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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 10/20/2020 - RESOLUTION 2020-096 APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE OF TH Agenda Item 10 Item # 10 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY October 20, 2020 City Council STAFF Ellen Martin, Visual Arts Administrator Ryan Malarky, Legal SUBJECT Resolution 2020-096 Approving the Acceptance of the Proposed Donation of a Sculpture to be Placed at Sugar Beet Park. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Resolution accepts the donation of a bronze sculpture entitled, The Hand That Feeds, that will be placed at Sugar Beet Park, subject to the donor raising sufficient funds to pay for the sculpture and related project work. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Section 23-309 of the City Code states works of art with a value of $300 or more donated to the City and placed in a public area may be accepted only with approval of the Art in Public Places (APP) Board. For all such works with a value of $10,000 or more, the City may only accept them with approval of Council, upon review of such proposed donation and the recommendation of the APP Board. The proposed sculpture will be created by artist Frank Gaza and Art Castings of Colorado. The sculpture celebrates the history of the Hispanic and Mexican people who came to work in the sugar beet fields surrounding Fort Collins, Larimer County, and elsewhere in Colorado. The sculpture depicts a hand and a short-handled hoe, which was the standard tool for working the sugar beet fields. The donor, Mujeres de Colores, has proposed to donate the sculpture following a community fundraising campaign to raise sufficient funds to pay for the sculpture and related project work. City Give will work with the fundraisers in a commitment to philanthropic partnerships and local co-creation. If the fundraising goal is not met by December 31, 2022, City staff will collaborate with community representatives to assess the continued viability of this project. The City will have no obligation to fund the sculpture and related project work. Acceptance of the donation of the proposed artwork is conditioned on the donor raising full funding for the artwork and related project work as detailed here. It is City staff’s and the donor’s intent that this donation will include funding for fabrication and installation of the artwork. The parties also intend that the donation will fully fund the complete design and construction of a plaza and landscaping to feature the artwork on the northeast corner of Sugar Beet Park near to Lemay Avenue and East Vine Drive. To date, Park Planning & Development staff have worked with the donor to create a conceptual design of the plaza and landscaping to feature the artwork. The parties intend that the donation will include funding for a portion of maintenance costs. More specifically, donor intends to fund three years of maintenance on the plaza and landscaping, and a portion of the maintenance of the artwork. Agenda Item 10 Item # 10 Page 2 CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS The initial cost of this item does not impact the City’s general fund account, because funding will come from community fundraising performed by Mujeres de Colores in collaboration with City Give. The proposed sculpture and design and installation of the plaza and landscaping are valued at $284,750. The donation will also include $8,850 for the first three years of maintenance of the plaza and landscaping ($6,600), and a portion of the maintenance of the bronze artwork ($2,250). After the first three years, the Parks department will cover the costs of maintaining the plaza and landscaping as part of Sugar Beet Park. APP will cover the costs of maintaining the sculpture after the donated funding is expended. The sculpture’s bronze construction means it is a low maintenance item. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION This art donation was reviewed and recommended for Council approval by the APP Board at the October 7, 2020 meeting. PUBLIC OUTREACH This donation contemplates that full funding for the project will be provided by Mujeres de Colores through a community fundraising campaign. City Give will work with the fundraisers in its commitment to philanthropic partnerships and local co-creation. ATTACHMENTS 1. Description and Images of Proposed Artwork (PDF) 2. Art in Public Places Board Minutes, October 2020 (PDF) 1 Proposed Art Donation: The Hand That Feeds Description of the proposed artwork by artist Frank Garza & Art Castings of Colorado: Bronze Sculpture with Stone Base The Hand That Feeds sculpture celebrates the Hispanic and Mexican people who played a critical role in Fort Collins’ and Larimer