alberta streetscape plan recommendations for public art

AlbertaStreetscape Plan

Recommendationsfor Public Art

November, 2000

City of PortlandOffice of Transportation

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CITY OF PORTLAND, OREGON

City CouncilVera Katz, MayorJim Francesconi

Charlie HalesDan Saltzman

Erik Sten

Office of TransportationCharlie Hales, CommissionerVictor F. Rhodes, Director

Transportation Engineering and DevelopmentBrant Williams, P.E., Bureau Director

Project Management DivisionGreg Jones, Division Manager

Project StaffWilliam S. Hoffman, Program Manager

Lynn Weigand, Project ManagerJean Senechal, Project Manager

Advising ArtistsBrian BorrelloAdriene CruzRoslyn Hill

Public Art CommitteeKaren Berry

Sandra LefrancoisDavid Milholland

Elise Scolnick

Cover ArtThe cover features a variety of art

found on Alberta Street today.

AlbertaStreetscape Plan

Recommendationsfor Public Art

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November, 2000

City of PortlandOffice of Transportation

For more information about this project or to request additionalcopies of this report, contact:

Jean Senechal, Project ManagerPortland Office of Transportation1120 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 800Portland, OR 97204

phone: (503) 823-7211TDD: (503) 823-6868

e-mail: [email protected]

Alberta Streetscape PlanRecommendations for Public Art

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section One: Introduction and BackgroundThe Advising ArtistsIntroductionPublic Art Mission StatementArt on Alberta Street Today

Section Two: Public Art RecommendationsRecommendations for Public Art on Alberta StreetThemes and SubjectsProcessRecommended Materials and ConsiderationsRecommendations for Art on Public PropertyRecommendations for Art on Private PropertyImplementationArtist SelectionFunding Opportunities

Appendix A: Elements of the Public Art ProcessSelection ProcessesThe JuryThe SiteSample BudgetEvaluation and ResponseAssorted Perspectives on Public Art

Appendix B: Recomendations for Art PlacementMap of Recommendations for Art Placement

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THE ADVISING ARTISTS

Three local artists were selected from a competitive request for proposalsto collaborate with the Alberta Streetscape Plan project team to createthe public art recommendations. Each of these individuals brings to thisproject a unique perspective of public art, Alberta Street and the role ofart in the urban environment.

Adriene CruzThe work of this artist is visible in NE Portland from the colorful bannerscommemorating the words of Dr. Martin Luther King along MLK Jr.Boulevard to the vibrant exterior of the Northeast Health Center on NEKillingsworth Street.

In 1996, the Regional Arts and Culture Council’s (RACC’s) NeighborhoodArts Program invited Adriene to work with community youth to create thefirst street banners in NE Portland. In the next two years, Sabin CDCfollowed suit with banners for Alberta Street, designed and fabricated bycommunity youth under Adriene’s direction though Sabin CDC’s SummerYouth Employment Program. In 1999, colorfully painted trash cans wereadded to the street by Sabin CDC’s Alberta Links Local Youth Program, alsoled by Adriene.

A New York transplant, Adriene discovered Alberta Street in 1983 throughthe Talking Drum Bookstore, once housed on the corner of 17th. Thebookstore was part of the three building Black Educational Center whereshe later became a volunteer Artist in Residence for 12 years.

Her works have been exhibited nationally including the Smithsonian, theNational Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, UCLA Fowler Museum of CulturalHistory, and in the permanent collections of Atlanta’s InternationalAirport and New York’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

A master of color and pattern, Adriene has a BFA from the School ofVisual Arts in New York and has been creating award-winning art since herarrival in NE Portland.

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Brian BorrelloBrian Borrello is a sculptor, designer, educator, and public artist. Hisexperience with a broad array of sculptural and graphic techniques isevident in his public art pieces. His work focuses on the interrelationshipbetween human culture and the natural world. He has designed andcreated sculptures for disabled children, elementary schools, cancerpatients and survivors, community gardens in blighted neighborhoods,and toxic waste sites.

In response to handgun violence, he organized the traveling project andexhibitions “Guns in the Hands of Artists,” (Portland, 2000-01). He wasthe recipient of a 1990 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Fellowshipfor Visual Arts. He is currently a design team artist for the development ofpublic art for Tri-Met’s Interstate MAX light rail in north Portland. Brianmaintains a studio called Neonjones on Alberta Street where hespecializes in neon design and metal fabrication. Each day, Brian createsas if a fire were raging in his hair.

