Item 5.a.iv Selection Process Recommendation for the Brush Square Art in Public Places Project — original pdf

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Brush Square AIPP Project Selection Process Recommendation M A R J O R I E F L A N A G A N , A I P P S TA F F Brush Square Background 2 Reminder: What’s happening at Brush Square? Project scope includes: Possible artwork locations new walkways event lawn low walls raised decking Lighting Benches Landscaping There will also be updates for improved sightlines, parking, raingardens and storm water treatment areas. The Rehabilitation project aims to revitalize the green space behind the museums to reimagine the public space for cultural and recreational activities 1. ½ wall behind lawn 2. Either side of SE entrance 3. Near O Henry Museum in garden 4. Ground plane/sidewalk Final art location determined by artist in collaboration with community and City stakeholders 3 engages the unique history of the adjacent museums and heritage of the site as a railway; Project Goals Integrates with the beauty and nature of the surrounding oak trees; Community feedback for the goals and locations was gathered via virtual meeting on 4/20/21 and revised/approved on 4/21/21. Artist Budget: $60,000 Weaves together stories from a variety of nearby events including the pun-off, music festivals and tourist attractions; Contributes to the depth and breadth of the City of Austin's art collection; and Is physically and conceptually accessible by visitors of all ages to the park. Open Call Eligibility • Eligible: Professional visual artists or artist teams; at least 18 years of age; live in the 7-county Austin metropolitan area Demographics Brush Sq Applicants (10 applicants and 16 unique responses) Applicants % • Excludes: Full-time, permanent City of Austin employees; employees of the project consultants and sub-consultants; artists under an active AIPP contract Selection Process • RFQ open for 6 weeks; submissions via PublicArtist.org •3-person jury and advisors select 3-5 finalists for interviews; recommend 1 artist or artist team and 1 alternate •Approval by AIPP Panel and Arts Commission •Selected artist or artist team is engaged in a design + commission contract with AIPP Jury Voting Jurors: Ja'nell Ajani, Visual Arts professional and Doctoral Candidate Suzanne Wyss, Visual Artist Rehab El Sadek, Visual Artist Herlinda Zamora, Brush Square Museum Project Advisors: Scott Sinn, Project Manager, Parks and Recreation Dept. Lulu Flores, District 9 Arts Commissioner Joel Nolan, Art in Public Places Panel Project Liaison Ted Eubanks, Historian Hispanic Black Asian Middle Eastern Native American White Other ​ Unknown Male Female Gender Queer Trans Gender Unknown LGBTQIA 4 2 1 1 0 7 1 ​0 5 7 1 1 2 1 40% 13% 6% 6% 43% 6% 31% 43% 6% 6% 13% 6% Brush Square George Sabra Selection Panel Comments:​ R E C O M M E N D E D A R T I S T George’s ability to tell stories through materials is exciting. I find his use of repurposed materials within the context of downtown work could provide a new kind public art experience in downtown Austin. The majority of jurors and advisors were in favor of Mr. Sabra. The artist met the qualifications for the actual project. George expressed that he likes to engage the community when creating his work and I think that is going to be very important for the Brush Square area. His work is very playful and yet he talks about serious issues such as global issues, civic, social and environment justice issues, which are all relevant today. He is familiar with Brush Square since he has exhibited in the space during SXSW. He has experience with scale and construction. His use of recycled materials would be unique to the area since most of the visitors at Brush Square Museums are national and international guests. Artist George Sabra is the best artist for this project— I appreciate that he uses repurposed material and the scale he works at is site-appropriate. Selection Process Recommendations Budget: $60,000 Brush Square Melissa Borrell Selection Panel Comments:​ R E C O M M E N D E D A L T E R N A T E Melissa's work is exciting and engaging! I'm excited to see what she will do in the future! Melissa’s work is elegant and could add a nice element to the park. Melissa has extensive experience with public art projects and gallery exhibits. She has worked with diverse communities and mentioned that she was very interested in the history of Brush Square's history. She really seems to listen to her clients when working on a project and looking at the environment. Some of the work she has created is interactive, playful, and colorful. Artist Melissa Borrell does fantastic work, I like her use of playful color combinations. Selection Process Recommendations Budget: $60,000 What’s next for AIPP and Brush Square? Gather community voices Draft project goals & prospectus Approval by Waller Creek LGC: August Approval of prospectus by AIPP Panel and Arts Commission: October RFQ issued/Select Artist: January/March •Approval of artist selection by AIPP Panel, Arts Commission: June •Artist on board: July •Park under construction in 2022 •Artwork installed TBD 8