TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eric Brinkman, Senior Recreation Supervisor
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Olympics Arts Projects (Unbudgeted) (Parks and Recreation Leyman).
(Estimated Time: 30 Min.)
A) DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
B) ALLOCATE PUBLIC ARTS FUNDS
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Manhattan Beach 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Cultural Arts Commission Action Plan and allocate $335,000 from the Public Arts Fund to support its implementation. Staff will return to City Council for review and approval of specific projects as the plan progresses.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The proposed Action Plan has an estimated fiscal impact of $350,000, consisting of $335,000 from the Public Arts Fund and $15,000 from the General Fund. The General Fund expenditures utilize funds that are already budgeted for existing programs. These funds would support cultural programming, public art initiatives, exhibitions, conservation, and commemorative projects associated with the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Public Arts Fund currently has a balance of $1,588,642, of which $975,310 is allocated to existing projects and programs, leaving $613,332 unallocated.
BACKGROUND:
On September 16, 2025, the City Council directed the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics Subcommittee to explore art and cultural initiatives and return with specific recommendations. The Parks and Recreation Department built this direction into the work plan item titled “Public Art Program & New Art Initiatives.” Accordingly, the Cultural Arts Commission began to explore opportunities to celebrate Manhattan Beach's Olympic heritage and develop lasting cultural legacies in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Cultural Arts Commission's Olympics sub-committee met twice monthly beginning in July 2026, conducting research, engaging stakeholders, evaluating project concepts, and considering the operational and fiscal implications of potential activities. The Committee evaluated more than 20 substantive ideas and developed a proposed action plan organized around seven core project components, supported by collaboration, implementation, and marketing objectives.
The proposed Action Plan focuses on activating existing public spaces and cultural facilities on the east side, including the Manhattan Beach Art Center (MBAC), the Historical Cottage, and Polliwog Park. It also envisions enhanced access to public art, recognition of local Olympians and Paralympians, and support for local artists, through coordination with existing cultural arts resources and programming.
In developing the proposal, the Committee considered the additional demands the 2028 Games may place on City staff, public safety personnel, and municipal resources. The Committee therefore prioritized projects that build on existing facilities, programs, and partnerships, while seeking to limit additional operational demands and create lasting community benefits.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed action plan establishes the following mission:
Our mission is to activate and enhance Manhattan Beach public spaces, public art, and existing cultural arts programs; celebrate our Olympic heritage; support local artists; engage residents and visitors; and create lasting cultural legacies before, during, and after the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The action plan is organized around five goals:
1. Activate Manhattan Beach public spaces with cultural arts offerings for residents and visitors to celebrate the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.
2. Enhance access to Manhattan Beach public art, with a focus on local Olympic and Paralympic heritage and sports.
3. Create lasting Manhattan Beach 2028 Olympic and Paralympic legacies.
4. Implement the action plan through the Cultural Arts Commission in collaboration with additional Manhattan Beach stakeholders.
5. Supplement the action plan with branding, marketing, publishing, and advertising for Manhattan Beach cultural arts events, activities, and programs associated with the Games.
Proposed Cultural Arts Commission Action Plan
The Cultural Arts Commission's Olympics sub-committee recommends seven core projects for consideration, organized below by their primary objectives.
Goal 1: Activate Public Spaces Through Cultural Arts Programming
1. Polliwog Park Watch Parties and Cultural Arts Programming
The proposal would activate Polliwog Park with an Olympic and Paralympic watch party and complementary cultural arts programming on the same day as the regularly scheduled Concerts in the Park. Potential components include a Bruce's Beach artist talk, visual arts enhancements, performing arts, and food vendors.
Proposed funding source: Public Art Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $70,000 total, based on $35,000 per day.
2. John Van Hamersveld Manhattan Beach Art Center Exhibition
The proposal would present an exhibition at the MBAC showcasing cultural arts aligned with Olympic and Paralympic themes.
Proposed funding source: General Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $10,000.
3. Historical Cottage Exhibition: Local Olympians and Olympic History
The proposal would develop a focused exhibition highlighting Manhattan Beach's Olympic and Paralympic history and local athletes, creating an opportunity to recognize the community's connection to the Games.
Proposed funding source: General Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $5,000.
