HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-2015 Item 07 - Allocation of Public Art Funds for Utility Box Art and Public Art Maintenance Projects for 2015-17
Meeting Date: 12/1/2015
FROM: Shelly Stanwyck, Parks and Recreation Director
Prepared By: Melissa C. Mudgett, Recreation Manager
SUBJECT: ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC ART FUNDS FOR UTILITY BOX ART AND
PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE PROJECTS FOR 2015-17
RECOMMENDATION
1. Approve the appropriation of $35,126 in 2015-16 Development Art-In-Lieu fees to the
Public Art Fund in support of Public Art projects; and
2. Approve the use of Public Art funds in the amount of $48,000 for the repainting of the Utility
Box Art program Phase One; and
3. Approve the use of Public Art funds in the amount of $28,500 for the public art maintenance
projects.
DISCUSSION
Background – Council Practice of Approving Public Art Projects Following CIP Approval
Every two years, upon the approval of the Financial Plan by City Council, public art funds
arising from General Fund Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) are placed in the City’s Public
Art Fund. These City-project based funds are augmented with additional funding from the Art in
Private Development fees collected from qualified private development projects (art-in-lieu fee).
As monies are cumulated they are then proposed by staff for allocation among project(s)
identified by the CIP Review Committee with final public art project selection approval by
Council.
Funding for the City’s Public Art Program
The City’s Public Art program receives funding from two sources: an appropriate allocation
from qualified General Fund CIPs and art-in-lieu fees. This funding is used to support various
public art projects throughout the City. Currently, there is $164,830 in Public Art Fund Reserves
available to funding public art projects for 2015-17. This total includes the following accumulation
of funding:
1. $35,126 from the Art-In-Lieu Fees
Since the adoption of the City’s Public Art in Private Development program in 2000,
private property owners and developers have been required to incorporate public art in
qualified new developments or substantially improved developments in the City, or pay a
7
Packet Pg. 18
public art in-lieu fee. The minimum cost of the public art, including installation, is an
amount equal to one-half of one percent of construction costs in excess of $100,000. To-
date, art in-lieu fees totaling $35,126 have been collected in 2015-16. Staff recommends
that Council appropriate $35,126 to the Public Art Fund in development in-lieu fees
collected to-date.
2. $36,400 from General Fund Capital Improvement Projects
During the development of the 2015-17 Financial Plan, the Finance Director reviewed the
Capital Improvement Projects and calculated the 1% for public art costs and applied this
to eligible General Fund based projects. The 2015-16 fiscal year CIP allocation for
public art has been estimated at $36,400. (Attachment A). This allocation was added to
the Public Art Fund balance as of July 1st.
Public Art Allocations Proposed Are Limited in Scope
Currently the City is developing its first ever Public Art Master Plan which is anticipated for
Council consideration in early 2016. The Public Art Master Plan is intended to provide direction
to the public art program staff, Advisory Bodies, and the City Council on the planning and
processes necessary to further develop, administer, and maintain a dynamic public art program in
the City. More specifically, the Master Plan will clarify key themes and provide a comprehensive
vision for the next 25 years of the program by providing recommendations for the selection and
placement of public art throughout the community, outlining future funding sources, and defining
any associated resource needs necessary to continue to achieve the community’s vision for public
art.
Proposed Funding Allocation and Project Discussion For Public Art for 2015-16
At this time, staff is seeking Council’s approval and funding allocation to support a needed and
timely “update” to the temporary utility box program and to address ongoing public art
maintenance projects which should not be delayed.
1. Utility Box Art - Update of Phase One
a. History of Utility Box Art
In 2010 the City Council approved funding for the Utility Box Art pilot project to
temporarily paint sixteen utility boxes throughout the downtown area (Attachment B). This
pilot project was initiated by the City with the support of the San Luis Obispo Downtown
Association and Arts Obispo. Initially conceived as a graffiti abatement measure to enhance
unattractive utility/traffic control boxes at various high visibility intersections in the
Downtown core, widespread popularity of the box art program quickly grew and enabled the
pilot program to expand. A second phase of the temporary utility box art project was rolled
out in 2012 adding 16 more utility boxes to the program. Currently, the Utility Box Art
Program has thirty-two (32) painted boxes throughout the City (Attachment C).
