Welcome to the January 25th, 2025 Arts Commission regular meeting.
Effective October 17th, 2023, public comments may be made in person or in writing.
If you'd like to view the meeting remotely, you may do so in one of the following ways.
YouTube Live, Comcast Cable Channel 28, Rossmore Channel 26, Astound Channel 31,
and AT&T Universe Channel 99, or live stream online on the City's website.
Secretary Safin will you please call the roll. Thank You chair and just for the
record January 27, 2025 meeting. Commissioner Pearlman. Here.
Commissioner Tesfaye. Here. Commissioner McNani. Here. Commissioner Clauber. Here. Vice Chair
Palthazar. Presente. Very good and chair dresser. Here. Thank you. The portion of
the meeting is this portion of the meeting is reserved for comment on items
not on the agenda. Under the Brown Act, the Commission cannot act on items raised during
public communications but may respond briefly to statements made or questions posed, request
clarification, or refer the item to staff. Are there any public communications right
now? I don't see any, so we're going to move on to the consent calendar. Next on the agenda
is the consent calendar. Does any Commissioner have questions on any item on the consent calendar?
If there are no commissioner questions or comments on any consent calendar item, I'd like to
have a motion called to approve each of the items on the consent calendar and ask the
secretary for a roll call vote.
Who would like to make a motion?
I'll move that we approve both of them one at a time.
You could approve them in mass.
You can approve the entire motion.
Okay.
I move we approve the consent calendar.
Is there a second?
I second.
Thank you.
Secretary Safin? Thank you. Commissioner McNani? Aye. Commissioner Clauber? Aye.
Commissioner Perlman? Aye. Commissioner Tesfaye? Aye. Vice Chair Balthazar? Yes. And Chair Tresser? Aye.
Motion carries, thank you. Next on the agenda is an item for Commission
consideration, item 4a. Consideration of artists, locations, and concepts for the
Heder Farm Aquatic and Community Center. We will hear from all three artists and
And we'll have questions after each artist and we'll invite public comment after all the artists have spoken
And after commissioners have had a chance to ask questions
At this time I asked staff to provide the presentation
Hi, good evening commissioners nice to see you all I'm Mariah Nelson Blyer public art manager and
I'm going to tonight. We have a couple of important things and items on the agenda as you know
Before we begin
I'm going to supply a brief summary of this exciting project the Heather from public art project to date
To provide some history and context for our newest
Commissioners as well as members of the public who might be here or watching and as a refresher for the rest of the Arts Commission
Thank you.
So a brief history of this project.
The construction of a new aquatic and community center
at Heather Firm Park provides an exciting opportunity
to incorporate public artwork into the project.
This is one of the most utilized facilities in the city.
This project has triggered the city's 1%
for public art requirement and incorporating artwork
into this substantial building project will fulfill
the mission of the City of Walnut Creek's public art program, as stated in the Public
Art Master Plan, and I quote, to integrate art into the city's everyday environment
and build a dynamic, exciting, and engaging place to live, visit, and do business.
Through public art, the program aims to make our public spaces more welcoming and to create
a dialogue between artists and the community that honors our ideals, histories, and shared
values.
These proposed projects will reinforce the city's commitment to enhancing the community
with engaging art that is accessible to everyone.
So, and then a brief overview of the timeline of this project.
Hard to believe that just over a year's worth of work has been put right on one slide in
little bullet points, but here we go.
So you'll see on your screens October 2023 the Arts Commission recommended a public
art project and budget be established in conjunction with the new building project at Heather Firm
Park.
At the same meeting the Commission appointed the Artist Selection Panel informally known
as the ASP.
In November 2023 City Council approved $953,500 for a public art project budget for the new
Heather Firm facility. In January 2024, Public Art Committee and artist selection panel provided
feedback on the request for qualifications. That was then drafted and published in May of 2024.
July 2024, the RFQ closed and with 161 artist applications, staff identified the most qualified
responses and the ASP selected ten applicants to participate in interviews at its meeting.
The Arts Commission approved site locations for potential art projects as well at that
same meeting.
In September 2024, the ASP interviewed ten applicants and after that they invited five
finalists to present formal project proposals.
And finally in December 2024, the ASP reconvened again to review formal artist proposals and
And afterwards they recommended three artist groups to present concepts to the Arts Commission
tonight.
And before we have our artists present, we're going to review the locations that were approved
by the Arts Commission at the July 2024 meeting.
So this is the floor plan that illustrates the five building site locations which were
approved for artist project proposals.
And from here the one exterior site but on the building is site number one.
This is where artist Stephen Galloway has proposed art placement.
The next site is inside the Atrium lobby, building site number four.
This is where artist team Hoda Sousa has proposed their project and the next slide.
The four park locations that were approved at the same meeting in July 2024 are illustrated
here in this aerial view.
And the one site that was selected is site number four in the park for artist Alexandra
Proba.
Here is a photo of the site.
And this is where she has proposed her project.
So tonight, we are fortunate to have all three of these artist groups join us virtually to
to present their concepts to you.
The artist team, Hoda Sousa, which is comprised
of Nancy Ho and Josh DeSousa,
and then artist Steven Galloway and Alexandra Prova.
As a reminder, before the presentations begin,
the City of Walnut Creek's Public Art Master Plan
states that the Arts Commission will approve
the selection of artists and artwork and art locations
for public art within municipal development projects
that trigger the public art requirement.
Something to keep in mind.
So the Arts Commission tonight is asked to review
and consider three distinct and unique public art
project proposals created by these three
different artist groups for consideration
at the new Heather Farm Park and Community Center.
The recommended action for this evening is to consider
and approve three ASP recommended project proposals.
So we have all the artists on, and before we present,
I'm just gonna give you brief bios on all of these artists.
So first up, we have Hoda Sousa.
Again, that's Nancy and Josh.
Hoda Sousa is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary studio
focused on creative, innovative architectural installations
and large-scale sculptures.
They are based in New York City
and have created a variety of public art projects
that have been installed throughout the US and abroad.
Their clientele include hospitality, residential, and corporations.
They analyze specific goals and site conditions to achieve imaginative design solutions and
streamline the fabrication process.
Nancy was born in Shanghai and grew up in Ecuador, and Josh is of Azorian descent and
was raised as a first generation American in Massachusetts.
Both artists earned bachelor's degrees in architecture from Cornell and master's degrees
in architecture from Harvard.
Today the duo lives and works in New York City.
And before we move on, we also have Stephen Galloway here.
He is also originally from the East Coast, but has spent most of his adult life in California.
He now lives and works in San Francisco where some of his art installations can be seen.
His photographs and installations have been widely exhibited and works collected and commissioned
by the Berkeley Art Museum, San Jose Museum of Art,
Baria Rapid Transit, or not as BART,
the Nevada Museum of Art, Cap Street Project,
and the US State Department's Art and Embassies Collection.
His installations and public art have
been commissioned by municipalities, hospitals,
transportation systems, hotels, and corporations.
And then last presenting tonight,
we have Alexandra Proba.
Alex was born in Germany and studied
spatial design at Akademi Mode and Design in Hamburg, Germany,
and contextual design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven,
the Netherlands, where she honed her multidisciplinary
approach to art and design.
Since 2008, she's been living in both New York and Portland,
working in architecture for a design firm in New York.
She has a background in interior architecture, furniture,
design, and spatial thinking.
And her practice includes 2D art murals, sculptures,
and functional art in the form of home goods.
So before I hand it over, do we have any questions
on the locations or anything where we are yet?
Any questions?
I have a question.
The locations that were shown did not
include that corner of Ignacio in the entrance to the park?
And so should we talk about that now
so that it's clarified as to why it's not there?
And because I know there was a public comment
that was supplied by a prior arts commissioner.
And so I wanna make sure that we have context
for all of that.
Yeah, so that would be site number one
that you're referring to.
It says it's the main entrance to Heather Farm Park
at the northeast corner of Ignacio Valley Road
and North St. Carlos, not pictured,
but it's just because it wasn't on this aerial shot
that we have.
But that was one that was under consideration
at the Arts Commission meeting.
And that one and then the other three are all noted here.
And those were all approved as potential sites
where artists could propose artwork.
And so this helped inform where they were permitted
to propose artwork.
And so the artist has chosen site number four,
which is circled in yellow.
Got it.
but that number one is not showing up as Ignacio.
Right, that's not, it would be further down on the screen.
Just to clarify, when the commission approved
among other locations the corner
of Ignacio in North San Carlos,
that site was one of the locations,
including the request for qualifications.
It went to all the artists.
The artist had the option of selecting that corner
as a site for their art that they were proposing.
The selected artists or the recommended artists
you'll see tonight did not choose that site.
Thank you for the clarification.
Any other questions before Mariah proceeds?
Okay, so now we are at the part of the evening
where we're going to have the artist presentations.
And as a reminder, the artists have up to 10 minutes.
It doesn't mean they need to take the full 10 minutes,
but up to 10 minutes to do their project proposal presentations
for the park.
And after which, that will be followed by questions
from the Arts Commission.
And then questions, or excuse me, public comment, no.
Commissioner.
Public comment will be after all three artists
have spoken and commissioners have asked their questions.
Got it.
Right, afterwards.
So we appreciate all of the artists staying on the Zoom
for the full duration of all other artists presentations.
All right, so with that,
I'm happy to welcome Nancy and Josh
who are joining us from the East Coast.
And hi, everybody.
And welcome, and then I'm gonna hand it over to you.
You have shared screen capabilities.
Can I just, just for the purpose of our visual,
Steven and Alex, you don't need to have your camera on
if you don't want to, during the other artist presentations,
but you're welcome to just put on mute
and you can just watch us
in case you want to do something else.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good evening, everyone.
I'm Nancy Ho, and this is my partner, Josh DeSouza.
Thank you for taking time to meet with us today.
We'll go ahead and share our screen.
Oops, sorry, perfect.
OK, so our proposal is called PAPI.
PAPI is a suspended ceiling-mounted installation
inspired by native wildflowers that
add a pop-up complementary color and form
to the lobby of the new aquatic community center.
This surreal oversized floral landscape
tapers in harmony with the pitched roof
and exposed trusses of the center.
while a palette of orange, pink, and yellow,
evoke the vibrant hues of the California poppy.
This piece is composed of lightweight structural frames
and court.
Poppy's design allows it to take on a dramatic footprint
within a very open and airy site,
while its transparency avoids obstructing one's views
and appreciation of the grandness
of the architectural space.
We really aim to create an immersive environment
that connects visitors with the immediate architectural
context, the community center, as well as the local ecosystem
that surrounds it.
The project's unique modules are designed
to vary in scale and color and form.
And together, it celebrates the beauty
that's inherent in nature's rich variety,
well as the dynamic acts of growth and blooming that occur in nature. Here we can see what the
space is like looking above, looking towards the pitched route, and just a flatter version of that
so we can see there's a distance and consideration given to the fans that are also in place there.
so the centers of each poppy are what needs to avoid the fan. The fans are above up here
and the poppies actually line up with the lower drop ceiling that is set within this space.
Hey Josh. Josh, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Can you hold a second? The volume here is a
little bit too low, so we're trying to adjust that. So this will count against your time.
Please hold. He needs to turn the volume up.
Let's see if I can turn it up over here, too.
I'm going to let our technical expert figure this out.
So Naveed, can you see if you can get the volume up?
The blackboard, we're turning it up.
Our power is also coming out.
A little bit.
Let's get closer to how you're going to spin up the wire.
I'm trying not to break our downward solids here.
I like the design so that it lines up
with the lower drop ceiling of the lobby.
So that it has a more immediate engagement
with folks who are inside the lobby this close to them.
So this has a significant separation
from the fans that are above.
You can see a typical poppy module here.
But in general, which is called, but there
is a substructure, a light steel substructure,
that holds it all together.
And below, there are five typical modules
that get distributed and rotated different amounts
throughout the site to add variety
and to have a distinction of very open
and blown versus closed flower petals.
The child usage is something that we've actually
deployed on a number of projects in the US,
and also abroad.
This allows us to very large-scale spaces,
this combination of a very light steel frame that's robust,
but also infilled with rope that has
an almost similar diameter and sizing.
So it kind of blends together, that painted steel
by the color of the rope.
It's something we pay particular attention
to in terms of color matching.
They're only attachments and data detailing.
There's something that will work with the architect hand
in hand.
We actually both have architecture backgrounds.
So this is a familiar territory for us.
And it's first record in terms of those attachment points
and coordinating that.
In terms of the timeline, we are estimating approximately
the line last plus the amount of time
takes for the permit from design development to the installation. This is a project that we will
work closely with the architects to coordinate, you know, any substructure required for suspending
the pieces and the precise location of a piece. In terms of install, first grade forward,
This is an indoor project, and we'll be using exterior grade paint, so we don't have concern
regarding the finish quality over time. I don't really see any issues there. And the polyester
ropes are also highly resistant to UV exposure. This is a rope that we work with in particular
because of that characteristic. And there isn't much direct sunlight anyway within the space.
The total budget for the project comes in at 237,000 and yeah, we're just really excited
about the potential of the project and how nice the space is and I think it could be
a really great installation.
All right, thank you so much for your presentation.
It was great seeing it, beautiful work.
We'll stop the sharing now or we could keep it up in case there are any questions.
No, the questions at the end, so we'll stop sharing.
What do questions now might help to keep sorry, keep the screen out.
Yep.
Okay.
So that commissioners are ready for your questions.
Who would like to ask questions first?
Thank you for this presentation.
Yours is the only one of the three projects that we're looking at tonight that engages
with the building itself.
And I'm wondering, you know, what's the process with regard to connecting with the building's
architects?
Have you, are you in contact with them?
Does that happen later?
Does it need to happen at all?
Yeah, so we've already been in communication about how we foresee attaching the pieces and essentially the plan is to.
To coordinate the blocking that would go between choice in the ceiling.
In the root structure for the locations that we provide to them. So it's going to be a pretty straightforward process. We'll have anchor points.
At those at those blocking locations, and it's the installer will have a kind of a full scale prints out that they actually use laser pointers to accurately.
Line up with those those built locations. Yeah. And also we work in in the.
And we've designed the details in the model, which the architects also had. They have shared with us the model, which is how we were able to.
produce these renderings. So we're able to sort of coordinate very precisely with the architect and send them, you know,
our files so that they can tell exactly where to put the blocking. And also for their end in case we're proposing
placing one of these at a sprinkler location.
Or some other
piece of equipment that shouldn't have an anchor going through. Yeah, we've in a lot of our projects
we collaborate very closely with our contacts and contractors so we're very
confident that this would go very smoothly in that sense. You want me to
run my full thing I've got a couple of more sort of more practical questions I
the other view that you showed us has them all at the same level and this one
looks like that one yeah and the one we've been looking at it looks like
They're at different levels, which is actually the same.
