Noted artist Steven Weitzman will be bringing his work to Surprise — but he’ll be leaving it here permanently.
The Surprise City Council Sept. 15 approved $130,000 to hire Mr. Weitzman, whose work appears at the U.S. Capitol and other places across the nation, to create a wall of art surrounding the new Public Safety Evidence and Readiness Center and Police Training facilities.
The facilities are being built at 134th Avenue and Foxfire Drive and are expected to open over the next two years.
One of Mr. Weitzman’s most noted creations is a statue of Frederick Douglass, which is displayed at the U.S. Capitol
“I think you got the right guy,” Mayor Skip Hall told Surprise Management Analyst Danielle Osborne, who is the liaison with the Surprise arts and cultural advisory commission. “That gentleman has gotten some results in the past that’s really going to be a super thing, I think.”
Three arts commissioners, a Police Department liaison, a senior project manager and two commission staff liaisons met to help the full arts commission decide what to present to city council.
One of the stipulations of the project was the art should be “attractive” but “not inviting.”
“With it being an evidence building, we don’t want it to be too prominent,” Ms. Osborne told the arts commission. “We don’t want to call too much attention. So, rather than put any art on the site or behind the wall, we’re looking at focusing on the wall ... that’s going to be surrounding that facility.”
The group is looking for a natural landscape scene design that includes wildflowers or a garden.
“We see a desert landscape. We live in a desert landscape. A desert landscape is probably overdone,” Ms. Osborne said.
The art project was made possible because of something called the “Percent and a Third for the Arts” ordinance, which the Surprise City Council adopted four years ago.
It stipulates that 1.3% of the funding for capital improvement projects must be dedicated towards public art.
Surprise voters approved the construction of the Public Safety Evidence and Readiness Center and Police Training facilities as part of the 2017 general obligation bond.
The fiscal year 2021 budget includes $118,100 for art at the site of the new Public Safety Evidence and Readiness Center and $24,900 for the Police and Fire Training Facility. But because both projects are on the same site of land and the art will cover both, the money was combined for one project.
District 4 Councilman Ken Remley is counted as one who doesn’t think it’s money well spent, despite its mandate to be done. He said most in the community won’t ever see it because many motorists only go in the area every couple of years to get their vehicles tested at the nearby emissions center.
“When I think of the cost of this wall — $130,000 is a lot of money,” Mr. Remley said. “If we have to spend it on art it should be something we’re going to appreciate for a long time.”
To help bring attention to the art, District 1 City Councilman Roland Winters suggested the wall become part of the Public Art Tour the city conducts each year, once those resume when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
“It better be a helluva wall,” Mr. Remley said.
While members of the arts commission considered different types of pieces, including statues and art inside, they felt the wall idea served the city best.
“I”m sure the arts commission would like to do something different than putting it on site, but that’s what you got,” Mr. Hall said. “I understand. It’s not public art if you’re just putting something in where just city employees see it and none of the public gets to enjoy it.”
Editor’s Note: Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@newszap.com.
"artist" - Google News
September 23, 2020 at 11:00PM
https://ift.tt/2RQ4cUf
Artist picked for Surprise public safety wall - Your Valley
"artist" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2FwLdIu
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Artist picked for Surprise public safety wall - Your Valley"
Post a Comment