Title
Approval of Recommendation from the Art in Public Places Board to Remove the Bronze Plaque County Seal, Small from the Los Alamos Public Art Collection
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the recommendation of the Art in Public Places Board to remove the work of art entitled, "County Seal, Small" from the Los Alamos Public Art Collection.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the removal of the Bronze Plaque County Seal, Small from the Los Alamos Public Art Collection.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
Art in Public Places Board recommends the removal of the Bronze Plaque County Seal, Small from the Los Alamos Public Art Collection.
Body
The County acquired this piece in 2004 alongside County Seal, Large (shown in Attachment A). The work of art called County Seal, Large is located in Room 110 of the Municipal Building. During a recent art audit conducted in 2024-2025 by members of the Art in Public Places Board (APPB), County Seal, Small could not be located. According to the Art Inventory of October 2015, its last known location was the first-floor storage closet across from Council Chambers in the Municipal Building. The 2018 inventory confirmed the same location and noted that the piece was inspected in September 2017.
Despite a thorough search of that closet and other areas of the Municipal Building and Libraries, the artwork remains missing. It has been unaccounted for since at least 2019, based on art inventory audits completed in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Given the extended absence and inability to locate the piece, APPB has determined that it meets the criteria for removal outlined in Section 1.h. of the APP Policies and Guidelines, which states that a work may be considered for removal if it “is not, or is rarely, displayed.”
APPB voted to recommend the removal of County Seal, Small from the Public Art Collection on May 22, 2025.
As APPB members continue to conduct regular art inventory audits, all works of art are now cataloged in the publicly accessible database called the Public Art Archive, providing greater transparency and community access.
Alternatives
Council could not approve the removal of this work of art.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
No fiscal impact. If removal is approved, the APPB Staff Liaison would remove the record of County Seal, Small from the Public Art Archive database.
Attachments
A- Image of County Seal, Large