Title
Recommend to City Council that Public Art Funds be used to repair and restore the Birth sculpture in an amount not to exceed $55,000
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Public Art Commission
BACKGROUND
In early 2020, a local conservationist contacted staff with concerns about the condition of the “Birth” sculpture, by artist Arthur Williams, located at 900 Atlantic Avenue (Exhibit 1). Birth is a painted steel sculpture, sitting approximately 9 feet from the ground on a concrete plinth.
After some research, staff determined that this artwork is owned by the City of Alameda, purchased (with the land it sits on) by the City in 1989 as part of a cooperation agreement with Alameda Real Estate Investments, the developer of the Marina Village Business Park (Exhibit 2: Ordinance 2418).
An initial inspection of the artwork by staff revealed areas of rust and disrepair, which suggested the need for a more thorough review by a conservationist.
In July of 2020, staff requested an evaluation of the artwork and an estimate for its repair from Conservation Strategies, the local artwork conservation firm that first brought the condition of the artwork to city staff’s attention. The report (Exhibit 3) suggests the need for substantial repairs to the artwork, with an estimated cost of $42,151 to $49,151. Staff contacted the artist, Arthur Williams, who reviewed the conservation report and expressed his approval of the recommendations included.
DISCUSSION
Staff recommends that the repair of this artwork be funded by the Public Art Fund (the Fund). The current available balance of the Fund is $308,374. The use of the Fund for maintenance and conservation purposes will need an amendment to the Public Art Ordinance and also Council approval of the use of the fund for this particular repair. If use of the fund for this purpose is approved, staff would competitively bid the repair project.
Once the artwork has been repaired, recommended future maintenance includes regular cleaning using mild soap, water from a garden hose, and application of a cold paste wax. This maintenance will be completed as part of regular maintenance, and funded through the Marina Village Zone of the City’s Landscape and Lighting District.
If the Ordinance is not amended or funding for this particular project is not approved, staff may recommend the deaccession of the Birth sculpture in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements of the California Art Preservation Act (CAPA) and the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA). Under these laws, the deaccession process would include 1) notifying the artist of the intent to remove the artwork, and allowing him the opportunity to remove the artwork at his cost within a reasonable timeframe, and 2) providing public notice of the intent to remove the artwork, and allowing individuals or organizations the opportunity to remove the artwork at cost within a reasonable timeframe. If none of these efforts are successful, the artwork would be disposed of by the City. In this latter case staff would recommend that the Fund pay the costs of disposal of the artwork.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The repair of the Birth sculpture is categorically exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines, section 15301 Existing Facilities, which covers the repair and maintenance of existing public or private structures.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommend to City Council that Public Art Funds be used to repair and restore the Birth sculpture in an amount not to exceed $55,000.
Respectfully submitted,
Lois Butler, Economic Development Manager
By,
Amanda Gehrke, Development Manager
Exhibits:
1. Image and Location of the Birth Sculpture
2. Ordinance 2418
3. Birth Sculpture Conservation Assessment and Recommendations