Item 08 - Austin Convention Center Riffs and Rhythms mosaic preservation.pdf — original pdf

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10/21/24, 1:17 PM Mail - Varela, Jesus - Outlook Fw: Austin Convention Center: Riffs and Rhythms mosaic preservation From Zisman, Celina - BC <BC-Celina.Zisman@austintexas.gov> Date Mon 10/21/2024 12:26 PM Varela, Jesus <Jesus.Varela@austintexas.gov> Castillo, Jaime <Jaime.Castillo@austintexas.gov>; Schmalbach, Heidi - BC <BC- Heidi.Schmalbach@austintexas.gov>; Maldonado, Monica - BC <BC-Monica.Maldonado@austintexas.gov> This email will be discussed during item 8 tonight. Can you please add Mr. Yancey's email to our public back-up? Outlook To Cc Jesus, Thank you, Celina Zisman she/they Arts Commission D8, Chair Follow ATX Arts and Culture Commission News on Facebook Sign up for the Arts Commission Newsleer From: John Yancey <jayancey1@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 3:09 PM To: Harrison, Sean <Sean.Harrison@ausntexas.gov>; Nickerson, Carla <Carla.Nickerson@ausntexas.gov> Cc: Schmalbach, Heidi - BC <BC-Heidi.Schmalbach@ausntexas.gov>; Gray, Acia - BC <BC- Acia.Gray@ausntexas.gov>; Maldonado, Monica - BC <BC-Monica.Maldonado@ausntexas.gov>; Mok, Amy - BC <bc-Amy.Mok@ausntexas.gov>; Medicharla, Nagavalli - BC <BC-Nagavalli.Medicharla@ausntexas.gov>; Houston, Gina - BC <BC-Gina.Houston@ausntexas.gov>; Garza, Felipe - BC <BC-Felipe.Garza@ausntexas.gov>; Zisman, Celina - BC <BC-Celina.Zisman@ausntexas.gov>; Kracheni, Faiza - BC <BC- Faiza.Kracheni@ausntexas.gov>; Keys, Keyheira - BC <BC-Keyheira.Keys@ausntexas.gov> Subject: Ausn Convenon Center: Riffs and Rhythms mosaic preservaon   External Email - Exercise Caution October 16, 2024 Sean Harrison Art in Public Places Senior Coordinator/Collections Manager City of Austin Economic Development Department PO Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkAGQzZTAxYTc4LTQ4NmQtNDM0Yy05NTNkLTk0ZjJlNzRmNTAzMAAQACFaIj1oHGlIr9rLWgGiSY0%… 1/4 10/21/24, 1:17 PM Mail - Varela, Jesus - Outlook Carla Nickerson-Adams, Manager. Community Services Program Austin Convention Center Department 500 E. Cesar Chavez Street Austin, Texas 78701 Dear Mr. Harrison and Ms. Nickerson-Adams, I am writing to advocate strongly for the preservation of “Riffs and Rhythms”, the mosaic public art work installed at the Austin Convention Center. This was a major work commissioned by the City of Austin and Art in Public Places and was installed in the recently constructed convention center in 1996. The City of Austin accepted the work, “Riffs and Rhythms”, into the Art in Public Places permanent collection that same year. This is a special designation because it places works of civic and cultural importance under the protection and stewardship of a major city with the resources and responsibilities of a municipal government. It is a special distinction that recognizes that a work of art should have a permanent presence in a city and in the lives of its citizens and visitors. It acknowledges a responsibility for the art work. This responsibility is obviously more moral and ethical than legal because all public art contracts include clauses to protect and indemnify the city or government entity from legal harm in the event of loss due to a catastrophic or tragic occurrence that is beyond the control of the commissioning government entity. I do understand that. I have been creating commissioned public artworks for over forty years. However, in my opinion, that legal indemnity should not and does not release any city from their moral and ethical responsibilities as the stewards of important works of public art. Austin has prided itself as a city of cultural richness that values its art and artists as an integral and essential part of the very fabric of its identity and cultural ethos. It is incongruous with this image and identity to move forward with the apparent course of action regarding the handling of several major public art works in its permanent collection located at the Austin Convention Center. Wantonly taking a wrecking ball to a major public artwork like “Riffs and Rhythms” and then tossing its ruins into a dumpster like trash is nothing short of an act of cultural barbarism that is unworthy of our city. This is the fate that awaits “Riffs and Rhythms” if the recommendation of Art in Public Places and subsequent actions of the Arts Commission and City Council mandate that this unique and important work of art be willfully and deliberately destroyed during the coming demolition of the current Austin Convention Center. In the case of “Riffs and Rhythms” the term deaccession is simply a euphemism for what is in actuality willful destruction. I ask, if a piazza in an Italian city needed to be reconstructed, would the decision of that city be to chuck all the art in that piazza into the dumpster to make way