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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-12-09 CAC Meeting Minutes APPROVEDNewport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, December 9, 2021 Regular Meeting – 5:00 PM Newport Beach Central Library 1000 Avocado Avenue Newport Beach, CA 92660 I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER – 5:11 P.M. II. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Arlene Greer, Chair Marie Little, Vice Chair Maureen Flanagan, Secretary Barbara George, Commissioner Meghan McNulty, Commissioner Commissioners Absent: Wayan Kaufman, Commissioner Leonard Simon, Commissioner Guests Present: Rick Stein, Arts OC President Nicholas Thurkettle, Arts OC Program Coordinator May Sun, guest juror Brian Peterson, guest juror Staff Present: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director Camille Escareal-Garcia, Cultural Arts Assistant III. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of Minutes of the October 14, 2021, City Arts Commission Meeting 1. Draft of 11/10/2021 Minutes Chair Greer called for revisions to the minutes, but the other Commissioners had none. She requested the following revisions: • Handwritten Page 8, paragraph 15: the name is “Steven Rieman” • Handwritten Page. 9, paragraph 1: the piece was “Getting Your Bearings by David Boyer” • Handwritten Page 10, paragraph 3: should read “rack card” Motion made by Commissioner George, seconded by Commissioner Flanagan, and carried (5-0-0-2) to approve the November 10, 2021, meeting minutes as amended. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 2 AYES: Greer, Little, Flanagan, George, McNulty NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Kaufman, Simon B. Consent Calendar Items 2. Financial Report – Review of financial information Library Services Director Tim Hetherton reported that they are on track and have expended about half of the programming budget. There are ample funds remaining for the Art Exhibition in May and perhaps a June Concert. There are a lot of funds in professional services. The cultural arts grants will happen in February. There will be some expenditures on maintenance. 3. Cultural Arts Activities – Monthly review of cultural arts activities from the Library Administrative Office for upcoming Library and City arts events and services Library Services Director Hetherton reported that the highpoint of November was the awards for the Student Art Exhibition prizes. The event was successful. Works by Newport Beach Arts Foundation (NBAF) member Sunny Kim are on display at the Central Library Gallery. The Cultural Arts Grants applications started on November 29. It was advertised through press releases and the City has contacted former grantees. Chair Greer called for a Motion. Motion made by Secretary Flanagan, seconded by Commissioner George, and carried (5-0-0-2) to approve the Consent Calendar as submitted by City staff with revisions to the minutes. AYES: Greer, Little, Flanagan, George, McNulty NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Kaufman, Simon VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review and Possible Action 4. Curatorial Panel Assessment of Submitted Works – Sculpture in Civic Center Park Exhibition, Phase VII – The curatorial panel, which includes the City Arts Commission, will recommend submitted works for inclusion in Phase VII of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park Public Online Survey. Once the public survey has closed, ten sculptures and three alternates will be presented before the City Arts Commission for review before a final recommendation to City Council at the February 8, 2022 regular meeting. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 3 Library Services Director Hetherton introduced the review of the submissions for Sculpture Exhibition Phase VII. There are 48 submissions that will be reviewed by the panel and the City Arts Commission (CAC) according to the criteria and artistic merit, durability, practicality, and site appropriateness. He introduced Rick Stein of Arts OC. Rick Stein, Arts OC President, introduced himself and stated that Arts OC is the City consultant on the project. The program was introduced in 2013 and was established to have 10 works per year for two year exhibitions. Phase I was installed in 2014, since then 60 works have been exhibited. The CAC, outside expert judges, and a public survey are used to select the works, which are reviewed and approved by the City Council. He introduced guest juror May Sun, a freelance artist who has been a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts and The Otis College of Art and Design. He also introduced guest juror Brian Peterson, a muralist, and creator of the non-profit The Faces of Santa Ana. Mr. Peterson was previously an automotive designer for Kia Motors. Arts OC was contracted in September, the call for artists was issues on