7
Packet Pg. 19
b. Policy Update in 2015
In March 2015, The City’s Public Art Policy was updated to include the management of
temporary public art, pilot programs and inclusion of Utility Box Art as part of the City’s
Public Art Program for temporary art. As recommended in the updated policy, temporary
public art shall be on display for a period of approximately five (5 years) until which time
renewal is considered if within available funding.
c. Update of 20 Boxes is Timely and Consistent with Adopted Policy
The Utility Box Art program has proven highly successful in deterring graffiti and remains a
very popular program with the local community, tourists and other municipalities who
contact the Parks and Recreation Department frequently for information on the utility box
program. Staff is recommending a repainting of twenty (20) utility boxes which include 16
first-phase utility boxes and four utility boxes in the second phase (2012) that have received
box modifications as a result of required signal upgrades. Staff recommends an allocation of
$48,000 in support of this project. This cost approximates $2,400 per box which includes
program marketing, permitting, an artist stipend for each box and supplies voucher as well as
cleaning, prepping and applying an anti-graffiti top coat to the utility boxes.
d. Public Outreach and Advisory Body Review
Public outreach for the Utility Box repainting project is expected to begin in February 2016,
when members of the public are alerted to the upcoming changes to the existing boxes. It
will conclude with the City Council’s approval of selected pieces and actual painting of the
boxes. A graphical summary of the review process is provided below;
7
Packet Pg. 20
City staff will seek community engagement the City’s adopted Public Engagement and
Noticing (PEN) Manual. Consistent with all public art projects, artist submissions for the
Utility Box Art repainting will be evaluated by an Art Selection Jury, Advisory Bodies and
the City Council for conformance to the public art criteria and guidelines before the art
installation can occur. Art Juries are typically comprised of volunteer representatives of the
SLO Arts Council, professional artist(s), neighbor or representative of a neighborhood
association, business representative, educator/historian, and as appropriate, a member of the
Parks and Recreation Commission, Downtown Association, the Cultural Heritage
Committee or the Mass Transportation Committee.
2. Public Art Maintenance
In 1990 the City Council established and funded the City’s Public Art pro gram. In 2015, the
City added to its public art collection with the completion of two significant public art
projects with the SLO Skate Park “Concrete Jungle” trees and the 9/11 World Trade Center
Memorial at Fire Station No. 1. Today, the City enjoys a robust public art program with a
collection of 70 public art pieces. This collection includes 38 permanent public art pieces
located throughout the community and 32 Utility Box Art boxes as temporary public art
installations. As the public art program matures, these public art pieces require maintenance
and repairs to address health and safety concerns, continue the life expectancy of the piece
and to further the enjoyment of art by the community. As currently structured, the Public
Art Fund provides for both the purchase of public art and ongoing operational needs such as
maintenance and repairs.
The Maintenance and Repairs section of the Public Art Manual states the “City has an
ethical and legal responsibility to maintain the artistic integrity of an artwork (Calif. Art
Preservation Act, Cal. Civ. Code 987 (West Supp. 1985))”. A field evaluation of the City’s
public art pieces has been completed and has identified critical repairs needed to address
potential health and safety concerns, as well as on-going maintenance to preserve the
structural integrity of the art. Staff recommends an allocation of $28,500 for 2005-17 to
address the current needs for public art maintenance.
Public Art Maintenance Needed 2015-16
Love & Double Joy (1997) - Tile Repairs 5,900
Puck (2003) - Base Repairs, Wash & Waxing 4,100
Seven Sisters Railing (2000) - Powder Coating 5,500
Court of Historic Us Flags (2007) - Tile Repairs 800
Flames of Knowledge (1998) - Powder Coating & Repairs 5,000
Garnet (2002) - Waxing 500
StoryBoard (2004) - Powder Coating 5,000
General Washing/Grafitti Removal of Public Art Pieces 700
Unanticipated Public Art Repairs 1,000
Total Public Art Maintenance Costs 28,500
7
Packet Pg. 21
3. Public Art Projects In Progress
Staff continues to make progress in moving forward the public art piece (Olas Portola)
planned for the Portola Fountain located at the intersection of Higuera and Marsh Streets.
