Title
Recommendation from the Art in Public Places Board for an Expenditure of Art in Public Places Funds in an Amount Not to Exceed $65,000 for the Design, Fabrication, Transport and Installation of Art by Evelyn Rosenberg in the west side of Ashley Pond Park near the Justice Building.
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the expenditure of Art in Public Places Funds for the design, fabrication, transport, and installation of art by Evelyn Rosenberg in an amount not to exceed $65,000 including tax, lighting, contingency funds, plaques, and a dedication event.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The Art in Public Places Board approved this recommendation at their regular meeting on December 20, 2018.
Body
The Art in Public Places Board (APPB) is seeking Council approval to expend Art in Public Places (APP) funds to commission artist Evelyn Rosenberg to create a Detonography sculpture that reflects the community of Los Alamos. Detonography is a process innovated by Rosenberg, which uses controlled explosions to create intricate metal sculptures that are beautiful from a distance and have tremendous detail up close.
Rosenberg is a nationally recognized artist, whose public art appears in communities throughout the country and New Mexico. Her work is highly specific to the location, incorporating themes and styles that reflect the community and respond to their interests. Attachment A includes additional information about the artist, including examples of her work.
The project, tentatively titled “Multiverse,” is an outdoor sculpture. The specific design will be finalized if the project is approved and a location identified, but the image in Attachment B shows one possible model for the artist’s approach. The maximum dimensions would be 10’ tall, 4.5’ wide, and 2’ deep, with a concrete base below. The artist will scale and shape the sculpture to be appropriate for the space, and may consider a shorter, wider, rounder, and/or more three-dimensional approach after visiting the site.
APPB believes that an excellent location for the sculpture would be the west side of Ashley Pond Park, east of the Justice Building. See attachment C for an image of two possible locations. As a high-traffic location for residents and visitors alike, this area will allow the county to prominently display the work of this nationally recognized artist.
When APPB proposed to commission Rosenberg to create a large installation for the 502 Underpass in October 2018, APPB received feedback from the public and from Council that an Evelyn Rosenberg sculpture would be an excellent addition to the LAC public art collection. APPB is now recommending Council commission a smaller-scale project that displays the distinctive elements of the artist’s remarkable Detonography technique and represents the character of our community.
Budget
APPB approved the project for $55,000 with the whole project including tax, lighting, contingency funds, plaques, and a dedication event not to exceed $65,000.
Maintenance
All art surfaces will be covered with an easy-to-clean, anti-graffiti coating that would need to be reapplied every 5-8 years. There is an ongoing contract for maintenance of outdoor sculptures in the County’s collection, and this piece would become part of that contract.
Public Comment
In August 2018, APPB sought public comment for a project by the same artist (large installation for the 502 underpass). Many of the comments were based on the artist’s style, sample artworks, and dedication to representing the character of Los Alamos, and the project received almost universal support. Because the proposed artwork “Multiverse” also will display her signature style and will be customized for Los Alamos to reflect the community in a similar, albeit smaller, way, APPB believes the public comments from August 2018 can speak for the current proposal.
The main concerns in 2018 comments mentioned vandalism due to the location of the 502 Underpass. The sculpture is proposed for the west side of Ashley Pond Park, where several other outdoor sculptures in the public collection have not been vandalized, so APPB believes such concerns were specific to the underpass project.
Attachment D contains the full comments from the 2018 proposal.
Alternatives
Council can ask APPB to identify an alternative location for the artwork.
Council can reject the APPB recommendation.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The funds for the recommended expenditures will come from the Art in Public Places Fund. There are sufficient funds in that account to cover all the recommended expenditures, including the estimated contingency amount. Any unspent APP money will remain in the APP Fund. The artist will design and create the artwork, arrange for transport, and oversee installation carried out by her own employees and Public Works as needed. APPB staff liaison will oversee the process and will work with County staff as needed.
Attachments
A - Evelyn Rosenberg Sample Work and CV
B - Preliminary Design of the Artwork
C - Image of Proposed Locations East of Justice Building
D - Summary of Public Input for Previous Proposal by the Same Artist
E - APPB Rosenberg Presentation