REPORT TO ARTS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Review and Recommendation of Public Art for Lakewood Park Renovation
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Subject to Council Policy 6.4.4 (Art in Public Places), the project budget for the Lakewood Park Renovation (project #834770) includes a 1% provision for public art ($140,690). This report provides information on five conceptual design proposals being considered for the new public art. The Arts Commission will review and rank each of the proposals in order of preference and their recommendation will be forwarded to City Council on Oct. 6, 2026, for consideration and final approval. There is no staff recommendation for this project.
BACKGROUND
Lakewood Park was originally constructed in 1960 and has 11 acres of recreational programming space. It is a focal point of the Lakewood neighborhood, adjacent to Lakewood Elementary School, the John W. Christian Greenbelt pathway and the new Lakewood Branch Library and Learning Center.
The primary objective of this renovation project is to enhance the existing grounds and ensure sustainability for the future through improved recreational usability, increased attractiveness, reduced maintenance needs and more efficient utility use, while retaining the park’s outer space theme. The project includes partial replacement of landscaping, ornamental and functional grass areas, irrigation, drainage systems and concrete pathways, in addition to some new infrastructure:
• a dog park
• a recreation/maintenance/restroom and concession building
• lighting systems with energy-efficient fixtures
• playground equipment
• splash pad
• skate park upgrades
The relocation and renovation of the new children’s play area was recently completed, but the remainder of the construction is still underway and expected to be completed by Summer 2027.
Subject to Council Policy 6.4.4 (Art in Public Places), the project must allocate 1% of construction costs toward new public art, totaling $140,690. The City formed a nine-member Public Art Review Committee consisting of art professionals, Sunnyvale residents and project staff. The committee met to determine what the public art should be, the best location for the artwork and to help review and narrow down the artist applications.
In May 2026, a request for qualifications (RFQ) was distributed to artists and arts organizations through public art websites, artist networks and the City’s website, inviting artists residing in the Western United States to apply for the commission (Attachment 2). A total of 41 artists applied for the commission, and the review committee juried the applications down to five artists who were invited to develop detailed conceptual designs. The five artists/artist teams and their conceptual designs are outlined in this report.
The Arts Commission is being asked to review and rank the proposals in order of preference. The Commission's recommendation will be forwarded to City Council on October 6, 2026, for its consideration and final approval.
Following City Council's approval, staff will work with the selected artist/artist team to finalize the design, engineering, fabrication, placement and lighting of the art, as well as the development of a community workshop to engage residents. Any substantial changes to the approved conceptual design will require additional Arts Commission review and City Council approval before proceeding.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale Municipal Code 19.52 - Art in Private Development
Sunnyvale Council Policy 6.4.4 - Art in Public Places
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The underlying project, Lakewood Park renovation, was determined to be exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(a) (Class 1 Categorial Exemption), which applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Public art was a required condition of the approved project.
DISCUSSION
Selected Locations
The project team, which included the architects, Department of Public Works staff and public art staff, identified two potential art locations for public art (Attachment 3):
• An existing triangular grass area next to the new dog park
• The main plaza area in front of the new concessions building
In March 2026, the two locations were presented to the Public Art Review Committee and, after review and discussion, the committee selected the grass area near the dog park, citing better visibility of the art from the front of the park and the surrounding neighborhood, as the preferred site (Attachment 3).
Proposal Considerations
The RFQ stated that the selected artists will be expected to align with the City's vision of inclusion and diversity and represent the City's brand essence: Bold, Sustainable Innovation. The artists were also encouraged to align with the outer space theme prevalent in the park and, although not required, to consider incorporating benches or seating into their concept.
Community Workshop
The selected artist/artist team will be required to provide a community workshop that gives residents the opportunity to either contribute to the final design or create a related art project aligned with the art installation; however, the workshop details were not required as part of the conceptual design but will be finalized as part of the contract process.
Maintenance Requirements
Each of the designs proposed should be easy to clean, maintain and repair if needed. Graffiti prevention, weather sealants and detailed directions on how to maintain and repair the artwork will be provided by the artist to the City.
Lighting Requirements
The selected location has a planned light pole within the triangular planter area that will provide ambient light for the art during evening hours. No additional lighting is planned for the artwork at this time; however, the artists may choose to supplement the ambient lighting as part of their scope of work, taking into consideration light pollution and dark sky requirements.
