Martinsville Board of Works hears presentation on artist commission agreement for public-art project

Martinsville City Department of Board of Works and Safety members heard a presentation Monday on the final phase of a public-art project funded through a grant process.

“What you have before you is the final part of the project that we are getting underway,” said Mister Koffel, a staff member, as he summarized the project and the selection process for the artist commission.

Koffel told the board the city worked with the Indie Arts Council after receiving a grant through Redding. He said the Arts Council helped issue a call for artists through its portal with application stipulations, including that applicants must live “within, a 3 hours drive so you could come in and and oversee the project and and several other things.” Koffel said the city received eight applicants and that a selection committee reviewed submissions.

According to Koffel, the selection committee included representatives from the tourism board (referred to as Visit Morgan County), the Chamber of Commerce, the arts department at local schools, an independent artist and a family member. Koffel described the presentation as the “final part” of the project; the transcript does not record a vote or formal action on the artist commission agreement in the provided excerpt.

Earlier in the meeting the board approved the minutes from the Jan. 27 meeting by voice vote. Mayor Acosta, John Lillywhite and Kelly Bray were recorded present during roll call; Mister Green was absent from the meeting.

The agenda moved on after Koffel’s presentation; no next-step direction, return date or vote on the artist contract appears in the provided transcript excerpt.