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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/04/2026 - Meeting Minutes ERIN MENDENHALL 31't DEPARTMENT of COMMUNITY Mayor and NEIGHBORHOODS TAMMY HUNSAKER Director Salt Lake Art Design Board Meeting Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 5:00 - 6:30pin PRESENT: Nate King Tiffini Porter Colour Maisch Amanda Stewart Michelle Buhler Michael Mejia Wisam Khudhair STAFF MEMBERS: Felicia Baca, Executive Director,Arts Council Laurel Cannon-Alder, Deputy Director,Arts Council Renato Olmedo-Gonzalez, Public Art Program Manager,Arts Council EXCUSED: N/A GUESTS: DJ Smith, Community Stakeholder for"A New Mural for Out of the Blue"public art project Brian Heath, Community Stakeholder for"A New Mural for Out of the Blue"public art project Mission: To amplify art in Salt Lake City to enrich, enhance, and build a dynamic city where art and artists thrive. AGENDA I. Call to Order and Welcome Ms. Colour Maisch King welcomed everyone and read the mission and vision of the Art Design Board. Mr. Renato Olmedo-Gonzalez had everyone in attendance introduce themselves. II. Approval of January 71h, 2026 meeting minutes Mr. Maisch made a motion to approve the January 7, 2026 meeting minutes, Ms. Michelle Buhler seconded the motion, all members in attendance voted in favor. III. A New Mural for Out of the Blue (2026)public art project Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez presented an overview of A New Mural for Out of the Blue (2026)public art project. The Board will be reviewing artist applications and qualifications for this commission. This project began two years ago when the Public Art Program started planning how it wanted to commission a new mural for the Out of the Blue sculpture by Stephen Kesler. The current mural is titled Point of Reference and it was made by Mike Murdock. An extensive public engagement process for the new mural was conducted during summer 2025, generating more than 1,700 survey responses that directly shaped the Call for Artists and the proposal requirements. Because of the hyper-local 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 nature of the artwork and strong community input regarding it, eligibility was limited to artists living in Salt Lake County, with proof of address required. The Out of the Blue sculpture was commissioned in 2019 and installed in 2022 at the roundabout where Harvey Milk Boulevard, 1100 East, and Gilmer Drive meet along 900 South on the Nine Line Corridor. It has become a recognizable landmark representing Salt Lake City's progressive and unique identity. From the outset of the original commission, the Salt Lake Art Design Board requested the sculpture to include a mural surface so the artwork could evolve alongside the changing neighborhood; the mural is refreshed every three to five years. The new mural will be created by a Salt Lake County—based artist or team and must reflect survey insights and community values. Project goals include celebrating the 9th& 9th neighborhood's eclectic character, evoking curiosity and joy, and engaging viewers from all angles while meeting high artistic, safety, and maintenance standards. The commission budget is $12,500 and covers all artist costs, including a 10% contingency, with Salt Lake City providing equipment access and an anti- graffiti coating to support installation and long-term care. The Board will select three finalists to advance to the proposal development phase. In addition to 2D renderings, finalists will be asked to paint a 3D model of the sculpture, which was provided by Mr. Kesler. The Public Art Program will meet with the selected finalists on February 19th to provide guidance on proposal requirements and share design feedback, including considerations for translating each artist's style onto the surface of the sculpture. Final proposals must include 2D renderings, a written description of the artwork, a budget, a timeline for painting, and the painted 3D model. Finalists will present their proposals to the Art Design Board on May 6th, 2026, with a recommendation to the Mayor expected in May or June. The commissioned artist and artwork will be announced in the second half of the summer, with installation to follow shortly thereafter and a goal of completing the mural by September, or no later than October 2026. The Board also reviewed the artist qualifications, guiding the selection process. These include demonstrated professional experience with public art projects of similar scope and scale, the ability to meet deadlines and work within budget, and a willingness to collaborate with the Art Design Board and community stakeholders. Artists must show an understanding of a sense of place and context- sensitive design, along with a strong investment in or connection to the community involved. Additionally, artists should have a record of producing durable works that do not require excessive maintenance and that meet public safety, transportation, Salt Lake City, and Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) standards. Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez reviewed the shortlist of applicants, noting that the Public Art Program received 35 eligible qualifications from Salt Lake County—based artists, which were reviewed and scored by the Board and community stakeholders before the meeting, resulting in a shortlist of 12 artists categorized in green and yellow; the green category includes Trevor Dahl, the team of Matt Monsoon and Brooklyn Ottens, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Chuck Landvatter, and the team led by Jann Haworth, Liberty Blake, and Daisy Blake. The yellow category includes the team of Lizzie Wenger and Caro Nilsson, William Louis, Brooke Smart, Viamoana Niumeitolu, Jessie Thomas, Chuck Berrett, and Elisa Gomez. The Board and community stakeholders discussed the shortlisted artists, focusing first on Jiyoun Lee- Lodge. Ms. Tiffini Porter expressed interest in what Jiyoun Lee-Lodge might propose based on her Waterman painting series, while Ms. Maisch raised concerns about whether a more detailed mural would translate well compared to the current block-style design. Mr. Nate King questioned Jiyoun Lee-Lodge's experience working at this scale, and Mr. Michael Mejia responded that her past projects demonstrated