Commissions and Restoration Projects at Public Art Commission Wednesday

The Public Art Commission meets on Wednesday the 9th, and they've got several commissions in the works as well as a couple of substantial restoration projects. (Most of these notes are from the minutes to the last meeting. Agenda and minutes here.)

Hopefully more like this - by Henk Pander
And less like the sculpture at Riverfront Park

After an initial request for proposals, the Bottle Bill piece has a short-list and probable location:

The Salem Public Art Commission received 11 proposals from artists in response to its call to artists, a collaboration with the Oregon Environmental Council, for an Oregon Bottle Bill commemorative sculpture....

Per the Selection Committee, the following artists were recommended for conceptual design contracts:

• Ditroen
• Sean Healy and Joe Thurston
• Horatio Hung-Yan Law
• Hilary Pfeifer
• Lillian Pitt, Mikkel Hilde, Saralyn Hilde
• Rhiza A+D

The group confirmed the conceptual design contract would include an honorarium of $750 and will result in a design for the Bottle Bill commemorative piece. If the artist is selected for the commission in June, the budget for the completed art work and installation is $30,000.

The group then turned their attention to the three possible locations featured in the RFQ. Following a discussion of the merits of each proposed site, the group determined the best site for the work to be at the park-like setting, at the intersection of Trade and High (between SAIF and 295 Church).

Maybe a piece commemorating the Bottle Bill will go here
At the moment, it's a real ornamental emptiness
a failure as a "stroll garden"

That site is very much an ornamental emptiness, an underused space. Given the Bottle Bill's focus on litter, maybe a park setting is the right place. But it seems like so many of the art installations are attempts to add decoration to ornamental emptinesses rather than leverage popular places where people already congregate and often walk.

Maybe a Bottle Bill piece actually belongs at one of those BottleDrop redemption centers! (Or is a iterated or editioned piece that can go at all of the redemption centers.)

On Public Art at the new Police Station apparently our existing code is not quite right:

Due to the funding source for the new Police Station [the bond], staff will be bringing forward a proposal to change Salem Revised Code Section 15, as it relates to the distribution of funding for the arts generated by the project.

And a couple of other murals are proceeding:

The group discussed developing a proposed timeline for the Rivers mural, including a fundraising component of three to six months, to be completed in the summer of 2019....The possible Portland Road mural is likely a summer 2019 project, as well.

There are also two restoration/rehabilitation projects that also involve possible moves.

Falling apart: Eco-earth Acid Ball - Ron Cooper, via Travel Salem

On the Acid Ball Eco-Earth, it turns out the construction wasn't very sustainable, and it's going to be a substantial project to rehabilitate it!

[S]taff have met with a tile mason, an abatement specialist and are in the process of developing a cost estimate for restoration of the work. Due to evidence of water penetration through all layers, including the protective membrane covering an asbestos-containing tar layer, abatement is a required step for restoration. The group considered whether to repurpose the work to a different setting. Abatement will be required, regardless of the approach. Cost for restoration are preliminarily estimated to be at least $500,000.

River of Peace Mosaic - YMCA, Lynn Takata

The YMCA Peace mosaic, and apparently the building on which it was applied, is in trouble:

The piece may need to be relocated as the YMCA launches its capital campaign and plans to rebuild the facility on its current site. It appears as though the easement for the mural was not recorded.

In the meeting packet is a proposal for a "relocation study" to cost $5,800. (For more on the Y's building, which turned 100 in 2015, and has links with Senator McNary, see here.)

The Public Art Commission meets Wednesday the 9th at 9:30am in Public Works, on the third floor of City Hall.