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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/07/2026 - Meeting Materials ERIN MENDENHALL L DEPARTMENT of COMMUNITY Mayor � �9 and NEIGHBORHOODS Q' =x TAMMY HUNSAKER Director Salt Lake Art Design Board Meeting Wednesday,January 7th, 2026 5:00 - 6:30pm PRESENT: Nate King Tiffini Porter Colour Maisch Amanda Stewart Michelle Buhler STAFF MEMBERS: Felicia Baca, Executive Director,Arts Council Laurel Cannon-Alder, Deputy Director,Arts Council Renato Olmedo-Gonzalez, Public Art Program Manager,Arts Council Amy Childress, Public Art Program Coordinator,Arts Council EXCUSED: Wisam Khudhair, Michael Mejia GUESTS: Kira Johnson, Public Land Planner, SLC Public Lands Susan Lundmark,Transportation Planner, SLC Transportation Laurie Bray, Sugar House Community Council and Community Stakeholder for Fairmont Park and McClelland Shared Street Mission: To amplify art in Salt Lake City to enrich, enhance, and build a dynamic city where art and artists thrive. I. Call to Order and Welcome Mr. Nate King welcomed everyone and read the mission and vision of the Art Design Board. II. Approval of December loth, 2025, meeting minutes Mr. King made a motion to approve the December loth, 2025, meeting minutes, and Ms. Tiffini Porter seconded.All members in attendance voted in favor. III. Fairmont Park&McClelland Shared Street RFQ Mr. Renato Olmedo-Gonzalez had everyone in attendance introduce themselves.After introductions, he gave an overview of the Fairmont Park and McClelland Shared Street public art project. During this meeting, the Board will select three finalists to develop proposals for the project. Fairmont Park, located in the Sugar House neighborhood, is currently undergoing improvements led by the Public Lands Department.Adjacent to the park, McClelland Shared Street was upgraded in 2023 by the Transportation Division. The goal of this public art project is to unify these two sites through an integrated artwork extending from Fairmont Park along McClelland Shared Street to 2100 South. Transportation identified remaining CIP funds for the McClelland Shared Street project and allocated $9o,000 toward the public art component along the corridor. SALT LAKE CITY CORPORATION 451 SOUTH STATE STREET,ROOM 404 WWW.SLC.GOV P.O.BOX 145460,SALT LAKE CITY,UTAH 84114-5460 TEL 801.535.6230 Ms. Kira Johnson, Project Manager and Planner for the Public Lands Department, presented an overview of the Fairmont Park improvements,which are funded through a mixture of funds that include the Parks,Trails, and Open Space General Obligation (GO) Bond and CIP. She described extensive community engagement efforts focused on how residents use and value the park, as well as concerns related to safety. The Public Art Program collaborated closely with Public Lands and incorporated public art—related questions into their community engagement survey to ensure alignment between park improvements and artistic goals. Three design concepts of the park were shared with the community, each representing varying degrees of change.A final concept,which has not yet been publicly released,blends elements of all three. Ms. Susan Lundmark,Transportation Planner for the Transportation Division, reviewed the McClelland Shared Street project, noting that it transformed the corridor into a low-speed, people-centered environment in 2023.Artwork for McClelland may be installed as soon as the artist is ready, and the artist does not need to wait for Fairmont Park's completion. Community- informed themes for the corridor include curiosity, movement, and discovery. Multiple locations, such as bulb-outs and parking areas,were identified for potential art interventions, including surface murals,with an emphasis on using durable,high-quality materials that can withstand at least five years of wear and maintenance demands. The Board and stakeholders reviewed the Artwork Goals for the Fairmont Park and McClelland Shared Street project.The goals emphasize enhancing placemaking and strengthening neighborhood identity by creating a clear connection between the two sites.Additional objectives include fostering inclusive and accessible experiences, encouraging engagement and exploration, and ensuring the artwork integrates thoughtfully with existing and planned park and street features. The Artwork Goals also call for a distributed approach across multiple sites, celebration of the natural environment and sustainability, long-term durability and safety, and a cohesive vision that unifies both locations while respecting their distinct characters. Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez presented the project budget, noting that the total commission award is $230,000, combining Percent-for-Art and Transportation CIP funds. Of this amount, $go,000 is dedicated specifically to the McClelland Shared Street portion of the project, and finalist proposals must demonstrate this allocation. The commission is limited to one award per artist or artist-led team and is inclusive of all artist-related costs, including materials, fabrication,labor, insurance,transportation, installation, travel, and engineering.Artists are required to include a minimum io% contingency in their project budget. Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez further explained that the commission is not tied to a single, unified larger City project but instead connects two sites with different implementation timelines. For Fairmont Park, artwork concepts will be integrated into the park's final construction documents, and some structural components, such as footings or foundations, may be included within the park's construction scope. For McClelland Shared Street, construction is already complete, and the selected artist or team will be responsible for all site preparation, permitting, installation, and any infrastructure modifications needed to integrate artwork across multiple small locations. Insurance requirements and the project schedule were also reviewed. Finalists will present their proposals to the Salt Lake Art Design Board and stakeholders on Wednesday,April 1, 2026. Each finalist will receive a stipend of$2,300 for proposal development and presentation. 