So it looks like it's at different levels,
but actually, this is all at the same level.
It's just because of how they're spaced.
So here, we can see a kind of flat projection,
reflected ceiling plan.
So they're spaced apart from each other in a way
that there's just enough variety in their forms.
Some are pretty squat versus others are lanky.
And it's just kind of a variety.
And that's what gives it a feel that it's kind of bouncing,
that they're kind of at different heights,
sort of like the way it would be in field.
We were trying to get it so that it
didn't feel too flat.
So help me understand the rope.
I know you've worked in that material before.
it doesn't look like rope in these drawings.
Yeah.
How does that work?
So it's a.
So maybe to show, we've actually done the project also.
Maybe let's show the photo.
So this is just like a kind of detailed photo.
But we can also do, if we go to just our website.
Yeah.
It'll be here.
I mean, I'm just having trouble kind of conceptualizing
how that rope looks so fragile and delicate.
So the rope is pretty thick.
It's a quarter inch diameter.
So for example, we tried to get the structural members
to be as close in diameter to the rope.
They usually have to be a little larger in diameter
than the rope, but get it close enough
and get the color to match as closely as possible.
So the structure to this is really just,
there are like these lower frames that have rope
that get kind of stitched into them.
And there's an inner frame
and then there's just a few verticals.
Yeah, it's a bit of articity
because we purposely try to make the structure look
almost the same thickness as the rope.
So, but if you look very closely,
some of the vertical members here are a little thicker
and that is actually steel.
Those are painted steel bars.
Yeah, we use steel just because if we were to use aluminum,
all the members would have to get thicker.
And that kind of, that game of trying to really get
it to feel like it's floating in the air.
And then will the rope be a different structure?
Sorry, will the rope be different colors
or is it all that orange rope?
It's different colors.
Yeah, so let's go back to this.
So, depending on each module, we would have,
We were thinking combinations, so there's a kind of,
there's an inner color versus an outer color,
because there's a nice iridescence
to the actual live flower.
It doesn't, it isn't like you're looking
at a piece of paint on the wall or something.
It kind of, you really get like all these gradients
in between like orange and yellow
and even little bit of pink sometimes.
And that was the kind of goal with combining two colors
for each flower.
So having these two layers of different colors
within each poppy, it would give it
more of a sense of depth.
And then each poppy would also be slightly different
from its neighboring flower.
So that way, we're able to kind of create sort of each flower
be unique in a sense. Okay, thank you. Thanks. Any more Commissioner questions? I
have a question about the ropes. Just tell me how to clean them. How would we
clean them? You know we won't want to do it often, but there is a significant
amount of dust that collects over time, even indoors. How would we go about that?
So the other advantage to using the polyester versus a cotton is that it gets a very smooth
surface.
So it's pretty simple with a, like a, a swift, a swiffer, like duster, but with like a long
handle.
It will just pick that up with the static electricity.
either that or microfiber cloth.
But it's pretty straightforward in terms of just wiping it,
wiping the dust off.
It doesn't stick on to the way it would be a cotton rope.
Okay. Thank you.
I have a question.
Two questions I have.
One, as in regards to the fans.
Since we have three fans, do the ropes,
are they sturdy enough where the poppies won't be moving around, or is that part of the artistic
element that you are trying to achieve? So we aren't trying to get them to move around,
so we're going to work with an engineer. We could see it going two ways, either it's a tension cable
or an actual rigid rod. It's probably going to be a rigid rod that holds it in place,
And that will minimize any movement if there is any movement.
I don't think we want them to kind of like dancing around
too much or at all, really.
We'll aim to have them to be stable.
Yeah, I think the combination of the rigid broad
and the weight of the poppy structure and the distance
from the fan will eliminate most of the movement for them.
Yeah.
Yeah, we've done a number of these indoors, but also outdoors, and something a lot of times
clients ask us, oh, how's it going to do in the wind? And, you know, we've done some projects in
windy locations, and it just passes through it. Because it looks visually like it's dense,
but it's wide open at the same time. It just is very porous.
OK, thank you.
The other question I had, in looking at this image here,
it seems like this is from the interior, correct?
And if we were to look at this image from the outside,
we would lose the visual effect of the pot piece
being seen from outside.
I was just wondering what your reason was
behind the placement of where you had them right now,
because I think it's an impact that we're losing as a public art. It's not as engaging from looking
at it from outside. And I'm so sorry. The other question I had was in regards to there are a
couple of images in the next slide maybe. Are those images on the wall included or are they kind of
here as a concept of those two.
Oh, this piece here on the wall?
That was, we kept it in there.
It was just part of the original presentation
where there was two, we had proposed the second piece
that would have been an individual piece that would
have been on the wall as well.
Yes, but this piece that you see here on the wall
is not part of this artwork.
It's a separate piece.
To address your first question about the placement
of the poppies, we're actually speaking with the architects
and with everybody involved, it's
part of the design development for us too.
We want to explore the idea of changing
the heights of these poppies as well.
So we are open to sort of working with different heights.
maybe they kind of go up and follow the slope
of the pitched roof.
So I think that that is something
that we're all open to.
So exploring and taking some looks from the outside,
taking some perspectives from the outside
because we would also want this to be visible
as one approaches the center.
So we will be sure to keep that in mind
and make them placed in a way that, you know, makes it.
It's also a, it's a little,
it makes it seem like it would be completely blocked
from this particular flat section in perspective,
like when one would view it, you know,
you'd get a better view of the piece.
I know we don't have, it would be helpful
have that additional front on perspective,
so we could get a sense of what that would be like.
But I do think you're right that if it went higher,
you would perceive it even more.
Last question.
So I went on your website,
lots of beautiful, beautiful public artwork.
I really loved the lanterned chandeliers that you had
and Ecuador, I believe, at the Chinese restaurant,
as well as the Aura,
located in the Washington Metropolitan Area transit.
The reason I love those pieces
is because they're large and oversized,
and they seem to sort of fill up the space.
And one of the artists here on the panel,
and I'm sort of not sensing that from this visual,
so I would like to know,
are we getting the same impact from the colors,
or does it hit different when we see it in person
because there are multiple, like how do you,
how are we getting the similar impact visually here?
So I think, well, a couple of things.
I think we were trying to reference,
we were trying to not overpower the beauty of the space
as well in this case,
because I think with the restaurant,
It was like an almost industrial existing space
with a concrete ceiling.
And for that, there really wasn't anything
to try to show off.
So we could really fill it in.
But I think in this case, we wanted
to be a little more subdued with not wanting
to take over the entire space with the pieces,
because there is this kind of cathedral-like truss structure
that's up there that seems pretty
nice. It also is a pretty large space. It's much larger than those other two projects in terms of
the footprint of the space. So to fill it in would be would be a considerable undertaking in terms of
just like filling in the entire thing. The other aspect was because of the fans, there was no way
for us to like so densely populate. If we were to completely densely populate the space but
but not the but then of course we can't occupy the space where the fan is
then it would seem like there were these holes rather than kind of a more kind of
loose or sparse sprinkling of the flowers through the space.
Do you have an idea of how many of these flowers will have?
I believe it was 50, was it 53?
That's the other one.
Okay, yeah, I'm glad.
Sorry, a month ago, I would have known exactly.
At this point, I would have to count.
It's exactly what we see here, so 5, 10, 14, 30, 20, 40, 40, 40, 30, 40, 40, 30, 40, 40,
40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40.
OK.
Will we be getting the same amount of flowers that we see in the conceptual, what you're
showing us here, or in the contracts?
Yeah.
OK.
Yeah.
There might be, like, you know, we have to shift one over an inch or two, because the
you know, a lot of it, you know,
a lot of people don't recognize
what the architect needs us to.
But, yeah, we would try to just
make it look the way it is in
the render.
Any other commissioner questions?
I have a few questions.
Some were similar to commissioner
test phase because I wondered
what those eight-legged things
were on the ceiling and their
fans. Where is the lighting from
a set of lighting, so these images were produced for the proposal and they weren't in the 3D model,
but there is an array of lights up there and we're also in communication with them about
potentially integrating pendant fixtures into the pieces themselves, so it would add additional
lighting to the space and kind of cause each of them to have like their own independent glows as
well. Thank you. I know that this piece of art being viewed from the outside is very important
to the Commission and thank you for saying that they're all hitting at the same level where that
band is. I think that they need to be either below the band or above the band but as soon as you go
go above the band, you're competing
with the architectural windows that show above the band.
At what height are they right now from the floor?
OK, let's go back to this.
I don't remember the exact height of what this is.
My guess is about 10 feet.
10 feet.
I think what we want to test with the next sort of layout
iteration is to raise them a bit, but not up too, too high.
So sort of in that area between the truss and the beam.
We were thinking almost maintaining this relationship
to the datum of the drop ceiling for the low point.
And it becomes vault like or dome like if the tops and the bottoms are or something like that.
I think if this piece moves forward, the commission would like to see what that looks like.
On one of the schematics, it's an image that says Poppy Reflected Sealing Plan. Can you go to that page, please?
Can you talk about this view some more?
The puppies, they don't look
strong when you look at this view.
Is this from somebody lying on the floor looking up at them?
This is essentially like a floor plan,
but looking at it's a ceiling plan.
Yeah, it's like somebody laying on the floor looking up,
but it's flattened out completely.
So this would be what human perception would be like.
This is more like architectural drawing just for identifying. It was just more about the center
points to make sure we're maintaining a distance from the fan blades. Okay, thank you. Okay,
I think you've answered all my questions between the commissioners have picked up lots of them.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Any other questions after I've asked mine? Thank you.
All right, thank you very much Nancy and Josh for giving such a thorough presentation and for
answering all the questions so that we can all have a really good understanding of your project and then we'll look forward to
Potentially seeing another iteration with this concept of the dome ish moving, you know playing as you as you advance
And all right, you want them to stay in case there are just no questions at the end if you wouldn't mind staying
I know it's really late where you are
If you wouldn't mind staying on that would be great. Thank you so much. And if you want you can turn off your your camera
Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up we have Steven Galloway. I don't know. Are you still there Steven?
Yes, I am here. All right. Great for my video back on. All right, welcome wasn't going anywhere
Hi everybody, I'm Steven Galloway nice to see you Mariah and thank you all for hearing all our proposals tonight
I'm gonna go ahead and share my screen and walk you through the my revised proposal
one quick second I
I think that that does it.
Except that I'm not on the first slide, which is right there.
So I'm proposing a piece called Water Works,
which is a public art proposal for Heather Farm Park.
It's an exterior piece.
And it's a site-specific mosaic mural.
The site that I'm designing for is the exterior wall
of the changing room that leads to the aquatic center.
So this is where up in this corner, upper right corner,
is the circular road where people drive in
and they do drop-offs.
And then this is the whole entry plaza
for both the community center and the aquatic center.
And to enter the aquatic center,
people can either cut across here
or cut right in front of this building,
which is the changing room for the Aquatic Center.
Now, to begin with, this Aquatic Center
is almost kind of a utility building in certain ways,
and then right there on the plaza,
there's this great big, very solid monolithic wall here.
And I was really interested in how much potential that had
for really being a site that have impact for people
as they arrive at the site.
You know, really trying to transform that thing
that you look at as you drive into the site.
So here's an idea of a,
this is a 40 foot long mural, eight feet tall,
actually integrated into that wall,
made out of glass and ceramic mosaic.
the goal of this piece is to, excuse me, the goal of this piece is to create a captivating
public artwork that really energizes that entryway experience at the new aquatic center
and community center. So what I'm trying to do with the imagery here is use this horizontal
stretch of wall that reimagined Walnut Creek, the creek itself, and it's in a more primordial state
sort of free from the concrete channels that most people end up experiencing it.
Another closer view. So this imagery is just imagery that I've created similar to my work
that acts now as a stand-in. The way that I make my public art projects is
that each one is very specific to the ecology and the site and the place where the artwork's going
to live. So I have to create a whole new artwork that will become this mural. I'll talk a little
bit more about my process for doing that but I do want you to be aware right away that this is sort
of an indication of the direction that I would go but not necessarily the final artwork. In talking
about the integration with the building. This is a section of that building. And you can
see here that what I've what I'm asking that architecture create is actually a chamfered
niche that goes back into this wall. The artwork itself sits back in the in the wall about
four feet from the front surface. I'm sorry, not four feet four inches from the front surface.
And I'm also asking if we can design the niche so that it's not a squared off niche, but
rather chamfered and comes in at this angle so that it just really creates a really beautiful
frame for the artwork, and the artwork sort of becomes one with that wall.
So no matter what goes here, there will be a great representation of the creek, but it'll
also be a vibrant expression of sort of light and water and nature, a certain amount of abstraction
and enough detail in there to make it really living in a certain way. What this comes from
is this comes from photographic work that I've been doing for a number of years and I make these
photographs in the studio. This is a piece called Arcadia and so the way that I work in the studio
You know, as I'm a really large tank,
I create these sort of installations or dioramas,
if you will, that are made specifically for the camera.
And I control what's going on with the water,
what's being reflected in the water,
exactly how all the light and shadow falls.
And I've developed a lot of different techniques
for creating, you know, sort of these magical,
unbelievable, unbelievable views of nature.
Now for this piece, I would be creating something,
a whole long photograph, 40 feet long,
that would then be somewhat abstracted a little bit
and broken down to sort of these sort of colored areas.
And then I would work hand in hand
with the great mosaic artisans of Meyer of Munich,
who I've already been in contact with.
Now, Meyer of Munich is a custom stained glass application
and mosaic firm in Germany who've been working
with mosaic and glass for about 170 years,
creating projects all over Europe and North America.
The artisans there take my ideas
and they really transform them
and make them something magical and unbelievable.
Now to give you a little bit better idea of,
excuse me, of the kind of content
that I really wanna get in there,
I wanna talk for a second about this little riparian area
that actually exists right near the new Civic Center
and throughout Heather Farm Park.
You know, water's super important there.
There are natural waterways and lakes.
There are human built and human managed waterways and lakes.
And then of course it's an aquatic center.
So there's gonna be actual, you know, pools built
specifically for athletic purposes and recreation.
There's this little tiny stretch of natural creek
that comes down from the big,
not the man-made lake right behind the community center,
but just a little bit to the north of that,
the other lake that's surrounded by so many reefs.
So this little tiny creek comes down through there.
And that's what started to give me
the real inspiration for this piece.
