HomeMy WebLinkAbout16 - Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park — Phase IIITO:
FROM:
CITY OF
NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Staff Report
September 26, 2017
Agenda Item No. 16
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director - 949-717-3801,
thetherton@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director
TITLE: Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park — Phase III
ABSTRACT:
The City Arts Commission and Arts Orange County have been working with City staff on
Phase III of the Civic Center Park Sculpture Exhibition. The City Arts Commission has
recommended nine artworks and one alternate and has proposed a location for each
within the Civic Center Park for the City Council's consideration and approval. If approved,
the nine sculptures will be on display for a two-year period.
RECOMMENDATION:
a) Determine that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines
because it will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly;
and
b) Approve the nine sculptures and the proposed locations within the Civic Center Park
as recommended by the City Arts Commission for the temporary sculpture exhibit.
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS:
The current adopted budget includes specified funding for this project.
DISCUSSION:
In August 2013, the Newport Beach City Council authorized the City Arts Commission
and City staff to implement a temporary sculpture exhibit in Civic Center Park. The City
Council approved the installation of 10 sculptures in Phase I of the project (2014) and
additional 10 in Phase II (2015). The temporary exhibition featured public art in locations
previously identified by Peter Walker Partners, the landscape architecture firm that
designed the 14 -acre Civic Center Park. The City exhibited the pieces installed in
Phase I for two years, and removed and returned the work to the artists in 2016. Those
installed in Phase II, in 2015, are scheduled for removal in September 2017.
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Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park — Phase III
September 26, 2017
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Sculptures featured in the exhibition are on loan. The City pays each sculptor a
small honorarium in exchange for loaning the piece to the City for 2 years.
In September 2016, the Newport Beach City Council authorized staff to issue a
Request for Proposals (RFP) for Phase III of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic
Center Park (Later, in April 2017, the Council directed that nine sculptures be
placed in the Park, along with the Ronald Reagan statue, which was formerly in
Bonita Canyon Sports Park. The Reagan statue is now in place near the corner
of Avocado and San Miguel Drive).
An RFP was issued in October 2016 and a panel consisting of the Library Services
Director and members of the City Arts Commission selected Arts Orange County
to manage the project.
Phase III of the project commenced in April 2017 when the City contracted Arts
Orange County (Arts OC) to provide public art coordination and site management
services for the project. City Council appropriated $155,731 for Phase III. The
scope of services includes project coordination, management fees, de -installation
of Phase II, installation and de -installation of Phase III, and honorariums for the
sculptors loaning their work to the City.
The project team includes Mr. Richard Stein, President and CEO of Arts OC,
Professor Joe S. Lewis, former Dean of the University of California, Irvine's Claire
Trevor School of the Arts, Mr. Nicholas Thurkettle, Program Assistant for Arts OC,
and Ms. Cindy Frommelt of Display Inc., a company that specializes in art
installation.
In June 2017, Arts OC issued a "Call for Entries ", inviting artists, private collectors,
galleries and museums/nonprofit organizations to submit artworks for
consideration for the temporary exhibition in the Civic Center Park. The Call for
Entries closed on July 30, and resulted in 46 artworks submitted by artists for
consideration.
At the behest of City Council, the City Arts Commission and Arts OC offered
increased opportunities for the public to participate in the selection of works. In
addition to multiple public meetings that offered opportunities for the public to
weigh in on the works, Arts OC arranged an online survey in which the public voted
for their favorite submission. 375 members of the public participated in the online
survey.
Arts OC assembled a jury panel comprised of: Mr. Robert Nicoll, Dean of
Development, Blizzard Academy, and Ms. Pat Gomez, Director, Irvine Fine Arts
Center. The jury panel worked in conjunction with the Sculpture Exhibition Ad Hoc
Subcommittee consisting of Mrs. Arlene Greer, Vice Chair, City Arts Commission
(Chair of the Newport Beach Sculpture Garden Ad Hoc Subcommittee), Grace
Divine, Member, City Arts Commission and Miriam Baker, Member, City Arts
Commission. The panel individually reviewed all of the submissions. Each panelist
scored each piece individually through an online process based on the following
criteria:
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Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park – Phase III
September 26, 2017
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1. Artistic Merit — the artist has strong professional qualifications and the artwork
is of high quality and demonstrates originality and artistic excellence.
2. Durability — the artwork is made of high - quality materials, requires minimal
maintenance and can withstand the outdoor elements of coastal Orange
County.
3. Practicality — the artwork is appropriate for audiences of all ages and does not
exhibit unsafe conditions that may bear on public liability.
4. Site Appropriateness — the scale of the artwork is suitable for the environment
and the artwork is suitable for viewing from all angles.
At their July meeting, the City Arts Commission invited the public to express their
preferences for the submitted art prior to panel consideration.
