Title
Approval of Recommendation from the Art in Public Places Board for an Expenditure of Art in Public Places Funds in an Amount Not to Exceed $70,000 to Commission a Glass Tiled Mosaic for the Justice Center Wall from Artist J Muzacz
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the expenditure of Art in Public Places funds in an amount not to exceed $70,000 which includes contingency, plus applicable Gross Receipts Tax, to commission a glass-tiled mosaic for the Justice Center wall from artist J Muzacz, to be included in the Los Alamos County Art Collection.
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 (APPB) recommends that County Council approve the expenditure of the Art in Public Place Fund in the not-to-exceed amount of $70,000 plus Applicable Gross Receipts tax to commission a Glass Tiled Mosaic for the Justice Center Wall from Artist J Muzacz.
Body
In Summer 2024, the Art in Public Places Board (APPB) issued a call for art proposals for a public art installation at the Golf Course Wall. Of the five submissions received, the proposal submitted by artist J Muzacz stood out as the only one that met both high artistic standards and the County’s 20-year permanence requirement outlined in County ordinance Sec 8-34(b)(2). APPB members were particularly impressed by the visual quality of his mosaic work and the meaningful community engagement component he incorporates into his process. Due to community concerns expressed through a public survey, including opposition to investing further funds into the Golf Course, potential damage from golf balls and carts, and a misalignment of some proposed flora and fauna with native species, the Golf Course Wall Art project was ultimately cancelled. However, the APPB remained strongly supportive of Mr. Muzacz’s work and sought a more suitable location that better aligned with community preferences.
APPB identified two segments (approximately a total of 38 feet in length X 7 feet in height) of the south-facing wall of the Los Alamos Justice Center (see Attachment A) as a viable alternative location.
County staff leadership had no objections to this proposed location. At the February 25, 2025 regular session, Council approved the commission of a design phase, allowing the artist to develop three design concepts that incorporated community feedback from the original survey. These new designs reflected the feedback regarding Los Alamos native flora and fauna from the original project. The three new concepts were presented to the public in an opinion survey and the results of this survey were discussed at the June 26, 2025 APPB meeting. Community responses indicated a preference for Design #3 (see Attachment B), which was also favored by APPB members. Following the meeting, Mr. Muzacz received the specific community feedback from this survey regarding the flora and fauna desired and chose to thoughtfully integrate many of the suggestions into a revised version of Design #3. (see Attachment C)
A final public survey, launched on July 10, 2025, asked respondents to choose between the original Design #3, the modified version, or to oppose the project. After closing two weeks later, results were presented at the APPB’s July 24 meeting (see Attachment D). With 62.93% of 116 respondents supporting the modified design, and support from APPB members, the Board voted to recommend commissioning the project using the revised Design #3 (working title: Birds and Big Skies of Los Alamos).
A standout feature of Mr. Muzacz’s proposal is its emphasis on community involvement. His pixelated mosaic style, known as “Digital Impressionism,” invites participation from people of all ages and skill levels. During a community working event, participants will help assemble sections of the mural by placing ¾” tiles into pre-templated one-square-foot grids. After a brief orientation from the artist, they can begin placing tiles (no glue or mess required) in a process similar to a color-by-numbers activity. See Attachment E for information and example images about the community participation process.
These events are designed to be inclusive, educational, and fun, fostering shared ownership of the artwork. Once all grids are complete, the artist and his team will mount the tiles on durable Wedi board panels, grout them, and install the mural on-site. The APP Board hopes this interactive process will inspire community pride and build lasting connections to both the space and the artwork.
The not-to-exceed expenditure of $70,000 of Art in Public Places funds covers all aspects of the artwork's acquisition and installation, including materials, installation, landscaping, community working event costs, ribbon-cutting expenses, a plaque, and contingency. See Attachment F for Project Plan with budget and quote from artist. There are sufficient funds within the existing Art in Public Places Fund balance to cover this project without impacting the budgets for other current or planned APPB projects.
This project directly supports two of the Council’s strategic goals as well as several key objectives:
Economic Vitality
• Educational, arts, cultural, and historical amenities
• Tourism and community events
Quality of Life
• Health, well-being, and social services
• Inclusion, access, and belonging
Alternatives
Council could not approve the expense, and the project will be cancelled.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The current fiscal impact will not exceed $70,000 plus GRT from the Art in Public Places Fund. There are sufficient funds in that account to cover this expense. The APPB staff liaison will oversee the acquisition and community participation process.
Attachments
A - Justice Center South facing wall-proposed location for J Muzacz glass mosaic
B- Survey Results for Muzacz three design concepts
C- Final design by J Muzacz
D- Survey Results for final design
E- Info and Pictures about the community participation process
F- Project Plan for Justice Center Wall Art