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Steering committee hears proposal to place school-made mosaic panels on Oroville Dam
Summary
A committee member proposed a phased public‑art project to place durable, schoolchildren-made mosaic panels on sections of Oroville Dam to replace removed asbestos panels; members supported exploring the idea with DWR and potential grant writers, but no formal funding decision was taken.
A committee member proposed using the top of Oroville Dam as a site for a phased public-art program composed of schoolchildren-made mosaic panels (described in the transcript as similar to a locally known "rainforest project"). The presenter said the original concrete decorative panels were removed for asbestos concerns and floated the idea of replacing them with tile mosaics created by students from across the state.
The proposal described a model in which panels would be sponsored, include QR codes linking to sponsor and maintenance information, and have maintenance administered by the city art commission with donor funds used for repairs. The presenter said similar projects have engaged thousands of students on other sites, that vandalism rates are typically low when children are contributors, and that grant writers were willing to pursue funding; the committee emphasized DWR coordination would be required because of dam ownership and licensing.
Members asked practical questions about panel durability, mounting around chain anchor points and phased implementation; staff said the idea would be presented to DWR and to the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission. The committee expressed general support for further exploration but did not commit funding during the meeting.
