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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 Public Art Selection Processes e G ti 1� i�82 AGENDA STATEMENT HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION MEETING DATE: October 8, 2009 SUBJECT: Public Art Selection Processes Prepared by John Hartnett, Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager ATTACHMENTS: None RECOMMENDATION: Confirm that the Artist Selection Process and Methods of Artist Selection as outlined in the Public Art Master Plan are acceptable or provide recommended modifications to the process. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: At the August 18, 2009 City Council meeting, during the Transit Center Public Art presentation, the Council noted that there seemed to be inconsistencies in how Staff administered the artist selection process for Public Art projects. The Council asked Staff to review the artist selection processes with the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission to determine if standard processes could be established. In particular, the Council expressed a desire to have the artist selection process be as transparent as possible, with elected and appointed officials, stakeholders and the public having an opportunity to view art designs and learn about potential artists during the selection process. BACKGROUND In March 2006, the City of Dublin Public Art Master Plan was adopted by the City Council. The Master Plan establishes processes and methods for selecting artists for public art projects within the City of Dublin. The criteria for the Artist Selection Process and Methods of Artist Selection included in the Master Plan are listed below. Artist Selection Process Selecting the "right" artist — one whose experience, artistic style, commitment to collaboration, communication and facilitation skills matches the needs of the project — is critical to the success of any project. Specifically,the goals of the selection process are to: • Implement the goals of the overall capital improvement program through an appropriate artist selection; • Further the mission and goals of the Public Art Program; • Select an artist or artists whose existing public artworks or past collaborative efforts have maintained a level of quality and integrity; COPIES TO: ITEM NO.: 8.2 GA\HERITAGE COMMISSION\AGENDA STMTS\2009\10-8 Public Art Processes.doc • Identify the optimal approach to public art that is suitable to the demands of the particular capital proj ect; • Select an artist or artists who will best respond to the distinctive characteristics of the site and the community it serves; • Select an artist or artists who can work successfully as members of an overall project design team; and • Ensure that the selection process represents and considers the interests of all parties concerned, including the public, the arts community and the City department involved. In consideration of selection of an artist for a City Public Art project, certain requirements of the artist will need to be met. These requirements include: • Submit credentials, visuals, proposals and/or project materials as directed for consideration by artist selection panels; • Conduct necessary research, including attending project orientation meetings and touring project sites, when possible; • If selected, execute and complete the artwork, conceptual work or design work, or transfer an existing work, in a timely and professional manner; • Work closely with Heritage and Cultural Arts Supervisor, the project manager, design architect and/or other design professionals associated with the project; • Make presentations to City Council, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and other reviewing bodies at project milestones as required by contract; and • Make public presentations, conduct community education workshops, or do a residency at an appropriate time and forum in the community where the artwork will be placed, as required by contract. Methods of Artist Selection The method of selection for individual projects shall be determined by City Staff in consultation with the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission in accordance with the adopted Public Art Program guidelines and policies. Any of the following methods may be used, depending upon the requirements of a particular prof ect. Open Competition: An open competition is a call for artists for a specific project in which artists are asked to submit evidence of their past work. Any artist may submit credentials and/or proposals, subject to any limitations established by the Artist Selection Panel. Calls for entries for open competitions will be sufficiently detailed to permit artists to determine whether their work is appropriate for the project under consideration. Limited or Invitational Competition: A limited number of artists shall be invited by the artist selection panel to submit credentials and/or proposals for a specific project. Artists shall be invited, based on their past work and demonstrated ability to successfully respond to the conditions posed by the particular project (i.e., water features, light works, paintings, sound works, landscape works, design team efforts, etc.), or based on other non-aesthetic Public Art Program goals (i.e., artists who reside in a particular neighborhood where a project is occurring, local artists or regional artists, etc.). Pre-qualified Artists List: Heritage and Cultural Arts Staff will develop a pool of pre-qualified artists who can be selected for small, community-based projects with budgets under $25,000, where a separate selection panel may not be warranted, if recommended by the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission. Mixed Process: A mixed process may include any combination of the above means. 2of5 PAST METHODS FOR PUBLIC ART PROCESSES Typically,there are three different types of public art projects that Staff oversees: • City Capital Improvement (CIP) projects such as the recent Shannon Community Center Public Art proj ect; • Art in the Parks projects such as the Dougherty Hills Dog Park Art project; • Private Development (commercial and residential) projects such as the Ulferts Development sculpture proj ect. In past years, depending on the type of project, Staff has followed certain steps to coordinate a project. These steps are outlined as follows. City CIP Proiects For City CIP projects, an Art Selection Committee is appointed by the City Council to assist with the artist selection process and a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is circulated to find the best artist candidates. In some cases, Staff will coordinate the entire process and in other cases, when necessary, Staff will contract with an art consultant to assist with the process. Both the "Open Competition" and"Limited or Invitational Competition"has been utilized in the past with the selection process varying according to the scope of the project. For most projects, artists are interviewed by the Art Selection Committee and approximately five are selected to prepare a maquette for public display. A selection is then made by