Title
Art in Public Places Board Recommendation for Public Artwork at the Eco Station, a Donated Piece by Ed Grothus, “Sunflower”
Recommended Action
I move that the Council accept the donation of metal artwork, “Sunflower” from Ed Grothus estate and approve the use of Art in Public Places funds for the restoration and installation of “Sunflower” at the Eco Station with a total budget not to exceed $60,000.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approves the proposed artwork and recommendations.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The Art in Public Places Board recommends that Council approve the proposed donation and expenditure.
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 (APPB). 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."
In 2018, the estate of the famous recycler and peace activist, Ed Grothus, offered to donate to Los Alamos County a metal structure of a sunflower that he created from recycled materials. It is 14 feet in diameter. A picture of “Sunflower” is shown in Attachment A. Because it was stored outdoors at the Black Hole for several years, it currently requires restoration including new powder coating and updated welds to reinforce the piece.
APPB recommends accepting the donation and placing it on the west-facing exterior wall of the Eco- station as shown in Attachment B. Public input was gathered on accepting the piece of artwork and the proposed location. Feedback was overall positive, as this is an opportunity to honor a Los Alamos community legend, artist, and peace activist. Additionally, the location was presented to the Environmental Sustainability Board and accepted.
The County Council approved expenditures in 2019 for an engineering report to assess the feasibility and costs of restoring the artwork. The APPB has also worked with County Staff and have received an estimate for the building reinforcement and a quote to reinforce the powder- coat and install the sculpture. The quote obtained for the sculpture reinforcement, powder-coating, and install is from Sculpture Smart, the current contract holder for maintenance of the Los Alamos County Art Collection
Alternatives
Council can reject the recommendation and direct the APPB not to accept the donation, and not to restore or install the art piece.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/New Item
The funds for this recommendation will come from the Art in Public Places fund. There are sufficient funds in the expenditure budget totaling $602,900 in the account to cover the recommended purchase and estimate contingency amount. The APPB staff liaison will oversee the contract/purchase agreement.
Attachments
A - Sunflower Information
B - Proposed Location
C - Ed Grothus Sunflower Public Comments
D - Presentation - Sunflower