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Bothell Arts Commission advances gallery calls and grants, weighs $30K–$60K dog sculpture
Summary
The commission discussed gallery programming and a new juried artist call, agreed to focus recent culture-grant funding on individual artists, and debated whether a proposed dog sculpture — estimated at $30,000–$60,000 — should use the city’s 1% for public art funds.
The Bothell Arts Commission on a regularly scheduled meeting discussed next steps for gallery programming, a juried call for artists with an April 4 deadline, and how to spend recently awarded culture funding, while also considering whether to allocate up to $60,000 for a proposed dog sculpture in a city park.
Commissioners and staff highlighted immediate items of note: the City Hall Gallery will feature artist Sherry Rudin in March, muralist Diane Lawson is scheduled for April and May, and the commission’s juried gallery call (hosted on the Café platform) is open to Washington-state artists with a submission deadline of April 4. Communications plans include postcards, a City Hall presence during the March 13 art walk and promotion through the city’s e-newsletter and department social channels.
The commission reported a funding shift that affects how grants will be distributed. The city has received a new “grant for culture” award of $26,000 per year for three years; commissioners plan to combine two years of that award into a $52,000 pool to continue the creative arts grants program. Staff said the first round of the creative-arts grants had used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which are no longer available; the new culture grant will replace that funding for upcoming awards. Staff also said regular general-fund dollars remain available in smaller amounts for programming and artist engagements tied to city events.
Members discussed a draft that will steer the newly funded program toward individual artists rather than nonprofit organizations, per recommendations from the culture grant administrator; staff said they will circulate draft guidelines for review before the next meeting.
On the gallery process, staff described the typical jury workflow: applicants submit an artist statement, resume and work samples; jurors score applications via Café and make recommendations. The commission confirmed that the gallery does not take sales commission from works sold through the City Hall Gallery. Commissioners were asked to sign up for items such as newsletter features and artist-interview opportunities.
Public art was the most contested budget item discussed. Staff told commissioners the city’s 1% for public art fund currently holds about $170,000. A proposal discussed by a joint group of two park-board members and two arts-commission members would place a dog sculpture in a sports-field park; staff estimated such a sculpture would cost between $30,000 and $60,000. Commissioners were warned that a $30K–$60K allocation could significantly reduce available public-art funds and limit the city’s ability to fund other upcoming park projects that may present public-art opportunities.
The park-board members did not reach a final decision; staff said the full park board lacked a quorum at its February meeting and will discuss the proposal at a later date. Commission members said they have begun to hear second thoughts from park-board representatives given competing park priorities and an existing memorial plaque at the proposed site.
Other logistics and community outreach items covered: recruitment for new commissioners (applications due the following day; council interviews on March 11 and new commissioners expected to start in April), a planned council presentation of the arts commission’s strategic plan (staff and commissioners expressed a desire to schedule it as soon as possible, but noted council agendas and required planning-commission work could delay scheduling until April or May), and a request for one grant recipient, Rob Pasterock, to debrief to the full commission in March if time permits.
The meeting formally approved the agenda and the January minutes by voice motion; there were no recorded roll-call vote tallies in the transcript. The session concluded with a motion to adjourn.
Ending: Staff will post the juried-call details on the café platform and the city website; draft creative-arts-grant guidelines will be circulated to commissioners for comment ahead of the next meeting. The commission will await the park board’s decision on the dog sculpture before making any recommendation to use 1% funds.