the City Council based on a recommendation from the Art Selection Committee and Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission. Alternately, for the Library Project three distinct areas in the library were identified for art. The City Council then selected three artist/artist teams based on their resume and past work. Once selected, the artists developed their designs for final City Council approval. The steps that are typically taken for a City art project are as follows: • Staff coordinates the project and in some cases contracts a consultant to coordinate the project with Staff assistance. • A City Council appointed Art Selection Committee will be formed to assist with artist selection. • An RFQ will be sent out to artist's lists with a designated deadline for submittals. • Staff/consultant will meet with the Art Selection Committee to discuss the project, location(s) for artwork and budget and narrow down the RFQ submittals to the ten or so best applicants. • Staff/consultant will conduct artists interviews with the applicants and the Art Selection Committee • The five or so best applicants will submit maquettes (models) of their design ideas and these are put on public display for a few weeks with "Comment Cards" available (after an initial public reception with the artists). In some cases, the Art Selection Committee will simply select the best artist without having an open competition amongst several artists. • The Comment Cards are reviewed by the Art Selection Committee and the Committee chooses a finalist for the project. • A report recommending the art finalist by the Art Selection Committee is presented to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission for recommendation to the City Council. • A report recommending the art finalist by the Art Selection Committee is presented to the City Council with the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission's input. • If the artist is approved by the City Council, the consultant and Staff/consultant work with the artist and other City Departments (Public Works and Planning) to fabricate and install the artwork at the designated location. 3 of 5 1 Art in the Parks Projects These projects are initiated by the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation (DFAF). They are usually for both neighborhood parks and community parks. Both the "Open Competition" and "Limited or Invitational Competition" has been utilized in the past. DFAF typically pays for 75% of the cost for the artwork with the City absorbing the 25%balance. The steps taken are typically as follows: • DFAF contracts a consultant to coordinate the project with Staff assistance. • A City Council appointed Art Selection Committee will be formed to assist with artist selection. • An RFQ will be sent out to artist's lists by the consultant with a designated deadline for submittals. • The consultant will meet with the Art Selection Committee to discuss the project, location(s) for artwork and budget and narrow down the RFQ submittals to the ten or so best applicants. • The consultant will conduct artists interviews with the applicants and the Art Selection Committee • The five or so best applicants will submit maquettes (models) of their design ideas and these are put on public display for a few weeks with "Comment Cards" available (after an initial public reception with the artists). • The Comment Cards are reviewed by the Art Selection Committee and the Committee chooses a finalist for the project. • A report recommending the art finalist by the Art Selection Committee is presented to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission for recommendation to the City Council. • A report recommending the art finalist by the Art Selection Committee is presented to the City Council with the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission's input. • If the artist is approved by the City Council, the consultant and Staff work with the artist and other City Departments (Public Works and Planning) to fabricate and install the artwork at the designated location. For the Emerald Glen Park Art in the Park project, a City Council appointed Art Selection Committee was not used; the DFAF Board selected the artist and presented the recommended artist and artwork design directly to the City. Private Development Projects These projects are required by the City as part of the Public Art Ordinance. Most developers are required to either provide public art at their site or pay an In Lieu fee to the City. The value of the artwork must equal 1/2 of 1% of the Building Valuation (exclusive of land) of the project. For Private Development projects, the developer is responsible for selecting the artist and submitting the proposed artwork to the City for approval. For those who choose to provide artwork, the process is as follows: • The developer must provide a Public Art Compliance Report to the City during the initial Site Development Review (SDR) process that designates whether their intention is to provide public art or pay an In Lieu fee. • Once the Compliance Report is received, Staff will set up an initial meeting with the developer and a Planning Department representative,to review their development plans, suggested artwork locations, types of artwork the developer envisions and project timeline and budget. • Staff assists the developer with creating an RFQ (if necessary) and provides information on artist's lists and other resources to find artists. In some cases, the developer already has an artist in mind. Staff also provides the developer with a list of eligible expenses for public art (listed in the Public Art Master Plan) and other information from the Master Plan to assist the developer with the process. • It is the responsibility of the developer to choose their own artist. Once they have chosen an artist, Staff will set up a meeting with the artist and developer to discuss types of artwork and designs, and will request the artist to provide a concept design and maquette, information on the artwork including materials, dimensions and maintenance and the artist's background and history. 4of5 • Staff will prepare a written report recommending the artist to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission for recommendation to the City Council. • Staff will again prepare a report recommending the artist to the City Council with the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission's input. • If the artist is approved by the City Council, Staff works with the artist and developer and other City Departments (Public Works and Planning) to fabricate and install the artwork at the designated location. It should be noted that the public art requirement for Residential Projects has been suspended for the next two years as a stimulus measure to encourage the continuation of development during these difficult financial times. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission confirm that the Artist Selection Process and Methods of Artist Selection as outlined in the Public Art Master Plan are acceptable or provide recommended modifications to the process. 5 of 5