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Item 5A AGENDA ITEM # 5A SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 ART IN PUBLIC PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA. WHO: THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH CULTURAL ARTS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHAT: PUBLIC ART HELPS DEFINE THE IDENTITY OF AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND REVEAL THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF ANY SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD. It has two very remarkable missions: To arouse thinking and to energize public space. PUBLIC ART can become a symbol of a city's maturity and express a positive sense of identity and values. It can make strangers talk, children ask questions and calm a hurried life. PUBLIC ART can provide a space for contemplation. It can also create a sense of community. PUBLIC ART may be painting, written word, or sculpture. It is sometimes literal, sometimes abstract, other times whimsical. It is specially created. The Cultural Arts and Recreation Advisory Committee plans to begin with having qualified artists paint unsightly utility boxes (telephone, cable boxes, possibly electrical boxes) and lift stations throughout the city, to turn old rusty boxes into pieces of art. In the future, we can possibly move on to the blank and dreary sides of buildings and walls in our city, into our parks. CARAC will encourage, enlist support of neighbors of the sites and assist in community participation which promotes public involvement in the arts. WHEN: Call for Artists will be advertised during the months of October - December 2010, or another reasonably near future time frame, and then indefinitely or until there are enough artists in reserve for future works of art. A standardized proposal application will be required as part of the submittal package. It shall include sufficient data upon which to properly evaluate the artist. Selection Standards: Artists will be chosen per a number of criteria such as: Artistic excellence, innovation and originality, the level of experience in doing this type of project, having a good understanding of the project and the ability to maintain the project. The artist will be asked to provide the art as a gift to the city. A full -color rendering of the artwork designed by the artist shall be submitted as part of each proposal. Another consideration will be whether the artist is a resident of or does business as an artist in Atlantic Beach but artists from outside of the city will be given full consideration. A further requirement shall be the execution of an appropriate contract related to the rights and duties of the parties involved in the creation, display, maintenance and ownership of the completed artwork. All artists will be Juried. The objective is to have at least two qualified artists for each project to be juried by members of CARAC, and if so mandated by the City Commission, further approval by the "City" of whomever that entity may be comprised at any point in time. The time frame for completion of a particular piece of work will be determined by a reasonable length of time and will be flexible depending on weather conditions during the process. AGENDA ITEM # 5A SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 • The target date to begin the first project is expected to be by end of November until beginning of January 2011 (depending on the length of time needed for approval from the utility companies). CARAC has decided that it would be prudent to request the City Commission to aid this process by contacting the authorized persons at the utility companies for their written permission to allow CARAC to proceed with the project at the chosen location. WHERE: The CARAC will recommend three locations to the City Commission for approval or will consider recommended sites by the Commission, whichever is appropriate. WHY: The beautification of our city of Atlantic Beach which has long been thought of by many as an artist's haven and will become again a thriving artists' town, as well as become a magnet for more artists. Economically: Public Art can attract more art galleries, sidewalk cafes, craft and gift stores of a higher caliber than the lesser preferred "beachy" gift shops; in other words: More commercial interest by and large. Further, it will encourage even more people who have that high desire to live in Atlantic Beach move forward in relocating to our fine city. Proven outcomes of the project in other cities are: Huge reduction in vandalism on `painted' assets Reduction in associated removal costs Improved appearance in local communities Positive feedback and support from all sections of the community Improved relationships between the city government and the community The paint suitable for outdoor display is to be provided by CARAC or paint may be donated by a private entity. The BENEFITS to the community are endless: A city that takes enough pride in its' citizens by giving something visibly beautiful to them will enhance these persons' sense of belonging to the city as a whole, not just a section of the city. Pride of ownership and a willingness to participate in more community activities, a reason to participate socially and an upturn in the level of interest and awareness in the city as a whole ... are what we can reasonably expect from this venture. Art lifts one's spirit, and is enjoyed by almost everyone, residents and out of town visitors alike. We want people from all over to know that Atlantic Beach is the City of the Arts in Northeast Florida. This Public Arts Project will be the sole responsibility of the Cultural Arts and Recreation Advisory Committee. CARAC Committee member Jolyn Johnson will manage the project and may enlist the aid of the other committee members.