County’s sugar beet history. The sculpture tells the story of the sugar beet worker: • The Short-Hoe: Represents the back-breaking work required by the sugar beet workers. • The Hand: Represents the Hispanic and Mexican people who came to this area to work the beet fields and eventually settling in Fort Collins. • Engraved Names: The names engraved on the sculpture will honor the founders of Tres Colonias—the original sugar beet workers. An additional plaque will include the names of donors for the project. • Photo/Storyboard: A photo/storyboard will provide a short history of the role these people played in the sugar beet industry. Model of proposed sculpture ATTACHMENT 1 2 The sugar beet industry, which started in Colorado in 1899, was the largest employer of Hispanics in Colorado by the late 1920s. Without their labor, the sugar beet industry and other labor-intensive agricultural industries in Colorado would not have prospered. Through their sweat and toil, Colorado became the largest sugar producing state in the United States in 1909. Today sugar beet production is a small part of Colorado's economy, but in the twentieth century it was the most important agricultural activity in the state. Area farmers relied on sugar beets as an important cash crop, however, each harvest required thousands of non- unionized fieldworkers. Successful beet cultivation required periods of such intense drudgery that farmers had to find wage-laborers to expedite the work. Farmers and sugar companies actively recruited Mexicans and Chicanos, and the region drew many migrants. The standard tool for working the sugar beets was the short-handled hoe. The short-handled hoe required workers to stoop over as they cultivated crops. Working with the short-handled hoe had long term health consequences for the laborers. Campaigns by United Farm Workers and others helped outlaw the use of the hoe in 1975. Overtime, Great Western Sugar Factory developed three colonies in the Fort Collins area (Andersonville, Alta Vista, and Buckingham—or Tres Colonias) to house many of the workers. The colonies surrounded the sugar beet factory. City Park Planning & Development staff worked with the donor to create a plaza design and landscaping to feature the sculpture. The plaza and artwork will be placed on the NE corner of Sugar Beet Park at Lemay Avenue and East Vine Drive, across from the Tres Colonias neighborhoods. Dimensions of proposed sculpture 3 Sugar Beet Park—Lemay Avenue and East Vine Drive Proposed Plaza Design and Art Placement Art in Public Places RESCHEDULED MEETING October 7, 2020, 3:30 pm Online 10/7/2020 –MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 3:30 pm 2. ROLL CALL x Board Members Present –Miriam Chase, Sabrina Davies, Gwen Hatchette, Carol Ann Hixon, Kirsten Savage, and Sara Wade x Board Members Absent –Michael Short, x Staff Members Present –Ellen Martin, Liz Good, Jim McDonald, Craig Kisling x Cultural Resources Board Liaison: None present x Guests –Betty Aragon-Mitotes (Mujeres de Colores), Frank Garza (Artist), Julie Pignataro (City Council Liaison), Matt Robenalt (DDA), Donna Visocky (Kristi Visocky Memorial Fund) 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION 5. APROVAL OF MINUTES –AUGUST 19, 2020 Ms. Hixon moved the minutes be approved Ms. Hatchette seconded Unanimously approved 6. BUSINESS, PRESENTATION, OR DISCUSSION: A) ART DONATION REVIEW Ms. Aragon-Mitotes shared a brief overview of the project. Ms. Martin presented details including photos, the plan for the plaza, and background of the artist. There were questions from the Board about securing funding, outreach, safety, plaques, educational signage, and maintenance. There were questions to the artist, Frank Garza, about his process working at this scale. He gave information about his background in sculpture and plan for creating the bronze. There was then discussion about this donation’s alignment with the Diversity and Inclusion portion of the FoCo Creates Arts and Culture Master Plan. There was also a discussion of the sculpture as an ongoing opportunity to hold celebrations and educational events for the community. Ms. Davies moved for us to accept the Sugar Beet Park project as presented Ms. Hixon seconded ATTACHMENT 2 Art in Public Places RESCHEDULED MEETING 10/7/2020 – MINUTES Page 2 Unanimously approved B) POWER TRAIL AND HARMONY CROSSING PROJECT PRESENTATION Ms. Martin presented the project. It is an extension of the Power Trail with an underpass at Harmony Rd. The trail now goes onto neighborhood streets to connect both sides of Harmony. Staff recommended a call to artists. There as an initial motion and then the Board discussed geographic limitations to the call. Ms. Chase moved to send this out for bids as an open call to artists Ms. Hixon seconded