So these are some of the kinds of details
that I would love to have in this artwork
so that we can really see what would something
that is very much of this place,
sort of the Ignacio Valley,
this area between Mt. Diablo and Briones Ridge, and just, you know, part of that whole watershed
and how do we make something that's going to make people feel very grounded and very
much in that place. So these are really photographs right from the site. Now, with something like
this, these are details I'd love to incorporate in the mural, but by working in the studio,
I get to control all the light, the shadows,
and what's reflected in the water
so that I create something that is really kind of an imagined
space, but really kind of magical.
As I said, I would be working in the studio.
I work in a place that's, this is my older studio.
But you can see I'm working with the setup
that I've got set up with water and things like that.
My images, I make photographs like this.
And you can see on the left, I have
reflections of all these overhanging leaves
and things like that.
And you can see for these round pieces,
I'm just working in a four-foot kiddie pool.
And then it ends up making an artwork
like the one on the right.
And what's going on with the water, whether it's moving
or whether it's still, what's reflected in it
is really important to me.
So these are a series of photographs.
and the water's all moving but it's got this great reflection of Mount Tam in it.
So that's the way that I work. I would work on this photograph starting sort of at one end
and completely creating a whole series of dioramas that lock into each other and to
create a 40-foot mural. And then I would go to Germany working and work with the folks over
Meyer of Munich. This is a picture of one of their mosaic studios where they're working on a series
of pieces that were made by Kiki Smith. Just to give you a quick idea about what they can create,
this is one of those Kiki Smith murals and you can see all the different kinds of
techniques that they're using in order to create this really vivid surface in the water.
Another piece from that same series, this piece is much more stylized and abstract,
but what's really cool about this that I want to bring into this mosaic work is the variety of
types of materials and techniques that they develop custom for each artwork. So that's the
advantage with working with these people is that in the end, you get this artwork that is truly,
truly one-of-a-kind. Just briefly, I wanted to review, this is a, I have a timeline of how I would
go ahead and get this piece done. I think it takes about 18 to 21 months overall. I work, I
research on the site and talking to different kinds of naturalists and things like that for
about a month, and then it takes me about six months to make this series of photographs.
and then I go to Munich and work with the artisans there, and then they take over and create the
whole mural with, you know, with us in sort of distant communication the whole time.
Meyer of Munich creates the mosaic, they ship and pack the mosaic, and they send a team out
to install the mosaic. So they are sort of the whole package soup to nuts for creating this,
and they've done this successfully with public art projects all over North America.
And then briefly, the cost of doing this whole project or budget as proposed is 344,000.
That also includes a 10% fabrication contingency, sales tax, and all other costs. But it does cover
everything materials fabrication design the whole deal. And that is my last slide. I'm going to go
ahead and get it out of this view so that we can perhaps talk a little bit more here.
Are you all still seeing my PowerPoint screen? Yes. Okay. Do you want me to leave that on or
you want me to cut it off? Why don't you leave it up for questions? All righty. Thank you very much
for that presentation, Stephen.
Thank you.
I'm ready for commissioner questions.
Thank you.
Now, this, Mose, this will be glass and ceramic?
Yes.
And will...
Certain...
Go ahead.
Oh, I was going to say, what they often do is it'll probably be primarily glass because
glass is what's going to work for so much of the water part of this, and water is going
to be the primary feature but if you know for certain kinds of rocks or
branches or different elements like that they'll oftentimes decide okay well we
can create a little bit of relief in this piece and create a different kind
of look by custom making a ceramic tile to convey the idea of a stick or a
particular rock and things like that. Well you anticipated my next question
which is it flat or is there relief incorporated into it?
There is some relief.
I think that it was just straight glass mosaic,
it would be about a half inch thick throughout the whole thing.
And I think we're going to get to using some relief elements,
inch, inch and a half thick total.
So maybe adding an extra inch thickness,
having it bulge out from the flatter parts of the glass mosaic.
Okay and then it's at the aquatic center. I'm just wondering how visible would it
be to people who are not at the center but are maybe passing by or the distance
from it. In fact in fact people do at this site, I'm gonna quickly just go back so
so you can see the orientation here.
So you can see here in red, it says art site
and then there's this rectangular box over here.
This is the, it's bases out to the whole entryway
of the community center.
So when people drop kids off to go to the aquatic center,
they drop them off on this curved road
and those kids will cruise right across this little plaza
to get to the aquatic center.
Now, the pools and things are all back here.
So this is really the main public welcoming area
to both the community center and the aquatic center.
Okay, then just one other thing.
So it'll be, go ahead.
No, go ahead and finish that and then I'll give you the next.
Oh, I just wanted to say,
this is what's gonna be facing you
as you drive into this arrival port here.
You're gonna look right at this wall.
And so what would normally be just a completely solid,
monolithic wall of a more utilitarian building
will actually become completely brought to life with this.
Yeah, I was actually wondering about people
who are at Heather Farm but not going
to the aquatic center, the community center,
but they're out on the lawn or they're in the playground
or they're just driving through.
Okay, that's right.
And so that would be behind all this.
So if you're at the playground, you won't see this.
You're right.
Because the playground is further south from this area.
OK.
And then just finally, there's a planter in front of it.
And then, of course, there are cars going around the turnaround.
Is there any concern that that planter
is going to interfere with the piece?
No, I don't think so.
Now, as shown in this,
doing the best we can do to create a rendering
for something that hasn't been fully designed or anything,
we've got a more shrub-like tree here.
The plan is that this planter is planted up,
but that there is a tree,
and from the designs that I can see,
the tree is, there is a top canopy,
but it doesn't have foliage going down to the ground,
so it's trimmed up.
You have eight feet of trunk or whatever,
and then you have canopy up above that.
Got it.
OK, thank you.
I have some questions.
I think you may have answered one of it, which is,
would it have texture?
And is this something that folks could touch because they
will be touching it?
And is there any way to protect it?
And the other question I have was, in your proposal,
you mentioned that the mural will invite visitors
into the realms of abstraction in wonder.
And I just wanted to know, as an artist, what you mean by that.
Looking at your piece, I think your process is beautiful,
just the way you talked about and articulated,
your concept is gorgeous.
I am concerned though that because of the area and with water and rocks and all that
being present, what sets your mural apart?
How can folks drive by and stop and talk public art or what is, I feel like it competes with
the surrounding area.
I was wondering how we can make a difference visually
to make an impact.
Okay, so your first question
is about the physicality of the artwork.
The artwork can very much be touched
and the artwork will have texture
and it can be felt and read throughout.
Now, as far as protecting the mosaic,
The mosaic is incredibly durable material.
There are mosaics that are thousands of years old
that have been covered with dirt or covered with ash
and uncovered and recovered and uncovered
that have been floors and walked all over.
So they are super, super durable
and they are easily maintained.
They can be cleaned just with water
or with just a very, very soft, gentle soap,
if necessary, if there's any grime.
But as far as really protecting the piece,
that's one of the main reasons that I like the artwork also
to be built into that niche so that it's
back from the front of the wall.
So if somebody is dragging a rolling suitcase alongside of it
and they run into the wall, it doesn't hit the artwork.
So there's not an ability for people to just jam themselves
right into the artwork, but you can easily
reach forward and touch it.
And I think that that's, I think it's great.
I really look forward to that.
This is, you know, what I am proposing is a,
is a real transformation a couple of steps away
from what we actually see in nature.
And I, perhaps I can clear this up.
With my photography, I work a lot
to carry a lot of really superfine detail.
And that is evident in my work
and it's been important to me in my work.
By having that completely transformed into glass mosaic,
there are a couple of steps of abstraction
that sort of break it down,
make it a little bit more graphic.
And then you develop these patterns
of all these different reflective surfaces that
are not one uniform surface.
So it's got a kind of glitter to it in the way
that it actually interacts with light.
Just very briefly, speaking of interacting with light,
I did want to mention an element we've
been talking to the architects about since making
these renderings.
And that is that the architects are planning on actually
creating a little canopy that comes straight out
here on their building.
And so the reason why they want to do that
is because if there are people who are waiting around
to get into the aquatic center, say before it opens,
you drop your kids off, and they're waiting,
if it's raining or there's inclement weather or anything
like that, they want to be able to stand under here.
So there will be a little canopy that's
designed to match the building.
And it will come out, I think, to about here.
And we've talked about lighting systems in that.
it would run the length of that and shine down on the mosaic
so that it's got a real strong presence at night.
So at nighttime that is the only resource of light, correct?
As far as I know right on that building,
on that side of that building, yes.
And so we would design that specifically
to light up the mosaic.
Right, and also the plaza is lit too.
Yeah, but I don't think there are any right there
at the, right, that will go underneath that canopy.
That's still part of the design process
that we're working through.
Thank you, your presentation has been amazing so far.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
How, looking at your concept,
is that what we're going to get?
Like, you know, you talk about making it into a mosaic,
but now I'm looking at a mural that I'm loving this,
but is that, how realistic is what we are seeing
versus what we will get?
And you mentioned that there is going to be
one inch off of the wall, but when I look at this image,
I see boulders, huge rocks.
So how, you know, if it's only one inch off,
it looks like these boulders are coming at us,
but they're not going to be, right?
Like, so how, where do I see the truth?
What are we gonna get?
I think we've got a couple of questions here.
One is, I just wanna try and explain this a little bit
further and that is that this is,
I'm going to be creating something wholly new
for Walnut Creek that's going to be specifically
about this place that won't make sense anywhere else
in the same way that it makes sense here.
So first off, I do imagine green in my palette,
which I don't have here.
Because if you look, there's all these different greens
in the reeds that grow, all around the waterways
actually at the park.
And there's different kinds of algaes
and different kinds of little aquatic plants
that if it's really healthy, that they're all living there
and they're all vibrant.
So there's a little bit of a different color palette
going on.
What I think this image explains best
is probably the, put it here,
is probably the action, the visual action
that goes on in water,
how there will be different kinds of reflections
coming off the water.
And I think probably the percentage of water
that's represented in the piece will be similar to this.
Now, what you see in terms of the rocks
and things like that, the depth in this particular picture,
the depth that comes from those different things
comes from light and shadow.
So if there's light and shadow incorporated into the mosaic,
you don't have, you can give an effect
that when you're 40 feet away from the piece,
you look at it and it has a sense of depth and dimension
to it, but it won't be anywhere near as great
as it is visually once you get up to it physically.
Thank you.
And you touched on my next question,
which is the volume of water.
What are you planning?
Yes, so I'm planning about the same kind of percentage
of water here.
What makes these pieces really exciting to me
is what I can do with water.
The whole piece is going to be about water in that way.
But also, where water meets this riparian strip,
where it meets the Earth, and has
a very, very particular kind of ecology going on in there.
So I think it's probably, if this piece as demonstrated here
is 75% water, that's a rough guess,
is 75% of this is blue water,
is that I would probably be shooting
for something similar to that.
And just back to my question, those big boulders,
are we gonna get big boulders like that?
No, you mean, you mean, will you get them so they will, there won't be anything protruding
really far off. Now, this, if we go here, I can show you these, you know, there's so
many little tiny things like this stick and these eucalyptus leaves in this piece that
give visual clues as to what the scale is and everything. Right. So you will, it will be an
understandable, a comprehensible scale within the piece. Does that help you understand the rocks a
bit better? Yeah, it does. And final question, when you set the mural, the mosaic mural,
Will it be angled so the water is rolling down at an angle?
Or is it going to be straight up?
Great question.
Great question.
So with this particular image that I've put in here
that I've created just quickly for the proposal,
this has got a pretty high angle of view.
So you're coming up pretty high up on it, looking down.
And for this piece, I will drop that down some
so that I can concentrate a little bit more
on the sort of the front face of reeds
and things like that that are on there.
So you'll be looking a little bit more across the water
than down the water.
Is that what you're asking?
My question is more like when you spoke with the architects,
will it, like the top of that mural,
be more closer to the wall and the bottom
be closer to the sidewalk, so that it is rolling out.
The mosaic will be installed vertically.
Okay, all right.
That's what I was asking.
Thank you very much.
Oh, okay.
And I have more of a specific question.
In one of your commission pieces
for the Bay Area Transit, beautiful piece,
you used bubble tiles, and does that mean then
we are not going to use bubble tiles here.
Can you kind of share a bit of your process
of the type of tile work that you'll be using for this?
Okay, so this will be a mosaic piece,
which means that it will be made of gazillions
of custom cut pieces of glass mosaic called small T,
these little pieces that will all fit together
in order to create this.
it will not be a geometrically regular thing.
Like it's not all gonna be made out of square tiles
or made out of lots of different pieces
that all fit together.
And that's one of the real sort of exciting things
about working a mosaic,
is that it has this sort of energy across its surface
and the way that it reflects light from different pieces
that oftentimes it's slightly different angles
bouncing light off.
Now, the piece in Bart, it sounds
like you might be a Bart rider.
A lot of the Bart stations, the walls
are covered with these ceramic, white ceramic bubble tiles.
They're hexagonal.
They make the wall look like a beehive.
And in the center of every hexagon,
there's a bubble that actually protrudes out
about 3-quarters of an inch that's molded in there.
So just, I didn't use tile in that piece.
What I did was in the artwork, which is on glass,
is I actually incorporated a trompe l'oeil effect
that made it look like it was made out of bubble tile
because I wanted it to tie in
with the building architecture in that way.
Okay, thank you so much for sharing.
Any other commissioner questions?
I have a couple of questions.
How will this piece respond to earthquakes
and kind of regular expansion and contraction of the soil
that we have quite frequently in Walnut Creek?
That is something I'll be reviewing
with the architects and the engineers,
but it will go with the building.
You know, so it depends also on how they want,
how the building will be built.
So it's certainly something that will bring up
with the architects and engineers.
And how will the tiles be connected to one another
if they're very small pieces?
Is there grout in this piece?
Let me just pull up another visual here really quickly.
So there, a lot of times they are just fitting
to match. So they're all, they'll, the wall will be constructed to be able to
receive the mosaic, which means that the once the niche is designed and they
build the whole wall, they will lay in a layer of, first a layer of waterproof
membrane and then they'll put in a concrete backer board and that'll be
fully attached in a very specific way to the building, and so there will be a perfectly flat,
solid, hard quarter-inch thick concrete board in there through it that fills the whole niche edge
to edge. Then the mosaic comes in big chunks that are shipped over from Germany and that will
fit together and then the installation team will put all those together. You can see here on this
image on the right that I'm showing you they've got this paper tape coming through here. So they're
laying out all the tile but that paper tape is going to be the edge of one section and it's
irregular because the tiles are all irregular. So they'll bring that section they'll adhere that
section to the wall and then they'll slip in the next section which fits you know hand and glove
right up in it next to it. Thank you a giant puzzle yes thank you and this piece from what
I can tell it's going to be on the north side of the building, so it's not going to get a whole
lot of direct sunlight to light it. I'm sure you're aware of that right? Yes, I am.
