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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/20/2026, Item 4e. Avakian, Tolley, and Grieshop - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum City of San Luis Obispo Council Agenda Correspondence DATE: October 19, 2026 TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Greg Avakian, Parks & Recreation Director Prepared By: Meghan Tolley, Recreation Manager Amanda Grieshop, Public Art Coordinator VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager SUBJECT: Item # 4.e - CITY PUBLIC ART PROGRAM OVERVIEW Staff has provided the PowerPoint presentation for the City Public Art Program Overview for your review in advance of the October 20, 2026 Regular Meeting. Presented by: Meghan Tolley Recreation Manager and Amanda Grieshop Public Art Coordinator 2026 Program Overview and 2027 Priorities 1.What is Public Ar t? 2.Cur rent prog ram components: a.Community Prog ramming b.Capital Improvement Projects, Installa tions and Small Projects c.Infrastr ucture and Management d.Public Ar t in Private Development e.SLOMA Par tnership 3.2027 Priorities Presentation Overview What is Public Art? any visual work of art displayed in a publicly visible location City Funded Public Art: Each year the City of San Luis Obispo sets aside one percent (1%) of the estimated cost of eligible projects in its Capital Improvement Plan for public art. Privately Funded Art in Public Places: Private Citizens may donate public art to the City for personal reasons. Public Art in Private Development: The City requires private developers to include public art in their projects valued at .5% of the cost of construction over $100,000 or make an in-lieu donation. Matching Grants for Public Art: Matching funds projects must provide a public benefit and advance the City's public art goals. Council will determine a level of match, not to exceed 50% of the cost of the project. How is Public Art Funded SLOMA Partner Projects Local Installs & Small Projects Capital Improvement Projects Programming, Community & Econ. Dev. Infrastructure Management & Policy Private Development Ar t & Support Januar y 2026 - December 2027 GANT Timeline Rooted in Ar t City Galler y Around the Town Community Programming Public Ar t Tours Poetr y Walk Box Ar t In 2026, the series entered its third year with a new name honoring the memor y of Allen Root, a local ar tist and advocate whose life and work were deeply rooted in ar t and community. Increase in Attendance! Community Programming About Rooted in Art Photo by Jason Towne AROUND THE TOWN Around the Town Returning for a third year and in collaboration with Kacy LeSage, the Recreation Coordinator for Senior Programs, interested seniors participated in a guided walking program called Around the Town. Collaboration with Senior Programs Seniors par ticipants explored public ar t within a two block radius of the Senior Center. The City Gallery Project During the months of March, April and May SLCUSD student ar twork was featured in the new galler y space in Council Chambers. The stencils used to install the poems for the Poetr y Walk program are on exhibit October through December, 2026, exploring the process behind installing SLO's first literar y public ar t program. About the Box Art Program Utility boxes throughout the SLO community have been serving as canvases for original art pieces since 2010. Boxes are repainted every 3 –10 years depending on the location, maintenance needs, and rotation schedule. Currently there are 72 utility boxes covered in art in the SLO Box Art collection! *All tours begin and end in Mission Plaza by the fountain. Oak & Estuary*Meadow to Market*Wild Morros* Map created by SLOGIS Public Art Tours Throughout the year various tours of the City’s Public Ar t collection have been of fered. Whether Box Ar t specific, custom designed for a community group, Around the Town, or the Poetr y Walk, tours have become a popular way for visitors and locals alike to lear n more about the City’s histor y and culture through the public ar t. New a rt wor k s in 202 6 ! To t al App l i c ant s Tot a l De s i g n S u bmission s Box Ar t 2026 Highlights 8 utility boxes received new ar t RFP open for 8 weeks Proposals for hand-painted and vinyl murals accepted Online Tutorials available FREE Box Ar t Application Suppor t Workshop at the Librar y Community Room Theme: Ar tworks that honor the region’s rich histor y, celebrate the natural environment, or imagine the future of our urban spaces. Jur y consisted of diverse community member representatives. 