Roslyn HillRoslyn Hill, owner of Roslyn’s Coffee House, is an artist and designer whohas won several awards and acknowledgements for her work.

Roslyn initiated the rebirth of Alberta Street and its growingrevitalization. She located a coffee business on Alberta Street in 1995and, in 1996, relocated Shades of Color art gallery inside of the coffeehouse. She continues to be involved in renovating and building in thearea and has provided a great example of how small spaces can includeart. Roslyn’s passion and vision is for Alberta and art to be synonymous.

Roslyn’s education and training was in art and interior design with abusiness minor.

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INTRODUCTION

The public art recommendations are the result of the community’s desireto continue and enhance the grassroots art that has been created orcommissioned by Alberta Street residents, business owners and propertyowners.

The recommendations are intended to serve two purposes. First, therecommendations will guide the inclusion of public art into thestreetscape improvements that will be constructed by the city.

In addition, this plan is an effort to guide, and hopefully initiate, thecreation of additional art on Alberta Street. Our recommendations aremeant as a point of reference by which we offer our perspectives as areaartists, and as artists working in the wider public realm. The ideaspresented here are not inclusive, but rather possibilities for art and forplaces where that art would be most effectively integrated. The budgetfigures are very rough estimates that can be refined once the scope of anart activity is determined.

The intent of this plan is to guide the artist, client, administrator,designer, and construction crew toward a vision of artistic possibilities forAlberta Street. This document should be viewed as a source for public artideas that respond to the identity and culture of Alberta Street. We hopeit will inspire property owners, business owners, local community andbusiness organizations, Tri-Met and other public agencies, or artsorganizations to create and place art on Alberta Street for everyone toenjoy.

“This document should beviewed as a source for publicart ideas that respond to the

identity and culture ofAlberta Street.”

“The ideas presented hereare not inclusive, but ratherpossibilities for art and forplaces where that art would

be most effectivelyintegrated.”

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PUBLIC ART MISSION STATEMENT

While Portland’s many parks are pockets of green and hints of nature, thestreets are the viable public spaces where many people interact. Featuressuch as trees, benches, attractive bus stops, trash cans, bike racks, andsculptures can provide a source of civic pride. Litter, vandalism, graffiti,and asocial behavior decrease in a positive street environment. Thepresence of art reflects an image that a community is valued andimportant.

The everyday urban experience can often seem more like an “urbanjungle” with its tangle of utility poles, ugly stumps of fire hydrants,garish signs and dangerous traffic. Most of the signs, yellow paint, curbextensions, traffic lights, and speed bumps are attempts to make our livessafer as we walk and drive, but usually adhere to a strict utility with littleregard for style or aesthetics. Our lifestyles are dependent upon them, butour cities are uglier because of them.

Integrating public art into the urban experience can harmonize thefunctional program of safety and efficiency with beauty and qualitysensory experiences, and provide the humanizing qualities of art in theeveryday urban experience.

Public art is a civic amenity that gives the street experience a humanscale. People feel they belong there, and have a tangible locus fordeveloping a sense of civic pride. Alberta Street has the potential tobecome a cultural treasure in the city of Portland.

“Public art is a civic amenitythat gives the street

experience a human scale.”

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ART ON ALBERTA STREET TODAYAlthough Alberta Street had a history of blight and neglect, there is nowa great creative presence on the street: art galleries and artist studios,Hispanic murals, ethnic pattern banners and ornamental work, mosaic tilesidewalks, Buddhist sculpture, billboards with children’s art and poetry. Ithas all been created from within the community; it’s organic, funky, andunique!

Alberta Street is now synonymous with an artistic vibe, an ethnically andsocially diverse scene on the ascent. Accompanying that optimism is afear of gentrification and displacement of the poor, particulary the ethnicminority people and the artists that make this street so unique. The goalof the art program is to further develop the diverse texture of the areaand involve community participation at every possible opportunity. Theart on the street today is eclectic and grassroots, retaining a strong flavorof different ethnicities. All creative construction efforts should considerthis as an inspiration and resource.

Art on Alberta Street today takes many forms. Abundant color is evident in thedesigns for the banners and trash cans on the street, as seen on the right.Property owners, such as Roslyn Hill, have taken the initiative to integrate art intofunctional elements on their property, as seen in the fence design above.