I don't, it's not, there's nothing that's really going to be casting a lot of shadow on it,
it's all those redwood trees there are going away, so it's going to be a pretty open plaza area.
So the sun is behind there, I think that it's going to be, it's going to be super vibrant.
You know, I'm very colorful. So I don't think it's going to have a problem
standing out during the daylight hours. Thank you. And also, how does,
cared for if it gets graffitied and or a bike runs up against it or someone,
someone at night vandalizes it in some way and breaks the tiles?
The bicycle issue is really mitigated by building it back
in that niche to begin with.
So you can't, and one of the things about having the niche
not be a square niche, but rather an angled niche going
in, is that you can't skateboard on that corner.
So that's out.
The graffiti, I think, is probably,
you can clean the graffiti the same way
you can clean graffiti on glass, as far as I know.
And as far as breakage of work,
if somebody comes after it with a hammer,
which is, I think, perhaps what you're suggesting,
something of that nature
where somebody actually attacks the artwork,
I don't have an answer for you right now,
but I'd be happy to research it.
I'm sure it's the sort of question that Myer of Munich,
I'm sure, has been asked before.
Any more commissioner questions?
No, thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Stephen, for providing
such detailed responses to everybody's questions
and providing a thorough presentation
so we have a better understanding of your process.
If you wouldn't mind staying on just a little bit longer
in case we have questions.
but of course you can turn your camera off.
Thank you.
Hi.
Hi Alex, welcome.
Thank you so much.
I'll jump right in and I'm really excited to present this
and thank you for having me.
Of course, thanks for being here.
Okay.
So my proposal is called Echos of Earth and Water
and I was very, very interested in like the formation
like the Mount Diablo in the background of the site where over a million years two tectonic
plates just kept pushing at each other and just kind of revealing that mountain. But then again
also all my work is inspired by nature and always like an homage to it and if I can
do something related to it that's kind of like my inclination to do so. And growing up I grew up
in a household just that was super black and white. Both my parents are doctors and my grandma
was my only part that was colorful until today. She wears pattern on pattern and color. She used
to be a florist and that's kind of all my like upbringing as a kid was inspired by nature already
and I think as an artist I love color and I'm I want to like color the world and create joy
everywhere my art goes. And so furthermore, other than the tectonic plates, I was really
inspired by the nature surrounding Walnut Creek, especially some of the endangered species
of flora and fauna, and then as well as just like local species that you find every day
around it, as well as the water. And then my concept, as you can see here on the right,
is all made out of natural materials, different stones,
marbles, some of them like the bottom one you can see
is black, which is kind of the idea of it growing out
of the ground in a way like a geode when you crack it open,
like it has color, or when you walk around
and you see concrete or rocks, but there's still
plants coming through, which always fascinated me
and made me always feel good that nature will be okay.
So, here's just like an inspiration index that I worked with from local endangered species,
but also species that are of importance around Walnut Creek, and there's like all these beautiful
like, flowers, but then also native stones like the basalt rock, as well as sandstone,
the serpentine which is actually California's stone and then the pelt is kind of like mixed
with those inspirations and just furthermore on this in my and it would be kind of like amazing
if we could show like a maybe there's a QR code or leaflet somewhere in the in the building that
visitors can actually read about where my shapes and colors in that abstract seeming sculpture
comes from and kind of educate anyone that wants to learn about it but also maybe be connected to
local, sorry, to local groups that actually do a lot of work around endangered species in that area
and to help and to do more. And so the artworks for the location four that I picked just because
it is a location that is very visited and the idea is kind of like to spark joy and they create this
magical wonder that like grew out of the ground as well as like show showcase like color and color
from nature and so here you can see like the main sculpture which has the black basalt
bottom that is also polished as an homage to water and the water sources around the
the Walnut Creek Park and Heather Farm Creek Park and so in that way you can also like see
like the sky reflecting you can see yourself reflecting if you walk around the sculpture and
and interact with it as well as seating that is also made out of natural stone to like sit
and reflect and hang out and just enjoy the surrounding and during night time it would be
nice to have them have spotlights there and again I think I'm not sure about like the
park hours and everything like that but you know in the winter time if people go for walks after
at 5 p.m. It might be a nice idea to have them light up a little. Here's the scale a
little bit more explained, which the height of it is 8 by 8.5 feet, and then the width
is 8.25 feet, and then it's 5 feet in the width. And then the stone, sorry, I'm tired,
The seeds are two people, three people kind of seeds that's kind of the idea to like have
them scattered around here, like some asymmetric views of it where you can see the mirror a
little better, which is just the polish of the actual stone.
And then you can see also all the different kind of onyx and marbles used in here and
the middle donut that I call it, that one is, would be sandstone, which is taken from
the local area as well.
Some views of the benches, which are not the final design, just little sketches of them
in different stones.
And then budget-wise, it's the sculptures I actually made and going to be made in the
Netherlands at Solid Nature, which is they do incredible work and they can do anything
from carving to the steel framework to everything surrounding it and from engineering and everything
full site review and shipping and creating.
And then we have talked to a local Walnut Creek installer
for the site prep and foundation,
as well as the equipment rental and the install.
And so everything is kind of tracked out here.
And yeah, so my materials and fabrication
have a lot of words.
And so basically, to be straightforward,
everything is going to be made out
of natural materials, from onyx's to granite's marbles.
And those will be selected by A, the color, but also
by the durability for being an outdoor sculpture.
But then also for some stones that have more veins
are harder to use than stones with less wet veins and so on.
And I think that will be all determined
during engineering and material selection.
And then those natural stones will be carved.
And then the interior is a complete steel framework,
super robust.
And then that steel work goes into the ground.
And there will be a big concrete footer that has to be poured.
And then there will be grass and everything done on top after.
But just to hold the sculpture, because marble is very, very
heavy, we kind of need to reinforce it in the ground.
Yeah, and then here's a little bit more
detailed on excavation and what we
have to do for the base preparation.
And as I mentioned with the concrete pouring
and then anchoring this whole sculpture into the ground
and then backfilling the landscaping.
And then same with durability, like marble
has been used for public art for centuries.
And it's a very durable material with really low maintenance.
And you just have to select the right marbles and stones
for it.
And you kind of treat it like once a year, maybe like a car.
You can hose it off with warm water.
But other than that, it's very low maintenance
and highly durable.
And then I had another page about safety and weather
resistance and that the height and everything
will be hard to reach.
And the openings will be big enough for safety
so a kid can't get stuck in it and so on.
So all that will be considered during engineering
and fabrication.
And that's my short little presentation.
Great, thank you so much, Alex.
That was great.
It's super fun, beautiful.
Questions, commissioners?
Questions, commissioners?
Yeah, I'll start again.
Thank you for that reference to the geodes, by the way.
When I was a kid, my family, we would actually
picnic on Mount Diablo, and we would collect geodes.
And then I take him to the junior museum, slice him open,
polish him.
So I see that service.
And also, I see a sort of an homage to Noguchi
in that basalt piece on the bottom.
So thank you for that, too, if it was intentional or not.
But I like it.
I love Noguchi.
It wasn't intentional, but I love the work.
So thank you.
My first question is about siting.
Unlike the other two presentations we saw,
this piece really is a standalone,
which means you could have put it in more than one place
in Heather Farm Park.
Is there, can you talk a little bit about
how you selected this place and how you designed the piece
to be in that place?
Yeah, like I personally, as an artist,
I think there's mixed opinions about it,
But going to a museum and having all do not touch signs,
that was never my favorite thing as an artist,
but also as a kid to explore.
And I think with public art in general,
but also with my works that are kind of for all ages,
like my niece and nephew enjoyed because they
see something in it.
And it's colorful and vibrant and magical.
And then another person sees something completely different.
but the nice thing is if people experience my art
and you kind of have like, not just like art visitors
for museums, but also like the general,
I call it like general randomness,
like general humanity be able to like explore it
and you know, surround it and have fun with it in a way
and be almost like put in a different like mental space
or feel joy.
And I think I picked that place mostly
because of how many people will actually be able to interact
and how many people will actually be able to stop by.
And I think putting it in a place like, let's say,
location one, you go kind of more in that museum direction
where it's not like a place to hang out or stop,
but it's mostly something more just to quickly view
and drive by or walk by.
And I think I really wanted people to experience that piece
and be able to walk around and having that mirrored surface
that allows also for yourself being in that piece.
And I did have multiple other designs
where the composition was a little different as well.
But I think I was really inspired here
that the Noguchi piece that you call it
It's like the lowest one, which is kind of the one, the base,
where you just cracked open the geode,
but also the one that's growing out of the ground,
kind of like the Bontiable with the tectonic plates.
And then you can be part of the art by looking down,
but also the sky is part of the art because of the reflection
and the horizontal cut.
And then that also was the homage to the water
that's right next to the site.
And that was like a big important part for me
to that, being close to that water, that pond.
Thank you.
The placement of the two side pieces, to me,
implies that there's a front to this piece.
And I know there's no such thing as a front
to a sculpture like this.
But is there, I don't know how to put that
in the form of a question, but how did you
select that placement, or is that just for the purpose of giving us a look at it?
The placement of the seats is a TVD that was just kind of more, you know, I have that
photograph that of that space that had the best view and I could have put it
behind it as well, but it was just mostly for presentation purposes to see them
better and if you also in here you can see like on these views like there is
snow front and there is snow back and they're all equally the same.
Okay and then I take it that since this is being fabricated from stone these these colors are
going to what we finally end up with is going to depend on the pieces of stone that you're able to
to find right? Yeah so like solid nature my manufacturer out of the Netherlands they have
all these, like all these stones are actually available at, they have them so they're not like
any of them are not available. I think the one thing that we will look into with engineering
and everything and fabrication is like, you know, finding the right blocks that have the right
veining, the right size, because there's something with like veins, they explained that if you put
like a steel rod through it, it becomes like more fragile. And so I think, you know, there's like
a lot of engineering to be done on these as well as selection of materials, but the hope is that
the bottom stays, which is the bottom piece is actually the easiest in black, and then some
might change in color, but they will be colorful, if that makes sense. Okay, and then you talked about
child safety. You know to me this piece screams climb me and I can I can see a
Sunday morning where you know 18 kids are climbing all over this thing and
thinking you know there might be other reasons we wouldn't want that to happen
other than kids getting stuck in the middle of the doughnut. What what what
you're thinking about about how it's gonna work with with kids I mean this
thing is almost adjacent to the playground. Yeah so I'm like the nice
thing about it is how heavy it's naturally is by the because of the
materials used so that's like a huge advantage actually on the weight of the
piece alone but then having the internal steel structure go through and through
down to like the concrete footing and will be like super stable stable and so
So also having, so all the openings will be by code
or however, like I'm not sure how you say it,
but due to code and I've designed like playgrounds before
where you have to have very strict like material
and then opening and openings for it.
And so every piece will be made sure
that nothing can be stuck.
And also, if someone climbs it or stands on it,
there won't be any hard edges or hard edges for sure,
but sharp edges, sorry.
And everything is going to be polished and super smooth.
And I mean, it's like any other marble or public sculpture
that you see around.
And so I'm not too worried from my past sculptures that I did.
And mostly it's just, you know,
mostly it's like touching a lot,
like people touching and taking photos and selfies with it.
But I haven't experienced yet the climbing situation.
One more question.
Do you think this piece might have been more impactful
in its place, if you had more money to spend on it?
If I had more money,
you mean like in size or I mean, I guess like I tried to do most of the like put as much money
and everything I could into the materials and the fabrication. So I think for one piece plus
the benches, I think we could in that scale. I mean, if we had more money, we could probably do
a couple pieces or bigger pieces for sure, but I think I think it's I think it's pretty
good. Thank you.
Other commissioner questions? I have a question. How when when the final piece is made, will
it be shipped in pieces so the installation will be putting the pieces together or will
the entire sculpture plus the two other pieces come as is.
They come as is.
And the reason it's being done in the Netherlands is because?
It has a lot of reasons.
Just because the fabricator that I'm familiar with
and I've worked with before, they actually
have all the stone there and the colors I need.
And I think that's like the speciality is color for them.
And I have talked to a Wisconsin-based one in the US
as well, and they can as well do it, but not in the colors.
And so for me, the importance in color or the concept,
my work, what I want to showcase with that piece
is very important.
And so that's why I saw it in nature
were the ones that I picked.
And about the location, did you consider
any of the other locations?
I did.
I had a lot of pages and a lot of scenarios.
But yeah, I considered, I think, all the location,
but not number one.
OK, thank you.
Yep.
Any other commissioner questions?
I have a few questions.
Can you tell us more about the internal steel reinforcement,
especially with the pieces like the donut that are pretty thin?
How is your fabricator going to get
steel in some of these pieces?
So that will be all engineering plans.
So I'm not sure if you saw my other sculptures.
Some of them always looked like they're floating,
or they're always in that kind of setup, as you see.
But basically, the steel structures
are going to go through each piece.
And I can show you some other steel structures.
But they kind of all look almost like a robot.
They don't go into just one angle.
They go kind of connecting throughout all pieces.
And so the yellow will be connected to the blue
and as well as to the black.
And then from the yellow to this,
there will be the straight angle to the sandstone,
but also a 45 degrees angle to the other part of the donut
and so on.
So it's kind of like a transformer
almost looking like the steel frames that we built.
And then some things might shift where the hole might
have to be a little bit smaller or bigger
or the outer must be wider.
And that's all to be determined during engineering.
So does the steel reinforcement happen
once this piece is on site?
Or does it happen at the fabric area?
I'm curious.
So it's inside.
So that's all built. So that's the first step.
So we do the engineering, but then the steel will be built.
And then you build the sculpture around it.
So it's inside of the stone.
So you won't see it.
And then when it gets to site, basically,
you will look like what you're looking at now.
And then that will be all reinforced into the ground,
like in the concrete.
But the black piece will also have all the steel going down.
But nothing will be visible to your eye.
And I'm sorry if this already got asked.
I don't think I understood the answer to it.
So is this piece assembled to look like this
at the fabricator?
And the only thing that has to still happen
when it gets to the site, is the steel coming out
of the bottom piece has to be inserted into the ground piece?
Yeah, so inside we actually would
have to dig a hole for concrete.
And yeah, that's the on-site work.
And then it will come out of the container
as you look at it, yes.
OK.
Have you seen this site in person?
Did you get a chance to visit the site?
I haven't, but I had some medical things happening
the last few months, but I did a walk through Mariah
and I sent like a task grab it to do a whole park
photo shoot for me.
So I kind of did all that, but I haven't been there.
