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APPMIN 08 07 1995ART IN PUBLIC PLACES MEETING MINUTES LA QUINTA CITY HALL -NORTH CONFERENCE ROOM AUGUST 7, 1995 This regular meeting of the Art in Public Places Committee was called to order at 3:10 P.M. by Chairman Nard. L ROLL CALL: Committee Members Michelle Klein, Carolyn Lair, Elaine Reynolds, Rosarita Shamis, John Walling, and Chairman Nard. Committee Members Walling/Klein moved and seconded a motion to excuse Committee Member Kennedy. Council Members Bangerter and Sniff. Staff present: Community Development Director Jerry Herman and Executive Secretary Betty Sawyer. Guests present: Paul Berlier-Artist, Ron Silva-Artist, Patrick Wells-Desert Sun, Susan Benai-Cultural Affairs Commission. II. CONSENT CALENDAR: Committee Member Lair asked that the minutes be corrected as follows: "LA. PAC Southern California Meeting". "Due to scheduling problems, the project time frame had changed, and this summer students would be doing primary research on the geology. eeoeranhv. plants. animals. Cahuilla traditions, and settlement history and folklore. The students would develop a eallery to display their research." "IV.B.....with a member of the Los Angeles Redevelopment Agency.....on a tour to see their public art collection..." There being no further corrections, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Shamis/Lair to approve the minutes of July 10, 1995, as corrected. Unanimously corrected. III. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Committee Member Shamis questioned why the financial commitment for the La Quinta Village Shopping Center was not included in the Balance Sheet. Staff stated they would see that it was added. There being no further corrections, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Shamis/Klein to approve the Financial Statement as corrected. IV. BUSINESS SESSION: A. Joint Meetine -Staff informed the Committee that the joint meeting had been changed from October, to November or December at the request of the Palm Springs Commission. Discussion followed as to what the meeting should. consist of It was suggested the chairmen and/or staff meet with representatives from Palm Desert and Palm Springs to determine the agenda. B. Art Tours -Committee Member Lair explained a method by which the Members could keep current with what public art is all about. She went on to state she felt important to have an art program that would orient new members as they were added to the Committee. She had gone to Los Angeles to tour the Redevelopment Agency public art collection. She was not impressed with the collection and did not feel it would be bring any enhancement to the City's program for the Committee to attend the tour. It was suggested that the Committee look into the Escondido art program and perhaps the Stewart Collection at the UC San Diego. Discussion followed regarding the art programs. It was stated that it was important to encourage the City Council to attend to keep them aware of the art programs in existence. Discuss followed regarding art programs in different cities, such as Seattle. It was felt a possible date for the tour would be between September 9-14, 1995. It was felt that funds should be set aside to education new Committee Members as part of an orientation program for new members. C. Art proiects. Committee Members discussed setting criteria to use as guidelines whenjudging art work. Some suggestions were: Public art -candidate should design the artwork to be specific to the site. a. Well integrated into the environment around it. b. Would it be meaningful to the community. c. Does it engage people/passing by, or celebration as you pass by, or give a good feeling about La Quinta. Is it user friendly. d. Need to have a very high standard of quality of how the an:work is designed, made, and installed. e. Artist must have experience in public art. It must have low maintenance and be durable. g. Artwork must be site specific- if it does not fit the site rule it out. h Artwork needs to be meaningful I. Visually pleasing. j. Abroad sense of appeal. k. It needs to blend into the environmental, history, geography, art of La Quinta and enrich the community. 1. Lair - Provide a leadership role as to what public art is, and show an alternative way of dealing with public art. m. Artwork should be integrated into the spirit of the community. 2. Mr. Patrick Wells of the Desert Sun asked if local artists would be given special consideration. Council Member Sniff stated that if their project was appropriate to the site. D. Review of Art Proposals Submitted for the La Quinta Village Shoppine Center. BUSTER SIMPSON - A proposal based on an engineering method of looking at the site, using the basin as a basin. Community Development Director Jerry Herman explained the purpose of the retention basin. a. Discussion followed regarding whether water could be held in the basin at all times. This artist is known for dealing with environmental art projects. Slides were shown on samples of his work. b. Council Member Sniff gave his impression of what type of artwork should be installed. c. Committee Member Walling reminded everyone that there would be two buildings built would frame the site. d. Staff explained the design of the fountain to be installed by the developer. 2. MICHAEL WATLING a. Members discussed whether or not the mounds would be effective. It was felt the mounds should be on a pedestal to accentual:e the proposal. b. Slide presentation 3. BETTY GOLD a. Committee Member Klein read the proposal and described the artwork as being an all metal work, brightly colored, b. Slide presentation 4. MICHAEL KLEINSCHMIDT a. Chairman Nard read the proposal to the Committee. 