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Alberta’s eclectic art includes (above from top) murals, tile work on buildings, andelements in concrete. Tree protectors and color on buildings (top left) add to theeclectic mix, while mosiac and iron work at entries provide art for pedestrians toenjoy.

AN ECLECTIC MIX OF STYLES AND MEDIA

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC ARTON ALBERTA STREET

The overall vision of public art on Alberta Street is to promote theinfusion of public art in all construction on the street through theintegration and placement of art objects and images within the corridor.

During the streetscape planning process, the community identified artand color as a priority for Alberta Street. Since the streetscape plan wasfocused on functional elements, the project team decided to work withlocal artists to develop recommendations for public art that would beappropriate for the community and the street.

The recommendations are organized in two categories. The first categoryconsists of potential projects on public property. This category includesprojects that can be incorporated into the city’s streetscape constructionproject for transportation and streetscape improvements in the right-of-way on Alberta Street from NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to NE 33rd

Avenue. The project team will make every effort to include theserecommendations into the design and construction of the improvements.

The public property category also includes public art that could belocated in the right-of-way, but would not be appropriate for inclusion inthe streetscape and transportation improvement project. Theserecommendations could be implemented by a variety of public or privateorganizations or individuals either before or after the streetscapeimprovements are constructed.

The second category of recommendations is for public art that is visibleto the public but is located on private property. These recommendationswould be implemented by private property and business owners, eitherindividually or with the support and advice of local organizations.

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THEMES AND SUBJECTS

Public art on Alberta Street should:· Create beauty, arouse wonder, stimulate imagination, and lift the spirit.· Satisfy appetites for exciting and provocative sensory experiences.· Create a street identity that is inspired by the texture, character and

diversity of the community.· Challenge mediocrity.· Make art a destination point — a unique, art-filled street that attracts

visitors from throughout the city and the region.· Provide continuity from end to end, but with diversity of form and

concept.· Preserve the organic, grass roots quality of the Alberta Street art

experience.· Respect and reflect the history, culture and character of the site.

Subjects and themes of public art on Alberta Street could:· Be inspired by the cultural diversity of the street and express universal

themes appealing to all ages and ethnicities.· Provide content relevant to the community and the current issues they

face.· Consider connections of art to the environment that remind or

reconnect urban dwellers to natural and life processes.· Illustrate the physical or social history of events or people on the

street.

Signs and symbols could be incorporated into many aspects of Alberta Street to express the cultural and ethnic diversity of thestreet. Symbols from The Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols by John Laing and David Wire, 1993.

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PROCESS

The process of creating public art on Alberta should:· Use local talent. Consider activating north/northeast area artists and

the local arts community for participation, and mentorship by artistswith community youth, elders, and retirees. Seek out labor unions thatmay be able to provide in-kind donated labor.

· Follow a process that is based on community participation and activity.�• Look for ways to synthesize functional urban design with art and

aesthetic sense�• Involve community members in the process where possible.�• Include artists in the earliest stages of design with project engineers

and architects.�• Coordinate artists’ design and fabrication with streetscape construction

program and scheduling.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALSAND CONSIDERATIONS

Artists should design art for Alberta Street that is resilient to destructiveurban elements and natural forces, with an emphasis on qualityconstruction, public safety, commitment to maintenance and longevity ofwork. The art should address graffiti and vandalism in the materials,siting and installation.

For public safety, relief forms on ground plane should be no higher than1/4", and scoring or etching should be no deeper than 1/4". Art shouldnot have any sharp edges or protrusions, and should comply with all ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.

Recommended materials and processes include: stone, treated wood,concrete, ceramic, metals, plantings, earthforms, rip stop nylon fabric,paint coatings on MDO or similar resilient surface, glass or ceramic tile onfibrocement board or similar resilient surface. Recommended finishes andcoatings include: sandblasting and powder coating protecting steel metalsurfaces, ultraviolet blocking clear coating on various surfaces andvandal-resistant fasteners.

Public art can provide functionalbenefits, such as lighting (top),communicate history or literature(middle) or provide opportunities forinteraction and humor (bottom).

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ART ON PUBLICPROPERTY

General RecommendationsWe recommend allocating seedmoney to fund three or four focusareas to implement immediate artcreations along the corridor. Artforms could integrate art into thefunctional urban design elements,such as mosaic tile inlaid intoconcrete sidewalks, customstamped paving patterns on curbextensions and crosswalks, orcustom-designed manhole covers.

Art can be placed in the ground plane,as this mosaic piece was done in asidewalk.

