Title
Lion Sculpture Designs
Recommended Action
I move that the Art in Public Places Board select the revised lion sculpture design #1 by artist Daniel Borup and recommend to County Council that Borup be commissioned to design, fabricate, deliver, and install the sculpture for the Police Station public art project, with a not-to-exceed project budget of $75,000 dollars, inclusive of installation, contingency, plaque, and ribbon-cutting ceremony expenses, and excluding gross receipts tax.
Body
Working Group members will discuss next steps of the Police Station project. The Police Station Art Working Group has continued development of the lion sculpture project through public engagement, artist coordination, and site-planning discussions. Following review of the two semi-finalist sculpture designs and a public survey that received more than 400 responses, the Working Group determined that while Jocelyn Russell’s design received the highest numerical support (58%), many respondents selected it primarily because it appeared less aggressive than the alternative. A deeper analysis of written comments showed that most community concerns were directed toward the aggressive posture of Daniel Borup’s initial design rather than a strong preference for Russell’s design itself. Deputy Chief Rodriguez agreed with this interpretation and confirmed that, although the feedback was helpful, neither he nor Chief Sgambellone preferred Russell’s design.
Originally, four semi-finalists were selected to create lion sculpture designs, and County Council approved a $1,500 stipend for each artist. Prior to issuing stipend contracts, one local semi-finalist withdrew due to workload and budget constraints. Before the design deadline, the second local semi-finalist also withdrew after determining that fabrication of his proposed design would exceed the project’s allowable budget. As a result, only the designs submitted by Borup and Russell remained available for public consideration, forming the basis of the survey.
In response to the community’s concerns, both remaining artists were contacted to determine whether they were willing to revise their designs. Russell indicated openness to revising her concept; however, because her original submission was already a completed sculpture, the cost to generate a new design was estimated at approximately $95,000, well beyond the scope of this project. Borup agreed to revise his design and submitted four new concepts: two less-aggressive African lion designs (one sitting and one in a sphinx pose) and two mountain lion concepts reflecting community suggestions for a local species. After review, the Working Group determined that a mountain lion is not appropriate for this project. The Police Department specifically selected the African lion because it is a long-standing national symbol in law enforcement traditions, representing strength, courage, vigilance, and protection. The purpose of the artwork is not to depict a local species, but to embody the qualities the Police Department wishes to represent in connection with its memorial.
Because Russell could not reasonably redesign her sculpture and because most community concerns centered on Borup’s original pose rather than opposition to him as the artist, advancing Borup’s revised African lion design became the option that both addressed public feedback and remained aligned with project goals. The revised design reflects a calmer, less-aggressive posture while maintaining the symbolic qualities requested by the Police Department.
The Working Group also wishes to acknowledge that while community input is an important element of public art selection, it is equally important that the sculpture meaningfully reflects and supports the Police Department, who will interact with the artwork daily and whose memorial it will accompany. Throughout discussions, Working Group members emphasized that the final artwork must be something the Police Department values, feels accurately represents its mission, and is proud to display at the memorial site. Borup’s revised concept best meets these priorities by honoring both the symbolic intent of the project and the concerns raised through public input.
The Working Group continued collaborating with the Police Department on related site improvements. Earlier planning assumed that the existing memorial wall might need to be relocated due to drainage concerns; however, those issues were resolved, and the memorial will remain in its current location. The Police Department will plan and fund all memorial-related improvements, and APPB requires updates to ensure coordination between the artwork and the memorial site. It was also agreed that the lion sculpture will be installed on a concrete base designed to resemble natural rock, funded and designed by the Police Department, to visually integrate the sculpture within the site.
The Working Group recommends that the APPB forward the revised African lion design #1 (the seated lion) by Daniel Borup to County Council with a request to commission Borup for final design, fabrication, delivery, and installation of the lion sculpture with a not-to-exceed project budget of $75,000, inclusive of sculpture cost, installation, contingency, plaque, and ribbon-cutting ceremony expenses.
Attachments
A - Borup Redesign #1-Sitting Pose
B - Borup Redesign #2-Sphinx Pose