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PROPOSALS
Proposal #1 - Pete Beeman (Attachment 4). This design is a painted-metal, interactive flower sculpture that resembles a radar dish. The petals of the flowers are mechanically linked to a crank at the bottom of the stems, which will allow park visitors to open and close the flower. The sculpture will stand over 18 feet tall and will be lit at the top of the petals to create a beacon within the park. A steel bench with a similar geometric cut-out motif will also be installed nearby to provide seating.
Proposal #2 - Sijia Chen Studio (Attachment 5). Responding to the park’s space theme and nearby educational facilities (Lakewood Elementary School and Lakewood Branch Library and Learning Center), the artist has designed a 15-foot-tall by 6.8-foot-diameter sculpture made of perforated and brightly painted metal. Shaped like the nose of a rocket or the tip of a pencil, the sculpture will be open on the side and include bench seating on the interior. Visitors can interact with the sculpture by sitting inside and cloud-gazing through the cut-out shapes on the capsule's skin.
Proposal #3 - James Peterson/Art Contraptions (Attachment 6). This design is a 17-foot sculpture in the form of an apricot tree. The trunk and branches are made of rolled and laser-cut aluminum, curved and twisted into an organic motif, infilled with colored resin panels. By day, natural sunlight will shine through the panels, projecting whimsical shadows on the ground in shades of yellow, red, purple and orange, representative of the apricot and other fruit trees native to the area. At night, internal lighting will illuminate the tree, creating a dramatic focal point. The rounded base will provide seating for visitors to sit and interact with the artwork.
Proposal #4 - Pao Design/Jennifer Tran and James Shen (Attachment 7). This design is a large-scale, interactive metal sculpture bench. It will have approximately 90 feet of interconnected panels that continuously fold, loop and overlap each other in a playful and inviting way. The panels will be made of perforated, painted metal, which, when overlapped, will create interesting shadow patterns on the ground that change with the movement of the sun. The colors selected by the artist (yellow, green and blue) represent Sunnyvale’s sunny climate, network of parks and trails and proximity to the San Francisco Bay, respectively.
Proposal #5 - UrbanRock Design/Jeanine Centuori and Russell Rock (Attachment 8). This design proposes a series of five 2-inch thick, painted aluminum sculptures. Upon first glance, the sculptures will appear as abstract shapes. Upon closer inspection, the sculptures will become partial figure profiles immersed in park activities, such as walking a dog, playing ball, flying a kite or balloon or other recreational activities. Each figure will stand at the edge of a 1-foot base, allowing room for viewers to stand and strike a similar pose, filling in and completing the open-ended profile. The sculptures will be 8 feet tall, and the exact poses and activities will be chosen through the community workshop.
FISCAL IMPACT
The project budget for the Lakewood Park Renovation (project #834770) includes a 1% provision for public art ($140,690). Ongoing maintenance for this project will require an estimated $1,000-$5,000 per year, depending on which design is chosen. This will be funded through the Public Art Maintenance Fund (#890180).
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
There is no staff recommendation for this project.
JUSTIFICATION FOR RECOMMENDATION
Pursuant to the Art in Public Places procedures, the Arts Commission should rank the proposals and develop a recommendation to City Council for consideration and final approval. Staff will provide further oversight to ensure the selected conceptual design meets the Art in Public Places guidelines within the allocated budget.
Levine Act
LEVINE ACT
The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
An “X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
___ Land development entitlements
___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use
_x__ Contract or franchise
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
___ Competitively bid contract*
___ Labor or personal employment contract
___ Contract under $50,000 or non-fiscal
___ Contract between public agencies
___ General policy and legislative actions
* "Competitively bid" means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Staff
Prepared by: Kristin Dance, Recreation Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Jesus Raygoza, Deputy Director of Recreation Services
Reviewed by: Michelle Perera, Director of Library and Recreation Services
Reviewed by: Matt Paulin, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Aaron Bert, Director of Public Works
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Reserved for Report to Council
2. Call for Artists
3. Selected Location and Photographs of Current Site
4. Pete Beeman Resume, Past Work, and Design Proposal
5. Sijia Chen Studio Resume, Past Work, and Design Proposal
6. James Peterson Resume, Past Work, and Design Proposal
7. James Shen and Jennifer Tran Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal
8. Urban Rock Design Resume, Past Work, and Design Proposal