Commission recommends city accept Phoenix Rising mural and asks council to consider artist honorarium

The Vacaville Parks and Recreation Commission voted on Nov. 6 to recommend City Council accept a donated temporary mural titled Phoenix Rising into the city’s public art collection and to ask council to consider a monetary honorarium for the donating artist.

Melody Land, recreation manager, introduced the proposal for a temporary mural by local artist Pete Fallah to be painted on the annex behind the Vacaville Art League and Gallery. Land said the annex unit is at the end of its useful life, which is why the installation is classified as temporary. The arts advisory committee previously reviewed and approved the donation and has allocated $1,000 from the Public Art Trust Fund to buy supplies; Land said the artist has donated his time.

Land and the artist noted an estimated value of the work of just over $10,000 and a staff breakdown that lists roughly $9,000 in artist labor and $1,000 in supplies. Land also said Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) owns a utility box near the mural site and will not allow it to be painted, so the mural’s visual mock‑up — which shows a painted box — will not appear exactly as shown in committee slides.

Commission discussion focused on whether the mural should be mounted on moveable panels so it could be relocated after the annex is removed, whether the piece should be made permanent, and whether council should provide an honorarium for the artist. Commissioner McMahon and Commissioner Fraser argued for a panelized, permanent option; arts advisory committee members and staff expressed concerns that panels could compromise the building or the artwork and said the donation is intended for the existing annex location. Multiple commissioners expressed support for recommending that council consider an honorarium.

Legal and procedural notes: a representative from the City Attorney’s office told commissioners that making a recommendation to council on honoraria is within the commission’s authority. The commission debated the motion and its amendment at length, following regular meeting procedure; the amended motion read that the commission recommends City Council accept Phoenix Rising into the city’s public art collection and consider an honorarium for the donating artist.

Vote and outcome: the amended recommendation passed on a roll‑call vote: Commissioners Berumen, Faye, Vasquez and Vice Chair Gutierrez voted yes; Commissioners Fraser, McMahon and Chair Oz voted no. The commission’s action sends the art acceptance and the honorarium recommendation to City Council for final action.

Ending: Staff said the annex’s structural condition prompted the temporary classification and that the arts advisory committee is continuing to explore longer‑term public art placements and policies; commissioners requested the arts and culture master plan and public‑art policy update consider honoraria and relocation options for donated works.