5. RON PEKAR a. Committee Member Klein read the proposal and staff gave a slide presentation on the artist's work. 6. Committee Member Lair discussed with the Committee the process for selecting artwork that had been used at prior selections. She felt the first priority was to take this list and short list it. Council Member Sniff reviewed each of the artist's proposals: a.) Simpson -not particularly impressed with the proposal. b.) Watling -proposal interesting, but not comprehensive or dramatic enough. Not enough substance. c.) Golt -concerned about the playful shapes, things of that nature might be tiring because of the brightness of the objects. Tiring seeing. so many bright shapes. d.) Kleinsch: Repetitious of the DeMartino art piece to be installed. Has some value and interest. e.) Pekar: it gave the sense of coolness, airiness. To some degree it is compatible with the Kennedy fountain. Concern for maintenance even though the artist indicated there would be none. Concern for the Sculpture Garden, but felt it was far enough away to not be competitive. This proposal has a softness about it. Others had a harshness that might not fit in at this location. Anything on the corner should blend and lead you into the whole area. 8. Committee Member Lair stated her disappointed that so few artists submitted. She felt the Committee needed a criteria to judge the proposal by. Of the proposals submitted, she felt Ron Pekaz's proposal wa:; the best for what the Committee was looking for, but none of them really signify what the Committee was looking for. She stated she would like to see additional artwork submitted. She did not understand why the ideas are not more evolved. Two of the projects aze similaz to other projects in existence. If the Committee decides on any of the proposals she would like to choose an artist and work with him/her to obtain the artwot•k they desired. 9. Committee Member Sniff suggested the Committee direct the artist and suggest the type of proposal they would like to see and recommend an alternative. 10. Committee Member Shamis stated she felt this corner was very important to the City and she did not want to rush into a selection. She did not feel that anything submitted so far made her feel these proposals were fitting for this site. She further stated that if an artist were to be selected she would prefer Mr. Pekar because of his enthusiasm. She suggested. opening the "Request for Proposal" again and broaden the artist selection and speak more with Mr. Pekar. She was not ready to settle for anything. 11. Committee Member Reynolds stated her choice was Ron Pekar, but she too would like to see more proposals. The Committee only has one that is worthwhile and they need to see more. She too felt it should be opened up for additional submittals. 12. Committee Member Walling stated he felt Mr. Pekar and Mr. Walaing were the best, but the execution of the artwork presented was not 1:he best. He felt the Committee should either chose one of these two or open it up for additional submittals. The other three artists missed the target. He felt the forms were out of context with the site. Ms. Gold was an excellent artist, but she was out of place here. Watling had an idea, but presented plot art. He felt the average guy on the street needed to be able to relate to the artwork. Ron Pekar's proposal almost integrated into the site, but was still plot art. 13. Committee Member Klein stated she liked Mr. Pekar's concept. It was original with organic shapes, but she too would like to see more proposals. 14. Committee Member Lair stated the City may be getting a reputation because there was no artwork in place to date. 15. Mr. Ron Silva, local artist, stated this was a difficult site to work with and the money allotted for the project was not the greatest. If the Corrimittee and City Council were willing to work with local artists they might get a better concept. 16. Council Member Sniff stated he would like to see something rising from the center of the site that would not block the view of the area behind it, but would be open and airy with a water feature, and have flora around the perimeter of the basiri. He did not feel figures were indigenous to the site, and he was not crazy about them. Living plants would lend a feeling of coolness to the site. Simplicity was the best idea. 17. Committee Walling stated the Committee should state in the Request for Proposals (RFP) that the criteria is to do something with the hole and not just add artwork to it. 18. Discussion followed regarding suggestions as to what the committee would like to see. It was the consensus of the Committee that they needed to elaborate more in the RFP on the emphasis of what the Committee was looking for. It was felt the Committee should designate a committee to review the RFP and make changes where necessary and finalize it to send out again. 19. Following discussion, it was determined that Committee Members Michelle Klein, Rosarita Shamis, Carolyn Lair would make up the committee. They were to notify the artists who had applied and ask anyone who expressed an interest to reapply. It was suggested the' committee take the list of artists and phone them and see why they did not respond. Mr. Patrick Wells (Desert Sun), would see about placing the RFP in the local newspaper. It was suggested the committee look at other cities registry for possible qualified artists. 20. Council Member Sniff stated the money, $20,000, allotted for the project was not enough and should be increased. 21. Community Development Director Jerry Herman suggested the Committee go back to the top two and let them work on another idea instead of re-advertising. Discussion followed as to alternatives. 22. Council Member Sniff suggested opening the RFP up, but not preclude any of the artists that had applied. 23. Committee Member Kline suggested sending out an additional RF'P with a deadline of September 29th, and selecting a committee to determine what artists would receive the RFPs. 24. Following discussion, it was moved and seconded by Committee 1~Iembers to instruct the committee to select artists to resubmit the RFP to and remail the RFP with a deadline date of September 27, 1995. Unanimously approved. V. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Shamis/Reynolds to adjourn this meeting of the Art in Public Places Committee to a regular meeting on September 11, 1995, at 3:00 P.M. This meeting of the Art in Public Places Committee was adjourned at 5:09 P.M. Unanimously approved.