at the time of donation, the donor indicated the art work be displayed in the Library.
• The Foundation will appraise and insure its collection at Foundation discretion.
On November 9, 2016, the Salem Public Art Commission reviewed the Agreement and unanimously recommended it be forwarded to City Council for their consideration and approval. Prior to the Salem Public Art Commission meeting, the Salem Public Library Foundation Board approved the draft agreement.
Courtney Knox Busch
Strategic Initiatives Manager
Attachments:
1. Library Foundation and City of Salem Agreement)
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