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Avondale outlines $525,000 public-art fund and new installations, including lit centerpiece for Park Avenue Plaza
Summary
City staff told the council the public art fund holds just under $525,000, with about $97,000 under contract; projects completed this year include 13 installations, with three in progress (Nexus, Inspiring Young Minds mural, Confluence) and plans for new murals and a Visitor & Conference Center installation.
Dominic DeCono and Stephanie Flood told the Avondale City Council on Sept. 9 that the city’s public art program has completed 13 projects this year and currently manages a public art fund balance just under $525,000, with about $97,000 already under contract.
The update emphasized three projects now in progress: Nexus, a kinetic sculpture at the North Public Safety Facility expected to be completed in November 2024; Inspiring Young Minds, a mural at Mountain View Community Center expected in October; and Confluence, a large sculpture selected for Park Avenue Plaza and scheduled for completion in January 2025. DeCono said the Confluence installation will include integrated lighting as part of the work.
Why it matters: staff said public art adds cultural and economic value, helps activate public spaces and supports wayfinding and tourism. Flood described the fund’s three main revenue sources: the public art fund (general fund plus developer fees-in-lieu), the capital improvements program (CIP) set-aside (up to $150,000 per qualifying project) and private-sector contributions triggered by large developments.
“The public art fund currently sits at just under $525,000,” DeCono said during the presentation, and Flood noted the FY25 CIP includes $314,000 for public-art-related work with about $146,000 already under contract or scheduled to start soon.
Council members praised recent installations such as the Humble Roots sculpture at the aquatic center and asked about night-time lighting and interpretive materials. Flood said the municipal art committee and staff are coordinating with marketing to produce maps and tours of public art, and confirmed that Confluence will include lighting built into the piece.
The presentation also listed smaller efforts—traffic box wraps, mural sponsorships totaling $7,000 and high-school art scholarships—as well as long-term projects such as a photographic timeline of Avondale’s history and future public-art placements at the Visitor & Conference Center, Fire Station 171 and a parcel at Dysart and Western.
What’s next: staff will take several concepts to the municipal art committee for final recommendations and said they are moving ahead on placement, contracts and marketing to make the pieces accessible to residents and visitors.
