Title
Recommendation to Consider Alternate Locations for the Dan Fontes Mural
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Public Art Commission
BACKGROUND
In June of 2018, the Public Art Commission (PAC) recommended a grant of $12,500 to artist Dan Fontes for creation of the Astro Mural, and in September of 2018, the City Council approved the grant along with other physical art grants. The planned artwork consists of a mural of the 1971 Gottlieb game entitled "Astro," depicting a vibrant large-scale pinball back glass. In the grant application, the artist proposed that the mural be located on the back of 1512 Webster Street (a privately owned building housing the Pacific Pinball Museum) facing the Webster Street public parking lot (see Exhibit 1 for the full proposal). The grant application included a letter from one of the owners of 1512 Webster Street stating his support for the project.
Since award of the grant in 2018, staff worked steadily with the artist and the owners of 1512 Webster Street to create and refine the agreements necessary to place the Astro Mural at the approved location. The proposed agreements required the property owners to insure and maintain the artwork during its lifetime and to provide the City an easement onto their property to provide access to the artwork.
During this time, Mr. Fontes worked diligently with City staff to revise and finalize the contracts, including the purchase and holding of appropriate insurance and a City of Alameda business license. Mr. Fontes also met with the Building Official to discuss permitting for the mural.
In November of 2019, the property owners notified City staff that they no longer wished to proceed with the mural project. They declined to state a reason.
In December of 2019, staff, in consultation with Mr. Fontes, recommended to the PAC that the mural be relocated to McKinley Park. By locating the mural in a public park, the City of Alameda would take on the responsibility of insuring and ...
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