6 vinyl wraps, 2 hand-painted designs were selected Added additional guided walking tours to schedule EST. 2 0 1 0 Those who didn’t have access to a camera or the technology needed to apply could attend a suppor t workshop with access to the necessar y supplies and staf f/volunteer suppor t. In addition to an in-person application suppor t workshop, community members could access online Templa te Design tutorials. In 2026 a jury consisting of 8 community members from the Historical Center, Community Member, DEI, a municipal public art administrator, SLO County Arts, Artists, and SLO City Staff, met for over 4 hours to review over 74 designs from 37 applicants! Junto Brillamos, Together We Shine Community Mural Installations & Small Projects Over 200 people came together to create this mural as a celebration of community and the power of unity. Sparked by a neighbor’s vision to reimagine a shared space, these once-plain 900 square foot concrete walls transformed into a tribute to local students and neighbors, celebrating them as shining stars and creating a welcoming, inspiring place for all. Paint the Plaza Chalk Festival Saturday, September 19, 2026 Installations & Small Projects Mission Plaza was transformed into a chalk mural gallery, bringing together over 40 artists and community sponsors. The SLO Public Art program sponsored four chalk drawings by Cal Poly Art & Design Students, City of SLO Administrative Team, SLO High School Art students, and local artist, Jesus Nuñez. Infrastructure & Management Policy Manual Assessment & Upda te Public Ar t Brand Refresh Public Ar t Archive Inter n Upda te Municipal Outreach & Advisor y Maintenance Updated June 2017 P ub l i c A r t s t a f f i s d e d i c a t e d t o s p e n d i n g t im e i n 2 0 2 7 c o l l a b o ra tin g w i t h in t er n a l a n d s t a t e /n a t i o n w i d e c o l l ea g u e s t o ev a l ua t e a n d r e c o m m e n d u p d a te d p o l i c i e s for C o u nc i l a p p r ov a l . Policy Manual Assessment & Update Updated 2016 Public Art Brand Refresh in Collaboration with the PCC and TBID Ar t After Dark opening exhibit for Jason Towne Stencil Ar t Box Ar t guided walking tours on October 3rd and 14th Poetr y Walk guided tour October 7th and 24th Rooted in Ar t Lecture by Linnea Valdivia October 21 Multiple promotional radio inter views and merchandise Collaboration with PCC Amanda with Michelle Hanafiah, Exec. Director for SLO County Ar ts after a radio inter view with Andy Mor ris for News Talk 920AM KVES and Krush 92.5. Met with Josh E., Whit S., with a vendor from PAA. Concerns were lack of SSO and ability to brand the City’s PAA landing page. Both concerns have been assuaged, as SSO is now available and landing pages can be branded. It became clear that while these programs are effective for Public Works applications, they are not suitable for managing Public Art assets and mapping due to limitations that hinder efficient and transparent management By the conclusion of this meeting, all internal stakeholders agreed that the current limitations of the City’s ARC/GIS system do not meet the needs of the Public Art Program. It was determined that PAA would not only fulfill the CMS requirements but also enhance public engagement and accessibility. CAO began first round of contract edits. Initially there were three different contracts to be reviewed, PAA Terms of Use, Creative West General Terms, and the Creative West Privacy Policy. First contract edits were sent to Creative West. Edits requested were to add a line ensuring the City of SLO can delete data at anytime and unpublish data from the front-end portal. CAO reviewed contracts and added project to workload for April. Aug. 2025 Edits accepted and final draft of contract created. The City requested edits were accepted and it was determined that the PAA Service Agreement is the only contract needed. June 2026 A “preview page” was created. The City began comms with Creative West to fine tune the systemNov. 2025 PA intern began making additions and edits. With over 180 objects in he collection, the data clean up process was complex. Sept. 2025 Contracts Signed Data transfer and CMS set up began at Creative West. Sept. 2026 PA maps are tested Creative West representative met with Cty of SLO Comms Team to finalize main page optics. April 2024Feb. 2024 Connected with Josh Erquiaga and David Yun. Nov. 2024 Lori Goldstein, vendor from PAA, met with myself, David Yun, Mary Andrews, and Ethan McGee. April 2025 July 2025 Feb. 2025 Contracts initially sent from PAA Public Art Archive as Collection Management System PAA mapping system offers a more interactive experience for community members, suggesting nearby art and encouraging impromptu self-tours while integrating with the universal Google mapping system. With one click from the main Public Art webpage, visitors have access to the full public art inventory, including all deaccessioned artworks. Third year student at Cal Poly studying Art & Design and a working artist and painter June 2025- June 2026 350 volunteer hours! Projects and Initiatives: Social Media Promotions Inventor y data management and relocation to new system Rebranding of Ar t Talk Series Administrative assistance Event suppor t Tour docent Regular Prog ram Newsletters Volunteer Intern - Addy Cota Municipal Outreach & Advisor y CA Parks and Recreation Society Presented seminar on “Public Art and Community Building” Fall Forum District Conference- Solvang, Nov. 2025 CPRS Statewide Conference - Long Beach, March 2026 Americans for the Arts Conference - ABQ, NM & Focus Group Explored the Arts in Civic Life Pathway with workshops, breakout groups, deep dives into municipal programs and public art tours. Post Conference: asked to participate in 6 month focus group to prepare for the 2027 conference. Municipal Outreach & Advisory Februar y 2026 Santa Maria November 2026 Paso Robles Topics of discussion included: Policy Ar tist Licensing Requirements Professional Development Prog ram Updates Jur y member for City of Palmdale Ar magosa Sculpture Garden Jur y member for City of Santa Cr uz Sculp Tour RFP. Maintenance Based on Allen Root’s 2024 overall Public Ar t maintenance priority assessments, staf f worked with Thiessen Metal Works to asses maintenance costs for the identified top five sculptures in need of priority maintenance. 