Redondo Beach commission hears plan from new Artesia public-art consultant

The Redondo Beach Cultural Arts Commission on May 28 received an update on the Artesia Public Art Project and a presentation from representatives of the consultant awarded the work by the City Council on May 13.

The consultant, identified in the meeting as Labast Projects, described a three-year contract to lead an existing-conditions assessment, community visioning and a public RFQ process intended to culminate with artist selection and installation of at least three major public artworks. Commission staff told the commissioners the consultant’s fee is $45,000, leaving the remainder of the project budget for art acquisition and installations.

The presentation cited the Artesia Aviation Corridors Area Plan (approved in December 2020) as the program’s foundation and outlined the project area as Artesia Boulevard from the railroad crossing east of Inglewood Avenue to Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Labast Projects representatives said they will begin with an inventory of existing public art, then move to community engagement and an open RFQ posted on platforms such as Submittable to solicit artists’ proposals.

“We typically get sometimes around 200 applications from artists,” Labast Projects’ representative Kimberly Longraj said in the meeting, describing a review process that narrows submissions to roughly 15, then to three or four finalist proposals. Catherine Forsyth, a project manager with the firm, said the consultant will seek a mix of local and outside artists and aims to collaborate with residents, business owners, schools and appointed boards during the siting and selection phases.

Commissioners and public speakers pushed for explicit outreach to South Bay and local artists, engagement with elementary and high schools, and targeted outreach to businesses along Artesia. Rick McQuillan, who said he is working with neighborhood stakeholders on an Artesia storefront map, offered to integrate a public-art overlay into that map to help visitors locate artworks and nearby businesses. “If we put this all together nicely, we can delight our residents and visitors,” McQuillan said.

Commission discussion emphasized placing community voices at the center of site selection. Commissioners asked the consultant to prioritize a community panel drawn from local stakeholders, and to schedule workshops in accessible locations such as libraries and schools. Labast Projects responded that staff will propose locations and meet with the Cultural Arts Commission for feedback before launching an RFQ.

Formal action at the meeting was limited to administrative acceptance of the update: a motion to receive and file the Artesia Public Art Project status update passed by voice vote.

What’s next: staff and the consultant will convene community outreach sessions and return to the commission with proposed artwork locations and an RFQ timeline. City Council already awarded the contract; the commission’s role will focus on local engagement, review and recommendation as the project proceeds.