SR-410-001-01
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NOV 2 2 1988
C/ED:EDD:PC:JPM:DJG:pW
Council Meeting: November 22, 1988
Santa Monica, California
TO:
The Mayor and City Council
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FROM:
City Staff
SUBJECT: Reco1tLlUendation to Authorize City Manager to Negotiate
and Execute Contract for Permanent Art Work for Third
Street Promenade
INTRODUCTION
This report requests that the City Council authorize the city
Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Claude and
Francois-Xavier LaLanne, to create permanent public art works and
fountains for the Third street Promenade. This work will be done
in conjunction with the Third Street Mall and Downtown Assessment
District Improvement Project.
BACltGROUND
At its October 27, 1987 meeting, the city council approved Roma
Design Group's overall design including "islands" which attempt
to enliven and activate the Mall by breaking up an aD-foot
right-of-way and creating zones of activity.
The following
briefly defines the design of the Gateway and Central Plaza
Islands as presented by Roma Design Group:
A) Gateway (at Broadway and wilshire ends of the Mall)
This narrow (16') island is a focal point of entry to
both ends of the Mall. A seating-height planter wall
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will surround the island. At the center of the island,
the planter will break to allow pedestrians to pass from
the east to west sides of the street. The planter will
be located at both ends of the island and will allow for
significant sculpture or other works of art.
B) Plaza (at the center o~ 1300 block)
This wider (24') island is designed for numerous
activities, as well as for the incorporation of maj or
art work. At each end of this central space, forum-like
steps will provide a seating space and lead to raised
lawn areas. The island will be defined by a
seating-height wall and low plantings.
Upon approval of the design by Council, city staff was directed
to work with the Arts Commission, Arts Foundation and the Bayside
District Corporation in developing a budget, financial plan and
selection process for installing significant art work including,
if appropriate, fountains on the "gateway" and "central plaza"
islands as defined in the approved Roma Design final design. The
Council's pursuit of the inclusion of artistic work into the
project has required staff to inform Roma of the new parameters
and that their future work will need to be coordinated with the
selected artist.
A Request For proposal (RFP) was developed calling for site
specific environmental artwork costing a maximum of $480,000 for
the gateway and central plaza islands. $30,000 of this amount
was set aside for administrative and contingency costs. Artists
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were informed their proposals would be judged on the basis of
quality, creativity, appropriateness to the site, technical and
financial feasibility, maintenance considerations as well as the
artists pravious experience in public art and public input.
The Request For Proposals were mailed along with special letters
of invitation to fifty noted environmental artists around the
world. Subsequently an open competition was announced by printed
notice to a list of 1,000 artists. The Third street Promenade
Art Competition was covered by several Los Angeles radio stations
and newspapers enhancing outreach to the artist community.
A selection process was crafted utilizing the services of a jury
of art experts appointed by a Selection Committee consisting of
representatives from the Bayside District Corporation and the
Arts Foundation. The committee was advised by the Arts Division
Administrator, the Economic Development Manager, and Project
Manager. The Selection Committee appointed a Jury of art experts
consisting of Melinda Wortz, Director of the Art Museum at the
university of California Irvine, Henry Hopkins, Director of the
Weisman Foundation and John Tuite, Director of the Community
Redevelopment Agency, Los Angeles.
Eight invited artists submitted proposals. Twenty-eight others
responded to the open call for entries. A Jury panel meeting on
May 27, 1988 was attended by representatives of Roma Design
Group, two members of the Selection Committee and staff from the
Bayside District Corporation, Santa Monica Arts (SMARTS) and
community and Economic Development Department. Five competition
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finalists were selected and secretly ranked by the experts as
follows: Claude & Francois LaLanne~ Vito Acconci~ Athena Tacha~
Guy Dill; George Segal. All five finalists were offered a site
visit to Santa Monica and an honorarium to build a model to aid
in the public input sequence of the competition.
The Art on the Promenade exhibition of proposals had its official
opening at the ground-breaking ceremony on July 28, 1988. From
July 28, 1988, to September 6, 1988, visitors were invited to
fill out comment sheets for evaluation by the Selection
Committee. The display of alternatives was the subject of major
articles in the Los Angeles Times, Herald Examiner, and the
Evening Outlook, further enhancinq the possibility of public
participation. One hundred ninety five ballots were received.
First choice ballots were as follows: LaLanne, 66 votes; Tacha,
36 votes; Acconci, 34 votes; Segal, 25 votes; Dill, 25 votes.
Second choice ballots were as follows: Tacha, 37 votes; LaLanne,
35 votes; Segal, 26 votes; Acconci, 23 votes; Dill, 12 votes. If
first and second choice ballots are combined, the LaLanne's total
of 101 votes is significantly higher than their nearest
competitor, i.e. Athena Tacha with a combined total of 73 votes.
The Selection Committee met on september 7, 1988 and voted
unanimously to recommend the La Lanne 's proposal to the Bayside
District Corporation and Arts Commission based on expert opinion,
public input and the advice of staff that from a maintenance
point of view f the LaLanne' s proposal was superior to that of
Athena Tacha. The recommendation of the Selection Committee was
endorsed by the Bayside District Corporation Board at its meeting
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of September 15, 1988 and by the Arts Commission at its meeting
of September 19, 1988.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
staff is requesting that the Ci ty Council increase the
appropriation authorization at Account Number 01-720-263-000-921
by $150,000 to be financed by the use of $150,000 allocated for
art from the water Gardens Project developer fees currently held
at Account Number 01-987-014-000-000. After the transfer, funds
in the amount of $480,000 will be available in ACCOUnt Number
01-720-263-000-921 for art work on the Third street Promenade.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the City council:
1) Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a
contract with Claude and Francois-Xavier LaLanne to
create public art works and fountains for the Third
street Promenade; and
2) Authorize an increase of $150,000 of appropriation
authority at Account 01-720-263-000-921.
Prepared by:
Henry Korn, Arts Administrator
Arts Division
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