she can work at this size and that her recognizable style would be compelling. Ms. Maisch seconded this view, and Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez noted that the Public Art Program could guide artists on design parameters and maintenance considerations, since detail could affect long-term upkeep. Discussion then turned to Jann Haworth's team. Ms. Porter and Ms. Maisch were curious about what such a well-known pop artist might propose, expecting something unconventional. Mr. Bryant Heath praised Jann Haworth's letter of interest, saying it showed a strong understanding of both the sculpture and the surrounding neighborhood, and agreed that her team could create an innovative proposal. Mr. DJ Smith, Mr. King, and Ms. Buhler also spoke positively about Jann Haworth's team. Mr. Mejia highlighted the social engagement aspect of her work, which he felt suited the neighborhood where the sculpture is located, and Ms. Stewart agreed. Several members identified Trevor Dahl as a standout. Ms. Amanda Stewart said his work reminded her of Mike Murdock's style, though she noted similarities between Trevor Dahl and Brooke Smart. Trevor Dahl received the highest score overall, and Ms. Porter described his style as warm and playful, expressing interest in his proposal. Mr. Heath referred to his work as quirky and imagined his doodle-like imagery translating well onto the sculpture. The Board also discussed the team of Matt Monsoon and Brooklyn Ottens, with Ms. Porter observing similarities between Monsoon's style and the current mural, and Mr. King noting Monsoon's experience with three-dimensional artworks as a strength. The Board also discussed Chuck Landvatter. Mr. Heath struggled to envision how Landvatter's style would translate onto the sculpture, while Ms. Buhler felt his use of perspective and movement could make for an interesting but unpredictable result. Ms. Maisch appreciated the contrast between blocky forms and detailed overlays in his work, and Mr. Mejia liked the interplay of photorealism and abstraction. Mr. Mejia further noted that Chuck Landvatter, Jann Haworth, and Trevor Dahl are all highly recognizable artists locally and that pairing an iconic sculpture with an iconic artist could be powerful. Mr. King also named Chuck Landvatter as a standout. When selecting finalists, Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez offered the option of choosing four instead of three, and the Board agreed. Safety concerns were raised by Mr. Smith about highly detailed proposals potentially distracting pedestrians crossing the roundabout. Mr. Wisam Khudhair advocated for Viamoana Niumeitolu, citing her strong letter of interest and connection to themes of water and whales, while Mr. King appreciated her background as a poet and storyteller. Mr. Heath expressed appreciation for William Louis's letter of interest and his work, highlighting his connection to Polynesian culture and its association with water and whales. The Board agreed to select Jann Haworth's team and Chuck Landvatter as finalists, with Mr. Mejia recommending Jiyoun Lee-Lodge and William Louis to complete the group, while Mr. Khudhair advocated for Viamoana Niumeitolu. The Board agreed to include Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, noting that her style differed from the others, and Mr. Olmedo-Gonzalez displayed Jann Haworth's team, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Chuck Landvatter, and William Louis as the top artists. Ms. Porter observed that no abstract artists had been selected and suggested discussing Trevor Dahl, Brooke Smart, and the team of Lizzie Wenger and Caro Nilsson. Ms. Maisch proposed replacing one finalist with a more abstract artist and expressed interest in Brooke Smart's visually distinct work, which Ms. Buhler also found unique, while Ms. Stewart noted similarities between Chuck Landvatter's and William Louis's styles and suggested replacing William Louis with Brooke Smart to increase stylistic diversity. Ms. Stewart made a motion to select Chuck Landvatter, Brooke Smart, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, and team of Jann Haworth, Liberty Blake, and Daisy Blake as finalists for"A New Mural for Out of the Blue" public art project. Mr. Khudhair seconded, all members in attendance voted in favor. IV. Public Comment One comment was received from a community member who was in attendance. "This was a very interesting discussion and process to see unfold. I have a question rather than a comment. I'm curious how a mid-career artist with no mural or other public art experience will break into the public art arena without completely starting over."The Public Art Program will follow up via email. V. Other Business/Adjourn The Public Art Program has been working closely with the commissioned artists for the "Unifying Artworks for Parks, Trails, and Open Spaces Bond Sites"public art project. Jason Manley's model has encountered some fabrication hurdles, and the Board will receive more updates on the final design of the sculpture once the Public Art Program has them. The"Fleet Block Open Space" RFQ is currently accepting applications and will close on February 17, 2026.An additional Art Design Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, to discuss the shortlist for this project. The Salt Lake City Arts Council made a special effort to reach out to nationwide contacts that could be suitable for this project.The Board will receive the applications for the 9-Line Trail towards the end of February and will be voting on the proposals at the March 4th, 2026 meeting. Finalists for"A Public Art Installation for Salt Lake City's West Side — 9-Line Trail" and "Fairmont Park and McClelland Shared Street" public art projects are currently developing their proposals. The Art Design Board meeting for July has officially been cancelled. Olafur Eliasson, one of the world's most famous artists,will be in town to debut his artwork,A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake. That will run from Thursday, March 26th,through Saturday,April 4th at Memory Grove. This is the final project for the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Wake the Great Salt Lake project. Ms. Stewart made a motion to close the meeting, and Ms. Maisch seconded.All Board members in attendance voted in favor.