Okay, I wonder if you realized actually
how big this space is.
Yes.
I have concepts of a lot of sculptures,
But I think for budget reasons, we can't put a whole lot on there.
Your presentation that I read only showed one other outside sculpture, the blue stone
fountain, which I liked quite a bit.
What are your experiences with outdoor sculpture using the stone?
The stone would be my first one.
So my experience is mostly in fiberglass.
Right.
OK.
Which, and bronze, which I had another concept as well.
But the commission really liked the marble.
But yeah, there's other ways and materials
that this can be achieved.
But then again, it's not a fully natural sculpture.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Any other commissioner questions?
Mr. Tesfaye, it looks like you have a question.
Yeah, I think mine is more of curiosity.
This is going to be placed in an area where lots of ducks
are there, like a million of them.
So I'm just wondering, geese.
How do we, since this seems like an interactive piece,
and it's gorgeous and it's attractive,
so how do we, in terms of the city,
how do we keep it clean so that it is utilized every day?
and while it's an artwork, it's still, you know,
I think it's gonna be something
that kids are gonna be played with.
Yeah, I mean, the material itself is super durable
and it's a material made by nature.
I think posing it down or like, you know,
just like water will help, you know, prevent that.
So maintenance-wise, it's not hard to handle,
but yeah, again, I think it's anything
that we would put there out of any material
kind of have the same maintenance, like not issues,
but, you know, needs.
Yeah, Commissioner Tesse,
this is probably not much different
from the playground itself,
which attracts one, lots of people,
which tends to keep the geese away.
But at the times, like now, when the geese are out there
and there aren't a lot of people,
luckily various skilled maintenance staff
who sometimes have to go out there
and do the dirty work of cleaning up the mess
that the geese leave.
Yes, we're aware of that, and if that happens we will deal with it.
In this park, geese are endemic.
They don't migrate.
They like it there, and they do their business, and so we do the best we can to try to clean
it up afterwards.
But that will be a challenge.
Geese in the park is a challenge.
Commissioner Balthazar.
Hi, Alexandra.
Nice to see you again.
I just had one quick question when you talked about lights, because we talked about this
a little bit in our last meeting in December. And I recall something about reflective paint
or solar paint or... I'm just curious because I don't know how hard or easy it is to get
lighting around it, is that still an option or a part of your design? And can you tell
the other commissioners about it?
That was the one with the bronze sculptures because it's possible to do it with the bronze
The bronze sculptures had still the ones that didn't see it.
I could show it too, but they had some natural stones,
but the rest was out of bronze.
All the colored pieces were out of bronze.
And then the nice thing is that it was painted bronze.
So you could use the UV paint or the pigments for that.
But unfortunately, you can't do that on marble.
Thank you.
If there are no other questions at this time,
I'm gonna call for public comments.
And a reminder for any speakers,
they have two minutes to comment on the item
and to state their name and city of residence
for the record, please.
Shall I still share my screen, or?
Okay, Alex, you can close that, thank you.
Okay.
And you can turn the camera off for now.
We'll come back to you, thanks.
Yep.
Ready?
Okay, good evening.
I'm Jane Emmanuel, resident of Walnut Creek,
arts commissioner for 12 years and public art walk docent.
Thanks to the public arts staff and commission for your time and commitment in reviewing
these projects. Mindful of that, I suggest using this hefty
budget for a large sculpture visible to drivers on Ignacia Valley Road as well as park users.
It feels like if we don't do it now, we may never do it.
It's always been a priority of the Arts Commission, and I'd like to see it at this time.
We have a unique opportunity to bring engaging and interactive art to this vibrant family
neighborhood park.
One of our most successful public art pieces are those that ignite our imagination every
time we see them.
Whether it's the humor of bull man or taking photos of your reflection in the bee effect,
you connect emotionally.
That is the power of art.
At Heather Farm, we're immersed in nature all around us and water.
Rather than choose two works that have references to native flowers featuring water that's in
our ponds right there at the park and have some problematic materials and compositional
challenges, I suggest that we should reach for art experiences that touch our heart and
make us laugh with our kids in the park.
Please arrange a viewing of the two unseen artists of the final five.
Both of these artists have bodies of work that hit the mark in inspiring repeated interaction.
The oversized and humorous birds in the magical world of Matthew Matizola make us laugh and
view the world from a different perspective.
The Hear and Stay series by Ram Catzir are perfect for our park and invite us to tap
into our imagination as we interact with a whimsical dog or share a bench in the
in the Sun with a giant seated figures that can't help but touch our hearts.
That is the power of art I'm expecting. Thank you. As shepherds of our Sterling
Public Art Collection, it's your job to select art that is unique and
stimulating in new ways. I urge you to take your time, not rush, as you consider
your goals and how to achieve them. Thank you for your service on this
Commission. It's nice to see you all again. Thank you. Okay, it's time for Commissioner
comments and I'm going to ask Commissioner Baltazar to speak first
since she was on the selection panel and then I'd like to hear from the other
commissioners of what their comments are. And Chair, just in case
commissioners have any follow-up questions, the artists are still here. Okay. So
comments is great but if you do have questions you can also thank you okay
hi everybody thank you for the opportunity to share insights from the
Heather Farms public art selection process as a representative for the art
Commission I feel very honored to be able to support a project that will
enhance one of the city's most beloved spaces and somewhere I go every day I
I want to start from just top to bottom on reflections, you know, receiving 161 applications
through the RFQ process was a really incredible number.
I do want to underscore 80% went through our first screening process and didn't come to
us in our first meeting.
So you know, having a more detailed understanding of what, you know, deque somebody I think
would be helpful for the inclusivity of public projects
in the future.
Of the 34 applicants that we advanced into the first round,
the composition of that group was at a very high level.
We had representation to me is still an area for us to grow.
So 82% of that 34 number were men, were male artists.
82, so 28 of 34, and three women progressed
to the semifinalist round, and one was a part of a duo.
And so that brings me pause and reflection
as someone who's deeply engaged in public art
and art as activism and art as a source of joy
for our communities.
These numbers, I think, could be better reflected
with qualified and exceptional candidates.
So I say that with kindness
because we are learning from these processes.
our first time at this caliber and I think we all want to do our jobs with a lot of intention.
So our committee's role was to identify public artists for a project integral to the Heather
Farms construction. And so what I learned from this is that the process presented a
lot of complexities around the timeline required to select an artist to align with early construction
stages, allowing for better collaboration across city departments including public works
and Arts and Rec, and City Council and the project architects. So from that 34 we narrowed
it down to 11 semi-finalists. We did have one artist in that final 10 withdraw for health
reasons or other reasons and another one was replaced. That final group included eight
men and three women. And so like the tensions and reflections, I'll try to keep moving throughout
this process, there were several questions and challenges that are really incredible
selection panel discussed thoroughly.
So the request for qualifications versus a request
for funding proposal, what are the pros and cons of that?
What is the criteria for each of those?
How do we differ or change it?
Especially in that first batch, we might consider something
like the California Arts Model where they incorporate
outside readers to guarantee a very inclusive group.
A suggestion.
equity in selection, how we just ensure
an inclusive applicant pool being reflective of Walnut Creek
and we can be leaders in this and not be afraid
to wanna bring true inclusivity and qualified candidates
to our city.
Public art and the vision.
So what does public art mean for head of farms
in Walnut Creek and how do we contextualize this
in practice beyond our public art checklist?
So could we design creative briefs
that give artists more context about our needs
when we're designing an RFQ or an RFP.
Similar to our public comment tonight,
it's like, should we have a large piece?
Should we have three small pieces?
Like that kind of guiding element we didn't have
and we searched for many times within the group
and potentially it was designed for us to design that.
I think community engagement
really means having intentional opportunities
for people to share their ideas and feedback
that reflect their values and aspirations around art.
So, you know, by gathering multiple perspectives
and providing clear information,
we can empower the community to feel more ownership
and we can give more context to the artists
that we are collaborating with.
And then lastly, capacity building.
So how do we better leverage public art funds
to strengthen leadership, you know,
whether it's within arts and regs,
but particularly around curation and visioning
for projects of this caliber,
would it have been in our best interest
to think about that community engagement aspect
and potentially have a curator that defined a brief
that looked very different from the RFQ or RFP.
And again, hindsight is 20-20.
So we grappled with all of these issues
while balancing the vision for Heather Farms
with the practicalities of budget, timeline,
and city protocols.
And, you know, another, again, integrating community voices,
similar to how the SWIM complex design process
engaged residents, some people love that,
some people didn't.
But, you know, survey and other tools
that actually engage around the public art
and help us understand what art means to our community
to inform future projects with richer insights.
So, you know, in all of these challenges
and robust conversations and great lunches.
Thank you to the city.
I thought we made thoughtful decisions
to meet the complex needs of a space
that is still in development.
I think the three artist concepts,
they represent a balance of creativity
and functionality and vision,
which we had to design
while we were in this selection process.
So, Houdasousa, the poppy installation
at the main entrance does blend design and public art
to create a welcoming celebratory atmosphere.
Because again, what is that space potentially?
Rentals, weddings, what can we put in there?
Michael Galloway, his mural on water inspired,
I hear you Jane, but also at the same time,
we thought his fabricator and technical application
could at least provide more dimension
than a different mural.
because it felt like a mural was the direction.
And then Alexandra Proba, you know,
a multidisciplinary artist bringing something sculptural,
playful and whimsical to the outdoor space
that allows you to jump on it if you want to
or take a selfie with it,
we thought would add some vibrancy and playfulness.
This process was quite rigorous and time consuming
and we had really deep conversations and disagreed
about the meaning of public art and its role
and the city's economic and cultural needs.
So, you know, and also to best serve
the multiple stakeholders in this project
and minimize complexities or delays
related to construction because of public art.
So those are just a lot of things to hold and manage.
You know, I just say lastly, looking ahead,
I would double click on inclusivity and collaboration
for both the selection process
and the creative partnerships that we foster
with artists and between the city.
So I'm leaving very hopeful
that we can move this work forward today.
Thank you for your thoughtful words,
Commissioner Baltazar.
Who would like to give their thoughts next, comments next?
Commissioner Magnani.
Do I always get to go first?
No, you go first.
Commissioner Clauber.
Thank you, I completely agree that Walnut Creek
needs a signature piece, but that is separate
than what we're doing because it was decided
in prior meetings that this was the way to move forward
with the panel set up to choose different artists
for different locations within the park.
I want a piece like you do Jane,
I think that would be great.
But this was the task, the panel, in my opinion,
did an amazing job of going through all the artists
that came down to I think five of them.
So it's, yes, we can make a record that we still want the signature piece at some point,
but I think that train has departed.
And that's all I have to say, and I hope that we vote for these three to move forward.
Thank you, Commissioner Clubber.
Commissioner Magnani?
Thanks. Can I ask a couple of process questions?
about this is hard so I understand started with over 150 applicants mostly unqualified
narrowed down to would you say 34 and 10 and then 5 and at the end and then 3 and at the
end of the day we got three pieces that are all nature based and three pieces that together
come out to cost wise to be just about exactly on target with the city's budget was that
intentional or did that just happen?
I laugh because I'm thinking of all the conversations
we had about that.
We had proposals from artists that use the full budget.
I don't think there was any one artist
that anyone on the panel was like,
we want all of those things.
I think the location, especially in the first round
when we had 34 applicants as any good artist would,
they were like, hey, you didn't have like these other spaces
that would be way better for public art.
And so they kind of went for it.
And we even had to struggle with that.
Like, oh, did they not follow the rules
or are they actually showing us something
that we hadn't considered?
So, and we went back and forth.
We were like, should we have multiple pieces?
Should we engage one artist only?
Are we okay with only one piece?
Do we not wanna do anything on the building?
I mean, it was pretty tough.
And there was, and like I said, I think if any of us felt this artist, I think they would have gone to bat for that.
Yeah, that answers your question.
Yeah, I think so. I just wanted to get a little closer to it.
Okay, so in terms of, I think we're all hoping for the city, a big signature piece that really makes an impact that's felt by as many people as possible.
I think the sculpture comes the closest to that.
It might not get us all the way there.
And I think that's why I asked about what could you do
if we gave you more money?
But yeah, I agree.
I mean, if we take this report to adopt these,
then we don't get that.
That just is what it is.
I agree with Jane that I'd personally
like to see the other two finalists just because they
exist, and they made it that far. And I guess that's a way of saying that I'm not 100 percent
comfortable with the package we've got. As I say, the sculpture has the biggest impact.
It's the most interactive. It'll be seen and reacted with by the largest number of people,
just by people who have reason to go to the community center, aquatic center.
The mural is second, you know, on that scale to me, it's ... you don't have to go inside
the building in order to engage with it, and it also solves what I think of as an architectural
problem with the building itself, and I'll come back to that.
The Poppies piece is only, let's face it, only going to be seen by people who use the
aquatic center.
And much as I like the piece and without casting any aspersions on it at all, my concern with
it is the interaction with the architecture, and this gets back to the mural.
The reason the mural solves the problem is because in order to build the building and
have it come in budget, compromises have to be made.
The architects wanted a big open space at the top of the atrium, and to get that, we
have to have a big stucco wall, and as I say, the mural solves the problem of the big stucco
wall.
But the problem of—I don't fully understand why we would put a piece of art in the way
of that purposely designed space.
So I'm a little concerned about that, and at the same time I see an opportunity, because
that's a lot of money that we're spending to address a problem that I think is already
addressed in the architecture itself, which is to make that a really impressive place.
So if I had my druthers I'd spend more money on the sculpture and less money on the poppies
and I think the mural does exactly what we want it to do.
Thank you commissioner.
Commissioner Tespe do you want to go now?
I will go last.
Well and Commissioner Perlman are you going to have some things to say tonight?
I can go ahead.
Thank you so much for your committee and the amount of work that was all put in it and
the choices of the pieces in terms of having a sculpture, a mural, and, you know, I'm not
sure what to call the pot piece, but I love the variety in all three. I think it's successful
in that for me. But I think I'm with Jane in this to say that I have also looked at
the other two artists, and was really captivated.
And I trust your reasons to why you came to
these artists in this decision.
But if there was an opportunity to possibly
see the presentation of what the other artists were like,
I think that would be nice.
But if it means that it's delaying the process of this,
I don't want that to be a means of why it's delayed.
Of all the pieces that we've looked at, the one that resonated for me would be the poppy seeds.
I just enjoyed the way that it filled up the space, and I could see the potential of just a lasting impression, I think, that it makes in the space.
I do have a little bit of a concern with the sculpture.
Upon first looking at it, without hearing the artist rationale,
even though I could read it, it seemed a bit more polished
and really sophisticated for where it's being placed.