October 8. The call was promoted though 45 artists networks and publications reaching over 350,000 artists. The call closed on November 30 with the online review by judges opening December 1 and closed December 8. Tonight, they need to select finalists for inclusion in the public survey. The public survey will open December 10 and run through January 10, 2022. There are a variety of security measures and review standards in place for the public survey which are monitored on an ongoing basis. It will capture zip codes, require valid email addresses, and limit votes from a single Internet Protocol (IP) address. Following the closure of the public survey, the results will be presented to the CAC on January 13, 2022. The CAC will validate the selections and then the artists will be notified of provisional selection subject to final approval by the City Council. The City Council meeting of February 8 will consider the final selections. The artists will be notified of approval on February 9 and then will move forward with contracts with the City Attorney’s Office in March 2022. All contracts should be returned by early April. Any new concrete paths and footings required will be poured in May. Phase V sculptures will be removed, and the Phase VII sculptures will be installed June 1 through June 11, 2022. The tentative date for the opening luncheon is June 12. There were 48 submissions with an additional 22 incomplete submissions. Submissions in progress were contacted and helped throughout the process, but there were still incomplete submissions. They learned from one artist that the piece they planned to submit was no longer available. Five submissions were deemed ineligible according to the rules. The pieces were included in the slides, so the CAC was able to look at the works although they were marked ineligible. More than half of the submissions were from California, with 6 from New York and 2 each from Washington State and Florida. Many other states are represented, plus two ineligible international submissions. Twenty-nine artists were male and 19 are female, which is a larger number of female submissions than they have received in past phases. He explained that he would show the PowerPoint as a refresher of the images they reviewed and ranked online. They will add comments on safety or installation issues when they discuss the highest ranked works. They will also discuss how many works should be included in the public survey. Finally, there is a mercy plea so anyone who would like to make a special plea for inclusion in the public survey may do so. Following that there will be a vote on the works included in the public survey. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 4 Arts OC Program Coordinator Nicholas Thurkettle explained that the works in the slideshow were sorted alphabetically by the artist’s name. Anyone using an electronic device to follow along may sort the works by overall rating on SlideRoom. Mr. Stein stressed that they would guide the CAC through the process. He pulled up the slideshow and showed where the Phase V works would be removed. There are other currently vacant locations, but the siting will be discussed after the selection. Jurors should consider artistic merit, durability, practicality, and site appropriateness. The CAC heard about the public poll in detail from Nicholas Thurkettle at the November meeting. He then presented a slideshow of the sculptures and read the titles and artists. When an artist had a work in a previous phase of the Sculpture Exhibition, he noted it. Mr. Thurkettle explained that artist wanted to create a site-specific variant of an indoor installation and reimagine it for outdoors but did not offer further specifics. Pieces are supposed to be in finished condition to be eligible for submission. Mr. Stein stated that he would go through the pieces by ranking and again noted that SlideRoom could sort the works by ranking. The number one ranked piece was Got Juice with a 6.22, number two was Where Have All the Birds Gone with a 6.0. He stated they were not sure how it would be secured to the pad and that it was the kind of work that invites climbing. Commissioner McNulty asked if they should make comments on pieces now. Chair Greer said she could. Commissioner McNulty asked how the piece would be cleaned if it attracted birds. Mr. Stein said that the first five phases did not have much of a bird issue, but Phase VI did. Vice Chair Little indicated that birds just go where they want. Mr. Thurkettle wondered what the artist would think and if she would consider bird droppings being part of the experience of the work being present if it does attract birds. Vice Chair Little noted a bird may even nest in the work. Chair Greer asked Library Services Director Hetherton if artists were responsible for keeping their own works clean during the exhibition. Library Services Director Hetherton said that they