HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE - APP DEACESSION OF THE DRAKE ROAD INFOOT BRIDGEIN AND THE POWER TRAIL BIRDHOUSESCultural Services
Art in Public Places
417 W. Magnolia St
Fort Collins, CO 80521
970.416-2789
970.221-6373 – fax
www.fcgov.com/artspublic
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 10, 2018
To: Darin Atteberry, City Manager _________
Thru: Jody Hurst, Assistant City Attorney _________
Kelly DiMartino, Senior Assistant City Manager _________
Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager _________
From: Ellen Martin, Visual Arts Administrator _________
Gerry Paul, Director of Purchasing _________
Re: APP Deacession of the Drake Road “Foot Bridge” and the Power Trail
birdhouses from the City’s Art Collection
Art in Public Places Deacession Process
The Art in Public Places Board developed and approved an APP Deacession Process in 2013.
The Deacession Process was reviewed by the City Manager’s Office in November 2013. The
process requires a majority vote of the APP Board and review of the City Manager, before an
artwork can be deaccessioned.
Deaccessioning is the formal process to remove a work of art from the City of Fort Collins Art in
Public Places (APP) Program collection on a permanent basis.
The City of Fort Collins and the Art in Public Places Program are committed to ensuring the on-
going presence and integrity of public art and the sites for which public art is created, the
preservation of the vision of the artists who create artwork, and the continued public access to
the City’s public art collection. On rare occasions, circumstances warrant the removal of a work
of art from the City’s collection. The APP Program follows set procedures for deaccessioning to
ensure that the integrity of public art, artists, the public, and the program is respected.
Drake Road “Foot Bridge”
The Drake Road “Foot Bridge” is a multimedia artwork installed on the Drake Road Pedestrian
Bridge, located on Drake Road and Dunbar Ave. by artist Laura Audrey. As one of our first APP
projects, this piece was installed in 1997 with a budget of $37,100. The artist was contacted but
hasn’t been involved with maintenance of the piece since 2002.
The artwork has greatly deteriorated due to the corrosive nature of the adjacent roadway. The
APP Board recommends the deaccession of “Foot Bridge” due to the fact that the work, per the
Deaccession Process, has been damaged or has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer
representative of the original work of art or repair is impractical or unfeasible, or the cost of
repair or renovation is excessive in relation to the original cost/value of the artwork. The painted
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steel components will be removed and recycled, but the bronze pieces will be retained by the
APP program.
Power Trail Birdhouse Series
The Power Trail birdhouses are a series of sculptural birdhouses created out of wood. The
birdhouses by artist David Griggs was installed in 2004 for a budget of $4,680. Artworks created
out of wood are considered temporary works of art. The APP Board recommends the
deaccession of birdhouses due to the fact that the work, per the Deaccession Process, has
been damaged or has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer representative of the original
work of art or repair is impractical or unfeasible, or the cost of repair or renovation is excessive
in relation to the original cost/value of the artwork. The works will be removed, recycled, and
disposed of.
The APP Program will schedule the removal of the artworks. The APP Board approved
deaccessioning these artworks and respectfully requests your concurrence to deaccession the
Drake Road “Foot Bridge” and the birdhouses on the Power Trail.
Please let me know if you have questions or need additional information.
Attachments:
Deacession Process
“Foot Bridge” Handout
Birdhouse Series Handout
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Deaccession Process
City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program
I. Introduction
Deaccessioning is the formal process to remove a work of art from the City of Fort Collins
Art in Public Places (APP) Program collection on a permanent basis.
The City of Fort Collins and the Art in Public Places Program are committed to ensuring
the on-going presence and integrity of public art and the sites for which public art is
created, the preservation of the vision of the artists who create artwork, and the continued
public access to the City’s public art collection. On rare occasions, circumstances warrant
the removal of a work of art from the City’s collection. The APP Program follows set
procedures for deaccessioning to ensure that the integrity of public art, artists, the public,
and the program is respected.
II. Eligible Artworks
Works eligible for consideration for deaccession include:
a. Artworks purchased or commissioned through the City’s Art in Public Places Program
b. Donations (gifts) of artwork accepted by the City in accordance with the Art in Public
Places Ordinance.
III. Basis for Deaccessioning
Works may be deaccessioned at the sole discretion of the City for any reason, including
without limitation, the following:
a. The artwork endangers public safety;
b. The condition or security of the artwork cannot be reasonably guaranteed;
c. The work has been damaged or has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer
representative of the original work of art or repair is impractical or unfeasible, or the
cost of repair or renovation is excessive in relation to the original cost/value of the
artwork;
d. Artwork is located or affixed to structures or equipment which are planned for
destruction, remodeling or repair so that it is not practical to keep the artwork;
e. Significant changes in the use, character or actual design of the site require a
re-evaluation of the relationship of the artwork to the site; and it is impractical
for the piece to be relocated
f. The artwork requires excessive maintenance or has faults of design or workmanship
that cannot be reasonably overcome;
g. The City cannot properly care for or store the work;
h. The City wishes to replace the artwork with a work of more significance by the same
artist.