Project design modifications, as recommended by the Architectural Review Commission,
were approved by City Council on September 16, 2014. Staff continues to work with the
Artist to complete the required structural engineering for the kinetic art piece. Staff
anticipates permitting, fabrication, installation and completion of the highly anticip ated art
piece in fall 2016.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the utility box art repainting and public art maintenance projects are approved, $123,456 will
remain in the Public Art Fund. Future public art monies received from the FY 2016-17 (both
Capital allocation and in-lieu fees) will aggregate with the remaining funds. Any future projects
will occur following the Public Art Master Plan’s consideration by Council in early 2016. It is
anticipated that the 2016-17 fiscal year will add an estimated $80,000 to the Public Art Fund
balance providing for a total of $200,000 available in 2016-17 for future public art projects and
implementation of the Public Art Master Plan initiatives.
Current Public Art Funds Available and Proposed for Use
Resources Public Art Fund
Development In-Lieu Fees 35,126
2015-16 Capital Allocation 36,400
Public Art Fund Reserves 128,430
TOTAL 199,956
Expenses Public Art Fund
Utility Box Art 48,000
Public Art Maintenenace 28,500
Total 76,500
Available Public Art Fund Balance 123,456
ALTERNATIVES
1. Reallocate public art funds. Council could decide to redistribute the proposed allocations
among the proposed projects, allocating more funding than recommended for one project
and less for another or could recommend an alternative location for public art. Staff does
not recommend this alternative as the program is awaiting a Public Art Master Plan
which will provide this type of guidance to the program.
2. Deny public art allocation. Council could choose to deny one or both of the public art
projects presented. Staff does not recommend this alternative as the Utility Box Art
program has met the program criteria term for repainting. Additionally, staff has
completed a maintenance evaluation of the City’s public art and identified critical repairs
needed to address potential health and safety concerns.
7
Packet Pg. 22
Attachments:
a - 2015-17 Public Art Fund
b - 2010 Downtown Maintenance and Beautification CAR
c - Box Art Map
7
Packet Pg. 23
7.a
Packet Pg. 24
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
a
-
2
0
1
5
-
1
7
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
7.a
Packet Pg. 25
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
a
-
2
0
1
5
-
1
7
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
7.a
Packet Pg. 26
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
a
-
2
0
1
5
-
1
7
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
7.a
Packet Pg. 27
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
a
-
2
0
1
5
-
1
7
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
7.a
Packet Pg. 28
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
a
-
2
0
1
5
-
1
7
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
FROM: Jay D. Walter, Director of Works Director
Betsy Kiser, Director of Parks and Recreation
Prepared By: Bridget Fraser, Senior Civil Engineer
Shannon Bates, Recreation Manager
SUBJECT: DOWNTOWN MAINTENANCE AND BEAUTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Approve work scope Option 1 which includes completing improvements on three blocks
of Higuera Street from Morro to Broad and direct staff to proceed with preparation of
construction documents.
2. Authorize the City Manager to approve the plans and specifications for advertising and
award the construction contract if bids are within the approved budget of $640,000.
3. As recommended by the Capital Improvement Plan Committee, approve funding in the
amount of $34,000 for the downtown utility box public art project.
DISCUSSION
Background
One of the Council’s “Other Important Objectives” in the 2009-11 Financial Plan is expanding
Downtown maintenance and beautification efforts. The intent was to enhance the maintenance
and beautification of the Downtown through reprioritization of projects, new partnerships,
clearer standards and design guidelines, and improved internal and external communications.
Specifically, beautification efforts will be focused on downtown signage, solid waste
collection, tree maintenance, news rack management, and other enhancements of existing City
infrastructure.
