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Art Lift 2026: staff previews top 10 finalists from 69 applicants; each grant is $5,000
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Summary
Staff presented the top-ranked Art Lift 2026 projects (69 applicants total) and said the program will award $5,000 per project; commissioners discussed project locations, durations, public engagement and security for outdoor works.
Public art staff reviewed the top-ranked applicants for the Art Lift 2026 grants, telling the commission the program drew 69 applicants and that the selection panel recommended a top group of projects to distribute across California Avenue, downtown and Cubberley.
Staff described several projects that ranked in the top ten: community mural painting by Zoe Caron, temporary planted bushes by Charlie Gattigan (2–4 months), indigo-dyeing workshops by Jaya Grisham (approximate participation ~100 people), a sculptural campfire activation by Karen Landheim, a mechanical flip-card movie at Cubberley by Ala Mohensey, and an augmented-reality meteor prompt by Miguel Novello intended to travel to multiple Palo Alto locations. Staff said each Art Lift award is $5,000 and that finalists will be asked to confirm logistics; if a top-ranked applicant cannot proceed staff will move to the next ranked project.
Commissioners asked about security for temporary outdoor pieces, whether projects include performance or music (staff said most finalists were visual-art projects but some performative proposals applied), and how volunteers and commissioners might participate in activations. Staff plans a site walk-through for certain installations and will work with finalists to finalize placement, duration and any necessary protective measures.
Next steps: staff will finalize logistics with finalists, confirm whether any top-ranked projects cannot proceed, and return scheduling details to the commission.