for a remodeled piazza. Of course not, such an action would be unthinkable and considered a grossly uncivilized action that betrayed the city’s civic duty as the trusted stewards of its valued works of art. Another solution would certainly be found. I implore the City of Austin to support another solution in the case of “Riffs and Rhythms” and spare this major artwork from total destruction. While the option has been presented that invites artists to pay for the deinstallation and relocation of their artworks in the Austin Convention Center, this is an entirely unrealistic option, to put it mildly. To suggest that any individual artist has tens of thousands of dollars on hand to deinstall, ship, and relocate works of such size and complexity borders on the ludicrous and relects little understanding of the inancial reality of being an artist. Consequently, this cannot be https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkAGQzZTAxYTc4LTQ4NmQtNDM0Yy05NTNkLTk0ZjJlNzRmNTAzMAAQACFaIj1oHGlIr9rLWgGiSY0%… 2/4 10/21/24, 1:17 PM Mail - Varela, Jesus - Outlook taken seriously as a possible course of action available to any of the artists. Another solution is urgently required. “Riffs and Rhythms” is not the only work of art in danger of imminent destruction by the City, and this raises another issue that must be considered. I served as Chair of Art in Public Places from 1996 to 2001, and I am very aware of the historically low representation of African American artists in the City’s public art collection. In 2024, the situation continues to exist. While Art in Public Places has had success in recent commissions of a number of temporary public art works and installations by African American artists, the extremely low representation of African American artists in the permanent collection remains conspicuously low with few works commissioned. With the current proposal regarding the public art in the convention center, the City intends to destroy two of the most important works by African American artists in its collection. In one fell swoop, a signiicant percentage of the few permanent works by African American artists the City has ever commissioned in the history of AIPP will simply be swept out of existence. Is the City of Austin seriously considering the wanton destruction of signiicant public art works of two major African American artists in its collection? I am speaking of Margo Sawyer and myself, two artists with very long and distinguished careers in public art. Is this the act of a progressive city? It is an ironic moment for me as an artist to have the Austin Revitalization Authority just completing the restoration of my iconic “Rhapsody” mosaic mural in Urdy Plaza on East 11th Street while the City of Austin is considering taking a wrecking ball to destroy my “Riffs and Rhythms” mosaic mural in the Austin Convention Center. I am in the process of researching the process and costs of having “Riffs and Rhythms” professionally deinstalled and relocated, and I implore the City of Austin to consider its role as stewards of its public art collection and provide the necessary support . John A. Yancey Artist/ Muralist John D. Murchison Regents Professor in Art Emeritus The University of Texas at Austin CAUTION: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious or phishing email, please report it using the "Report Message" button in Outlook. For any additional questions or concerns, contact CSIRT at "cybersecurity@austintexas.gov". Celina Zisman Boards and Commissions Scheduled Meeting Disclosure Information: Written disclosure is required by visitors when attending a scheduled meeting with a City Official regarding a municipal question for compensation on behalf of another person. Anyone scheduling or accepting a meeting invitation with a City Official must either acknowledge that the disclosure requirement does not apply or respond to the following survey: https://forms.office.com/g/YQtNBw7nPg IMPORTANT NOTICE: The City of Austin provides e-mail addresses for members of its boards and commissions for their use as board members. This address should not be used for private or personal messages. The views expressed in e-mail messages reflect the views of the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of any board or commission of which the author may be a member. In particular, https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkAGQzZTAxYTc4LTQ4NmQtNDM0Yy05NTNkLTk0ZjJlNzRmNTAzMAAQACFaIj1oHGlIr9rLWgGiSY0%… 3/4 10/21/24, 1:17 PM Mail - Varela, Jesus - Outlook the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the City of Austin, or any of its departments, employees or officials. E-mail messages may be subject to required public disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkAGQzZTAxYTc4LTQ4NmQtNDM0Yy05NTNkLTk0ZjJlNzRmNTAzMAAQACFaIj1oHGlIr9rLWgGiSY0%… 4/4