The City Council might put itself at odds with one of its advisory commissions Wednesday when it considers approval of a public art project that would be displayed in the elected body’s meeting chambers when the space is renovated later this year.
The art project, proposed by the 2013 class of Leadership Morgan Hill, is a collage of photographs depicting the “vibrancy” and history of Morgan Hill, to be displayed on the interior wall of the Council’s meeting space at 17555 Peak Ave., after the building is remodeled, according to a City staff report.
Each year the graduates of LMH, a nonprofit organization devoted to educating participants about their community, are required to complete a class project that benefits the community.
When LMH class of 2013, which is scheduled to graduate in September, presented the project to the City’s Library, Culture and Arts Commission last week, it was met with resistance and a disagreement among commissioners about their defined and expected role in the bureaucratic process of approving public art projects.
At their regular meeting last Tuesday, LCAC members voted 6-0-1 (one abstention) to reject the LMH proposal for a variety of reasons, including the lack of a proposed maintenance budget; lack of a public participation process; incompatible timing between the chambers construction and art project schedule; and the lack of an “expansive call for artists” who might contribute work to the LMH proposal, according to a City staff report.
LCAC Chair Pamala Meador, in a letter written to the Council Wednesday, also cited the photographs selected by LMH for display so far “do not represent the range of Morgan Hill life one would expect to see in such a significant, visible public space.”
“This is a permanent piece of art in one of our most prominent locations in the City, and it is being hustled through,” Meador said Friday. “There has not been any public support. They had very rigid requirements they couldn’t meet.”
Furthermore, Meador said LMH failed to give local artists enough time to submit photographs for the work. As a result, contributors to the project have been limited to only a handful of local photographers.
“It was not transparent, not conclusive, and it did not include any public comment,” Meador said.
LCAC Commissioner Tim Hennessey abstained from Tuesday’s motion to reject the project because it strayed far outside the scope of the commission’s defined responsibilities, he said.
The LCAC is merely an advisory board to the Council, and when presented with public art proposals its task is to determine if the projects meet existing City guidelines, Hennessey explained.
“If we start making up our own guidelines, that is not fair,” Hennessey said. “It’s unethical, it’s against our oath of office and it is not what the commission is designed for.”
Only one of the LCAC’s concerns – the lack of a maintenance budget – is listed in City policies, Hennessey noted. But a City staff report on the project clarified that once attached to the wall, the art piece would be part of the maintenance budget for the public building.
Hennessey added the commissioners’ other concerns relating to the quality, content or shape of the work are not the LCAC’s responsibility.
“That’s the job of the Council, or by a vote of the people, or an executive decision by (the city manager’s) office,” Hennessey said.
The City’s written policies on public art projects provide LCAC with a list of requirements that each proposal must meet, including a written description, an artist’s statement and resume, installation budget and other requirements.
“Issues of particular concern to LCAC include safety, durability of the artwork, suitability to the site, and the ongoing maintenance program, which includes funding, materials and time needed,” the policy states.
Following the LCAC meeting, City staff prepared a report recommending the Council accept the LMH project Wednesday, but with a list of conditions that reflect the LCAC’s concerns. The staff report said City staff can work with LMH to “mitigate” the LCAC’s concerns.
These conditions include an assurance that the LMH class use photographs that “represent the active, vibrant and ethnically diverse community that Morgan Hill has become;” ensuring the shape of the art display mirrors that of El Toro Mountain as LMH has proposed; and conducting a public participation process.
Staff also addressed the issue of timing and the fact that the Council has not even made a final determination of how they want the chambers to be renovated.
That vote is also on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, as Council will consider different configurations for the chambers’ remodeling that would accommodate larger audiences of 180 or 280, depending on which option they select. Or the Council could choose not to upgrade the chambers at all.
The Council chambers renovation project could cost up to $1.7 million, according to City staff.
If Council decides to do nothing, or they choose an option that is not compatible with the LMH proposal, staff will continue to work with LMH to find another public site for the collage – such as the lobby of the Centennial Recreation Center.
The LMH 2013 class graduates in September – likely months before any renovation of the Council chambers can be completed.
The LMH class has proposed funding the $10,000 art project with a series of fundraisers, according to class of 2013 member Swanee Edwards. Upcoming is a wine tasting fundraiser at Bubbles Wine Bar in downtown Morgan Hill, on Aug. 11.
“We are looking at (the LCAC decision) as positive criticism,” Edwards said. “We’re taking to heart a lot of the suggestions made by LCAC, and we’re trying to address their concerns. This is all part of learning to be good leaders – you have to plan for things not happening the way you expected them to.”
The City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall meeting chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.