At the February 23, 2010 Council meeting, staff provided an update on the progress of the
Downtown “Objective” and asked Council for direction and input on the desired
improvements to be made. The Council report is available for review in the Council Reading
File. To summarize, three approaches were suggested by Staff:
1 Implement a block-by-block approach by bringing selected blocks up to standards.
2 Sprinkle improvements throughout the downtown area.
3 Combination of approaches 1 and 2.
For the most part, Council’s direction to staff was to first focus improvements on Higuera
particularly the completion of the block containing the Wineman Hotel (Higuera Street, from
Morro to Chorro). If additional funds were available, staff would then provide Council a
“shopping list” of other possible improvements in the downtown.
June 15, 2010
7.b
Packet Pg. 29
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
b
-
2
0
1
0
D
o
w
n
t
o
w
n
M
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e
a
n
d
B
e
a
u
t
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
C
A
R
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 2
Work Scope Options
As shown in the Fiscal Impact section there is approximately $640,000 currently available
from various projects that can be used to support improvements to the Downtown. Using this
$640,000 target, various work scope scenarios were put together which generally included
“completion” of one or more blocks in the downtown by in-filling areas without Mission
sidewalk, removing and replacing trees as called for in the Urban Management Plan,
upgrading existing tree grates, installing pedestrian lighting, updating trash receptacles and
news racks to new standards, upgrading sign posts to new standards, and painting traffic/light
poles within the block the standard dark green. In addition to completing a block or blocks,
several of the work scopes also included various combinations of improvements outside of the
completed block such as, street light/traffic pole painting, replacement of news racks in the
downtown, upgrading sign posts in the downtown, replacing all the trash cans in the
downtown and providing an allowance for a contingency fund.
Staff recommends setting aside a portion of the budget for this contingency fund that can be
used for various reasons; such as, absorbing design or construction costs of “unknowns”
encountered in the project, and/or be available as matching funds. The concept of matching
funds has been used to a small degree in the past few years to leverage City funds with private
property owners to obtain additional improvements at a reduced cost. Property owners
involved with building improvements frequently express an interest in doing more frontage
improvements than are actually required, if the City is willing to provide some funding toward
the work. In a couple of instances, the City has paid for the installation of curb and gutter,
with the property owner paying for the sidewalk. Sidewalk repair budgets have been
significantly reduced and staff has been unable to leverage these changes recently. Another
potential use of contingency funds could be to purchase and install trash cans or paint some of
the street light poles, above and beyond the approved construction project. The funding could
also be used for the originally proposed Warden Bridge resurfacing. This surface has become
uneven and pedestrian traffic would benefit from its replacement.
Note: For the purpose of this report and project, the “downtown” is the area bounded by Santa
Rosa, Palm, Nipomo and Marsh. This area is most consistent with the Downtown Pedestrian
Lighting District and the core area of the Mission Sidewalk District.
The following matrix summarizes four work scopes based on a budget of $640,000. Refer to
Attachment 1 for a visual overview of the work to be completed under each option. These
work scopes and estimates are indeed only estimates at this time and final details and costs
will be refined once the Council provides guidance on the desired work scope. Per Council
direction, all four concepts focus on Higuera Street. All options include completion of the
block containing the Wineman Hotel. Staff recommends Option 1 as it most closely meets
Councils direction to complete blocks on Higuera. Council may choose the recommended
option or any of the other “packaged” work scopes or Council may select other combinations.
To help with this, approximate estimates are given for each item for use by Council in the
event Council chooses to swap items or include items (increase the budget) or eliminate items
(reduce the budget) from the work scope.
