Title
Approval of the Recommendation from the Art in Public Places Board to Accept the Artwork Donation “Lungi Kam XII” by Artist Catherine Eaton Skinner
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the recommendation from the Art in Public Places Board to accept the donation of the artwork “Lungi Kam XII” by artist Catherine Eaton Skinner, to be located at the Mesa Public Library, at no cost to the County, for inclusion in the Art in Public Places 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 voted at their August 28, 2025, regularly scheduled meeting to recommend to Council the acceptance of the artwork “Lungi Kam XII” by artist Catherine Eaton Skinner, to be displayed in the Mesa Public Library.
Body
Following the recent solo exhibition Earth is the Magnet of the Sky in the Step-Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library, Santa Fe-based artist Catherine Eaton Skinner expressed her interest in donating one of the exhibited works to the library.
At the August 28, 2025, meeting of the Art in Public Places Board (APPB), Library Manager Gwen Kalavaza presented the proposed donation and conveyed her strong interest in accepting the artwork on behalf of the library. The work, titled Lungi Kam XII, measures 40 x 40 x 2 inches and is composed of encaustic, oil stick, graphite, archival print, and paper on panel. Created in 2021, the title translates from Tibetan to “Element of Air.” Katy Korkos, one of the Step-Up Gallery contractors, also attended the meeting and provided additional information about the artist, as well as answered questions from the board.
The artist’s studio, CESkinner Studio, provided a statement estimating the current retail value of the piece at $12,000, based on comparable recent sales of similar works. This statement is included in Attachment A.
Catherine Eaton Skinner is an established multidisciplinary artist who divides her time between studios in Seattle and Santa Fe. Her practice includes painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture, and she has produced more than 3,000 artworks over the course of her career.
The recommended location for the artwork is the third floor of the Mesa Public Library, across from the meeting rooms. See Attachment B for a photograph of the proposed installation site. The desire to include the piece in the Art in Public Places collection, rather than the separate Library collection, is due to the more formal donation process overseen by APPB. Inclusion in the APPB collection ensures the artwork will be routinely inspected for maintenance issues and listed in the online Art Archive. If placed under the informal Library collection, it would not receive the same level of oversight or public visibility.
Following Ms. Kalavaza’s presentation, the APPB voted to recommend acceptance of the donation in accordance with the donation procedures outlined in the APPB Policies and Guidelines manual, approved by County Council in June 2025. Supporting documentation, including the completed donation forms, is included as Attachment A.
Alternatives
The County Council could not approve the recommendation, and the donation would not be accepted into the Art in Public Places Collection.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
There is no fiscal impact associated with this donation. If approved, County staff will hang the work of art in the identified location.
Attachments
A - Catherine Eaton Skinner donation packet
B - Image of desired location for donation