REPORT TO ARTS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Review and Recommendation of Public Art - Washington Community Swim Center
Report
BACKGROUND
Washington Pool is located on the eastern side of Washington Park in central Sunnyvale. (Attachment 1 - Vicinity Map). The proposed swim center was approved by
City Council on Dec. 3, 2019 (RTC #19-1145) and will consist of demolition of the existing pool and pool building, and construction of a new instructional pool for all levels, zero-depth entry, lap lanes, interactive splash pad, locker rooms, pool and parks maintenance storage, offices and a community meeting room.
Subject to Council Policy 6.4.4 - Art in Public Places, the project will also incorporate a 1 percent expenditure for public art at an estimated $135,000.
A Request for Qualifications was distributed through public art websites, artist networks and the City website inviting California artists to apply for the commission (Attachment 2 - Call for Artists). A total of 17 artists applied for the commission. An eight-member community selection panel, including art professionals and project staff, was convened to evaluate the qualifications of the artists. Through a juried process, a list of four artists was established. Those artists were invited to develop a more detailed conceptual design proposal incorporating the park’s “Island Fantasy” theme.
This report provides information on the four conceptual design proposals. The Arts Commission is being asked to review and rank the proposals. The Commission's recommendation will be forwarded to City Council on Feb. 25, 2020, for consideration and final approval.
Following City Council’s approval, staff will work with the selected artist to finalize details, including exact location and engineering of the art, as well as to develop a community workshop to highlight the art. Details of the final art design will be presented to the Arts Commission and City Council as an informational item at a future date.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale Municipal Code 19.52 - Art in Private Development
Sunnyvale Council Policy 6.4.4 - Art in Public Places
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Washington Community Swim Center Project was prepared and circulated for public review from March 22, 2019 to April 11, 2019. Consistent with City Council Policy 6.4.4 (Art in Public Places), art was a required component of the project. The City Council approved the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program on Dec. 3, 2019.
DISCUSSION
Selected Locations
Possible art locations identified by the project committee are (Attachment 3 - Site Plan with Art Locations):
1. Exterior wall, main entry: The wall directly adjacent to the main entry to the swim center. The wall is 19-feet tall and divided into three vertical panels: two 5-feet wide panels on either side of 5-feet wide panels of glass. The wall can accommodate two-dimensional works of art or original glass pieces.
2. Planting Areas: Designated planting areas in front of the building can be considered for free-standing sculpture or other type of art.
3. Entry Plaza: Designated as colored concrete paving, the plaza can be considered for a different paving approach.
4. Fences: The tubular metal fences surrounding the pool and splash pad areas:
• Pastoria Avenue fence: 115-feet long by 8-feet high
• McKinley Avenue fence (adjacent to parking lot): 85-feet long by 8-feet high
• Park fence (adjacent to park): 140-feet long by 8-feet high
Art Proposals
Proposal #1 was submitted by the North San Juan artistic team Faducci (Attachment 4 - Faducci Resume and Design Proposal). Faducci’s proposal consists of two hand-sculpted cement statues and two mosaic panels.
The sculptures will be constructed with a steel armature covered with hand-sculpted colored concrete and glass mosaic, and secured to an 18-inch deep concrete pad. They will be installed in the plaza area in front of the swim center:
1. Crocodile Pirate with boots, peg leg, eye patch and pirate measuring 3-feet tall by 7-feet, 5-inches wide by 3-feet deep.
2. Octopus with applied glass mosaic, wearing eight different shoes. The rock the octopus is laying on will include hand prints of community members.
The mosaic panels will include imagery of colorful fish and other sea life animals. The panels will be installed on the building façade, adjacent to the front entrance to the center.
Maintenance of the sculptures and mosaic panels will consist of an annual washing of mild soap using a nylon brush. A top coat of concrete sealer can be applied to protect the art and guard against graffiti as needed.
For more information on Faducci and to see more of their work, visit faducci.com.
Proposal #2 was submitted by Berkeley artist Denise Hart (Attachment 5 - Hart Resume and Design Proposal). Ms. Hart is proposing a glass mosaic mural for the façade of the main entry exterior wall. The park theme of “Island Fantasy” is highlighted through both real and imaginary sea creatures, which are playful, imaginative and engaging.
Located in the center panel of the wall, the mural will measure approximately 18-feet, 8-inches tall by 5-feet, 10-inches wide. An exterior grade thin set would be used to adhere the tesserae (glass mosaic pieces) to the glass façade. Grout and sealant would be used to fill the spaces between pieces.
Maintenance would consist of an annual rinsing with soap and water. Resealing the grout would be required as needed or approximately every ten years.
For more information on Denise Hart and to see more of her work, visit denisehartmosaics.com.
Proposal #3 was submitted by Richmond artist Archie Held (Attachment 6 - Held Resume and Design Proposal). Mr. Held is proposing a three, large-scale, abstract forms, that when sited together make a single sculpture standing 10-feet, 9-inches tall by 6-feet wide by 20-feet long. The sculpture is made of a soft reflective stainless steel, and it is reminiscent of sea grass flowing with the tides. The sculpture will be installed in front of the swim center in a planting area adjacent to the main entry.
Maintenance for the sculpture will require an annual rinsing and polishing with a soft cloth.
For more information on Archie Held and to see more of his work, visit archieheld.com.
Proposal #4 was submitted by Santa Rosa artist Adrian Litman (Attachment 7 - Litman Resume and Design Proposal). Mr. Litman is proposing two components that work in tandem to create an “island Fantasy” atmosphere. The first component is a low relief, stainless steel wall mural located on the façade of the building. The design includes exotic creatures crawling up and down the wall, interlaced with plant shapes to create a mysterious forest.
The second component is a kinetic stainless steel sculpture with a concrete bench base to be placed in front of the building in a planting area. Standing 15-feet tall, the sculpture is reminiscent of a tree. It has an 8- to 10-inch trunk radius and a 12-feet crown radius. The crown consists of branches that are populated by unusual airborne creatures, which move independently of each other when activated by the wind.
Both sculptures will require an annual rinsing and polishing with a soft cloth.
For more information on Adrian Litman and to see more of his work, visit adriandesign.us.
FISCAL IMPACT
A total of $135,000 is required for public art in the Washington Community Swim Center (Project #826710). $130,000 has been allocated for the acquisition and installation of the artwork and $5,000 has been allocated for design fee stipends.
On-going maintenance for this project will require an estimated $2,000-$3,500 per year, which can be allocated as part of the Permanent Art Collection annual maintenance.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Arts Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board, on the City’s website, and the availability of the agenda and report in the Office of the City Clerk.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
There is no staff recommendation for this project. Per the Art in Public Places procedures, the Arts Commission is authorized to rank the proposals and develop a recommendation to the City Council for consideration and final approval. Additionally, the final design proposal will be further developed with oversight from staff to meet the Art in Public Places guidelines within the allocated budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Kristin Dance, Community Services Coordinator II
Reviewed by: Trenton Hill, Community Services Manager
Reviewed by: Damon Sparacino, Superintendent of Community Services
Approved by: Cherise Brandell, Director of Library and Community Services
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Call for Artists
3. Site Plan with Art Locations
4. Faducci Resume and Design Proposal
5. Hart Resume and Design Proposal
6. Held Resume and Design Proposal
7. Litman Resume and Design Proposal