Ms. Chase amended her motion to send this out for bids as an open call to artists with a requirement that they show their connection to, or vision for, Fort Collins Ms. Hixon seconded Unanimously approved C) BRIDGE PROJECT PRESENTATION Ms. Martin presented the project. The City Engineering department has asked APP to paint murals on older bridges for graffiti mitigation. Because of short life span of paint by roads, APP is proposing temporary murals that will be repainted depending on how long they last. Staff is recommending that the artists are selected from the pre- approved list of mural artists. Ms. Hattchette moved to that we use pre-approved artists for the bridge mural project Ms. Chase seconded Unanimously approved D) TRANSFORMER CABINET MURAL DESIGN REVIEW Ms. Martin presented the mural design by Jessica Bean. Ms. Bean is an alternate artist, replacing an artist not able to paint his mural this season. Ms. Wade moved to approve the artist Ms. Davies seconded Unanimously approved 7. STAFF REPORT Ms. Martin shared highlights from the report. It will be emailed to the group. 8. OTHER BUSINESS Ms. Chase asked about updates related to diversity in calls to artists. Ms. Martin will bring this discussion to future board meeting. There was discussion about the upcoming meeting schedule. 9. ADJOURNMENT Art in Public Places RESCHEDULED MEETING 10/7/2020 – MINUTES Page 3 5:02 pm Respectfully submitted, Liz Good -1- RESOLUTION 2020-096 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROPOSED DONATION OF A SCULPTURE TO BE PLACED AT SUGAR BEET PARK WHEREAS, Mujeres de Colores, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (the "Donor"), has proposed donating to the City a bronze sculpture, entitled “The Hand That Feeds,” which depicts a hand and a short-handled hoe – the standard tool for working in the sugar beet fields that historically surrounded the City of Fort Collins and existed elsewhere throughout Larimer County and Colorado (the "Artwork"); and WHEREAS, Donor intends the Artwork to celebrate the history of the Hispanic and Mexican people who came to work in those sugar beet fields; and WHEREAS, the Donor has worked with Park Planning & Development staff to develop a conceptual plaza design and landscaping to install and display the Artwork in Sugar Beet Park; and WHEREAS, the Artwork will be created by sculptor Frank Gaza and Art Castings of Colorado; and WHEREAS, the value of the Artwork, plaza, and landscaping is estimated to have a value of $284,750; and WHEREAS, the initial 3-year maintenance period of the plaza and landscaping is estimated to cost $6,600, and a portion of the maintenance of the Artwork is $2,250; and WHEREAS, the Donor, through a community fundraising campaign in coordination with City Give, intends to fully fund the fabrication and installation of the Artwork, the design and construction of the plaza and landscaping, the first 3 years of maintenance on the plaza and landscaping and a portion of the maintenance of the Artwork; and WHEREAS, if the Donor is unable to meet the fundraising goal by December 31, 2022, City staff will collaborate with community representatives to assess the continued viability of this project; however, the City will have no obligation to fund any portion of the Artwork or related project work; and WHEREAS, if the Artwork and related project work is completed, the City’s Parks department will be responsible for funding the maintenance of the plaza and landscaping after the initial 3-year maintenance period, and continued maintenance of the Artwork will be funded from the City's Art in Public Places maintenance fund; and WHEREAS, Section 23-309 of the City Code requires that works of art with a value of $300 or more to be donated to the City and placed in a public area may be accepted only with approval of the Art in Public Places Board (the "APP Board"), and all such works with a value of $10,000 or more may be accepted only with approval of the City Council, upon review of the proposed donation and the recommendation of the APP Board; and -2- WHEREAS, at its regular meeting on October 7, 2020, the APP Board evaluated and approved the proposed donation of the Artwork based on the City's Art in Public Places Guidelines and recommended the City Council accept the donation. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the City Council hereby accepts the proposed donation of the Artwork and related project work as described in this Resolution, to be placed at Sugar Beet Park, on the condition that the Donor raises sufficient funds to fully fund the Artwork and related project work no later than December 31, 2022. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 20th day of October, A.D. 2020. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk