SR-305-001-01 (3)
F:\CulturalAffairs\Share\COUNCIL\REPORTS\Mural Conservation Report.doc
Council Meeting: April 12, 2005 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Award of Contract for Mural Conservation
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate
and execute a contract for the conservation of Whale of a Mural on Ocean Park
Boulevard at the Fourth Street overpass with Rainer Zebala Partners for a fee of
$61,400.
BACKGROUND
In May of 2002, through a competitive process, the City retained the services of Rainer
Zebala Partners to conduct a condition assessment of the thirteen murals in the City’s
collection. General cleanup and graffiti removal was performed on five murals following
that study: Recycle, Renew, Restore and Repair by Eva Cockcroft; History of the Pico
Neighborhood by Anne Elizabeth Thiermann; Santa Monica Timeline and Recreation by
Stanton McDonald Wright; Unbridled by David Gordon; and Whale of a Mural by Daniel
Alonzo. Major conservation efforts were postponed until a process to prioritize the
required conservation was developed and approved by the Santa Monica Arts
Commission. This process was finalized in winter 2004 and a public meeting was held
on May 4, 2004, to gather community input regarding the murals.
In November of 2004, the Santa Monica Arts Commission identified Unbridled and
Whale of a Mural as the top two priorities and budgeted $135, 000 in Percent for Art
funding for their conservation. In January, Cultural Affairs Division staff issued a
request for proposals to art conservators throughout the Southern California region for
firms to conserve these murals.
Two conservators submitted proposals for these projects and each was determined to
be very capable of performing the services. Each conservator was assigned one mural.
Conservation work can begin and finish on the murals as soon as possible and the
conservators will work with the mural artists to retain the original vision of the artworks.
The artists will perform any painting repairs that are required. It is anticipated that
conservation of both murals will be complete in Fiscal Year 2004-05.
Conservation efforts on Unbridled will be performed under a separate agreement by
Sculpture Conservation Studio which has been approved administratively as it is below
the amount requiring Council approval.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funds for the conservation of these murals are available in the Percent for Art line item,
C010081.589000, and have been approved by the Santa Monica Arts Commission.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a contract with Rainer Zebala Partners in the amount of $61,400 for the
conservation of Whale of a Mural.
Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Community and Cultural Services Director
Jessica Cusick, Cultural Affairs Manager
Hamp Simmons, Cultural Affairs Coordinator
Reference Contract No. 8461 (CCS).
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