are but that he has spot cleaned the statues himself. Mr. Stein announced that Archaeology of the Everyday was tied for third. The installer has noted that they are unsure how the base installs. Cycles 3: Frogs, Bees & Birds, 2020 was also tied for third and there was some question on how to affix it to a pad. The final tie for third was David. That piece does not require a pad so they must determine if it needs footings or if it can touch the ground. Tied for sixth are Cross-Section and Prey. Cross- Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 5 Section is a stand alone piece that is only 20 inches tall. There have been pieces installed on pedestals in prior phases. Chair Greer said that the smallest work was Double White from the first phase. Mr. Stein said that piece was about six feet tall and larger than Cross-Section. The Marble Shooter is about two feet tall, and Tock was only a few feet tall. Prey is made entirely of coins, and he wondered how many would remain after two years. Introspection is ranked 8th. Three pieces tied for 9th starting with Hoodoos. Commissioner McNulty requested a backstory on the work. Mr. Stein said that they appeared to be abstract figures. Mr. Thurkettle said that the artist noted that the forms were inspired by geological rock formations and was made of resin. Commissioner McNulty asked if there was a story about the figures. Mr. Stein said that there was no information about the figures that had been shared in the application. Also tied for 9th is Integration and TAKE HEART. The artist works with recycled bicycle parts. There are two pieces tied for 12th, Big Bang by Ray Katz, and Spider Clan Totem by Stephen Fairfield. Commissioner McNulty asked if there was a story about the piece. Chair Greer asked if there was a safety issue with the spikes. Mr. Stein said that they needed to clarify if the points were sharp. In an earlier phase City Council removed a selected work due to a sharp edge. So, it looks like a safety issue. Vice Chair Little thought the piece would need to be mounted high to keep children from climbing. Mr. Stein said that as the work was already 9 feet tall it would be unlikely to go on a pedestal. Mr. Thurkettle noted that the height would make the top spikes out of reach, except for from the most determined people. The description offered of the piece is that it’s “abstracted Osage spider clan symbol sculpture.” Mr. Stein explained the next three works were tied, starting with Asteray. Vice Chair Little asked if that was also 12th. Mr. Stein stated it was tied for 14th. It is 17 feet tall. Guest Juror Brian Peterson asked a question about the bottom component of the sculpture. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 6 Mr. Stein stated it was a mosaic bowl. Vice Chair Little said that there are holes drilled into the bowl for drainage for the sculpture Asteray by Nicole Beck. Mr. Stein explained that Pathway Parabola was also tied for 14th. It is 12 feet tall. Finally, To the Moon also tied for 14th and is 7 feet tall with sharp points. The next rank was Eve with 17th place. The two tied for 18th are Cerberus and Endangered Fossils. Ranked 19th are two works with safety concerns. The next five works are tied for 20th and are Calling the Four Winds, Individuality n.2, Magic Birds, and Shall We Dance by Tonya Kovaleski, and Tidal Axis. Mr. Stein explained that the works tied at a 4.22 ranking were Calling the Four Winds, Individuality n.2, Magic Birds, and Shall We Dance by Tonya Kovaleski, and Tidal Axis. All works ranked 1 through 20 scored four and above on a scale of one to seven. If they pull the two works with sharp points there are 22 remaining works. That is about half of the submissions. Commissioner McNulty inquired about a work Eve and said that there were no human figure sculptures included. Vice Chair Little thought the work was beautiful but very small. Mr. Stein explained it was a bit more than a foot tall and asked if there were any other works the jury wanted to discuss. Commissioner McNulty thought the sculpture Eve was interesting, as many of the works were abstract. Guest Juror May Sun thought that Dennis-Redmoon Darkeem’s Calling the Four Winds was interesting, as the four of them were colorful and in the same field as the Spider Clan Totem. Mr. Stein stated that it was ranked above four. Chair Greer asked if there were any concerns with the piece being made of wood. She noted that Secretary Flanagan had noted the material in her comments. Mr. Stein explained there was a special coating on the piece for weather. He noted that Nancy Mooslin’s Fractured Peace from Phase V was also wood. The colorful arches were also wood, and that artist has indicated it would not be reclaimed as it would be ruined. Mr. Thurkettle said that the artist noted it was reused cut wood. He was unsure if the technical standards added durability, but the work has been exhibited outdoors for a long period at the Queens Botanical Garden for a festival. Vice Chair Little asked if the piece was newly refinished. Mr. Stein said that they would inquire about the condition of the work. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 7 Mr. Thurkettle explained that the application said it was the outdoor art festival in 2020. He did not know how long the work was on exhibit. He pulled up the statue Stainless Heart for the jury. If they consider advancing the work he wanted to investigate it further because there may be more than one copy of the work. Vice Chair Little advocated for Chimpish as it is whimsical, and children would like it. Commissioner McNulty inquired about the story behind Chimpish. Mr. Thurkettle noted that it scored below a 4 but it could be included in the public survey. Mr. Stein noted it came with a concrete column. Mr. Thurkettle said the description was “it depicts a chimpanzee having caught a fish out of the water” and is “playful.” Chair Greer noted the piece was kinetic. Commissioner George asked if the sculpture Big Bang had sharp edges. Mr. Stein said that it probably did not. Guest Juror Peterson explained he looked into the piece Chimpish and found that the piece is about a “well-meaning monkey and fish struggling in the water after a typhoon.” The kind monkey “saves” the fish and puts it on dry land. Mr. Stein said that there was more of an edge on Ray Katz’s Big Bang than on his other works in past phases. Someone could climb it and possibly hurt themselves. Commissioner George noted that as a mother she always sees ways children could hurt themselves. Mr. Stein said Mr. Katz had two works previously exhibited by Newport Beach. Vice Chair Little mentioned that there are several artists like Ray Katz and Patricia Vader who have submitted pieces and that some are too similar to previously exhibited works. Mr. Thurkettle added that Patricia Vader’s piece in Phase V, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, is a striking red. He mentioned that, during Phase VI, they discussed Eve by Joe Forrest Sackett. Even though the CAC loved it, they felt it was too like his other works and Patricia Vader’s due to the bright red color. It did not make the cut for reasons having nothing to do with its quality, but rather the diversity of the exhibition. Patricia Vader’s submitted work, Take Heart, is showing the same shade of red again. Mr. Stein asked if there were concerns about sharp edges on Eve. Vice Chair Little said that it looked more finished. Chair Greer noted that Dude Ascending was not sharp. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 8 Vice Chair Little liked the piece. Chair Greer indicated the CAC loved it in the prior phase. It reminded her of the production Hair. Mr. Stein asked if there were any more mercy pleas. Hearing none, he asked if Patricia Vader was over exposed due to her three exhibitions. She is very popular, but this work may be too similar to others. Chair Greer asked if anyone looked at the YouTube to see the kinetic features as suggested by Mr. Thurkettle as she had not had the chance to do so. Mr. Thurkettle said that the video was linked in SlideRoom and could be accessed under comments. The other work was Ray Katz’s Big Bang, as he has been exhibited twice before and his works are very similar. Chair Greer asked if anyone was making an impassioned plea about the work and mentioned that the community loves kinetic pieces. Mr. Stein confirmed that he was not hearing a desire to remove the piece. Mr. Stein asked for thoughts on the Ray Katz’s work which is tied for 12th. They have had other pieces that are similar and the edge at the top might be sharp. In response to a question, he explained that Ray Katz’s work generally are on pick points on concrete footings. Mr. Thurkettle said that they had to assume that the way the artist presented it would be the way he wanted it exhibited. Mr. Stein said that there was a safety concern on Big Bang and that it should be removed. The other two with safety issues were Alex G’s To the Moon, which is about 7 feet tall, and Eve by Joe Forrest Sackett. Vice Chair Little said that just about any piece could have potential safety issues. To some degree parents must be responsible with their children. She understood it was a liability issue but noted the considerable signage. Mr. Stein said that some of the pieces are an issue due to height. He asked Library Services Director Hetherton for his thoughts on the possible sharp edges and how City Council would view the piece. Library Services Director Hetherton did not think Eve was as potentially dangerous as other works. He thought it was like Dude Ascending and people did not seem to climb that. He mentioned other installed pieces which seemed more dangerous. The truth is that if someone tried they could climb just about all the pieces. There are “please do not climb” signs on all the plaques and the public is expected to follow the rules. Mr. Thurkettle recalled that the strongest safety concern they have had in previous phases was related to the piece that suggested the shape of a ship and had a long pole which stuck out and might be dangerous if someone simply tripped. