PALO ALTO, Calif. — At interviews on Oct. 15, candidates for Palo Alto’s Public Art Commission urged the council to expand murals and temporary installations, create more opportunities for youth and provide safer, more accessible ways for artists with disabilities to participate.

Why it matters: Public art shapes everyday public space, supports local artists and can be used intentionally to increase social connection. Candidates presented a mix of curatorial experience, studio practice and community engagement strategies to the council.

Candidates included curators, practicing artists and arts administrators. Edith Bearcutt, whose background included museum and docent work, advocated for more utility-box art and student‑led docent tours to explain local works. She said she would like “to see more art and more explanations of who created the art, maybe younger people, who can do something that is relevant to their own lives.”

Artist and educator Simon Tran described work with teenagers at a San Francisco nonprofit and said he hoped to expand projects that highlight “hidden histories” and create pathways for marginalized artists. He noted his own participation in the city’s utility-box art program and recommended more partnerships with organizations that serve adults with developmental disabilities.

Several candidates pointed to code‑based seasonal events and light installations as ways to draw residents. Artist‑applicants and arts managers discussed pop‑up galleries in vacant storefronts, utility‑box and mural programs, and longer‑running site activations in prominent pedestrian corridors. Robin Mulry, an installation artist and Cubberley artist‑in‑residence, described prior community workshops and urged the commission to support projects that “activate spaces, create place, to play, to create a feeling of connection in community.”

Questions from council members focused on recruiting younger artists, elevating voices from groups underrepresented in local arts programs, and how to make temporary works last longer or have sustained public impact. Candidates recommended school‑based partnerships, rotating storefront exhibits and working directly with day programs and group homes to involve artists with disabilities.

No public appointments were made that night. Council members said they will review the interviews before making commission appointments at an upcoming meeting.