7.b
Packet Pg. 30
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
b
-
2
0
1
0
D
o
w
n
t
o
w
n
M
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e
a
n
d
B
e
a
u
t
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
C
A
R
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 3
Item Estimate 2 1 2 1 3 1 4
Higuera - Morro to Chorro (Wineman)200,000$ XXXX
Higuera - Chorro to Garden 200,000$ XXX
Higuera - Garden to Broad 200,000$ X
Higuera - Osos to Morro 200,000$
News Racks - Replace all in DT - 22±130,000$ XXX
Sign Post Upgrade (Higuera Only)X
Sign Post Upgrade - Replace all in DT - 200±70,000$ XX
Street/Traffic Light Pole Painting (Higuera Only)X
Street Light Inspection & Painting - 10 Poles 50,000$ X
Trash Receptacles (Higuera Only)X
Trash Receptacles - Replace all in DT - 77±140,000$ X
Contingency/Seed Money/Matching Funds $40K$15K$50K$60K
Estimated Construcion Time (Heavy Construction)3 6 mos.4 mos4 mos2 mos
Work Scope Options
B
o
l
c
k
s
Mi
s
c
e
l
l
a
n
e
o
u
s
Notes:
1. Completing these two blocks will result in 3 consecutive completed blocks of pedestrian lights
2. There is overlap in costs between the “block” items and the “miscellaneous” items because some of the
miscellaneous items, such as news racks and poles, etc, are included in both the block cost and in the
miscellaneous cost.
- The News Rack and Trash Receptacle estimates are based on the cost of the items used in Wineman Hotel
demonstration block.
- Location and number of news racks is based on placing the new rack in same general location as existing.
The total number of news racks and the location may change as a news rack ordinance is developed and
adopted.
3. Construction impacts including time of year, daily work hours, etc., will be discussed and coordinated with
the Downtown Association and affected business once the scope of the final project has been determined by
Council.
Other Work Efforts Affecting the Downtown Projects
Final approval for news rack and trash receptacle standards are underway with the ARC. Staff
will meet with Pierre Rademaker for feedback on the new standards prior to final approval.
The City Attorney’s office also has on their agenda to pursue an ordinance regulating news
racks so that the City can eliminate the individual news rack clusters in favor of the larger
units available through the City.
Public Art
In January, Council approved several public art projects for funding through
the 2009-11 Financial Plan. However, $145,500 remained unallocated from
the public art fund. At that time, staff presented several ideas for future use of
these funds including a utility box public art project that would be tied to the
Downtown Beautification and Enhancement Goal. The proposed project would
enhance 15-17 old and unattractive utility/traffic control boxes at various high
visibility intersections in the Downtown core. Over the past several months, staff
has consulted with the Downtown Association (DA) to design a program that
could use public art as a strategy to convert these “eye sores” into a form of public
art while adding to the beautification efforts taking place in Downtown. Similar
programs exist in Palo Alto, San Diego, Vista, and El Cajon to name a few (see
Attachment 2 for examples of proposed program). Staff and the DA have begun
the conceptual work on a program entitled “BoxArt”. A “BoxArt” Festival,
7.b
Packet Pg. 31
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
b
-
2
0
1
0
D
o
w
n
t
o
w
n
M
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e
a
n
d
B
e
a
u
t
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
C
A
R
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 4
modeled after the i madonnari festival, would culminate the event with all selected artists
painting their assigned box in a festival type atmosphere.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the Downtown projects comes from a combination of maintenance and upgrade
Capital Improvement Plan projects approved for the Downtown as part of the 2009-11
Financial Plan. While the funding was originally approved for individual projects, Council has
expressed an interest in developing a revised workscope incorporating some of the original
elements along with new ones (i.e. news racks, trash receptacle and sign post upgrades). The
following table summarizes the original allocations and expenses incurred to date with a total
budget available for this project. As shown below there is $640,000 available to support this
work in the Downtown.
Cost Summary
Downtown ProjectsSpec. No.2009-102010-11
Mission Style Sidewalks 90739 100,000100,000
Downtown Paving 90942 200,000
Downtown Urban Forest Plan 90759 25,00025,000
Street Light Paint - Downtown 90944 50,00050,000
Warden Bridge Deck Rehabilitation 90946 45,000
Pedestrian Light Installation 90XXX 70,000
Demonstration Equipment & Lighting Expenses(25,000)
Total$395,000$245,000640,000
Public Art Funding2009-11 GF In-Lieu Fund
Utlity Box Program (Downtown)034,000 $34,000
Capital Improvement Plan
CONCURRENCES
Downtown Improvements. The Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce are in
favor of making improvements in the Downtown. Both organizations believe that improving
the Downtown experience will have a positive impact on the City’s economy in the long term.