But I appreciate the concept and the reason to why those pieces were chosen
upon hearing what the artists had to say.
So I think at this moment
For the amount of money that we are spending in the city, I'm not also a hundred percent sold yet
But if it means that this decision will delay, I don't want that to be the reason
I think the art is chosen are also equally great
It does make sense
I just want to reiterate that we came together as a collective group and there was myself and other community members as well as
and art professionals and installers.
I think that the top five group was great,
but folks selected.
Again, if a creative brief would have came out
or an RFQ that was like the signature piece
for Walnut Creek, I think we would have gotten applications
that said that.
And candidates that put forward a lot of folks
conceptually gave us the work that they're doing
all over the world, which we're kind of seeing
that replicated in some of these.
But with that said, the space inside where the poppies are
is also a rental space for weddings,
lots of different kinds of foot traffic besides swimmers.
And we thought that was an important piece
to understand how to integrate.
Again, so you've got internal, you've got external,
and you've got a sculptural piece
as an attempt to be as creative as we could.
Commissioner Perlman.
Yeah, hi.
I haven't really said a lot today because my voice is gone,
so that's why.
But anyway, I really liked the three pieces
and their locations.
I think there's a good variety.
And I especially liked the sculpture
because I think it could become an important part
that area like for people to interact with it not just admire it and look at
it if it stood in like a different part of the park and I'm sure that picking
three out of five artworks must have been really really hard so I'm sure
that the decisions made were good and I like the pieces. Thank you. Yeah one
final comment is that park needs art it has tons of space that is empty and
And it's begging for art all over it.
So we prepare this project thinking that that's exactly what we would do.
So that's what we've done, and we selected a panel that was comprised of artists and
community leaders to Ms. Balthazar's point.
And that's the process.
So we now have a choice to move it forward and I think based on what we just heard Ms.
Balthazar describe, it was a lengthy process and very in-depth and many factors were considered.
We need to move forward, that is how I see it.
Thank you commissioners. I also want to thank the selection panel on the bed for
gallery staff for their months of work sifting through over the 150 applicants
for this project and narrowing the list down to five finalists. I spent the
better part of the weekend studying these proposals and my husband and I
went to the park on Sunday and walked the park and were amazed at how many
geese. We're at site number four. Booping. Anyhow, let me go through the pieces in my
comments. For Poppy, this piece for the community center lobby somewhat fits
the requirements to enhance and activate the pedestrian streetscape
experience, as well as the interior lobby experience. Can this
piece be effectively seen from the outside especially given the slender
linear elements? How public is this art if only those entering the community
center can see it. Is this piece compelling and bold enough using the slender linear elements
that visitors are drawn to look up at it? How does a visitor to the lobby engage with
this art? Does this compete or coexist with the architecture of the building? Poppy will
only be seen by those entering the aquatic center and community center and perhaps those
picking up or dropping off center users. The public using the same car list will not see
this piece from the street. After reviewing the How to Sousa website, where they show
a variety of conversation-worthy sculptures, I'd say that Poppy is my least favorite of
their commissions. How to Sousa show a similar hanging piece called Aura that uses just two
colors, blue and yellow, in geometric shapes that are positioned so the geometric shapes
fit closely together. Aura makes a stronger visual statement to me than does Poppy. That
That said, Poppy may work in the lobby as proposed by the selection committee.
Watercolors.
This piece on the outside of the swim center changing room walls projected to be 40 feet
by 8 feet by half inch.
I appreciate that Stephen Galloway took the time to study the area and he seems to know
about Mount Diablo and the environs.
I think Galloway's work shines in urban concrete space that calls for nature to be brought
in to soften the hard spaces and provide some green nature
focus relief for the humans using that space.
His website shows several locations
where his work really shines in spaces
where nature needs to be brought in.
However, Galloway's tile wall for Heather Farms
is described as an artist-manipulated enhanced view
of a rocky stream bed.
This rocky stream tile artwork would
be more appropriate in a concrete office part setting
where nature needs to be brought to the public.
Behind the swim center wall, where this proposed piece will
sit, will lie two swimming pools, a casting pond,
and a real nature pond.
It seems redundant to feature a 40-foot tile
wall of static water on top-heavy rocks
when so much water already exists in the vicinity.
The rocks make this feel very top-heavy as they
look to fall off the wall.
Visually, there was nowhere interesting for my eyes
to go for a walk or to travel along the stream bed.
This piece does not engage my senses.
Besides wondering how regular expansion and contraction
of the soil below the building,
not to mention periodic earthquakes,
will affect the tile wall,
how will the tile walls hold up to potential vandalism
at night when the park has no supervision?
Additionally, this is a north-facing wall
which will not have much sunlight reflecting off the tiles.
This tile wall will only be seen by those
entering the aquatic and community center
or those picking up or dropping off center users.
The public using San Carlos
will not see this piece from the street.
I would recommend that the funds from this piece
be added to a sculptural piece
for a high visibility location in the park.
And that if this site instead would be a traditional mural.
For the Alexander Proba piece.
Proba's strength and experience
would appear to be the interiors of buildings,
especially high-end retail stores.
There's a heavy reliance on her fabrication partner,
Solid Nature.
Solid Nature seems to specialize in stone interiors.
I can't see much in the way of outdoor sculpture
in Prova's package besides one fountain piece.
The rendering of the Heather Farm sculpture
in the package looks like a tabletop sculpture
that was blown up to be placed on the Heather Farm site.
The placement of this sculpture on site number four
shows that the artist has not visited the site
or she would know that an eight and a half foot sculpture
will not be visible or seen on this site.
The proposed scale of this sculpture is so small
as to render this piece irrelevant in the park landscape.
And as I was at the park on Sunday,
there is no way you're gonna see this piece
at eight and a half foot tall.
This sculpture at this site also competes with the colors
and shapes of the all abilities playground
that sits close by.
To be seen in site four, this sculpture
would need to be three times the size
that has been proposed.
The park is also full of Canadian geese.
The location of site four is a heavy goose area
currently full of geese and their droppings.
I can only imagine the cleaning required
if the geese decide to land and perch on the sculpture.
Probus says that maintenance is suggested
by the cloth and brush.
This may be a continuing issue with this piece.
The artist says that the size of the sculpture with its close proximity to the playground is an
invitation for the public to sit down. However, the sculpture invites climbing even though the
artist believes that it is childproof and that a child cannot get hurt by the edges of climbing
the art. Are we looking at potential lawsuits? The stone may be extremely hot in the summer
and cold in the winter and the steel rods inside the stone may expand and contract with the weather
while the stone will not move. How can the fabricator prove that the stone will not crack
over time or the steel rods rust between the stones? And this piece may also invite graffiti.
How will the graffiti would be removed from the stone? I appreciate the artist's inspiration of
endangered native plants. However, I see no link between the true colors of the plants listed and
the color palette that the artist has chosen for the stone pieces. The reflections of the themes
aren't obvious to the public. There is no thread of color that runs through the different stone
shapes nor are there any repeated shapes that tie this piece together. I think that the shapes,
colors, lines, textures of this composition all compete with each other and with the surrounding
all abilities playground. One of the goals of the Public Art Program is to integrate art
into the everyday environment to further enhance a dynamic, exciting, and engaging place to live,
visit and do business. My personal bias was for one large bold
unexpected and memorable piece of art to sit on the busy corner of Ignacio
Valley Road in San Carlos where it could be seen by all those
entering and leaving Heather Farm Park and by cars waiting at the long signals.
I wanted to see a piece of art that the public talked about and art that was
uniquely Walnut Creek. As art commissioners for the city of
Walnut Creek we are tasked with spending the public art fund dollars as wisely as
possible and choosing the very best art for that money. Great public art is
expensive and this city and this project deserves the very best the public art
fund money can buy. I would like to know that 10, 15, 20 years from now and my
children and grandchildren visit Heather Farm Park that I'm proud of what this
art commission has chosen for this project. We have been presented with
three pieces of art that I don't believe fit the requirements of great
memorable and engaging art for the park. This project and budget will likely be
the largest that this art commission has ever been asked to approve and it may
also be the most important decisions that any of us will make on the arts
commission. It behooves the arts commission to spend more time discussing
the art presented and perhaps considering alternatives. I propose that
we table this discussion and adjourn it to a separate study session sometime in
the next 30 days so we can honestly say that we have given it the thought and
discussion that this project deserves. Thank you. Can I make one follow-up and
And I just, I say this because the process is actually the process that we chose the
spaces and that we gave artists an option to select and none of the proposals included
number one, a signature piece at Ignacio.
And so I just, we need to reflect on that because if that's what we wanted artists to
give us, we didn't ask for that.
I have to wonder if the artists, especially those that don't live in the area, had any
idea of what that location looked like because it wasn't lit, it showed on the map.
Like it showed here's number one, but it's not on the map.
So they couldn't even see the location.
Right.
Eligibility requirements were not that you needed to be from this area.
Oh, I think it's great that they were able to be from all over.
Google maps and Google tours for sure.
But probably Galloway.
I don't know who else you had that's local.
He came.
so I could tell that he came.
Are there any other commissioner comments?
Commissioner Magnani.
You had your mic on, then you turn it off.
Go ahead.
All right.
I disagree with just about everything you said
except for the last point you made,
which is, you know, while I appreciate the work
that you guys have done and the committee and the staff,
And I think we've got some very interesting pieces as a result.
I still don't think we're there.
I think this group does need to talk this through a little more because we seem to be
at odds on a number of things.
So I would support your wish to table it, but maybe not for the reasons you articulated.
to Clobber. Yeah, I think that a couple of things. The idea that, you know, of course
art is very personal. When you drive through that area of Heather Farms, you don't see
any water there. So unless you're like driving by the back where you're going to go look
at. There was a lake, a little pond there, and you actually get out of your car to walk through in
the back. You don't see water. So I think Galloway's piece is perfect because it invites people to what
else is going on back there that you would normally not see. And I also think that the
other artist's work that they are proposing for the new structure, they told us that they were
working with the architect and that they want their piece to be seen. So it's a cathedral-like
building and I've used to belong to some sports club around here, I can't remember Oakwood or
or something like that, where they have a building
and it's just this cathedral-like structure
and it begs for art on the top.
So I believe it can work together.
And they said that they're working with the architect.
So not debating and trying to debate what you said,
because art is personal.
And everyone is entitled to their view,
especially because there's so many of us, awesome.
But I go back to what was put before us to solve.
And we were not the ones, there was a panel that
was put together to select the artists.
There were five artists in the end, and they selected three.
So if we pull back, what is it for,
to select the different artists?
No, that was their job.
And would it be to just select one of the three
that has already been selected, like the sculpture, Alex
Proba, and make that larger so that it is a signature piece?
I don't think that was what we were asked to do.
So the project was set, and the panel decided, and here we are.
do we want to move this forward or not?
I think that it also delays everything else
the city is interested in putting together.
Like Heather Farms needs to come
to be a reality sooner than later.
And this is already taken.
How long?
Thank you, that's all I have to say.
I can understand how the pieces
that are in and on the building are time-sensitive.
A sculpture in the park I would not consider time-sensitive
if it's not there when the building opens.
It's not there when the building opens.
But they're making overall changes
to the entire landscape of the place.
It's not just the building.
Does anyone want to make a motion for anything?
I want to make a motion to approve the three artists
that are in front of the committee tonight.
We can do that.
Or the other firms part.
Yeah, the way that we've laid it out in the agenda report
is three different motions,
which I appreciate you want to move this forward.
We do have three motions that we can put back up on the screen.
If that helps, just to move this.
Is it on a certain page?
Yeah, it's also on page, right, so page six
of your agenda report says commission action needed.
If you just want to have that in front of you, sure.
Let's see, commission action needed.
So I move to approve recommended site location, artist and design concept direction proposed
by Houdou Sousa.
Move.
And you could stop there.
One at a time.
Yeah, thank you.
Is there a second?
I second.
One second.
Let me get my notes.
I'm going to start with Commissioner Perlman.
Aye.
Okay.
Sorry for your voice.
And then Vice Chair Balthazar.
Aye.
Commissioner Clauber.
Aye.
commissioner clover hi commissioner test hey hi mr. McDonough you know and chair
dresser aye motion carries for one officially thank you
should I go through all three I moved to approve recommended site and artist and
design conception direction proposed by Steven Galloway 0 second I second I'll
start with again Commissioner Perlman. And then Vice Chair Balta's arm.
Aye. Commissioner Clauper. Aye. Commissioner Tetsvay. Mr. McNowney. Aye. And then Chair
Dresser. No. Okay, motion carries for one again. Thank you. I move to approve
recommended site location artist design concept direction proposed by Alexandra
Is there a second? I'll second that. Commissioner Perelman? Aye.
Vice Chair Balthazar? Aye. Commissioner Magnanti? Aye. Commissioner Tesfaye? Aye.
Commissioner Clauber? Aye. And Chair Dresser? No. Motion carries for one. Again
thank you. I am proposing that we take a 10-minute break and we'll get back to it.
Thank you everybody. Thank you to the artists for hanging on there
Commissioners we're ready to start again. Will the commissioners, please be seated
Bring your candy and sit down, please
Commissioners we are live
That felt really good. We're live commissioners
Okay, next on the agenda is item for Commission consideration item for B
recommendation of the proposed Public Art Fund budget allocation is part of the
fiscal year 26-27 budget process. At this time, I invite staff to provide the presentation.
Hello again.
So in 2023,
the first biennial budget was approved, and tonight we're bringing to you a new funding request for the fiscal years
So the new funding request for tonight for the next two year cycle is $275,218.
That's the new request.
So you'll see on your screens that the current balance as of January and the Public Art
fund is $1,379,788. Since 2018, we have been using the public art strategic plan to direct
the municipal projects that we do. With a robust public art fund, we have had an opportunity
to continue to maintain the collection as well as implement new projects. I can talk
about this slide a little bit. As you can see up there, we have the Rotational Sculpture
Program. Previously approved amount was $52,000. New funding request is $108,000. And Murals
Program Private Mural Grant, the previously approved allocation was $30,000. So we're
We're just asking for another 30,000 for the next two-year cycle.
And I guess we can get into it more with the other slides, help illustrate the goals for
our program.
So we had discussed at the last, this was, I guess, already two years ago, the rotating
public art program, so fabrication and installation of four permanent sculpture bases with uplighting.
And as part of the Locust Street construction project, we were given estimates recently
for the installation of four sculpture pads with two uplights each, and the estimate actually
came in at 160,000, which is why we're asking for the increased new funding this round.
There was a $108,000 difference.
We also discussed at the November 2024 meeting when we met, reimagining this public-private
mural matching grant and changing it to be, instead of a matching grant, to change it
to just be a mural grant.
