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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 - Art In Public Places Board - Annual Report1 BACKGROUND Art in Public Places Board meetings started in July of 1995. Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Center. Members who served in 2017 were Miriam Chase, Gwen Hatchette, Carol Ann Hixon, Jill Kreutzer, Renee Sherman, Shelby Sommer, and Sabrina Davies Zimmerman. Miriam Chase served as Chairperson and Renee Sherman served as Vice-Chair. Purpose: The City recognizes that art is vitally important to the quality of life in the community. Art in Public Places (APP) is intended to: • Encourage and enhance artistic expression and appreciation. • Add value to the Fort Collins community through acquiring, exhibiting, and maintaining public art. Goals: The principal goals of the APP Program are to: (1) Enrich the public environment for residents and visitors through the visual arts. (2) Increase public access to works of art. (3) Promote understanding and awareness of the visual arts in the public environment. (4) Promote a variety of artistic expressions in the community. (5) Contribute to the community’s civic pride in its cultural diversity. APP Board and Staff • Develop collaborations and outreach. • Advise and make recommendations for changes to rules, regulations, guidelines, policy, and administrative and budgetary matters pertaining to the APP Program. • Advise City Council on projects and programs relating to public art, design, and aesthetics related to the City. • Review and make recommendations to City Council on all APP projects and art donations to the City. • Share best practices with other local and national agencies on the APP processes and projects. • Review the APP art collection to consider deaccession for specific pieces. • Promote the program with the APP website, marketing opportunities, and project maps. The APP goals, projects, and Work Plan align with the City of Fort Collins key outcome areas: ART IN PUBLIC PLACES BOARD 2017 ANNUAL REPORT Environmental Health Safe Community Neighborhood Livability Dragonfly’s Lair – Joe McGrane Walk and Wheel Skills Hub Mural – Ren Burke Downtown Trash Enclosure – Teddi Parker (top) and Todd Kundla (bottom) 2 COMPLETED PROJECTS Avery Park - Fort Collins artist Lisa Cameron Russell created a design to add a compelling art focal point that ties together the Avery Park theme and accents the architectural elements of the park’s restroom. Lisa used the imagery of Franklin Avery’s 1872 “ New Town” plat in her metal and sandblasted design. College and Prospect Intersection – Colorado artist Robert Tully created three kinetic sculptures that are mounted on the light poles on the south side of the street, two heading west and one heading east from the College and Prospect intersection. In each, 15 human figures pivot separately like weather vanes depending on the wind direction. In addition, Tully created nest-like stainless steel sculptures placed in the medians west and east of the intersection funded by the road project. Downtown Restroom – Fort Collins artist Joe McGrane designed an art project for the west side of the new restroom located at Oak Street and the Montezuma Fuller Alley. The artwork, 5 Alley Views, consists of a 5-foot diameter radiating tile mosaic with five convex mirrors framed by a brick band. Downtown Trash Enclosure – Fort Collins Artists Todd Kundla and Teddi Parker collaborated to use imagery of a phoenix to symbolize the rebirth of materials through recycling—a reference to the purpose of the enclosure. Todd Kundla created a sculpture using recycled fencing on three sides of the structure and Teddi Parker painted a related mural on the remaining side of the enclosure in the Oak and Remington Parking Lot. Dragonfly’s Lair – Fort Collins artist Joe McGrane created Gravity Course as an interactive public artwork that reinforces and complements a new interpretive trail and sign system developed by Webber Middle School students. Gravity Course will serve as an overlook, amphitheater and gateway to the new interpretive walkway. It speaks to the storm drainage and water quality functions of the open space located on Wakerobin Lane east of Regency Drive. EPIC Lobby – Colorado artist Barbara Baer created two sculptures for the remodeled Edora Pool and Ice Center (EPIC) lobby. The artwork is inspired by the uses of the building, ice and water. The artworks act as wayfinding elements. Enter on the south side of the lobby with the water ripples painted across the transparent panels, and you will be heading toward the pool area of the building. Enter on the north side of the lobby with the ice crystals, and you’ll be heading in the direction of the ice rinks. Foothills Activity Center – Colorado artist Mario Miguel Echevarria created a mural to encourage young athletes, amplify the excitement associated with physical activity and personal accomplishment, and offer youth visual reminders of what is possible if they practice hard. Typography