Title
Approval of Expenditure of Art in Public Places Funds in the Amount of $6,000 plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, to Provide Stipends to Four Artists for Design Proposals for a Lion Sculpture at the Police Station
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the expenditure of the Art in Public Places fund in the amount of $6,000 plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, to provide stipends of $1,500 each to four artists recommended by the Art in Public Places Board for the development of design proposals for a lion sculpture to be installed at the Los Alamos Police Station.
..County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The Art in Public Places Board recommends the approval of the expenditure of the Art in Public Places fund in the amount of $6,000 plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, to provide stipends of $1,500 each to four artists for the development of design proposals for a lion sculpture to be installed at the Los Alamos Police Station.
Body
The Art in Public Places Board is initiating a public art project at the Los Alamos Police Station (Attachment A) and is recommending Council approval to allocate stipend funds for the next step in the artist selection process.
The project involves the future commissioning of a sculptural artwork depicting an African male lion, to be installed just east of the Police Station’s main entrance. The lion will be placed within a designated area at the center of the Police Memorial Wall, which is planned to be relocated to that site in the future. While the sculpture will serve as a strong visual enhancement to the space, it is not intended to be a memorial itself.
The Police Memorial Wall is being relocated due to persistent drainage issues at its current site. At the March 27, 2025 meeting of the APPB, Deputy Police Chief James Rodriguez presented the relocation plan and expressed interest in enhancing the visual impact of the memorial at its new location. Drawing inspiration from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., he requested that the APPB consider commissioning a lion sculpture to be placed nearby. While the memorial itself is not an APPB project, the proposed lion sculpture would serve as a symbolic enhancement, honoring the values of strength, courage, protection, and vigilance traditionally associated with law enforcement.
In early July 2025, APPB issued a Call for Artists-Request for Qualifications (RFQ), with a submission deadline of August 18, 2025 (see Attachment B). Thirteen submissions were received by the due date from across the country. Please refer to Attachment G for the full list of submitting artists. APPB’s Police Station Art Project Working Group, along with Police Chief Sgambellone, reviewed all submissions using the criteria outlined in the RFQ (see Attachment B). To reflect APPB’s commitment to supporting local talent, a 3-point scoring bonus was awarded to New Mexico-based artists.
The working group met on August 20, 2025, and selected the following four finalists based on the strength of their experience, relevant past work, and demonstrated ability to understand and respond to the goals and vision of the project:
- Carrie Quade - New Mexico
- Daniel Borup - Idaho
- Jocelyn Russell - Washington
- Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera - New Mexico
(See Attachments C-F for their submissions.)
These recommendations, including a $1,500 design stipend for each finalist, were formally approved by the Art in Public Places Board at its August 28, 2025, meeting. The stipends are intended to compensate artists for their time and creative effort in developing conceptual proposals and do not constitute a commission for final artwork. This amount is consistent with industry standards and fits within the total project budget of $75,000, including a $45,000–$55,000 range for the final sculpture.
Although the recommended motion requests authorization for $6,000 in stipends, the actual expenditure will total $4,500, as one of the four selected artists, Jocelyn Russell, opted not to accept the stipend. In her original RFQ submission, Ms. Russell indicated that she had already completed a lion sculpture that aligned with the project goals. Based on this, she was given the option to submit her existing work for consideration rather than develop a new conceptual design. After the Art in Public Places Board approved the stipend allocations at its August 28, 2025, meeting, Ms. Russell confirmed her decision to proceed with her existing sculpture and formally declined the $1,500 stipend. The motion before Council reflects the original recommendation and amount approved by the Board in order to maintain consistency with the formal approval process and timeline. Any unspent funds will remain in the Art in Public Places fund.
If stipends are approved and the project proceeds, each artist will have 60 days to complete a conceptual design. The resulting concepts will then be presented to the community via a public survey to gather feedback, which will inform the final selection alongside other project goals. This process aligns with APPB’s updated policies, approved by Council in June 2025, to ensure transparency and community engagement.
Alternatives
Council could not approve the expense and the project will be cancelled.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned
The current fiscal impact will be $6,000 plus GRT from the Art in Public Places Fund. There are sufficient funds in that account to cover this expense without impacting other planned APPB projects. The APPB staff liaison will oversee the contract and design processes.
Attachments
A- Police Station Art Project Plan
B- Call For Art-RFQ for Lion Sculpture
C- Carrie Quade submission
D- Daniel Borup submission
E- Jocelyn Russell submission
F- Reynaldo S Rivera submission
G- Full List of Submitting Artists for the Lion Sculpture Call for Art