Item 29 - Review of Art in Public Places

[Natalie Deller]

On behalf of Council Member Qadri:

Colleagues,

I am proud to bring forward Item 29 at tomorrow’s City Council meeting. This item initiates review and revisions of the Art in Public Places ordinance that allows us to solicit and celebrate public art across the City. My motivation to set these revisions into action is a direct result of the January 30th council action to deaccess several pieces of public artwork. Since that vote, my office worked with advocates and City staff to ensure that the scope of review strengthens this ordinance and explores various external and internal resources available to our creative community.

It is unfortunate that this resolution is unable to aid the ongoing efforts made by Mr. John Yancey and advocates to save his work, Riffs and Rhythms, post-deaccession, but I am hopeful that by bolstering City support through revisions to the AIPP ordinance, we can avoid putting any artist in this situation again.

The intent of the resolution is to address the following:

- Include public-private partnership capital projects, while exempting affordable housing costs, where applicable, and providing a process for alternative compliance that meets or exceeds City standards
- Include a review of public art requirements in other private development regulations and programs, including but not limited to planned unit developments, density bonus programs, and Cultural Districts
- Allow flexibility for the use of funds for maintenance, relocation; conservation, storage, deaccession and re-installation of artwork
- Allow greater flexibility for the use of funds in the nearby vicinity of projects, or in any publicly accessible or visible areas of properties owned by the City, if it improves public visibility and engagement. For the purposes of this policy, City-owned property includes sites secured through long term easements or controlled by local government corporations including, but not limited to, the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, Austin Public Facility Corporation, and Austin Housing Public Facility Corporation
- Allow the solicitation of curatorial services as a delivery model for major projects
- Further address potential obstacles to local participation by artists and fabricators

AIPP IFC Version 3 Link: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 152535.pdf

I am inviting all of my colleagues to join as co-sponsors and I look forward to passing this item!

Best
Zo

[Jose Chito Vela]

Thank you, Council Member Qadri, for your leadership on this important part of our city's amazing culture and our local economy. Your resolution addresses a number of issues that I know many of us on the Council have been focused on, and I believe shifting our model of funding Art in Public Places follows similar practices that have been adopted in other cities with success. Ensuring that the artists that contribute to our culture have a full understanding of their relationship with the city is both just and a good practice. I would be honored to cosponsor this resolution.

Saludos,
Chito