and figurative silhouettes are used to portray these ideas. Downtown Restroom – Joe McGrane College and Prospect Intersection — Robert Tully EPIC Lobby – Barbara Baer 3 Gardens on Spring Creek Donor Butterflies – Fort Collins artist Ren Burke has designed and will fabricate customized metal iridescent butterflies to recognize donations to support completion of The Gardens Master Plan and Northern Colorado’s first permanent Butterfly House. Lincoln Corridor – Fort Collins artist Mark Leichliter integrated artwork into the design of the corridor and it is located throughout the project. The artwork is intended to accentuate the corridor and provide wayfinding elements. The artworks, entitled Terralogue Totems, consist of sculptural metal monoliths, bike racks, and stone and metal bollards. The monoliths mark three regions along the corridor, they highlight the river, industry, and agriculture. Each re- gion includes a large sculptural monolith, accompanied by combinations of bike racks and bollards. McMurry Bridge – Colorado artist Mario Miguel Echevarria has designed a replacement railing for the pedestrian bridge over the Poudre River near McMurry Natural Area. The design reflects the surrounding area and features fish crafted from stainless and weathering steel swimming over the bridge deck Mulberry Bridge – Local artist Jill MacKay created a mirror and natural river rock mosaic on the northeast side of the Mulberry Bridge along the Poudre River Trail. The river itself is the inspiration for this project. With the use of flowing reflective mirror mosaic waveforms, the design mimics the reflective surface qualities of water. The natural river rock lends strong contrast and further mimics the look and feel of the river. Pedestrian Pavers – Since 2002, this APP program has been working with the Engineering Department to incorporate granite pavers sandblasted with drawings by community members aged 3 to 18 into City sidewalks. In 2017, 15 selected drawings were installed in City sidewalks, for a total of 198 pavers. Pianos About Town – Pianos were rotated to over 22 locations in 2017. The Art in Action component of the program continued with 11 artists painting piano murals in Old Town Square, along with 2 artists painting inside during the winter months. Timberline and Prospect Intersection – Todd Kundla and Tim Upham, two Fort Collins artists, designed an artwork adjacent to the silos near the intersection of Timberline and Prospect Roads. Cascading from the top of one of the three remaining historic silos, this sculpture entitled Ringfall captures a sense of movement and change. The 50-foot-tall sculpture serves as a monument to the two historic silos that once stood on this site. The 18' diameter of the rings is the same as the diameter of a silo, offering the observer an appreciation of their size. The lower two rings of the sculpture wrap Lincoln Corridor – Mark Leichliter Timberline and Prospect Intersection – Todd Kundla and Tim Upham 4 around the sidewalk below, creating an archway for pedestrians and bikers. The public can view the original two silos from this site at the new Twin Silo Park in southeast Fort Collins, which was named in their honor. Twin Silo Park – Local artist Jill MacKay created Wave Walk, a mosaic of photo-luminescent stones. It is located on the path on either side of the bridge near the interactive water play area. The mosaic is installed in a flowing water pattern and charges from sunlight during the day to glow at night, adding whimsy to the path through the area. It may be the first project to include photo-luminescent stones in the United States. Fort Collins artist Tim Upham created Harvest Sky, to complement the adjacent Harvest Room space and the theme of a fruiting orchard. The artwork is integrated into the top of the orchard arbor adjacent to the Harvest Room. During the day visitors pass under a 60-foot canopy of colored polycarbonate circles that create a stained glass effect in the sunshine. A matrix of stainless steel pipe creates a latticework of geometrical vines and stems that act as the structure and support for the colorful “fruit.” Transformer Cabinet Murals – This project is a collaboration with Utility Light and Power. Twenty local artists and one non-profit group were selected to paint murals on 27 cabinets in 2017. Artists have painted 261 cabinets in the 12 years of this project. This project has a high success rate in mitigating graffiti, saving the City money in abatement costs. Visitors to the area seek out the murals as they tour the City, contributing to the City’s economic development. This year the program painted its 6th sponsored cabinet mural. Walk and Wheels Skills Hub – Fort Collins artist Ren Burke created a mural for the roundabout for the community bicycling and walking skills course designed to help people of all ages feel comfortable navigating Fort Collins on two wheels and on foot. It is located in the Summitview Church North Parking Lot at Drake and Dunbar near the Ross Natural Area south