Staff will be meeting with both organizations prior to the Council meeting to give them an
over view of the work scope options/staff recommendation and to gain their feedback. Once
the scope of work has been determined, both organizations will be contacted for input on how
to lessen impacts and to coordinate construction timelines.
Public Art. The proposed project was developed and recommended by the CIP Review
Committee and subsequently supported by the ArtsObispo Art in Public Places Committee.
Additionally, the Downtown Association has been an avid supporter and would be
significantly involved in the execution of the project (see Attachment 3).
ALTERNATIVES
1. Select other improvements or another approach to address the needs to improve
the Downtown. Council members or other interested members of the community may
7.b
Packet Pg. 32
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
b
-
2
0
1
0
D
o
w
n
t
o
w
n
M
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e
a
n
d
B
e
a
u
t
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
C
A
R
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
Downtown Maintenance and Beatification Page 5
have other ideas about how this objective should be tackled. Staff could be directed to
explore those ideas and bring an alternative concept back to the Council.
2. Deny the Public Art. Deny the public art project and redistribute funds to another
public art project or recommend other locations for public art.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Work scope Exhibits
2. Examples of utility box public art programs
3. Letter from the Downtown Association regarding public art
COUNCIL READING FILE
Council Agenda Report – February 23, 2010
t:\council a genda reports\public works car\2010\cip\90979 downtown beautification-maintenance\car dt beautification workscope.doc
7.b
Packet Pg. 33
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
b
-
2
0
1
0
D
o
w
n
t
o
w
n
M
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e
a
n
d
B
e
a
u
t
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
C
A
R
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
guide map
Sa
n
L
u
i
s
O
b
i
s
p
o
Ci
t
y
o
f
Look for it...
Bo
x
A
r
t
R
o
u
n
d
1
Bo
x
A
r
t
R
o
u
n
d
2
7.c
Packet Pg. 34
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
c
-
B
o
x
A
r
t
M
a
p
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)
30
Box 13&14 were completed as a team with
Marcie Hawthorne (above).
Julie Frankel’s background is in graphic
design and mixed media painting. Julie
is an east coast transplant, living in SLO
since 1988. In her art she often explores
the themes of people watching and
narrative spaces. Julie is also a maker of
artists’ books—which combines both art
and design skill sets. Patterns, stencils,
and textures are one of her passions.
On the design side, Julie worked as an
independent consultant with Biesek
Design on many projects for the National
Park Service.
Abbey Onikoyi
Jeff takes great pleasure in drinking
Thai iced tea, eating chocolate donuts,
and reading a good book.
Jeff Claassen
Charlie Clingman was raised in spacious
rural settings which had animals to play
with and horses to ride. This planted
the seed for his future exploration and
appreciation of nature. He fi nds that 25
years of international surfi ng experience
has not only been a great thrill and good
exercise but a fi ne way to observe the
water and surrounding landscapes. He
seeks to have his paintings represent the
beauty and action he encounters.
Charlie Clingman
Marcie Hawthorne
Julie Frankel
Abbey Onikoyi, a native of Nigeria,
grew up in a family that was one of the
founding royal families of Lagos, with
a tradition rooted in arts and culture.
His goal is to impact humanity with “a
whole new love” through art, music and
communication. He now resides in San
Luis Obispo, where he owns “Spirits of
Africa” Gallery at the Creamery.
An artist and a dreamer by nature, Alister
Dippner has exploded onto the California
art scene in a big way, from creating
album artwork for a number of
up-and-coming bands and musicians to
showcasing his work in over 35 galleries
and art shows. His over active
imagination lead him to become a
professional muralist for two years
before moving to SLO.
