TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eilen Stewart, Interim Cultural Arts Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Review City Hall Mural Design, Approve the Final Rendering and Disburse an Additional $92,693 from the Public Arts Trust Fund (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
a) APPROVE
b) DISBURSE FUNDS
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council review the City Hall mural design, approve the final rendering, and disburse an additional $92,693 from the Public Arts Trust Fund.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
At the November 6, 2018, City Council meeting, City Council approved moving forward with the City Hall Lobby Public Art Project, which is supported through the Public Arts Trust Fund. A total of $250,000 was allocated to produce, fabricate, and install artwork, and an additional contingency of $50,000 was allocated for unforeseen conditions or changes. An additional $1,500 will be awarded to the artist if they incorporate an educational component to the project.
At the August 18th, 2020, City Council meeting, City Council selected the Artist, Hou de Sousa, and directed staff to include updating City Hall’s upstairs and downstairs lobbies, which, if approved, will carry an additional cost of up to $92,693. The Public Arts Trust Fund balance is currently $2,102,949, with $1,346,700 available in unallocated funds.
BACKGROUND:
On August 18, 2020, City Council selected the artist team Hou de Sousa for the City Hall Mural Project, and gave direction to develop further design options and evaluate whether Public Works could assist with the installation as a cost-savings measure.
City Council directed staff to work with the artists in updating the designs to include imagery specific to Manhattan Beach and consider relocating the logo from the center of the composition.
In addition, City Council directed staff to evaluate installing new lobby ceilings, repainting the lobby walls, and renovating the reception area. Staff was also directed to evaluate whether the work could be done in house by Public Works to reduce the overall cost of the project. Shortly thereafter, staff met with Hou de Sousa and Public Works to discuss City Council direction on design options and installation details, including a detailed discussion about materials to be used for the mural project and potential installation methods.
DISCUSSION:
Design Option Updates
Staff worked with the artists to create several new iterations for City Council consideration, including four new designs that address concerns about incorporating the logo into the layout, offering options to reduce the size of the logo, and moving its placement off center. The designs also propose an additional variant showcasing imagery of Manhattan Beach icons and favorite pastimes.
Installation Options to Reduce Cost
Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff met on site and evaluated the project installation details to determine what components could be done in house.
After discussing the project with Public Works, it was determined that staff could take on some but not all components of the installation. Public Works staff can assist in removal of the existing drop ceiling and paint the upper and lower lobby walls, resulting in savings of approximately $20,000 from the original proposal of $112,000. Hou de Sousa will be responsible for the remaining components, which are detailed in an attachment to this report.
The additional work contemplated, beyond the actual art piece, includes refurbishing the existing front desk with decorative wooden paneling to match the rest of the lobby, and replacing the existing drop ceiling with new decorative wood paneling, which will be painted with colorful patches to continue the look of the artwork throughout the lobby space. The current stairwell railing will also be refinished to refurbish the wood and metal components. The upstairs and downstairs lobby walls, the stairwell and the vertical ceiling well above the stairs will also be repainted to match the artwork (due to the primarily cool white color scheme of the selected artwork, the current lobby wall color will not match the updated look).
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was developed by the Art in Public Places Committee (APPC), consisting of community members and arts professionals. It was presented and approved for recommendation to the City Council at a public meeting of the Cultural Arts Commission on August 20, 2018. The APPC selected the four semifinalists at the April 10, 2019, meeting. The Cultural Arts Commission approved the recommendation of the semifinalists to the City Council for consideration at the April 15, 2019, meeting. Public input was considered at both meetings. The RFQ was published with the Americans for Arts, Public Art.org, California Arts Council, Sculpture Magazine, CODA/WORX, Los Angeles County Commission of the Arts, Artist List for Manhattan Beach Centennial Art work competition, and the Public Art Coalition of Southern California. The RFQ was available for review and download on the City website. The City Council approved the final mural design at their August 4, 2020, City Council meeting.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(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 approved the Artist Agreement as to legal form.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. New Project Budget
2. Proposed Artist Agreement
3. PowerPoint Presentation