2 The Board and stakeholders also reviewed the Artwork Qualifications. Selection will be based on demonstrated professional experience with site-specific public art projects of similar scope and scale, an ability to respond sensitively to a sense of place, and experience creating permanent works requiring minimal maintenance.Additional qualifications include the ability to address site-specific conditions and project requirements across both sites, a strong conceptual or material approach that invites curiosity and reflection, and an artistic process that reflects thoughtful engagement with ideas, places, or communities. Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez went over each artist on the shortlist. The shortlist includes 12 artists, color-coded: the top five in green, followed by seven in yellow. The green artists include Tooza Design, Day Christensen and Brook Robertson, Brooke Smart and Jeremy Morgan, Heath Satow, and Salt Design Labs (Joy Dutta and Amitava Sinha Ray). The yellow artists include Jiyoun Lee-Lodge and Scout Invie, Steven Cornell and Shalae Larsen, Lenka Konopasek, Trevor Dahl and Garth Franklin, Matt Monsoon, Dan Gerhart, and Moana Love. The Board discussed the shortlisted artists and reviewed which candidates have previously been commissioned by the Salt Lake City Public Art Program. Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez noted that Tooza Design has not been recently commissioned but has several works in the City's collection, as do Day Christensen and Brook Robertson. Brooke Smart and Jeremy Morgan, Heath Satow, and Salt Design Labs do not currently have artworks in the City collection. Ms. Felicia reminded the Board that while supporting new artists is a programmatic goal, it is not a requirement for this project. Board members shared perspectives on the strengths of the shortlisted artists. Ms. Colour Maisch observed that Tooza Design and Heath Satow frequently apply and appear well-suited to this project, and that although Day Christensen has many works in the collection, he consistently interprets calls effectively. She also noted that Brooke Smart and Jeremy Morgan offer a contrasting aesthetic. Ms. Laurie Bray highlighted Tooza Design's work at the Taylorsville Performing Arts Center and its strong historical interpretation,while expressing interest in seeing a new artistic direction rather than another traditional approach. She also commented positively on Moana Love's work. Ms. Porter raised concerns about Moana Love's level of experience, and the challenges artists may face working within the project budget. Further discussion focused on Brooke Smart and Jeremy Morgan. Ms. Stewart noted that Jeremy Morgan is a licensed architect with a master's degree in sculpture and that the team uses materials in innovative ways. Ms. Bray referenced Brooke Smart's mural at Delvie's Plastics as particularly distinctive due to its incorporation of plastic objects. Ms. Buhler stated that the team's work stood out for its playful,whimsical qualities and use of movement, aligning with the project's artwork goals. Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez added that Tooza Design and Heath Satow share a similar aesthetic,while Day Christensen is highly adaptable to site-specific projects. Ms. Porter expressed interest in Day Christensen's collaboration with Brook Robertson and the potential influence of that partnership, resulting in a unique artwork for this project. Ms. Porter proposed selecting Tooza Design, Day Christensen and Brook Robertson, and Brooke Smart and Jeremy Morgan as the top three finalists, noting their varied aesthetics, content, and experience. Other Board members expressed general support for this group.A straw poll of both Board members and project stakeholders was conducted at Ms. Maisch's request; Ms. Bray and Ms. Johnson did not support the selection of Day Christensen and Brook Robertson due to the 3 concentration of Christensen's work in the Sugar House neighborhood. Despite these concerns, the straw poll did not alter the Board's final selection of the top three finalists. Ms. Maisch made a motion to select Tooza, Design, Day Christensen and Brook Robertson, and Brooke Smart and Jeremy Morgan as finalists for the Fairmont Park and McClelland Shared Street public art project. IV. Public Comment No public comment was received. V. Other Business/Adjourn The Public Art Program provided updates on upcoming and active projects.The Fleet Block Request for Qualifications will open on Thursday,January 15, 2026, and close on February 17, 2026, as a national call.The project will be implemented in two parts: a selected artist will create an anchor artwork and help guide the incorporation of work by local artists, reflecting community input requesting local artist participation.An information session is scheduled for Friday,January 23, 2026. Due to the full agenda for the March 4, 2026,Art Design Board meeting, an additional meeting will be held on March 11, 2026, to select finalists for the Fleet Block project. The July Art Design Board meeting will potentially be canceled.The Request for Qualifications for"A New Mural for Out of the Blue"closed on Friday,January 2, 2026,with 35 eligible applications received. The Board will review the submissions and discuss the shortlist at the February 4, 2026, meeting. Ms. Stewart made a motion to close the meeting, and Ms. Porter seconded.All Board members in attendance voted in favor. 4