Public Art board selects Heron design for Municipal Services Building mural, forgoes City Hall stairwell murals

The Public Art and Design Board voted to advance the Heron design (Artist 1) for a mural at the Municipal Services Building and recommended not commissioning murals for the City Hall stairwells, citing limited daytime visibility and low public exposure.

Amber Bryce, Arts and Cultural Affairs Manager, told the board she had visited the new City Hall site and found the north-side stairwell would be largely out of sight of passersby because of window placement and UV-reflective glazing. "I personally do not think it is worth city funds to do the north side of the building," Bryce said, adding that only the upper panels might be visible and that doing the full stairwell would not deliver the public impact the program seeks.

Board members discussed alternatives, including limiting murals to the south-side panels, using perforated vinyl or decals on windows, or locating the work at the Municipal Services Building where the stairwell and atrium receive far more foot traffic. Members noted wraps, decals or colorful paint could be a lower-cost way to activate less-visible stairwells while preserving funds for more public-facing installations.

A board member moved to select the Heron design and ask the artist to reimagine the composition to span the three stair faces; another board member seconded the motion. The board voted in favor and moved Artist 1 forward for the Municipal Services Building project. Staff said it will return to the artist with updated site dimensions and design requirements and will offer the non-selected artist alternate wall opportunities at Coachmen Park or other sites.

Next steps: staff will work with the chosen artist to adapt the Heron design to the Municipal Services Building stair configuration, secure any necessary permissions and contracts, and present updated artwork and schedule to the board for final sign-off.