The jury panel assembled and, with the Sculpture Exhibition Ad Hoc Subcommittee, held
a public forum on August 23 to discuss each of the remaining artworks as a group and
vote for the final selections. The panel chose nine artworks and one alternate. The panel
then spent time in the Civic Center Park, selecting locations for each piece, generally
based upon Peter Walker Partner's landscape plan.
The Ad Hoc Subcommittee then brought these recommendations to the City Arts
Commission's September 14 regular meeting for approval. At this meeting, the Arts
Commission also provided an opportunity for the public to express their opinion of the
panel's recommendations. The City Arts Commission recommended the following nine
pieces and one alternate for approval by City Council:
■ Burnt Matchstick by Karl Unnasch
■ No Swimming by Oleg Lobykin
■ Life is a Balancing Act by Cindy Debold
■ Cosmic Glints by Patricia Vader
■ Getting Your Bearings by David Boyer
■ Be Still and Know by John Merigian
■ Flight -front by Steven Rieman
■ Popsicles by Craig Gray
■ Cultural Pedestrians by Sue Quinlan
Alternate:
■ Depth of Form by Jacob Burmood
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Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park — Phase III
September 26, 2017
Page 4
The consulting team and City staff from the Municipal Operations Department met on
September 18 to review the proposed locations based upon existing site sensitivities.
These sensitivities include the need to protect habitat, to preserve the public view plane,
to maintain clear public access to the entire park's walkways, and to maintain the
aesthetics of the park.
Staff also submitted the selections for review by City Risk Management staff to identify
potential public safety concerns.
The consultants will present the selected works for City Council approval (see
ATTACHMENT A, "Recommended Sculpture in the Civic Center Park Exhibition
Phase III").
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not
result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment)
and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA
Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no
potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING -
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A — Recommended Sculpture in the Civic Center Park Exhibition Phase III
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ATTACHMENT A
2017 Sculpture in Civic Center Park
Exhibition Finalists and Proposed
Placement
Sculpture in Civic Center Park Exhibition
Phase 3
Consultant:
Arts Orange County — countywide nonprofit arts council,
designated by the Orange County Board of Supervisors as its
official local arts agency and State -Local Partner
Team:
• Richard Stein, President & CEO, Arts Orange County
• Joe Lewis, Professor of Art, University of California, Irvine
• Nicholas Thurkettle, Program Assistant, Arts Orange County
• Cindy Frommelt, Owner, display
16-5
Process:
• May 22, 2017 - RFP distributed to 150,000+ artists worldwide through 30 networks of artists,
museums, galleries and arts services organizations
• July 9 - 46 eligible submissions received by deadline
• July 17-30 — Online public viewing of submissions and voting, promoted through City of
Newport Beach and ArtsOC email lists, websites. 27 donated pairs of tickets offered as
incentive to public voting
• July 30 - 375 public votes submitted, Judging panel submitted its rankings online
• August 10 —Arts Commission reviewed artworks submitted and public comment
• August 23 —Judging panel toured park, identified prospective locations for installing Phase 3
sculptures, reviewed public and its own rankings, received public comment, selected
recommended works
• 9 recommended works and 1 alternate selected, installation sites recommended
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Proposed Art Placement: 2017 Sculpture in Civic Center Park Exhibition
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Karl Unnasch
Burnt Matchstick (head detail)
steel, stained glass, clear acrylic, LED
lighting
40'x3'x3'
Price: $70,000
Year: 2015
B $6,000
H $ 600
PC # 2 (40)
Chatfield, MN
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Patricia Vader
COSMICGL/NTS front view (back is
the same)
steel and aluminum kinetic
sculpture
12'x6'x2'
Price: $16,000
Year: 2017
B $6,000
H $1,400
PC # 8 (15)
Official selection "Sunflower"
2015
Not selected 2014
Martinez, CA
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David Boyer
Getting Your Bearings
Kinetic Wind Sculpture
12.5' x 15'x 13'
Price: $65,000
Year: 2014
PC #3 (35)
B $3,350
H $3,000
Reno, NV
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Steven Rieman
Flight front
Stainless steel and bronze
fabrication mounted on a boulder
5'x5'x5'
Price: $14,800
Year: 2006
B $3,282
H $2,500
PC #12 (13)
Previous applicant
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Yucca Valley, CA
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Craig Gray
Popsicles
Steel, Wood, Stucco
108" x 60" x 60"
Price: $25,000
Year: 2016
B $5,500
H $2,000
PC # 1 (51)
Key West, Florida
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Sue Quinlan
Cultural Pedestrians
concrete and Steel
7211 x 7" x 6"
Price: $15,000
Year: 2017
B $6,000
H $2,000
PC #11 (13)
Previous applicant
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Boulder, CO
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Depth ofForm
Co|d'casta|uminum
90"x36"x45"
Price: $15,000
Year: 2015
B$4300
H$3,000
Louisburg, KS
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