Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art Senior Center Gate topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Art board pauses decision on Senior Center security gate after questions about symbol, installation and maintenance
Summary
Los Alamos Art in Public Places board favored a gate design by artist Jonathan Watson in public survey results but agreed to table final recommendation pending maintenance review by Pacific Coast and confirmation that the gate's Zia-like symbol is acceptable to Zia Pueblo or revised by the artist.
The Los Alamos Art in Public Places Advisory Board on Thursday discussed the top-ranked entry for the Senior Center security gate and agreed to delay a final recommendation to county council while staff follows up with a conservation consultant and contacts the artist.
Board members and staff told colleagues they will ask Pacific Coast (the board’s contracted preservation/maintenance consultant) whether the gate’s materials and coating will meet the county’s long-term maintenance standards, and they will ask the artist, identified in submissions as Jonathan Watson, to either obtain permission from Zia Pueblo for use of a Zia-like emblem or to modify the design.
The delay came after staff reported that public feedback and the board’s survey showed strong support for Watson’s gate but also noted installation and cultural-sensitivity questions. Staff said an installation quote from Parks and Rec came in at roughly $2,008, making that cost substantially lower than competing proposals even with installation included. Staff also said Pacific Coast had requested additional technical questions about materials and finish to evaluate long-term preservation needs.
Board members discussed who should request permission from Zia Pueblo if the artist’s design incorporates tribal imagery. Some members said it would be more appropriate for the artist to request tribal permission because it is the artist’s design; others said the board could facilitate contact or at least notify the artist that permission may be required. Staff recommended asking the artist to pursue permission or to provide an alternative design as a condition for moving forward.
Members also raised budget and procurement considerations. The board stressed that before making any recommendation to county council it wanted Pacific Coast’s assessment of expected maintenance or restoration costs so the council can consider long-term obligations. One member said that independent private donations to tribal funds or scholarships were permissible as private acts but could not be solicited by the board to influence procurement.
The board assigned staff to contact Pacific Coast for a maintenance assessment and to notify the top artist(s) that the board will seek either documented permission from Zia Pueblo or a revised design. The board paused any formal recommendation to county council until staff reports back.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the meeting minutes for March and the April 15, 2025 special APP meeting earlier in the session (motion passed by voice vote). No formal recommendation on the Senior Center gate was made; the item was tabled pending follow-up.