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IV. Process
a. APP Staff will bring APP collection concerns to the APP Board for review. The City
reserves the right to deaccession an artwork at any time deemed appropriate by the
APP Board.
b. The APP Board shall review specific items recommended for deaccessioning. A
majority of APP Board members, in a quorum, must vote to deaccession.
c. Any piece of artwork approved by the APP Board for deaccession must be reviewed
by the City Manager before being deaccessioned.
V. Disposition
The APP Board may consider the following options for disposition of a deaccessioned
artwork:
a. Negotiate with the artist to exchange, purchase, recycle, dispose of, or return the
artwork to the artist;
b. Sale, trade or donate;
c. Dismantle/Deconstruction (reserved for works of art deteriorated or damaged
beyond reasonably-priced repair);
d. Any option deemed appropriate by the APP Board/City of Fort Collins.
Before destroying or disposing of an artwork, APP will consult with the City Attorney’s Office
and the Director of Purchasing to ensure that any legal or policy requirements for disposition of
the artwork are met. This includes any rights the artist may have under the federal Visual
Artists’ Rights Act.
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APP FOOT BRIDGE—Laura Audrey
Located at Drake Rd and Dunbar St.
Foot Bridge— The Drake Road Pedestrian Bridge, located on Drake Road at Dunbar Ave. features
the work of artist Laura Audrey. Since the word “pedestrian” comes from Latin for “foot,”
Audrey chose to portray images of feet from art history. The famous feet are recreated in steel
and bronze. The Drake Road Bridge, the first permanent Art in Public Places project, was com-
pleted in Summer, 1997 for $37,100. The Drake Road "Foot Bridge" was repainted in 2002.
“Foot Bridge” Laura Audrey
2002 The piece was repaired - The steel pieces were
removed, sandblasted and repainted. Fort Collins
Monument & Stone (sandblasting), 2 coats of univer-
sal metal primer CM18/CM19 Epoxy Zinc Rich primer
(Quality Painting), Bridge repainting (Peak to Peak),
Artwork Painting (Shaun Horne), Reinstallation (Grant
Grunenburg), Hardware and screw hand touch-up
(Kari Lennartson) for a total of $2,434.77 in labor/
materials 2002). Factors that contributed to
successful paint job are: sandblasting, making sure all
old paint is removed, qualified painter that ensures
the grills stay dry and clean during painting as well as
proper temperatures during painting. The bronze
pieces were not cleaned and there were some small
bronzed details missing. Two new bronze “tails”
were casted by Tim Joseph in 2003 for a total of
$310.00
Magnesium chloride deteriorates the paint. Streets
Department reported that painted objects on
Timberline Road need to be replaced every 4 years.
Maintenance History
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Original Design and Artwork
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Drake “Foot Bridge”
Current
Detail of bronze sculpture—requiring less maintenance but having been vandalized in the past.
Detail of peeling paint and rusting artwork
Original Design of Lion Tail (left) was
destroyed/stolen in early 2000s and
redesigned and replaced in 2003 (right) .
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Drake “Foot Bridge” — rusting and peeling paint has progressed
Repainting of bridge rails—green
paint on bronze sculpture.
Drake “Foot Bridge”— current condition
Replacement Estimate (2016)
$15,950— Includes removal, fabrication of new steel pieces, and installation once the 29
pieces have been painted
$5,000—rough estimate for painting with custom colors
Does not include the missing laser-etched plaque
$20,950 estimate
Current Concerns
• Being close to the road is a harsh environment
• Needs continual repainting/repair and is impossible to maintain.
• Artist is no longer involved with the art project.
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APP Birdhouse Series—David Griggs
Located on the Power Trail
The Power Trail Birdhouses are a series of sculptural birdhouses installed on the Power
Trail in Fort Collins. The Power Trail is a mile-long renovated bicycle pedestrian path on
the Union Pacific corridor between Drake Street and Horsetooth Road. These artfully
eccentric birdhouses serve as surprising and interesting trail landmarks while raising
awareness about wildlife populations and encouraging the beneficial behavior of certain
species of birds. Each of the three birdhouses accommodates four bird families. Inspired
by traditional bird boxes, custom cabinet design, and fantasy dwellings, these large bird
townhouses (approx. 4' tall by 2' wide) are made of plywood using custom cabinetmaking
techniques. The sizes and designs of these cabinets are suitable for many indigenous
birds, and especially appropriate for Kestrels. The American Kestrel, native to the region,
is a small hovering falcon which feeds on large insects and small rodents in open grassy
areas like the Power Trail. These birdhouses will also be useful to Flickers, Chickadees,
Wrens, small Hawks, Morning Doves, and small Owls.
Energy Fields shortly after installation in 1999.
Birdhouses in the artist’s studio before installation in 2004.
Budget was $4,680.
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Birdhouses on site in 2004
Birdhouses in deterioration
Current Condition:
• Painted surfaces have deteriorated and are down to bare wood in areas
• Seams have split open on structures
• Partial sides missing from wind storms
• Wood is considered temporary works of art in most APP Programs
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The condition of poles and birdhouses continue to deteriorate.
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Overall location.
Location of each birdhouse.
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