So we would give a grant to up to three applicants per year of $10,000 each to help offset costs
with the hopes that more people would apply because if it weren't just a matching up
to 5,000, it would be a bigger gift and less for the actual commissioning place to have
to pay for themselves.
So we're just asking for we want to continue this and we're hoping that with this reimagined
program that we'll have actual more applicants.
The other thing that was discussed at our November 2024 meeting was the idea of creating
more mural projects throughout the city.
We would like to see murals outside of downtown, and starting with city facilities, and including
the new Heather Farm Park building, we would like to set aside $10,000 for a mural once
that building is built. And so currently we're requesting $30,000 for city
murals as well as an additional $10,000 for Heather Farm Park mural once that
building is completed. So the proposed Commission action tonight is recommend
City Council adoption of requested fiscal years 26 and 27 public art fund
allocations. Questions about the budget or the fund? I have a question that goes
back to the email I sent you today. I'm sorry I'm bringing this up now. The three
artist proposals that we just heard added up to exactly the budget that we
had for Heather Farms. How did that happen that there is the exact amount of
budget. And then if they don't, and I know their contingencies are in that part of each part of
the budget, 10% contingency, if they don't spend that, I'm assuming obviously it goes right back
into our budget, correct? All right, now I'm gonna sound like a bureaucrat. With this, the Arts
Commission, we're a little more casual, right, than maybe other commissions are. So I'm gonna,
I'm gonna say let's have this conversation. However, the item that you're talking about,
we closed. So the question you're asking is related to the item that you previously discussed.
And so, per the Brown Act, we had a member of the public who was here. They left. They're
not hearing the conversation about that topic. But let's broadly define budget as having
this conversation about the funding from the public hard fund toward the discussion that
you just had. So let's answer that question. I just want to be careful that we stay focused
on the item which is in front of you. But for now, we'll just define your question broadly.
Yes, we'll define it broadly. So, Raya, go ahead. Or if you want, I can help you with it, too.
I'd like to talk about it.
Yes.
Okay, I just want to make sure. So, right, so the total budget for the public art projects
plural at Heather Farm Park is $953,500. And these artists all submitted different proposals
with different budgets. So as the committee, the artist selection panel, looked at the
different budgets to try to determine which projects they could incorporate based on,
you know, not just the work, but the budgets to try to fit that. So that was partially
why the RFQ was drafted in that way, to ask artists to propose concepts with different
budgets and now I've been working with the artists to ensure that their work,
that their projects that they have proposed are fitting within these
budgets. If they don't spend the full budget then correct we wouldn't pay them
for something that they didn't do so that money would remain in the Public
Art Fund which could be used in the future at a different time for a
different project. Question on the murals program on page two. It says this program
aims to grow inclusivity and vibrancy through the creation of land
acknowledgement murals in city buildings. What do you mean by land
acknowledgement murals? So that's that was something that was discussed as just
an idea for a topic of murals. If we put out a request for proposals from
different artists. One idea that has been brought up is doing land
acknowledgement murals. So basically how that would look would be determined by
the artists who's proposing themselves. We did put up an example of that in the
in the PowerPoint. I don't know if you want to go back to see. So I mean really
again we're not art directors but it could just be something like that. It
could be a mural that pays homage to the native people
of this land or native species, flora, fauna,
something like that that says that would be unique to this
area, basically.
I have a question about using the murals, ideas,
and the funds for murals for city-owned property.
how do we know what the city owned properties are
and how do we put that into a plan for us commissioners
to look at what properties we have?
So there are a few properties that,
well, number one would be Heather Farm Park, that's one.
We also have the Arts Center out at the Shadelands,
the Community Arts Building.
We have Boundary Oak Golf Building, the golf course building.
And I'm forgetting one, maybe Kevin.
Because there were four that we determined or the other side.
I'm familiar with the city buildings.
But what about walls?
Like, for example, as you leave Walnut Creek by that,
I think it's New Orleans Broadway, and you go out,
there is a long corridor of two walls
and there is Las Lomas High School on the right.
Is that Walnut Creek wall?
It's like a corridor.
Well, you're talking about walls,
like actual walls that are built in the city.
Those are fenced, like cement walls.
Are those, I am not sure if those are city owned or,
are they?
No, it's the, I don't know what it's called,
but it goes right by Las Lomas High School.
Is that what it's called?
The walls have to be city property, right?
Because I always see city trucks and PG&E trucks there.
I would have to check and see.
Right, it could be Caltrans,
or it could be owned by the Broadway, I'm not sure.
I think what we're saying is for the purpose of this discussion today is looking for your
support for recommending to council the contribution towards city facilities, we are going to come
back to you, right, to determine which of the many, right, city buildings, walls, et
cetera, may be the most suitable for a mural. I mean, we can identify which ones are public,
that the city owns some are public, but might be owned by another public utility,
for example but we'll find that out. Thank you. Thanks for bringing me back as you are so good.
Are there any other questions for Mariah? I think he has another question.
Well I'm not sure because I don't see it here in the presentation but so my debate is whether the
25 percent of this arts manager or arts supervisor or supervisor position should come out of
or fund the arts fund versus the general fund. So I read the municipal code and it says up to 25
25% for administrative expenses.
So I want what is up 25% of the administrative budget.
So what is the administrative budget?
Is that separate from this budget that we have before us today?
So I'm just going to pull in your, in your staff report, we speak to the language in
the public art master plan.
I will recite that for you.
So this is the master plan page five, it says public art fund, the public art fund may be
used to provide art on public sites, acquire and install art, maintain municipally owned
art, support exhibitions of public art and fund staffing and other administrative costs
associated with the public art program.
And it says, as a guideline, not more than 25 percent of the total staffing budget shall
be allocated from the public art fund.
Our staffing budget, it consists of one person, which is our public art supervisor, public
art manager.
And so 25 percent of that salary over two years is on the screen in front of you, which
is that $61,618.
So that's what's being prepared in the budget that staff is putting together for the City
Council to consider.
And so the Council is the one that set the cap on that contribution of 25 percent, because
if not from the public art fund, it would come from the general fund.
And so then that's a question of priorities.
My question is what is the Administrative Fund?
The Administrative Fund is the, so each one of the divisions
in the Arts and Recreation budget has a budget, right?
The public arts program has its own division.
And so that division consists of salary, consists of materials,
supplies, maintenance, other operation maintenance items.
But specific to this budget, this request, it's only staff.
It's only a stop, yeah.
So is that considered an administrative expense?
Absolutely.
Part of the administrative fund?
Part of the public art.
I only read the municipal code.
That is, I think it ends with a dash dot 106, so it's one dash 10 dot 106.
Sorry, I'm a lawyer.
So I didn't understand why the bottom line is why is the our public art fund
paying for staff salary when it should be from the general fund just you know
well if that's a philosophical question about why the city council back in 2016
determined why they wanted to pay a portion of staff salaries from the public
art fund I can't answer that it's in the muni code and I see that too it says
contribution of the Public Heart Fund to support administered expenses of the
Public Heart Program may not exceed 25% of the programs administrative budget in
a given year. So the request here is 25% of the staff salary. I suppose we could
ask for more to include 25% of all the things that go into supporting the
Public Heart Program. We're not doing that. We're only asking for 25% of the staff.
Okay. I'm trying to answer your question, Commissioner Clapper. I'm not sure how to
to answer it in a different way other than what staff is recommending is
consistent with what's in the Mina code and consistent with it when the public
art master plan it may be but I think we're we're not meeting where the code
itself says administrative a 25% of administrative expense 25% of the
administrative expense should not be over 25% of what the administrative
fund is. So my question was, what is the administrative fund? And is that distinct from the public
art fund budget that we have in front of us? Because I wanted to see what is that 25 percent?
Is that per the municipal code?
Right. I'll read the language again. So contributions from the public art fund to support administrative
of the Public Art Program may not exceed 25 percent
of the program's administrative budget,
not administrative fund, administrative budget.
So, what I described to you is the division within which we pay all
of the expenses out of the Public Art Program are include staff salary
and other operation maintenance costs.
And so, consistent with what's in here, staff is recommending 25 percent
of the staff salary only be paid for out of the Public Art Fund,
Which is the same thing that's been done since 2016.
Historically and what you quoted in the first quote was that,
what was that from? The section 10-10.106. No, earlier when you said that through
the public art master plan. This would take all night so thank you I
appreciate it. Sure. Yeah. We need to have a motion to
approve this budget. Right, so let's see if there are any
questions there may be public comment and then you can come back and see
see if there's... Wish you a clover. No, no. Commissioner Balthazar, sorry. I was like... I, I just, the public-private
mural grant at 30 and the 10k for Heather Farms, do we know what mural wall
you're talking about? Which one? The one, the one inside. And, and 10k for a
permanent piece or 10k for something that might rotate? Good question. I think
10k for semi-permanent. I think we can imagine that it would have a life on it
but with the hopes to be a permanent piece. Yeah. I don't know about, yeah. Yeah.
I love that the art commission couldn't support a mural inside of there. I don't
think that this is allocated right for that piece both for long term and I
think we named a little more strategy around if it is a rotating piece it is
it every three years could we come up with 10k every if it's a hand-painted
mural I mean maybe a decade it's I just that feels like how do we manage that
alongside of all of these other things around other farms then the other piece
is just like the can you say public private so you got a grant so therefore
people don't have to match and you're thinking ten is enough and we're
thinking three to five years and how how are we I guess those questions come
later after the budgets approved but how do we get more people involved versus
what we've seen in the past right I mean I think that that was the idea is if we
increase it to ten thousand dollars and we don't this is also abstract because
we don't know who is applying and how big their walls are and all of these
factors to take into account, but we figured maybe that would make it a more
attractive grant to apply to if you imagine that, oh well maybe I can get a
really substantial mural and I only have to contribute 2,000 of my own dollars or
maybe 5,000. So that was the thinking of that and since we've published this
mural matching grant. We have had no applicants for it. So it's all, again, it's kind of we
want to put it out there because we are hoping that people will and then maybe we can revisit
that at the next biennial, you know, if we use up all of the funds, which would be great.
And then we could reimagine that. Thank you. I have one more question about
the marketing efforts for the murals, I think it was said before that much of the outrage
for marketing will be regarding marketing will be focused on mailing cards to businesses
and leveraging social media.
So when do we measure that, at which point like do we measure or social media efforts
that have worked or not worked to bring in business owners who are interested in taking
this amazing opportunity.
Yeah, it's a great question.
It's always hard to measure marketing efforts and we do have, I don't know how to best answer
this.
I mean, it's kind of a hard, it's just a hard one, how to know that we've met.
The reason why I ask this, do we wait until next year where we come back and go, oh, nobody
called us?
No one was interested.
Is that because our marketing efforts, you know where I'm going with this, how do we
measure that at some point before next year so that we know that our marketing efforts
are actually targeted properly?
Because this is obviously, you know.
And I think that we're going to have to really take the time to reach out to specific businesses
that we see that have walls and do very targeted marketing, not just wait for people to see
it or, you know, I know downtown Walnut Creek or Walnut Creek downtown sent, you know, included
in their regular email blast out. We have we have it on all of our kiosks around.
So it's just a matter of actually taking the time to reach out to those
specific businesses and invite them to apply. Thank you. Any more questions or
comments from Raya? Someone like to make a motion to approve this budget? Oh, is
Is there some public comment?
No, I do not see any public comment.
Uh-huh, sorry, Carolyn.
We are now ready for a motion.
Who would like to make that motion, approve the budget?
And that's on page three of your agenda report, where it says-
I can, may I make a motion?
You may, so it's right here.
I would like to make a motion to-
It's recommended, recommend.
I'm sorry, the City Council adoption of the physical year 2627 public art fund new funding request as presented
How does is this approve as a whole or can I pick what parts of the budget that I approve or not approve?
Or can I make that into my final comment? It's just a procedural question
Well, that's a two-part question. You can you can put whatever you like in your comments, right?
Two there is a motion on the floor if there's a second we're moving forward with the motion as as presented which was
The total presentation. Yeah, if that motion doesn't carry then then the subsequent motion could be made
Is there a second?
Thanks called the
Chair dresser yes, Mr. Magnani. Yes
Commissioner Pearlman. Yes. Commissioner Tesfaye. Yes. Commissioner Clauber. No. And Vice Chair Balthazar. Yes. Motion carries officially,
poor one. Thank you. Next on the agenda is an item for commission consideration.
Item 4C to identify Arts Commissioners key issues for input into City Council
priority setting. At this time I invite staff to provide the presentation. This
This is me.
Thank you for the record, Kevin Safeen, Director of Arts and Recreation.
So you have a staff report in front of you, which I will not read.
But some of you who have been here for two years recognize this process, which is similar
to one we did in 2023.
You're being asked by the City Council to provide input to them for their own priority
session, priority setting session, which takes place in February on the 11th, where they will
establish their goals for the next two years. And so they are asking this of
all the commissions to provide input. And so staff are taking that input,
providing it to the City Manager's Office, which will be presented to the Council
at the retreat on February 11th, and at this Friday's commission chair and
mayor breakfast. The chair from each commission will share what their
commissions have have recommended. And so Council and staff will hear this a
a couple of times. So that's that's the process. So what I will ask of each of you, this is an
emotion that you make. Staff will take input from individual commissioners if you have any,
and then we'll synthesize that and share that with the City Manager's Office. So while you are
thinking about what your comments may be, I will share with you the current Council priorities,
which again is in your report, which I won't go into detail, but there are five.
The first is diversity equity inclusion, which from the report talks about further
establishing Walnut Creek as an inclusive community that welcomes diversity.
You have an attachment that goes into much greater detail which which you've read. I'm
just trying to hit the highlights. Second is economic development job creation,
which promotes economic diversification, adapts change in office uses, capitalizing
economic strengths, improving jobs housing balance, enhancing downtown attractions and
infrastructure and streamlining streamlining permitting process. That's number two. Number
three, environmental sustainability and climate action summarized by saying the city will remain
a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, achieving other sustainability goals by completing
the update of the city's sustainability action plan. That's three. Number four, parks, facilities,
and other other infrastructure, primarily the Heather Farm Park project, which we've been
been talking a lot about this evening as well as some other improvements that
head of our ball fields and Tice Park ball fields and lastly public safety and
social wellness which ensures that one agrees a safe community through both
nonprofits public and private contributions to improving improving
relationships between the city the police departments and improving traffic
so those are the five items that council has today and that they've had for the
last two years, so their question is from your perspective, and I'll ask it this way,
which of those five should continue? Which ones maybe have been accomplished and can
be set aside at this point? And what new ideas do you have, more importantly, from the Arts
Commission? And so I will leave it at that, Chair, and see if you want to just ask questions
of me first before I ask questions of you.
It seems hard to say that we don't want any of the five to continue, but I notice there's
nothing that really relates to the arts in this five.
So how do we come up with something that relates to the arts?
Because I can say, oh, I really would like there to be something changed about the environmental,
sustainability, and climate action piece, but you're not asking me that.
You're asking us, yeah, I feel like they don't—I don't know if they care about what I think
about this environmental sustainability and climate action.
I won't include that as part of the summary.
What I would suggest is yes, think about this first
from your lens as arts commissioners
and you're also citizens and you may have input
on these priorities too and I think that would be helpful
for them to hear that and I'm happy to share with them.
Here's first your perspective as arts commissioners
and if you have other thoughts.
Let's let some other commissioners go first.
So, I'll ask the question of you, of these five,
are there any, I'll ask you, are there any of these five
that you would like to see continue?
We'll start with that, yes, continue.
I agree, I think they should all continue.
Okay.
I would agree with that.
And potentially to add one that is art-focused.
Okay, then let's come back to that adding in a second.
So I'm hearing some consensus on continue all five.
Other thoughts?
Yes, continue all five, please.
Okay.
Continue.
Okay, Commissioner Clauber.
Yes, continue.
Okay.
However, I think we should include
or be able to think about additional ones
and given what's happening in the world,
I think it's only fair for us to be asked
to think about it further, thank you.
Okay, so I hear you continue,
recommend that the council continue
the five priorities they have today, check.
Now, if there's anything you'd like to add.
So I don't know if that was the vice chair had thoughts
or Commissioner Clauber,
but happy to hear your thoughts as commissioners
about what other items you would like to add.
I have a couple.
I think with with our art commission lens I think I'd like to see a city priority be to be to
get that signature piece that we all are talking about. I don't think that's realistic but I think
we should put it on the list and let them make their own decision about it. And then from the
From the perspective of a citizen, I listened to this discussion at the Design Review Commission,
and they didn't have much to add, but one thing that they had to add that I thought
was sensible is in view of what's happened in Los Angeles in the last few weeks, that
under public safety and social well-being, that we need to take a good hard look at the
city's emergency preparedness plans.
Okay.
Happy thoughts.
thoughts? I'm not sure I'm gonna word this correctly but along with the fire
safety and emergency preparedness we're seeing insurance companies drop
homeowners insurance left and right including my own and to get new
insurance companies are requiring major changes to people's landscaping and
that's going to potentially change the look of the city and I think the city
needs to be I don't want to say prepared or proactive because I don't want the
fire chief walking around town but they got to cut every plant five feet from
their house but there needs to be some needs to address what's going on with
both fire safety in relation to sustainability and climate change and
all those things are kind of integrated
to make sure we don't end up with a city
that has nothing green left in it
in the name of fire safety.
So I've heard interest in the emergency preparedness
fire safety under public safety and social wellness
and also climate action.
And maybe it doesn't matter,
but they could fit under both of those potentially.
That's a question for you, Commissioner McNally,
because you suggested under more of the public safety
than it could.
Well, yeah, the emergency preparedness,
I just think fits under Public Safety and Social Wellbeing.
Okay, that's fine.
Can I ask about Signature Peace?
And I've only heard from two of you,
but could, he didn't say this,
but is a potential argument that you're saying
maybe under economic development,
you see that fitting there?
Just throwing it out there.
I really don't know.
I just think we spent a good deal of time tonight
billy aching about how we need a Signature Peace
and the City Council's asking us to recommend priorities.
You know, just consistent with what we're talking about here.
We ought to project that for you.
I also won't include the belly-aching part, but yes.
Yeah. Chair Truster, do you have any thoughts about signature fees?
I agree.
Okay. Other commissioners?
There's something.
I have a question.
Is it possible to send you an email with additional thoughts on this?
I'm going to say, you can, this is your public meeting and so this is your opportunity to
do it in a way that's consistent with the Brown Act rather than doing it later.
So I'd say share it now and then if you want to amplify that a little bit with an email
but I'd rather have you say it now and if you want to clarify it later, you can.
Okay, I'll keep thinking noodling in my head.
I'll pass it on to the others.
Your vice chair, I think, had the thought too.
I, it's getting late, right?
Okay, the word salad in me is like signature piece
doesn't mean anything to people
that are not deeply in this.
So, and words matter in this case.
So it's just, even if the words like public art,
and again, words, cultural virus,
something that says we prioritize
the public art aspect element.
Could be good with it doesn't I just want to
Like how do we define signature piece? What does that look like? It's public art above this kind of thing happens in my head
So are you saying prioritize public art and then one example of that could be support for a signature piece?
Sure one example. Sure. Okay and continue to enhance the public art
Pieces and experience in Walnut Creek and locations other commissioners
I'll say this
And somehow we need to realize that there is a big elephant that no one ever talks about,
which is the genocide in Gaza, the genocide of the Palestinian people.
So there's no DEI when we can't even utter the word genocide.
is no sustainability when we are bombing people across the Middle East with our own bombs
or our own chemicals or our own technologies. So where do we go from that, which is not
even mentioned in our discourse, to diversity, equity, and inclusion or environmental sustainability?
So I think we need to address that elephant.
And that's my proposal to add it onto here.
I think as City Council needs to know and needs to do something about it as a community.
Thank you.
Okay.
Commissioners, has favor of Herman.
How do you feel about signature piece or the way that vice chair 12 star talked about this
the city. I think that's a good.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
I think that's a good point.
to make sure we're giving that the time and attention that we need.
So does that mean we need a review committee or to break off in order to get you the language
that you need?
But if we were to take under consideration what it means, what DEI means in this context,
including marginalized groups, then what does that also mean for climate?
do we actually fund projects or look at construction, investment, or divestment,
then it feels like not enough time to write the right language today. And I'm
not trying to put pressure on you. I'm trying to respond to my direction, which
is to get something to the City Manager's office tomorrow so I can help inform
in their process.
And your thoughts on public art signature piece?
Yes, I think the way it was worded earlier sounds – I think that sounds fair.
I also agree with that.
Okay.
So I heard comments about public art signature piece, additional opportunities for public
art and locations.
I heard comments about climate action and public safety related to fire safety and emergency
preparedness.
I heard comments about marginalized groups addressing what is happening in the world
related to DEI and environmental sustainability.
Okay.
Say the word, Kevin.
It is genocide.
That is what I said.
Are you interested in having anti-genocide in language?
Yes.
Okay.
I just want to make sure I understand.
I want us to make an affirmative step toward us as a community to have discourse around
this atrocity and because as a member of the public or, you know, as an arts commissioner,
you just, you can't, it's not fair, it's not, it makes no sense to go about putting things
that seem like bullet points into a space that hasn't really contextualized
or even addressed or or said the word out loud. And and I think it's necessary
to do it. I think we need to start openly talking about the atrocity, this
genocide that is continues to happen until today and it just makes or makes
or existence more validated and and I think everyone needs protection so it's
it's it what I'm talking about hits all the points that we all these five
points that we have here. We just need to be able to communicate that and and have
debates about it and I haven't heard anyone within the city have any sort of
discussion about it. How do you protect your citizens from that? I'm a citizen.
I'm a Palestinian, right? So that's my call to action. Thank you.
All right, staff has collected your comments.
Thank you, Chair.
At this time, I invite staff to provide presentations.
Hello, again.
It's very short and brief because we
haven't had a lot of projects happen
since our last meeting.
And I just wanted to let you know that on the horizon,
we can expect contribution toward the Public Art in lieu
fund from Pinstripes, which has been completed in addition
And to hopefully in Q1, which is now, upon the completion of the Hilton Garden Inn, and
that is it.
Any questions?
How much?
So, pinstripes, I believe it's about 80,000, and Hilton Garden Inn will be more and I don't
know an exact number yet.
I just started adding it up for that signature piece
Any other questions, all right. Thank you. Thank you
Good evening commissioners Carolyn Jackson Leisure Center general manager with your strategic plan update
Which I will keep short and sweet with the highest priority thing we're doing right now is implementing a new ticketing software and customer
Relationship management software that combines all of our needs for ticketing marketing and fundraising into one system
Never before had at the Luscher Center. So all of us over in admin land are very excited
And it'll launch hopefully mid March
How much does something like that cost?
So actually the system we're moving to will be a reduction in our overall cost which was like gold star
Excellent. Thank you
Right and then if if you would like I'll move straight into staff updates on upcoming events
So we have coming up for Center rep the world premiere of froggy. This is
Project that's been 10 years in the making and rep is really honored to be the producer behind its world premiere
it's very big deal for us and
That begins performances February 9th, and it will be very different from anything you've seen before emerges
graphic novels, film noir, virtual reality kind of the onset of these
interactive virtual reality video games, plus a thriller and all sorts of fun
stuff in there too. And a lot of really exciting projection work that will be
again very different from what you've seen before. And from the headliner
series February 20th we've got Mandy Patinkin, which you're very excited about.
And then our annual college notes February 21st and 22nd with acapella
groups from universities across the country. They come here to perform as
well as going out into the community with our leisure center in your
neighborhood events to do performances and workshops with schools and community
groups. Thank you. Thank you, Caroline. Good evening commissioners, Emily Enders,
Bedford Gallery Curator. I will also keep my updates very brief. So a couple weeks
ago we opened Stitched Contemporary Embroidery which includes 19
international artists who work in embroidery and really dive into these preconceived notions of
what embroidery is and is not. It includes a lot of figurative and abstract work that really
kind of breaks down barriers and redefines the medium. So that's on view until March 30th and
we have three associated events that are happening in conjunction with this exhibition. One is an
Age Inclusive Embroider Together workshop, which is geared towards families, but everyone can join,
and you will learn how to embroider with giant plastic embroidery needles and burlap. So that
is March 8th at 10 30. Then we have cocktails in conversation with Nika Jones. She's one of the
artists in our exhibition, and she's flying out from Florida to help us with that event on March
14th at 5 30. And then we have an adults only embroidery 101, where you will learn to embroider
with small needles and that is taught by a local artist and that will be on March 21st
at 5.30.
In April, early April, we opened Limitless, celebrating artists with disabilities, which
is an exhibition of over 60 artists who are working at Creativity Explored, Creative Growth
and NIAID, to further artistic endeavors and their careers, and so please join us for that.
going to be great and that show will travel all over the U.S. after it opens
at the Bedford. Questions? No questions but I wanted to say what an amazing show
it was or it is and I highly highly recommend all of you please to go see
stitched, stitched at Bedford Gallery please. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank
Thank you, Emily.
It's on view through when?
March 30th.
You still have time, but you have lots of time.
Don't delay.
Act now.
Real quick, I just want to confirm for Friday's meeting with the mayor and the other chair's
chair dresser, you'll be there.
I'll be there.
Okay.
Would somebody else like to join me there because Sarah can not attend.
7.30.
It's not required to be there.
I mean, it's not required to attend.
Yes.
Yes, it is at 730. So third floor, 730, Friday. Yeah, okay. I'll let the city
clerk know. Thank you, Peter. Senator Foote, Community of Art, anyone else
presenting tonight? Okay, now it's time for Commissioner reports. Any
commissioners have anything to say? I do. Surprise. I have a plea for Nat and Sarah.
The stitched show is phenomenal but we need more school tours and I would like
the two of you to do a little arm twisting at your children's school. Is
that okay that I said that? What I find is the personal you know up to a teacher
and say you know there's this great show at the Bedford you're gonna get a
and a half hour of art and a half hour of art making
is very powerful, and when my kids were at school,
I actually told teachers they had to take their class
to the Bedford for tours, so March is pretty open.
There's tours at 9.30 in the morning
and 11 the morning, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Can you do that for me, please?
I am happy to do it.
Is there, or could we access a list
of how we could lean into public buses, all of that stuff,
I think this has been my hardest challenge
and we are here locally,
is that the school can't afford the buses.
And we could figure out a public shuttle
or we could take the public bus,
but those kinds of coordination pieces
are some of the walls that I've been up against.
Do you have parent drivers?
After school's pretty much maybe during school hours,
it's pretty rough on the permissions for that.
Emily, would you be able to address this with,
is DRA still providing buses
for certain Contra Costa County schools
to come to the Bedford?
We haven't had a request in quite some time,
but that is definitely something
that we can discuss with Peggy.
Also, is there any place where we can get information,
sorry, information we can get about field trips,
just as art being sort of a reward.
Like I would love to make it sort of an elevator speech
that comes from you guys that's more thoughtful.
It would make it easier for us.
Clearly, I don't have a problem selling art,
so my school will be here somehow.
We'll make it happen, but it is easier for me
because I'm in the PTA and I'm involved
with the arts at the school.
And we have plenty of drivers at my school,
but I can clearly appreciate some of the concerns
with other schools not being able to meet that.
So I think that might help us in terms of communicating
with the community.
I'm part of the PTA and I have a strong artistic presence.
I ran the reflections program and things.
So we have the interest, especially at Walnut Heights.
I can speak for my school.
So I think that anything that comes from you guys
that would encourage parents to talk to their children,
I'm not sure exactly what I'm asking for here,
but I think something for schools that come from you guys
that will help us communicate that would be really helpful.
Sure, we will work on that.
So, Annette, just to clarify,
in this summer, Emily, correct me if I'm wrong,
a brochure goes out to all the teachers,
especially for Walnut Heights,
who used to come at least once a year to our shows.
I haven't seen them all in the Heights in a while actually.
So a brochure goes to the teachers listing the shows
that are coming up and when they are,
and inviting them to go to the Bedford website
and sign up for a tour.
So.
That is correct, yeah.
That's correct, so.
But I'm not sure that it's reaching
the right people anymore, right?
Interesting.
The issue that we're having.
Okay, and then how can, what should Sarah do
as far as looking into getting a bus for her school?
we're just needed to go to do that.
Me.
And we will work on those, right?
And then I forgot to mention, Sasha, I'm so sorry.
We have Las Alamos coming to do a tour, first ditched.
If you could lean on the Northgate art teachers,
I know it's not as easy for Northgate to get here.
Are you on block schedule?
No, it's easier on a block schedule
because students in this class.
But sometimes an art teacher will say,
you know what, we are doing this.
bringing seniors and we're doing APR and would you continue to encourage our
teachers to make a visit with a class please? I have one more comment for you
when we used to take kids across New York City it's small but offer something
an incentive direct to the student to come on their own after school five
dollar gift card like you should if we want young people under 18 to come and
they can get a bar card or they can get something, they'll show up, incentivize
it. Any other commissioner comments for tonight before we adjourn? If not, this
meeting is adjourned.