Alister Dippner
Rachel LaBonte is a graduating senior
at Cal Poly, studying Fine Art with a
concentration in studio art. She focuses
primarily on painting and drawing, and is
interested in both fi guration and
abstraction. Mediation and its
relationship to reality and humanity have
been central to her most recent body
of work. She hopes to attend graduate
school in the fall, and is planning on
pursuing a career in the fi eld of Painting.
Rachel LaBonte
Jed is a native of California. He has been
drawing and painting since he was fi ve
years old. He attended the San Francisco
Art Institute and Cal State Hayward. He
is currently a freelance designer and
resides in Templeton with his wife and
several stray cats.
Jed Joyce
Justin grew up on the Central Coast
where he attended Cuesta College
before receiving a Bachelor of Art in Art
Studio from UC Santa Barbara. He now
resides in SLO with his wife Heather
and their two sons, Jude and Liam.
Justin works in various media although
prefers oils. The local landscape plays an
important role in his art.
Justin Johnson
15
16
18
20
19
22Joe has over 20 years of experience
creating commissioned murals and
fi ne art paintings for fi lm, television,
hotels, restaurants and residences
internationally. Whether working on
personal paintings or commissioned
murals, he approaches each with an
open mind, a knowledge of art history
and an array of stylistic techniques.
Joe Bachelor1
2
3
13
12
114
5
6
Marcia is a longtime resident of
San Luis Obispo County. Growing up in
the beautiful Carrizo Plains, and painting
currently in her studio in Creston’s
glowing oak woodlands, her work
is guided by the color and light of
landscape. Her paintings hang in the
County Government Center, Compact
Gallery in San Luis Obispo and Firefl y in
Paso Robles.
Marcia Harvey
9
7
Carol feels lucky to live in Baywood
between the ancient, breathing estuary
and the hills with rocks for bones.
Surrounded by inspiration, this county
has been her home since childhood. Here
she has raised her family, adventured,
wore out a few good dogs, made a
lot of art and friends. “I love it all,
absorbing, living, making art, family and
community.”
Carol Paulsen
Chris Pedersen grew up on the Central
Coast of California. He explored his beau-
tiful surroundings and discovered his
drawing talent and creative imagination.
His art career started with a concentra-
tion of illustration and graphic design.
Currently Chris is making fi ne canvas oil
paintings while he continues to develop
illustrations for a children’s book story,
which will likely inspire the youth to no
end. Chris has maintained the youthful
fantasy aspect of possibility.
Chris Pedersen
A SLO native, Jane grew-up with the
old growth oaks. With big dreams, she
left for her bachelor’s in International
Relations, before reluctantly returning.
Four years later, she’s made her home
anew. When not painting, riding her pink
bike, or pretending to save the world,
she works as a counselor and advocate
at the SARP Center.
Jane Pomeroy
Formerly from Southern California,
Lena Rushing has called the Central
Coast home for 16 years. She is best
known for her large scale, acrylic, fi gure
paintings. Honest and authentic, her
intent is to create vibrant, intriguing
works of art that encourage the viewer
to engage in art related dialogue.
She would describe her paintings as a
marriage between fi gurative
expressionism and surrealism.
Lena Rushing
23
27
28
26
Colleen is an artist and surfer in Central
California. Colleen taught herself to paint
and went on to study art overseas, at the
L‘Accademia di Belle Arti, an art school
founded by Michelangelo in Florence.
Shortly after graduation from UC Santa
Cruz, she moved to Hawaii and began
work as a muralist for various Waikiki
hotels, restaurants, theatres and set
companies. Colleen returned to Shell
Beach, where she works as a studio artist
and muralist, creating works inspired by
her love of the ocean.
Colleen Gnos
Samantha is currently working as a
designer for Stephen Patrick Design in
San Luis Obispo. Her passion is art and
design. Samantha’s love for art began as
a child. Her favorite pastime is to draw.
In college, she started as an art major;
then found herself switching to
Interior Design.
Samantha Pereira
Lynn is an active member of the
Downtown Association’s Design Com-
mittee and the Downtown Foresters.