1) Puck 2) The American Spirit 3) The Greys in Between 4) Icons of an Era 5) Bequest Maintenance Additional ar tworks with identified maintenance needs: Archway to Happiness Marilyn Moonroe Strong Play Ethic In the Shadow of the Mountain experienced significant graf fiti, prompting the installation of cameras in June 2026, which r esulted in a substantial r eduction in vandalism. Volunteer c leaning events ar e planned for 2027 to suppor t ongoing maintenance. Ever y new work of ar t added to the collection increases long- ter m maintenance needs. Oh Great Spirit - 2027 Magic Sister Box Ar t and Murals ongoing Volunteer Events JUN With bronze sculpture restoration, maintenance and safety training by local artist Jeff Thies, four community volunteers cleaned and waxed three bronze sculptures while learning about the City’s public art program and what being an ambassador for the program entails.SDOS Bronze Cleaning SEP Now a regularly occurring event, bronze cleanings have repeat volunteers. On September 12, two veteran public art ambassadors returned to help clean the Mission Plaza fountain sculptures while it was empty for repair and in advance of upcoming plaza events.SDOS Bronze Cleaning Next year, community members can expect to see opportunities to help maintain some of the City’s murals and Adopt-A-Box [ART!] and “adopt” 2-3 box art murals to care for on a monthly basis. SLO County Arts PRC Member Local artist(s) City Staff Public Art in Private Development Public Ar t staf f have wor ked closely with the following priva te developers to meet the Public Ar t requirements for their builds: San Luis Square Tiburon Place SLO Classica l Academy SLO Rep thea ter Public Ar t staf f compile a jur y to review and provide recommendations for the proposed ar tworks. The jur y consists of the following community roles: SLOMA PARTNERSHIP ·Formal community partnership was established in July 2021 ·Renewed in July 2023 and July 2025 ·SLOMA identifies and engages local, regional, and nationally recognized artists to create and install temporary and permanent public art to public spaces that enhances community engagement with the arts. April Banks: Tidewalker, 2024 Adam Parker Smith: David, 2023 Camille Hoffman: Storied Waters: Dreams of Bayanihan, 2022 Mark di Suvero: Mamma Mobius, 2021 Lawn Sculpture Rotation SLOMA PARTNERSHIP Garden Street Alley Along the Way was installed in February 2025 with a one year agreement between the City and the 13 property owners. Photo by City of SLO Volunteer, Sara Ford Sculpture Jam by Bruce Johnson SHIFT by Warren Hamrick Agreements were extended through February 2027. Installed in January 2026. Installed in January 2026. Looking Ahead - SLOMA 2025-2027 Temporar y sculpture at Mission Plaza lawn, TBD New commissioned sculpture with local ar tist, Garet Zook, a t Righetti Community Park, fall of 2027 Deaccessioning Along the Way, Febr uar y of 2027 Looking Ahead - Programming Retur ning in 2027 Rooted in Ar t Talk Series Around the Town Senior Tours The City Galler y project Box Ar t Program Community Mural Poetr y Walk - install 2028 Volunteer events Regular Public Art cleaning service days Collaborating with Volunteer Program Coordinator to develop a “Adopt-A-...” program New Programming in 2027 Trolley Tours In collaboration with the Mobility Ser vices Division - exploring the idea of public ar t trolley tours once a month on select Thursdays during the regular trolley route, 6- 7 pm 2027 Projected Box Ar t Rotations Looking Ahead - Box Art 2028 Projected Box Ar t Rota tions Maintenance The Gr eys in Between Puck Bequest repair and cleaning by ar tist scheduled for early November 2026 Continued regular maintenance Public Ar t Policy Review Policy and Procedures Manual last updated in 2017 Master Plan last updated in 2016 Recr uitment of Volunteer Inter n Integration and implementation of Public Ar t Arc hive as a Collection management System Looking Ahead - Infrastructure & Management Other Upcoming Projects: Community Mural - 2027 Art in the Parks as part of the Emerson Park Grant - 2027 Other Potential Projects: Train Bridge in MoJo Neighborhood Cultural Arts District Parking Structure Public Art MoJo Neighborhood Mural DEI Collaboration - Chumash Aqueduct Project Olas Por tola Reloca tion Looking Ahead 2027 and Beyond H O W d o w e s e l e c t w h a t p r o j e c t i s n e x t ?? Items that will be brought forward for Council Consideration: Deaccession of Marilyn Moonroe Recomendations on Archway to Happiness Mural Maintenance of The Greys in Between SLOMA Contract Public Art staffing Public Art policy recommended updates Consideration of an updated Public Art Master Plan Looking Ahead 2027 and Beyond Questions?