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Board declines temporary installation of 'Chocolate Girl' at Brickell Park, remands site to PAC for open-call framework
Summary
The board voted 6-0 not to approve the 12‑month loan of Ignacio Grama’s sculpture "Chocolate Girl" at Brickell (Mary Brickell) Park and directed the Professional Advisory Committee to develop a temporary-art call and framework for the city’s three selected temporary-installation sites.
The Art in Public Places Board voted 6-0 to not approve a proposed 12‑month temporary loan of a sculpture titled Chocolate Girl (file 17822) for Brickell Park (also called Mary Brickell Park) and remanded the matter to the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) and staff with instructions to develop a public call or program framework for the city’s sites identified for temporary installations.
Staff said the artist approached the city offering a loan for a 12‑month display; the board noted prior guidance limiting routine temporary installations under the current pilot program to three months and raised concerns about site appropriateness, permitting, safety (wind loads), insurance and long-term maintenance. The PAC had reviewed the artist’s submission and recommended the board consider alternative works from the artist’s portfolio that might be more context-appropriate for a neighborhood park; the artist later supplied two alternate options — Flamingo Girl and The Diver — which were discussed in the meeting.
Board members questioned the selection process and the absence of an established temporary-art program with a published process and funding for installation, transportation, insurance and deinstallation. Several members urged the staff to develop a programmatic framework and a public call for proposals — or an invitational to arts organizations — so installations at these prominent locations can be curated and managed equitably. The board voted to deny the current proposal and remand the matter to PAC and staff to prepare an open-call or program proposal for the board’s review; the board also invited the submitting artist to participate in that call.
The board recorded the vote by roll call; the decision included direction to coordinate with PAC and Art in Public Places staff on process design, permitting pathways, and potential programming and funding options for temporary activations at the three preapproved locations (Miami Riverside Center, David T. Kennedy Park, and Brickell Park).
