Martin County art board hears request to fund mosaic benches, approves routine items

The Martin County Art in Public Places Board on Thursday heard a public request for county funding to add five mosaic benches and bike racks along sections of Dixie Highway in the Rio neighborhood and approved routine meeting business including minutes and revised meeting dates.

Julie Priest, representing the Rio Civic Club, told the board the civic club is donating $6,000 toward the project and asked whether the board could contribute additional Arts in Public Places funds. "We propose to our Rio NAC that we continue our beautiful mosaic benches and bike racks along other sections of Dixie Highway in Rio," Priest said, adding the benches are made by artist Mia Lindbergh and have been popular where already installed.

The request presented a total project cost of $38,000; with the civic club's pledged $6,000 the remaining cost was stated as $32,000. A resident who said she travels the route for home care work told the board she sees the benches being used frequently. Board members did not vote on funding at the meeting but agreed to return the bench proposal to the agenda with budget details at the next meeting.

Susan Korres, Office of Community Development, outlined how residents or community groups can pursue projects. "If they did [choose to replace the fence] then we could — you as a community or a community person could request a project there," Korres said, adding the office maintains a project request form and criteria in its manual. Korres also said that Art in Public Places does not have budget authority to pay to replace private fences; a property owner or another funding source would need to cover that work before a mural or other installation could proceed.

In other business the board reported outreach and project updates: a booth and interactive QR-code virtual tour at the county Arts Fest "next weekend," a live call for artists for the Manatee Pocket Moringfield upland facility (the facility is under construction and staff said completion is anticipated by the end of next month), a mural and bookbench project at the Hope Sound Library pending building-department permits, and a statewide juried art show at the Courthouse Cultural Center that runs through February 2026.

On procedural business the board approved the meeting minutes and a correction to the meeting schedule. Members moved and seconded the motions and the chair announced the motions carried by voice vote; no oppositions were recorded in the transcript.

The board did not authorize funding for the Rio benches during this meeting and took no formal action on the specific project beyond scheduling it for a future budget discussion. The public request and the staff guidance clarify the application path and the board's current limits on capital work that requires property-owner or separate infrastructure funding.

The Art in Public Places Board will consider the bench funding request and associated budget figures at its next scheduled meeting.