of Rolland Moore Park. COLLABORATIONS • Xeriscape Garden Party – APP joined Utilities at this event. The display featured the Transformer Cabinet Mural program and one of our artists, Jennifer Ivanovic, painting a cabinet on site. • Pianos About Town – In its 7th season, this partnership with Bohemian Foundation and the Downtown Development Authority, administered by APP, combines art and music. • Utility Transformer Cabinet Wrap Program – APP is working with Utilities to create a library of images from local artists to be used as vinyl wraps to act as a temporary protective coatings on transformer cabinets when needed. Twin Silo Park — Tim Upham Twin Silo Park — Jill MacKay 5 CURRENT AND ONGOING PROJECTS Twenty projects are currently in progress or are annual projects. These projects are usually developed in conjunction with a larger construction project so the art project timeline coincides with the construction timeline. All these projects have an artist working with the project design team to develop concepts that meet the goals of the project. COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS APP staff gave presentations to community and visiting groups, Leadership Fort Collins; and cohosted a walking tour of Transformer Cabinet Murals for the Utilities One Planet Program. OUTREACH APP staff members continue to give support to private businesses in the community. • Staff assisted with providing information on processes for acquiring art and facilitating contact with artists. • Staff is promoting project information to the community prior, during, and after installation of new artwork with signs and handouts on site, as well as information in newsletters, online, and on social media. • Staff attended the Public Art Network/American for the Arts Conference and networked on behalf of the program. • Staff organized and hosted open houses for artists interested in submitting proposals to Pianos About Town and the Transformer Cabinet Mural Project. • APP and Visual Arts staff hosted a booth at the fall Open Streets event on September 17. • APP and Visual Arts staff hosted a booth featuring opportunities for artists at the Startup Week Resource Fair on March 3. • Staff provided information to communities across the country, including: Avon, CO; Boulder, CO; Coronado, CA; Crested Butte, CO; Englewood, CO; Estes Park, CO; Fort Morgan, CO; University of Texas at Dallas. MAINTENANCE The program continued to use its artistic expertise and communication with the artists to maintain the APP collection. •College and Horsetooth Intersection •Crescent Park •Downtown Transit Bike Shelter •Fort Collins Museum of Discovery •Foothills Underpass •Fossil Creek Trail •Gardens at Spring Creek Great Lawn •Mulberry Gateway Project •North College - Canal to Highway 1 •Northside Neighborhood •Poudre White Water Park •Riverside Bridge •Utility Scavenger Hunt •Water Reclamation Facility •Walk and Wheel Skills Hub •West Elizabeth Underpass •Willow Street Plaza •Pedestrian Pavers •Pianos About Town •Transformer Cabinet Murals ANNUAL PROJECTS Open house for artists interested in submitting proposals to Pianos About Town held at the Music District. Pianos About Town Mural — Pam Kraft 6 PUBLICITY • American Craft Magazine – Pianos About Town was featured in the Dec/Jan issue of the magazine. • APP Brochures – APP promoted the program and the Transformer Cabinet Mural Project with informational brochures at the Visitor’s Centers downtown and at Prospect and I-25, the Lincoln Center, and available for download from the APP website. • Denver Channel 7 News – Report about the beginning of the Pianos About Town Season. • Facebook – The Pianos About Town Project invited the community to participate with the project’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/PianosAboutTown. Staff also included APP Projects on the City’s and the Lincoln Center Facebook Page. • fcgov.com/artspublic – The APP website continued to be updated with new projects, project descriptions, and current calls for art and artists. The website also included printable maps of the Pedestrian Pavers, the Transformer Cabinet Murals, and APP art locations throughout the city. • GIS Maps – Staff worked with the City’s GIS department to update maps and make new maps for printed handouts. • Instagram – A Visual Arts department Instagram page was created @focoart and regularly features public art projects. • Local Publications – The Fort Collins Coloradoan, Loveland Reporter Herald, and Rocky Mountain Collegian printed various photos and articles of APP Projects throughout the year. • Out of the Box – FCTV created a video short about Art in Public Places for its Out of the Box Series that highlights innovative projects within the City of Fort Collins • Web – The local community and visitors to Fort Collins continued to include stories on APP projects in their blogs and websites. Pianos About Town was featured in numerous YouTube videos. Out of the Box — FCTV Rocky Mountain Collegian – Visit Fort Collins Denver Channel 7 News