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 9 Mr. Stein said that it sounded that there was not a significant enough concern to exclude Eve for safety reasons. He asked about To the Moon. Vice Chair Little thought it was too high for a child to reach. Mr. Stein said it was probably 4.5 feet to the bottom of the crescent. Library Services Director Hetherton said that to get hurt on To the Moon, it would have to be climbed. He believed some people will do so for a selfie, but nobody would get accidently or randomly hurt by the piece. Chair Greer called for the public comment. Jim Mosher, resident, thanked the CAC for hearing his comments so that he could leave the meeting to attend the meeting of the Planning Commission. He appreciated the exercise they were doing and noted that it was similar to, but not the same as the approach taken in prior phases. He reminded the CAC that the sequence was reversed for this phase because the City Council wanted the public to make the choices. He thought it was important to reduce the list to a reasonable number of choices and to ensure that there was variety; however, he looked at prior phases and noticed that in Phase VI one of the public’s top 10 choices was ranked 31 by the jury. Had the list been reduced to 20 or so, the public’s favorite would not have been included. In 2020, they did the public survey for the first time and there was some suspicion of gaming the vote, but several works from the top 10 were ranked 28, 30, 42, and 47 by the jury. He cautioned them against eliminating too many works and thought that voters would likely be previous visitors to the Sculpture Garden. If voters want another Ray Katz sculpture, then whether that is artistically good or not that should be considered per Council direction. Chair Greer asked Mr. Mosher if he strongly felt the CAC should not eliminate Mr. Katz’s work. Mr. Mosher thought that Council’s direction was for people to be able to choose what they want in the next phase. Personally, he wanted variety, but if voters want more of the same pieces then the Council wants them to be able to vote for that. Therefore, the works have to be included to give people a chance unless the jury finds they have no artistic merit. Chair Greer thanked Mr. Mosher for his comments. She closed the public comment. Commissioner McNulty asked how many people vote. Mr. Thurkettle explained that in past phases there were as many as 1,000 votes. Once the votes were looked at for eligibility and checked for suspicious voting patterns it came to between 400 and 500 valid votes restricted to Orange County residents. Per the prior CAC meeting they are narrowing the field further to Newport Beach residents only by Council direction. It was hard to anticipate how many votes will come in. there is a more aggressive marketing strategy in place this phase to increase participation. Chair Greer thought that in the last phase they had about 1,800 responses. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 10 Mr. Thurkettle stated that voters were allowed to select three pieces. He felt that was still a good way to move forward allowing voters three selections. Mr. Stein said that he did bring up whether Ray Katz’s work should be included based on his having been exhibited twice, but there was also a safety issue. Vice Chair Little thought it possible that Mr. Mosher had not picked up on that. The work was eliminated for a safety concern and not because of its similarity to other pieces. Chair Greer said that they try to aim for variety in the exhibition, but last time they selected Hurricane due to local passion and sentiment. The jury felt it was timely to include the piece based on the subject matter. She suggested asking the judges if they should eliminate based on safety. Commissioner George was concerned with the piece’s safety. Commissioner McNulty had no comment. Vice Chair Little said that, based on the other pieces by the artist, she did not see safety concerns. She did not give it a top score, but she did not have a safety concern. Library Services Director Hetherton would have told the CAC if someone had gotten hurt on one of the other pieces. Commissioner McNulty felt like Vice Chair Little. She liked the piece but thought it too similar to other exhibited works. Secretary Flanagan saw a safety issue with children. Chair Greer received confirmation that the piece was 8.5 feet tall. She was fine eliminating it. Mr. Stein had no doubt Ray Katz would submit in future phases as a very active and popular sculptor. Chair Greer thought the quality of his work was amazing and that they had appreciated all his other works. Mr. Stein said that there was a strong consensus that Spider Clan Totem had a lot of sharp edges. Chair Greer asked if it was in a median and noted that may have kept children from it. She thought they should exclude it for safety reasons. Vice Chair Little thought that was probably the most dangerous piece that was submitted. Mr. Stein confirmed that the jury was fine with Eve. He asked about the Alex G To the Moon piece. Chair Greer liked that the work is very different, and that Alex G’s work is always of good quality. The materials used have proven to be durable in the exhibition. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 11 Vice Chair Little said that it was a beautiful piece and quickly polled the jury. Mr. Stein confirmed that To the Moon would be included. He then confirmed that the Patricia Vader piece was different enough from her prior works to be included. He further confirmed interest in Chimpish. Vice Chair Little said it was an interesting piece which would be loved by children. Mr. Thurkettle thought it was worthy of being included on that basis. Vice Chair Little said that sometimes it is good to have a whimsical piece. She cited Popsicles as an example. Chair Greer requested they show the Chimpish slide again. The way it is painted engages the viewer in a friendly way. She also loved the fact that it is kinetic and moves in the wind. The public can decide what they want. Vice Chair Little asked if it was attached to the column and suggested that they not use it. Mr. Stein explained the column was necessary and part of the intended gaudiness. Guest Juror Peterson said that the piece reminded him of Michael Jackson’s monkey. Mr. Stein mentioned the Michael Jackson monkey statute by Jeff Koons. Chair Greer thought the work should be included in the public survey. Mr. Stein said that there were 24 works that scored above four, which is where they have discussed cutting off the entries. When you subtract the safety issues and add in Chimpish, there is a field of 23 works. That is over half the field that is being passed along to the public. Chair Greer asked for Library Services Director Hetherton’s opinion on offering 23 out of 43 submissions. Library Services Director Hetherton thought it was fine and explained that he had an idea for the CAC to entertain. If they wanted to make the pool of pieces broader they could mark pieces as a “Commissioner’s choice” and add them to the offering. Mr. Stein thought that Commissioner George wanted to advocate for Steven Rieman’s piece. Chair Greer said that it was Commissioner McNulty. Commissioner McNulty said that she found the work interesting, but that her favorite piece was the eagle sculpture, Prey. Mr. Stein reminded the CAC that they had previously shown Chairman of the Board and Finish Line. So that would be three works by one artist. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 12 Chair Greer stated that Finish Line was by another artist. Guest Juror Peterson asked if Chairman of the Board would be removed. Chair Greer said that she thought it would be moved prior to the installation of Phase VII. Library Services Director Hetherton said that while the works were by the same artist, the newly submitted piece is different from the prior two. Vice Chair Little said that the piece was very different from his past works. Chair Greer said that the way the work was presented is a little busy. She would have liked to see it with less drought tolerant landscape. Commissioner McNulty appreciated how it cast shadows. Chair Greer said that the piece Man & Woman of Steel by Steven L. Rieman had the potential to engage the public as it reminded her of Legos. It also reminded her of the Terminator movie. Mr. Thurkettle said that they were bringing it up because it was not included in the field as a score of 4 or higher, but Commissioner Simon scored it as a 7. Commissioner McNulty thought the work provided for a good selfie picture. Mr. Stein said that One of Us was scored highly. Mr. Thurkettle explained the piece was a small mermaid. Consensus of the group was that the piece was too small to be included. Mr. Stein said that Janis was scored highly by Commissioner Simon. Mr. Thurkettle stated that he had scored it a 7. Chair Greer said that she revisited the piece and wished it were a bit larger. She did not think that they would ever see the light on it. She stated it would be like Burnt Matchstick and never light up. Several people noted that the piece looked better when lit. Chair Greer said it would be impressive if it were a lit piece. Mr. Thurkettle said that May Sun gave a 7 to Cole Sternberg’s piece, which was previously discussed. She also gave a 7 to Brittany Brush’s work, which was not scored highly enough to be included. Ms. Sun did not realize the work was the size of a football field. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 13 Chair Greer said that it was no less than 50 yards of a football field. Ms. Sun explained she liked the concept. Mr. Stein thought the concept was great. Chair Greer said the concept was amazing. Mr. Stein explained he wanted to honor the 7s given by discussing them quickly. Ms. Sun wanted to discuss the eliminated Craig Gray piece. She thought it was interesting that he was going to include authors on the piece. Vice Chair Little shared Ms. Sun’s thoughts and liked that the piece was a bench. Many people talk about how there is not enough seating in Civic Center Park. She gave the work a 7 even though it was ineligible. She appreciated how the titles could honor authors and the work is utilitarian and can be sat on. Chair Greer did like the piece and thought she scored it high. If the author is willing to do other titles that may help. She could see someone in the City wanting to buy the piece and maybe donate it. It’s ideally designed. Vice Chair Greer hoped someone would want to buy it and donate it to the library. Mr. Thurkettle stated that the listed purchase price was $15,000. Mr. Stein said that it was made of a durable material compared to the artist’s other work. Commissioner George stated that it was mass produced and not very unique. Mr. Stein said that when Mr. Gray came to pick up Slices of Heaven, he had another one in the truck which he was taking to another location in Orange County. Mr. Thurkettle indicated that when he submitted Sweethearts in Phase VI, they noted that there were different words carved on the hearts and realized that there are multiple versions with custom messages. That is like what he proposed with Phase VII. Mr. Stein said it was one thing for an artist to have a recognizable style and another to have a rubber stamp approach. He initially thought the piece was very interesting and understood its appeal. It is up to the jury if they want to make the exception and include the piece. Mr. Thurkettle explained that Newport Beach could choose the authors. The works are individually made, and he started to explain the materials used. Mr. Joe Lewis, consultant for Arts OC, said Craig Gray did stucco on plaster and concrete and that the piece submitted was not painted. His works in previous phases, Slices and Popsicles, were cracked and paint-chipped when they showed up. The artist touched them up. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 14 Vice Chair Little said the submitted work looked professional. Mr. Stein noted that Mr. Thurkettle had to leave. Chair Greer and the jury thanked Mr. Thurkettle. Vice Chair Little asked what they meant by mass produced and how many were made. Mr. Stein asked how many Mr. Gray made. Mr. Thurkettle thought he only made two or three. Chair Greer asked if he would stop making more if they included it. Mr. Stein said that they could get clarification on some of the questions. They need to make the decision if it would be included in the public survey or not. Secretary Flanagan thought the public would like the piece. Chair Greer said that the public should decide. Commissioner George asked if individuality was part of what they wanted in the sculpture garden. They just learned that he made an identical piece which went somewhere in Orange County. She did love the piece and scored it highly. Mr. Stein repeated that they could get clarification from the artist. If the artist is selective there could be a condition that he does not exhibit another one during the two year placement. There was consensus that was a good idea. Mr. Stein said that they would place that condition on it. Chair Greer said that if he was chosen and did not agree then they could move on. Mr. Stein said that if they have the public recommendations and they determine there’s an issue, which has happened in past phases, and that is why they include alternates. Of the top ranked works which scored above four, there were 24. Two works were eliminated for safety, Chimpish was added, and they were considering A Novel Idea. That brings the total to 24 works. That is exactly half the number of overall submissions. Vice Chair Little thought that was enough. Chair Greer asked for Library Services Director Hetherton’s opinion. Guest Juror Peterson inquired about a piece which was omitted and described the sculpture. Mr. Stein confirmed he was speaking about “The Feather.” Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 15 Guest Juror Peterson said that, if they were allowing the bench by Mr. Gray, then that one should qualify as well. Mr. Stein pulled up a picture of Kirk Seese’s work Pluma Sculptura, aka “The Feather”. Vice Chair Little said that she liked it for being very colorful and nautical. Secretary Flanagan also appreciated the colors and rated the piece highly. Mr. Stein said that it was ranked over 4. Chair Greer asked if it mattered that the work was not finished at the time of submission. She asked if it was eligible or not. Mr. Stein said that it was not. He thought that was the issue. Chair Greer suggested that they tell the artist to resubmit the work. Vice Chair Little suggested that the artist could make the work in the interim and resubmit. Mr. Stein said that they do run into that problem with some artists because they do not have the storage to maintain an inventory. There are also sculptors who do not submit their works because they only work on commission. That’s one of the limitations of their rotating exhibition. Chair Greer said she was reviewing the list to see if they left anything out. Mr. Stein suggested they go through the list from the beginning to remind the jury of its selections. Commissioner George asked if they were implementing a Commissioner’s choice or something similar. Mr. Stein ran through the list and indicated if works were included or not. Vice Chair Little asked if they thought children would try to climb one of the pieces, Tanya Kovaleski’s Shall We Dance. She noted that it was made of wood and thought it was dangerous. Commissioner George thought children would swing on the piece. she asked how sturdy it was and how it would hold up. Mr. Stein said it looked like playground equipment but only weighed 70 to 80 pounds. The work might snap in a windstorm. They decided to eliminate the piece based on potential safety issues. He pulled up the work by Greg Mueller, Pathway Parabola, and explained that it was a concrete base install. He called for a final decision on Mr. Mueller’s piece. Chair Greer heard that the jury was in favor of the work. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 16 Mr. Stein returned to the list. He stated they would include A Novel Idea. In response to a question, he stated that Where Have All the Birds Gone? was included. There are now 25 pieces on the list for inclusion in the public survey. He explained that the next day they would pull the slides of the selected works and send them to the CAC. Mr. Thurkettle will work on prepping the survey. If there are any issues or mistakes he asked that they contact him. Chair Greer asked Library Services Director Hetherton if they needed a formal vote and learned that they needed a motion. Motion made by Chair Greer, seconded by Secretary Flanagan, and carried (5-0-0-2) to approve the inclusion of the 25 works listed below in the public survey per the confirmation of Arts OC. AYES: Greer, Little, Flanagan, George, McNulty NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Kaufman, Simon Got Juice by Landis, Stephen Where Have All the Birds Gone? by Elliot, Marguerite Archaeology of the Everyday, The by Burton, Tyler Cycles 3: Frogs, Bees & Birds, 2020 by Hassen, Peter David by Buck, Miggy Cross-Section by DeShong, Tim Prey by Ferguson, Lisa & Robert Introspection by Calderon, Rude Hoodoos by Benefiel, Joan Integration by Sterling-Randall, Jaydon TAKE HEART by Vader, Patricia Asteray by Beck, Nicole Pathway Parabola by Mueller, Greg To the Moon by G, Alex Eve by Sackett, Joe Forrest Cerberus by Babcock, Matt Endangered Fossils by Modrak, Judith Calling the Four Winds by Darkeem, Dennis-Redmoon Individuality n.2 by Panziera, Dominic & Garofalo, Daniela (ARTECLETTICA) Magic Birds by Susnea Litman, Adrian Tidal Axis by Hart, Tonya Chimpish by Gornushkin, Sergey Man & Woman of Steel by Rieman, Steven L. A Novel Idea by Gray, Craig Pluma Sculptura, aka "The Feather" by Seese, Kirk Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2021 Page 17 B. Monthly Reports 5. Newport Beach Art Exhibition Ad Hoc Subcommittee Commissioners Arlene Greer, Marie Little, and Maureen Flanagan Chair Greer announced that the call for artists is up and available on the Cultural Arts website. 6. Newport Beach Arts Foundation Liaison Commissioners Maureen Flanagan and Arlene Greer Secretary Flanagan reported that the Chair Juanita Holley resigned due to family health issues. Carmen Smith has returned as Chair. They discussed the Sunny Kim exhibition, which was very successful. Overall, it was a brief meeting. VII. CITY ARTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MATTERS WHICH MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION OR REPORT (NON-DISCUSSION ITEM) • Announcements: ° Library Services Director Hetherton explained that they placed ads advertising the public survey and would push it out through partner organizations as well. ° The public online survey ends January 10, 2022. • Future Agenda: ° Chair Greer proposed that timelines be set for the Sculpture Photo Contest and Student Art Exhibition. ° Library Services Director Hetherton will return with a report on the utility wraps when he has completed his research. ° Review all bands/performers at the January 13, 2022 CAC meeting, with the final band selection to be chosen at the February 10, 2022 CAC meeting. VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS None. ADJOURNMENT – 7:09 P.M. Approved by: Arlene Greer