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  • From: "Steve Wright" <swright AT townofchapelhill.org>
  • To: <chpac-staff AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Chpac-staff] CHPAC in recent news
  • Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 09:27:46 -0400

Dear CHPAC,

 

Below are links to two recent CHPAC-related items in the Chapel Hill News.  Below that are pasted the texts of these articles.

 

-Steve

 

 

Chapel Hill News Opinion Column

- Town is building upon commitment to public art By Richard Robinson As the current chair of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, I wish to offer some additional perspectives on this important discussion and take the opportunity to clarify some misconceptions that underlie recent criticisms.

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/opinion/story/7422.html

 

- More perspective on public art debate

In Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission chair Richard Robinson's guest column on May 20 ("Town is building upon commitment to public art"), he adds some additional perspectives on our public art debate. I would like to add to the discussion by making two points.

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/opinion/story/7507.html

 

 

Town is building upon commitment to public art
GUEST COLUMN by Richard Robinson (May 20)

 

As the current chair of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, I wish to offer some additional perspectives on this important discussion and take the opportunity to clarify some misconceptions that underlie recent criticisms.

The Town of Chapel Hill has a distinguished record of commitment to enriching our civic environment through public art. The far-sighted Percent-for-Art ordinance adopted in 2002 enables the inclusion of artwork within selected municipal building projects.

In addition, appropriations from the Town Council allow the commission to sustain a number of popular programs that include Sculpture Visions, the annual 10-month outdoor display of large-scale works at sites throughout Chapel Hill; the annual Community Art Project, which invites all members of the public to create and display works of art based on a particular theme; the annual Exhibition Series, comprising juried displays of two- and three-dimensional artwork in public venues; and Artists at Work, an annual opportunity for public school children to be guided by an arts professional in collectively creating an artwork for permanent display at the host school.

These initiatives no doubt contributed to polling results reported in the June 2007 edition of American Style magazine that ranked Chapel Hill 13th in the United States as an "arts destination" among cities with a population of 50,000 or less.

In 2005, the Town Council directed the Public Arts Commission to develop proposals to involve citizens, business and government in building upon that foundation. Consultations with representatives of all interested parties led to the Chapel Hill Public Art Contextual Plan that is now the subject of public hearings and evaluations by the Town Council.

The Public Arts Commission is charged with advocating for and facilitating the implementation of public art in Chapel Hill. In this we hold that public art should be seen not as a top priority, but as complementary to the infrastructure and land management activities that together with art make our town such a wonderful place to live. Public art is important, but only one of many municipal activities that must be reviewed critically in deciding the responsible allocation of available resources.

The Contextual Plan proposes that private-sector developers be partners in generating more publicly accessible art throughout our community. During the drafting phase of the plan, our informal consultation with several developers drew enthusiastic reactions to the idea of including public art in their projects. Indeed, some of them already have included public art as part of their projects, demonstrating that though business-minded people they are also civic-minded members of the community who understand and appreciate the benefits of enhancing our civic environment and the role they might have in that.

Initially, the Contextual Plan anticipates that private developers volunteer to participate in the percent-for-art program. In fact, the town cannot require any such private commitment to public art without enabling legislation by the N.C. General Assembly, and no request for such legislative authority is pending.

The Contextual Plan also proposes that the set-aside for public art in municipal building projects be increased from 1 percent to 2 percent, resulting in more artwork and generation of sufficient reserve to enable proper repair, maintenance and conservation of existing public art installations. It would also mean a more rational, project-based means of addressing the costs of managing the public art program.

Much of the criticism of the proposed increase is driven by the recent high-cost public art installations at the new Town Operations Center. This example can be misleading, however, because contrary to recently published comments, the town did not meet the total cost of $420,000 for the two major artworks at the center. The town's contribution was $258,000, with the balance met through grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State of North Carolina.

Moreover, projects of this magnitude are rare, and there is unlikely to be a Chapel Hill municipal project of this scope and cost for many years to come. In practice, the percent-for-art ordinance is more likely to be applied to projects closer to $1 million, which yields $10,000 for public art at 1 percent, or $20,000 at 2 percent.

Vocal critics of the Town Operations Center artwork not only misunderstood the dollar costs, they also criticize the project because of its "remote site that few residents or visitors will ever see." In fact, the center is the home base for the work of several hundred public servants who richly deserve this splendid tribute to their contribution to the community, and who are now reminded daily of the town's appreciation.

In sum, the Chapel Hill Town Council has been far-sighted in requesting a comprehensive vision of the role of public art in the further development of our town. How far we go in realizing that vision will be decided by a Town Council that is sensitive toward multiple views and inputs from the community.

More perspective on public art debate  (May 22)

In Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission chair Richard Robinson's guest column on May 20 ("Town is building upon commitment to public art"), he adds some additional perspectives on our public art debate. I would like to add to the discussion by making two points.

First, Robinson states that at the Town Operations Center, the Arts Commission did not spend the total 1 percent amount of $420,000, as the town's contribution was only $258,000 and the balance came through grants from the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

I believe that most people understand where the State of North Carolina got the $18,000 it contributed and where the U.S. Department of Transportation got the $144,000 it contributed. Put any label on it that you want, but the money still came from taxpayers, directly or indirectly.

Not spending the entire 1 percent further supports the recommendation that large projects, which will be rare, could be capped at something less than 1 percent and the balance put away for future use on other projects.

Second, Robinson addresses the "remote location" complaint, stating that the art at the Town Operations Center is at "the home base for the work of several hundred public servants who richly deserve this splendid tribute to their contribution to the community, and who are now reminded daily of the town's appreciation."

Having visited the site, I have to wonder how many employees will actually enjoy the bench and wall on a daily basis, given the nature of their duties. As for appreciation, did anyone ask our employees if they might appreciate Chapel Hill's $18,000 for the curved bench and $240,000 for the stone and bronze wall not being in the capital budget for art, but used in some other manner to fund improvements to their quality of life? -- Fred Black, Chapel Hill

 



  • [Chpac-staff] CHPAC in recent news, Steve Wright, 05/23/2007

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