09/14/2023 Public Art and Design Board Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
e
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, September 14, 2023
2:00 PM
Clearwater East Community Library - 2465 Drew St, Clearwater, FL
33765 - Community Room
Public Art and Design Board
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City of Clearwater
Public Art and Design Board Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023
Rollcall
Present 5 - Board Member Jonathan Barnes, Board Member Bryan Voliton,
Board Member Gregory Byrd, Board Member Charlene Harrison,
and Board Member Lisa Bilz
Absent 2 - Chair Eric Seiler, and Board Member Jerri Menaul
Also Present—Amber Brice —Art & Cultural Affairs Coordinator, Nicole Sprague —
Deputy City Clerk
1. Call To Order
The Vice Chair called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. at the
Clearwater East Library.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the June 8, 2023 Public Art & Design Board meeting.
Member Harrison moved to approve the minutes of the June 8, 2023
Public Art and Design Advisory Board Meeting as submitted in written
summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda
Beth Daniels provided an update of the signal box design wraps.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Welcome New Board Members
Welcome New Board Members Bryan Voliton and Lisa Bilz.
Board Members Lisa Bilz and Bryan Voliton introduced themselves.
4.2 Review and Approve Design Proposals for the Coachman Mural Walls
Two of the artists Alyssa Dunlap of St. Petersburg and Ernesto Maranje of Ft.
Lauderdale were finalist in the water tank mural project. They were given the
opportunity to paint one side of the three mural walls in Coachman Park. The
images on these walls will hopefully rotate every two to four years. We ask the
Public Art and Design Board for their opinion of the proposed designs and for
approval on design concepts. Installation will begin October 2023.
Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator Amber Brice said there are three
mural walls located on the bluff close to the library and both sides of
each wall will be painted for a total of six murals. The intention of the
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Public Art and Design Board Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023
location is to draw people up toward the library from the park area.
In response to questions, Ms. Brice said the walls will be washed and
primed before the artists begin their work. She said the murals will be
changed out every couple years because the colors will fade in the sun.
Images of wildlife will reflect species native to Florida.
Member Harrison moved to approve the butterfly wings for one of the
murals. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Member Bilz moved to approve the osprey for one of the murals. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.3 Mercado Mosaic Update
A jury panel made up of local art professionals including representatives from
the Clearwater Arts Alliance and the Public Art and Design Board, along with
City of Clearwater employees in the CRA and Cultural Affairs Departments
including the CRA Hispanic liaison in the Economic Development Department
selected 5 finalist for the Mercado mosaic projects which will be located in the
Gateway district of Downtown Clearwater. This was a blind jury process and no
information about the artists were given to jurors. Scores were based solely on
artist's past works, design, and style. The finalists were asked to submit a
formal proposal. After a second round of jurying the CRA has selected 3
finalists and asked for minor changes in their design concepts. We hope to
incorporate a public voting component to this project to allow residents in the
Gateway community a chance to vote for their favorite artist.
Ms. Brice said the project is on hold as the opening date for the
Mercado was pushed back. Staff still wants to implement community
voting. She will report on the status at the next meeting.
4.4 Discuss Potential City Poet Laureate Program
Board Member Byrd to present what this program looks like in other cities and
what it could look like in Clearwater.
Member Byrd said there was interest at the last meeting to discuss a poet
laureate program. He provided information on how a poet laureate is
typically appointed and the types of activities they would be involved in. He
said examples of activities include promoting reading and writing and poetry
appreciation. He said he has seen poet laureate's invite guests to events to
help spread poetry appreciation. In some places, the position is not
compensated.
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Public Art and Design Board Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023
Ms. Brice said she could bring the idea to her supervisor to see if there
is any interest in the City pursuing a poet laureate.
Member Byrd moved to request Ms. Brice to research and pursue the
possibility of a poet laureate in Clearwater. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
4.5 Approve Coachman Park Overlook Wall Mural
Artist Sonny Behan was selected by a panel and was given the opportunity to
paint a large mural on the Coachman Park overlook wall. This artist specializes
in nature and underwater themes. Staff is looking for approval from the Board
on artist, location and design concept and asking for feedback to relay to the
artist to develop final mural artwork.
Ms. Brice said she is requesting the Board to approve the artist and the
design concept for a wall mural of turtles or dolphins located adjacent to
the fountain. The image will seem as if the turtles or dolphins are
swimming out of the fountain.
Discussion ensued with a comment made that dolphins are active in the
intracoastal waterway and can be seen from Coachman Park.
Member Voliton moved to approve Sonny Behan as the artist for the
mural wall. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Member Byrd moved to approve the image of the dolphins with the
coral coloring from the turtle rendering. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
4.6 Approve Design Concept for Water Tank Mural Located on FL 580 in Countryside
A jury panel made up of art professionals, including members of the
Clearwater Arts Alliance, Clearwater's Public Art and Design Board, as well as
City of Clearwater employees from the Public Utilities and Cultural Affairs
departments, selected four artist finalists for the water tank project. This was a
blind jury and no information about artists were given. Scores were based
solely on past works of art, design and style. The finalists submitted a formal
proposal with design concepts. The panel selected artist Christian Stanley of
CStanleyCreative for this project. The design concept "tailing" was the panel's
favorite design, and we ask for approval of the design by the Public Art and
Design Board. Installation will begin in 2024.
Ms. Brice said the design "Tailing"was chosen as it has native fish and
goes along with the theme of water conservation. She said a grant is
being pursued for the project and if it is awarded, the smaller water tank
will also be painted and the project would be complete in 2025. If the
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Public Art and Design Board Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023
grant is not awarded, the smaller tank will not be painted and the project
will be completed sooner.
Member Harrison moved to approve the design concept "Tailings" for
the tank mural on SR 580. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
In response to a question, Ms. Brice said the artists contracts could include
ownership of the design to be used on merchandise. It would be up to the
artists to agree to the terms to use the image on merchandise. She said she
would have to ask our Legal Department regarding the legality of pursuing
the rights to use an image.
4.7 Review Coachman Park Art Public Survey Results
A public online survey was conducted to collect feedback from residents about
what kind of art they would like to see in Coachman Park. The survey was
open for approximately 4 months and received 715 responses.
Ms. Brice reviewed the results of the online survey. The majority of
responders said they would like to see nature or natural elements in the
art. She said the respondents were allowed to leave comments which
were mostly positive.
5. Old Business Items: None.
6. Director's Report
Ms. Brice requested the Board to support applications for open calls for
mural artists. There are numerous projects coming up, four mural walls
in Coachman Park, a mural festival is scheduled in February in the
Downtown Gateway area, asphalt art on Cleveland St., as well as the
birds on the MSB parking garage that have been there for 20 years. She
said the Board can go online and look at the applications and provide
feedback as to which artists they believe would fit with a specific project.
She said the ARPA non-profit cultural grant is open and the deadline for
submissions is September 20, 2023. Information regarding the grant is
online. She said an Art in the Park event is scheduled on October 29,
2023 in Coachman Park. A mural wall was unveiled in the Gateway
recently, she encouraged all to drive by and see it.
7. Board Members to be Heard
Member Byrd suggested Clearwater adopt an image to be painted
around the city in the same manner Dunedin does with the oranges.
Discussion ensued with support for the idea. A concern was expressed
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Public Art and Design Board
8. Adjourn
Attest:
?Q
Board e•orter
City of Clearwater
Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023
regarding the code and if images, such as the oranges, would be
permitted. It was suggested that a particular zone could have their own
image to incorporate, such as Downtown, Countryside, the beach, etc.
The meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
Ch '
ublic Art & Design Advisory Board
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