Goal 2: Enhance Access to Public Art and Celebrate Olympic Heritage
4. Manhattan Beach Public Art Map Revitalization
The proposal would revitalize the City's public art map to help residents and visitors locate local public art and explore Manhattan Beach's Olympic heritage.
Proposed funding source: Public Art Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $10,000.
5. Utility Box Olympic Design Program
The proposal would invite local artists to create Olympic- and Paralympic-themed designs for utility boxes throughout Manhattan Beach, providing opportunities to support local artists and incorporate public art into the City's everyday environment.
Proposed funding source: Public Art Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $30,000.
6. Public Art Repair Schedule
The proposal would initiate the repair and conservation of key public artworks in preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, helping preserve the City's public art collection for residents and visitors. Staff specifically recommends repairing Beyond the Point Lies the Rest of the World, which is in poor condition and located near the pier, an area expected to attract significant visitor activity during the Games. The project is estimated to cost approximately $100,000 due to the extensive repairs required and the need to coordinate with Engineering to address pier railing and temporary fencing requirements during the work. The remaining allocation of approximately $100,000 could be used to repair additional artworks, with priorities determined by the City Council at a later date.
Proposed funding source: Public Art Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $150,000 to $200,000.
Goal 3: Create Lasting Olympic and Paralympic Legacies
7. John Van Hamersveld Commemorative Design and Promotional Items
The proposal would develop commemorative items featuring designs associated with John Van Hamersveld to promote and preserve the City's Olympic legacy.
Proposed funding source: Public Art Fund
Estimated fiscal impact: $25,000.
Goals 4 and 5: Implementation and Collaboration
The Cultural Arts Commission Action Plan identifies collaboration as an important component of implementation. Proposed coordination partners include Downtown Manhattan Beach, the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, North Manhattan Beach Business District, other City stakeholders, the Manhattan Beach Historical Society, and the Manhattan Beach Library.
These partnerships are intended to support outreach, programming, coordination, and community participation while leveraging existing organizations and resources.
The Committee also recommends coordinating event promotion and communications with the City's Communications team, County arts partners, and Manhattan Beach's 2028 Olympics organizing committee. Branding, marketing, and communications funding have not yet been determined and would require further development.
Projects Considered but Not Recommended for Inclusion
The Committee considered more than 20 ideas and determined that several should not be included in the proposed action plan because they did not align sufficiently with the Committee’s mission and goals, required additional development, presented feasibility or liability concerns, or would require resources that could be better directed toward other proposals.
These concepts included revisions to the private-property mural approval process; a temporary installation at the Manhattan Beach Skateboard Park; kinetic and wind sculptures; augmented-reality art installations and a Polliwog Park digital storybook; walking-path art at Polliwog Park; a Sunset Pier Symphony and welcome event; a Manhattan Beach Library Story Walk; a volleyball installation; a City-wide pop-up surfboard installation; exhibitions of local artists’ work in local businesses; and a landmark pole medallion program.
The Committee identified concerns such as technology costs, liability, additional public safety and staffing demands, permitting requirements, insufficient time for development before the Games, and the availability of more suitable venues or existing programs.
The Committee determined that the Library could undertake the Story Walk through its own staff and resources. The landmark pole medallion program was identified as a potential future Cultural Arts Commission work plan item rather than an Olympic Action Plan project.
CONCLUSION:
The proposed Action Plan provides a framework to celebrate Manhattan Beach’s Olympic and Paralympic heritage while creating lasting cultural benefits for the community. Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Cultural Arts Commission Action Plan, comprising seven core project components, and allocate $335,000 from the Public Art Fund to support its implementation. Staff will return to the City Council with specific project proposals for review and approval as the plan progresses.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The proposed Action Plan was developed through the Cultural Arts Commission's Olympics sub-committee, which met twice monthly beginning in July 2026. Committee members conducted research, held individual meetings, evaluated project concepts, and discussed potential partnerships, costs, operational requirements, and community benefits.
The Cultural Arts Commission considered the proposed Arts Action Plan at its September 30, 2026, public meeting and recommended presenting it to the City Council for discussion and direction.
The action plan was also presented to the City’s Olympics Committee, which is comprised of City staff and community stakeholders, including Jill Lamkin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce and Kelly Stroman, Executive Director of the Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professionals Association.
Additional community engagement and stakeholder coordination may occur as individual projects are further developed.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378(b)(5) of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. PowerPoint Presentation