Priority Items for Art ApplicationsConcepts for art integration include adidas Place at NE Alberta & MLK Jr.Boulevard, the intersections of Alberta and 9th Avenue, 14th Place, 15thAvenue, 24th Avenue, and the NE and NW corners of 31st Avenue, 32ndAvenue and 32nd Place. The following descriptions represent the artists’visions for the selected focus areas.

Utilitarian elements, such as utilitycovers, can be designed to add art tothe street environment.

This photo simulation (right) of HarryJackson Plaza illustrates how art can beintegrated into the site. Photo courtesyof Greenworks, P.C., Portland, Oregon.

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Harry Jackson Plaza (at adidas)Metal structure to hold six murals,each painted by individual artists,to be located at Harry JacksonPlaza at MLK Jr. Boulevard atAlberta. Estimated Cost:$120,000 - $140,000.

9th AvenueLandscaped sculptural seating with sandblast design in walkway. Thetheme would be continued to include all four corners of intersection at 9th

and Alberta. The concept would require easements from adjacent propertyowners at the corners. Freestanding art and all necessary componentswould be included. Estimated Cost: $25,000 - $40,000 (excluding costsfor easements or property acquisition).

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15th AvenuePainted crosswalks and corners todraw attention to the intersectionand give it life.Estimated Cost: $2,000 - $5,000.

14th PlaceSculptural seating, landscaped areadepicting a living room settingwith mural wall at the site of thestreet closure on the north side ofthe street. Estimated Cost:$50,000- $75,000.

24th AvenueSimilar to recommended treatment at 9th Avenue, the intersection couldfeature landscaped sculptural seating with sandblasted design in thewalkway. The theme would be continued to include all four corners ofintersection at 24th and Alberta. Freestanding art and all necessarycomponents would be included. Estimated Cost: $25,000 - $40,000.

31st and 32nd Avenues, 32nd PlaceSmall freestanding sculptures on curb extensions at 30th Avenue, 31stAvenue, and 32nd Place. Painted bollard with planter, concrete sculptureforms, sidewalk impressions and designated green space. Estimated Cost:$2,500 - $5,000.

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Public Art Along the Street

One of the goals of the public art recommendations is to integrate artinto the streetscape project that will be constructed by the City ofPortland and recommendations for art in the right-of-way that can becreated and placed by individuals or groups on Alberta Street.

While incorporating art into elements such as benches, lighting, bikeracks, tree grates and guards, sidewalks, curb extensions, bus shelters,and planters, the art should retain a high level of quality and beauty.

Recommendations in this category include:

Ground Plane- Artistic custom paving in sidewalk or curb extension, $500 - $20,000.- Sidewalk sandblast etching, $50 - $300.- Sidewalk imprinting, using iron forms, $500 - $1,000.- Decorative cross walks designs in surface or color added to surface

material, $2,000 - $5,000.

Sandblasted etching in the sidewalk,such as this 1997 installation by BrianBorrello on S.E. Belmont in Portland,can portray a variety of images to evokehistory and culture.

Mosaic inlay can be used in the sidewalk or at curb extensions (above), or in thecrosswalk shown in the example below from Hollywood, California.

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Vertical Elements- Banners attached to utility poles (rip-stop or flag nylon fabric),

$2,000 - $5,000 for 25 banners.- Sculptural/graphic attachments to utility poles, $100 - $1500.- Metal free-standing street directories, $100 - $2500.- Detailed metal street sign tops, $100 - $175.- Creative painting of fire hydrants, $100.- Painted totems using utility poles as totems, $500 - $1200.-

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Vertical art can be designed to standalone, like this piece in the City ofWhittier, California (left) by Jill Casty,or art can be incorporated intofunctional elements of the street, asseen in the example from New York city(above) by Dan George.

Artist’s concepts for utility poletreatments and banners (above) andstreet directories (right).

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Functional and Decorative Elements- Sculptural benches, $500 - $3000.- Sculptural bike racks, $300 - $2500.- Concrete planters creatively decorated with paint, tile, or metal,

$200 - $500.- Metal seating multi color each seat would be a different color from a

five color selection i.e. marigold, sunset red, passion purple,aqua-marine, and bamboo green, $950 - $1,500.

- Tree guards, $300 - $2500.- Painted trash cans, $125.- Horse rings in curb or sidewalk to provide a way to secure temporary

artwork on the sidewalk, $75 each.- Planting strip garden, $100 - $5000.

