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Public arts commission recommends donated metal dragon for Chinese Monument Garden
Summary
The Nevada City Public Arts Commission voted unanimously to recommend a donated metal dragon, designed by Miriam Morris, for placement at the back of the Chinese Monument Garden at 412 Commercial Street; staff said the work is donated, durable and culturally supported and will move to city council for final approval.
Jessica Hankins, the city's interim city planner, presented a public art application for installation inside the Chinese Monument Garden at 412 Commercial Street, describing the piece as a donated handmade metal dragon intended to be attached to the garden's rear fence.
Hankins said the artwork is "a handmade metal dragon, 22 inches high, 3 feet wide, and a quarter inch deep," would be finished in copper patina with blue flashing and would not include lighting as proposed. She told the commission the applicant, Miriam Morris, coordinated with representatives of the existing Chinese Monument Garden and that the garden's stakeholders support the installation. Hankins added the piece is a donation and therefore has "no cost to the city."
Hankins reviewed the city's public art policy criteria and told commissioners the proposal meets accessibility, cultural and durability standards, and poses no environmental or public-safety concerns as designed. She recommended the commission forward approval to the City Council for final action.
Commissioners asked practical questions about mounting and vegetation around the back of the garden; Hankins and the applicant confirmed the sculpture would be secured to the fence and landscaping would be managed so the piece remains visible. Several commissioners praised the design as culturally appropriate given other Chinese-era artifacts in town and the Monument Garden context.
A commissioner moved to approve the piece and recommend it to City Council; a second was made. The commission then took a roll-call vote and approved the recommendation unanimously. The commission's decision will be forwarded to City Council for final authorization and scheduling of installation logistics.
The commission discussed next steps for the applicant and staff to coordinate details and noted that any future proposal to add lighting would require compliance with the city's dark-sky standards currently under development.
