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Tiburon arts commission asks artist to revise 'Word on the Street' proposal and approves $84.15 expense reimbursement
Summary
After reviewing artist Scott Froshower’s ‘Word on the Street’ proposal and site visits, the Heritage and Arts Commission asked the artist to pare down costs and revise siting; commissioners unanimously authorized a $84.15 lodging reimbursement and asked the artist to consider a $15,000 option.
The Tiburon Heritage and Arts Commission on Aug. 26 reviewed a public-art proposal from artist Scott Froshower titled "Word on the Street," discussed siting options across several small parks, and voted unanimously to ask the artist to return with a revised plan and lower cost option.
Commissioners received a report from Chair Gupta summarizing Froshower’s Aug. visit and recommended sites that include Zielinski Park as the primary installation location along with smaller, discoverable placements at South of the Knoll, Cypress Hollow Parklet and Tether Park. Chair Gupta said he and the artist toured multiple locations and examined parklets, trails and the Portuguese dairy mural as part of the site review.
Commissioners raised several concerns about the proposal as submitted. Nora (Commissioner) and others questioned the scale and placement of a circular array proposed for Zielinski Park, which sits adjacent to the town library and is used for multiple activities and events. One commissioner said the proposed circle of signposts “could be a public hazard” if placed in the center of the park because children play there and the posts would be fixed in place. Commissioners discussed alternatives such as moving an array to the park edge, using smaller, tucked-away signs to create a "discoverable" walking route, or selecting other town-owned locations including corner sites of larger fields.
Cost was another focus of the discussion. The artist presented multiple pricing options; commissioners reported the proposal included figures of $15,000, $20,000 and $25,000. Chair Gupta noted the artist said he was willing to sell the signs at the end of a temporary installation to defray costs; the artist also reportedly said he could install the pieces quickly. Commissioners asked whether the commission could get meaningful public use and visibility for the larger price and whether the installations should be made less permanent (the artist said he could remove and sell signs at the end of a temporary term).
After extended discussion, Commissioner [motion origin not specified in transcript] moved that the commission take the feedback to the artist, ask Froshower to pare down the proposal and provide a revised option at the lower price point (the $15,000 option), and return the revised proposal for future action. Commissioners seconded and, in a roll-call vote, the motion passed unanimously: Chair Gupta — yes; Vice Chair Faibush — yes; Commissioner Farren — yes; Commissioner Fong — yes; Commissioner Dehu Mujica — yes; Commissioner Noguez — yes.
The commission also approved reimbursement of $84.15 to the artist for lodging during his visit to Tiburon; that reimbursement was approved by voice vote.
Commissioners asked staff to share the public comments and site-specific feedback with the artist and to return the revised proposal for an action item at a subsequent meeting. Several commissioners said discoverability and community use should guide siting and scale decisions, and multiple commissioners suggested exploring other public-art formats (murals, corner installations) and additional artists in the interim.
No final installation or contract was approved at the meeting; commissioners left the item open for a month of further refinement and to consider alternative artists or placements.
