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Committee approves artist awards for Clark and Sterling recreation centers and Fire Station 26
Summary
The committee authorized contracts to three artists/studios to create public artworks for two renovated recreation centers and a new fire station, approving awards set from a 1.5% public-art allocation tied to capital construction costs.
The committee approved an emergency ordinance (1572025) authorizing the director of capital projects or city planning to contract with three artist studios to design and install public artwork at three city capital projects.
The ordinance awards Sabona Studios LLC $80,000 to produce an installation at Clark Recreation Center; Lauren HB Studio $87,813 for Sterling Recreation Center; and Kessler Studio LLC $148,000 for the new Fire Station 26 on Kinsman Road. The administration said the awards come from a public-art program established in 1976 that sets aside 1.5% of certain capital project costs for art. The artists were selected through a request-for-proposal and interview process managed by the city’s public art committee.
Jay Raschenbach, who chairs the public art committee, described the selection and budgeting process: the city provides a budget and artists design to that budget; artists submit an itemized budget showing artist fee, fabrication, shipping and installation costs. "We give them a budget and they design to the budget," Raschenbach said. The administration noted the artworks are not yet designed; designs will undergo review by the public art committee and planning commission, and the ordinance authorizes contracting for the professional services necessary to complete the projects.
Council members asked about community input and ward-level participation. The administration said council members are offered the opportunity to appoint ad hoc community members to the public art committee for site-specific reviews; council President Blaine was explicitly offered that option for the Fire Station 26 site. Committee members also asked for the list of applicants; administration committed to provide the submissions to council.
The ordinance was approved by the committee.