She works and travels extensively as a
decorative artist for local art company
Douglas Bouman and Associates. In
conjunction with that company, she
recently completed a recreation of the
historic entrance to the Coconut Grove
Hollywood for the Ambassador Project
in Los Angeles.
Lynn Hessler
Robert was born and raised in Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic. At age 16,
he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts
in Santo Domingo, where he spent fi ve
years perfecting his craft. After
completing his studies, Robert became
the offi cial muralist of the Dominican
Presidency. In 2001, Robert moved to
Madrid, Spain in order to pursue his
career as an international artist. Robert
now resides on the Central Coast taking
in the warm sunshine and beautiful
landscapes.
Robert MAJA
Amy McKay has been enjoying the SLO
life since 1995, when she came to
Cal Poly for her degree in landscape
architecture. Art has always been her
fi rst love though, and SLO has been
both a supportive and inspirational
environment for her artistic pursuits.
She is thrilled to be a part of the Box Art
project for the second time and feels
grateful every day to be able to share her
art with others. As often as possible, she
can be found painting in her sunny home
studio at the base of Cerro San Luis.
Amy McKay
joey Salazar
joey Salazar was born on the California
Central Coast. She has traveled many
times to New York and South America
to observe and study art, as well as to
gain inspiration. Along her life’s path
joey has worked with many mediums
including, but not limited to, acrylics,
aerosol, photo collage, water and air.
Her work often expresses her feminine
compassion, wisdom and strength which
she hopes to share with others.
California based stencil artist
STENZSKULL, layers grey tones and
colors with stencils to conjure amazing
portraits and fun concepts. 8 years deep
in his stencil medium he is constantly
evolving and refi ning his artistic style.
Hours and hours put in to design and
hand cutting stencils are surely worth
the fi nal product.
STENZSKULL
Ryan Williams was born in Arlington
Heights, IL. in 1973 and currently lives
and works in San Luis Obispo, CA. He
received his BFA from Cal Poly in 2012,
graduating Magna Cum Laude. His
future goals include obtaining his MFA.
In the meantime, Ryan’s eff orts are set
on developing community and maintain-
ing his daily art practice. This is Ryan’s
second time participating in the Box Art
project/competition.
Ryan Williams
Marcie is a San Luis Obispo artist
who has been working as a muralist,
gardening/natural history book illustrator
and plein air painter for thirty years.
She has earned an academic degree in
Biology from Duke University, a fi ne arts
degree from California College of Arts
and Crafts and has also received
additional training in medical and
biological illustration at Duke Medical
School. Marcie has combined a love of
nature and art in a unique way with her
residential and public art mural painting.
10
14 21
24
25
31
32
8
17
29 Blair Rusin
Blair has since experienced life in most
parts of the world. A world that he loves
and works to save, in his artwork and in
his respect for nature. His artistic talent
has been fueled by the beauty found in
the mountains, the oceans and world
cultures. His dreams fi ll in the missing
pieces. As a snowboarder he has been
able to travel the world to discover and
embrace all elements of beauty and
nature. These experiences and
relationships have been a great tool in
leading him to explore all diversities of
his passions.
Box Art Round 1
Box Art Round 2
| THE PROJECT
The City of San Luis Obispo invited artists residing in San Luis Obispo,
Santa Barbara and Monterey counties to apply for a public art proj-
ect to create art on 32 utility boxes located throughout San Luis
Obispo. The goal of the project is to use utility boxes as “canvases”
for original pieces of art as well as contribute to the vitality and at-
tractiveness of the downtown while deterring graffi ti. Not only will
this project improve the “curb appeal” of one of the most attractive,
interesting and economically vibrant downtowns in America, but it
will also give artists an opportunity to add their personal touch to the
City’s public art collection.
| MORE INFORMATION
www.slopublicart.com
City of San Luis Obispo | 805.781.7300
completed October 2010
GUIDE MAP ON BACK
7.c
Packet Pg. 35
At
t
a
c
h
m
e
n
t
:
c
-
B
o
x
A
r
t
M
a
p
(
1
1
8
6
:
P
u
b
l
i
c
A
r
t
F
u
n
d
i
n
g
)