Downtown juried-sculpture program expands; council asks staff to present purchase and siting options

Organizers of Farmington’s juried sculpture program told the council on April 5 that the initiative is entering its third year with expanded outreach and larger-scale pieces, and councilors asked staff to return with a presentation on art purchases and placement options.

Warren Unsecur, the program organizer, said the program received 37 applicants this year and will place nearly 20 pieces downtown; 14 individual artists will be represented. He said the exhibit is generating earned media as far away as Santa Fe and that organizers hope to increase sales of pieces displayed downtown.

"We had 37 applicants this year for art. Of those, we're going to be placing nearly 20 of them in downtown," Unsecur said.

Unsecur told the council the program has attracted attention beyond the Four Corners, including an applicant from New York who mistakenly applied for Farmington. He said pieces will be rotated in May as earlier-year installations are removed and new works installed. He noted the scale of some new pieces is larger than previously used, and that the pieces are street-level in size.

Councilors discussed whether the city should consider purchasing pieces and where permanently owned works might be sited. Councilor Rogers said she would like to revisit the listing of artworks and their prices so the city can consider purchases; Councilor Giacchino suggested including the locations where already-purchased pieces are planned to be installed.

The council reached consensus to schedule a future agenda item to review pieces already purchased, their prices and possible locations within city parks and projects under construction. No formal purchase decision was made at the meeting.