Title
Approval of Art in Public Places Board Recommendation for Proposal for Art at the Walkup Aquatic Center Leisure Lagoon
Recommended Action
I move that the County Council approve the recommendation of the Art in Public Places Board to purchase and install five (5) mosaic title pieces, by Amanda Jaffee, in the Leisure Lagoon in an amount not to exceed $115,000.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Board, Commission, or Committee Recommendation
On October 28, 2021, at the regularly scheduled Art in Public Places Board meeting, the board approved to make the recommendation to select Amanda Jaffee to create, purchase and install five (5) mosaic tile pieces and place them in the Leisure Lagoon.
Body
Section 8-32 of the Los Alamos County Code of Ordinances speaks to the powers and duties of the Art in Public Places Board. Part of their powers are to "recommend to the council the acquisition of works of art for county-owned facilities," as well as to "recommend to the council the public sites selected for the display of such art."
The Board began discussions regarding installation of new public art at the Leisure Lagoon in October 2019. In December of 2019, artist Amanda Jaffee was suggested by APP Board Chair, Theophan Mackey. Through January 2021 - October 2021 details regarding potential pieces were discussed with the artist, and safety concerns discussed and address with the Leisure Lagoon Public Works project manager.
The 5 ceramic mosaic pieces are as follows:
- Clay used for the murals will be non-porous.
- The mosaic murals will be composed of tiles that are solid and approximately 6” square.
- Center mural ceramic tiles will be less than 1/4 inches thick
- The surrounding boarder will be slightly less that 3/8 inches thick.
- Total mural size 7.7 feet x 5.5 feet each
- Each ceramic mural would weight approximately 138 lbs.
- The back of the ceramic tiles will have small, raised lines (just like a commercial tile) to hold the commercial grade adhesive; the tiles of the mural will be attached to the wall, by a professional using only commercial grade adhesive.
Ceramic tiles have been proven to last the elements of an aquatic center and are routinely used during pool installations. The proposed mosaic murals are to represent water in other forms, snow, ice, and rain. The artist has used a repeating pattern and flowing line to give the sense of the quiet effect water can have. The artist believes the colors selected, as seen in the attached picture, are bright and playful colors, that project a sense of joy, given that the space is geared toward children.
A public comment survey was conducted October 8 - 28, 2021 via Survey Monkey. Additional comments were collected from the Community Services Facebook Page, The Los Alamos Daily Post Facebook Page, and a letter written to the Los Alamos Daily Post, also attached. In response to the initial letter written to the LA Daily Post, APP Board Chair, Theophan Mackey wrote a response letter, and additional comments were collected from that. This letter is also attached.
Overall the survey showed that respondents were supportive of the proposed art, except for the cost. However, there were many comments noted that different mediums and colors where desired for the given space. Given this information, the APP Board approved to move forward with this recommendation.
The timeline for completion of the murals is estimated to be two (2) years, following a signed contract. The mosaic murals will be delivered and installed as they are completed.
Amanda Jaffee is ceramic tile artist and Professor Emeritus, where she taught ceramics from 1985 - 2011 at New Mexico State University, and is located in Las Cruces, NM. Her relief porcelain wall tiles are frequently abstract with landscape references and living close to the US southern border has brought Mexican cultural influence into her work. Experiences swimming in the ocean and pools makes important contributions to Amanda’s imagery. High relief ceramic tile wall pieces have been Amanda's primary focus but in 2008 she returned to a sculptural format. The scale of her work ranges from very small to public murals. She has completed three large public art projects in Texas, Washington state and at the Staten Island Zoo for which she received a New York City Art Commission Design award. In 2011 a retrospective exhibition of her art: Looking Back, "Looking Forward" was shown at New Mexico State University.
Cleaning of the murals would be the same of any ceramic tiled wall, therefore an additional maintenance/cleaning cost should be avoided.
Fiscal and Staff Impact
The funds for this recommendation will come from the Art in Public Places fund. The amount for the mosaic murals is $20,000 per mural, for a total cost of $100,000. Art in Public Places historically has added 15% contingency to the amount, which brings the total budget request for this project $115,000. There are sufficient funds in that account to cover the recommended purchase, installation, and remaining budget contingencies and plaque. The APPB staff liaison will oversee the contract/purchase agreement.
Attachments
A - Picture of the Concept Models
B - Public Comment Survey & Social Media Comments Binder
C - Amanda Jaffe Previous Works
D - Art in Public Places Budget