Seating can be created in many forms, as the Coyote Bench by Ben Watling(above) demonstrates. Gardens as a form of of art can be created in areas wherethe furniture zone is not needed for other elements (below).

Tree guards can add welcoming touches,as illustrated by this piece, created byGarth Edwards for the City of Phoenix,Arizona.

Even traditional “staple” style bikeracks can be transformed into works ofart, as the rack above by Brian Borrelloof Portland illustrates.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ART ON PRIVATEPROPERTY

We recommend approaching private property owners to commission artand to allow the placement of art on their property. This would appeal totheir sense of civic responsibility for the enhanced visual appearance ofthe street and the increased visibilility for their business in return fortheir investment. Property owners also can upgrade the exterior of theirbuildings and augment the presence of nearby art by installing customsigns, awnings, planters and other elements that reflect the eclecticcharacter of Alberta Street.

Certain processes will lend themselves to multiple production, such assandblasting common images along the street with the same template.This could be made affordable by approaching businesses to sponsor thistype of work at a reasonable price, such as $50 per sidewalk piece.

General Recommendationsfor Property Enhancements

Mosaic tile inlay, $500 - $5000.Creative landscaping (i.e. earth berming, topiary), $200 - $20,000.Facade treatments (i.e., trompe l’oile murals), $2500 - 20,000.Murals, painting or ceramic tile, $1000 - $5000.Free standing sculpture, $500 - $50,000.Relief sculpture attached to building or fence $300 - $10,000.Custom fence design, $500 - $25,000.Creative signs and awnings, $100 - $20,000.

Site Specific Recommendationsfor Property Enhancements

St. Vincent DePaul CenterMural banner around building. Estimated Cost: $10,000 - $12,000.

Waagmeester BuildingMural or creative exterior treatment. Estimated Cost: $12,000 - $18,000.

Vanport RemembranceFree-standing sculpture with water fall located mid-block between 14thPlace and 15th on the south side of Alberta. Estimated Cost: $70,000.

Examples of custom fence designs thatenhance the appearance of a street.

Several business and property ownerson Alberta Street have created uniquemurals for their buildings.

Mosaic tile inlay can give identity tostore entries and add color to theground plane.

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IMPLEMENTATION

The recommendations for public art on Alberta Street are intended toprovide a vision and guide to creating and placing art on the street. Asdiscussed in the introduction, incorporating art into the streetscapeproject that will be constructed by the city is but one of many ways thatart can become part of Alberta Street.

This section discusses some of the opportunties to implement therecommendations in this document.

Alberta Streetscape PlanThe city staff will work with the Alberta Streetscape Public Art Committeeand Project Advisory Committee to select a project or projects from therecommendations to incorporate into the streetscape design andconstruction. The city will select the artist(s) through a competitiveprocess once the scope of the art project is determined.

Tri-MetSome of the public art recommendations may be implemented by Tri-Metthrough its public art program for transit. Tri-Met’s Line #72 is a goodcandidate to receive funding through the public art program. While Tri-Met’s public art process is independent of the city, the recommendationsfor types of art and selection of artists will be available for Tri-Met’sconsideration. Tri-Met typically uses a competitive process to selectartists for their projects.

Local OrganizationsThe Art on Alberta group, a coalition of artists and gallery owners onAlberta Street, has been actively seeking opportunities to place art onAlberta Street. They may be able to implement some of the public artrecommendations by seeking grant funding and managing the process ofselecting and managing the artist(s) to complete the work.

Redevelopment OpportunitiesAs development or redevelopment occurs on the street, the developer orproperty owner may be willing to implement recommendations (eithergeneral or site specific) as part of the redevelopment process. This wouldbe voluntary but strongly encouraged as part of the design and planningprocess for individual projects.

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Private Property and Business OwnersBusiness and property owners, including local artists, may be inspired tocreate or commission art for their property or for placement on thesidewalk (in accordance with city regulations). These recommendationsprovide a number of options that would enhance the art presence on thestreet. These projects may be funded privately, or the individuals orowners may seek grants to cover some or all of the costs of the projects.

ARTIST SELECTION

All projects should attempt to use local artists and fabricators wherepossible. The advising artists for this project have started a registry ofnorth and northeast area artists that is available to advertise public artopportunities and calls for proposals. In addition, the Regional Arts andCulture Council maintains a registry that is available to publicize projects.

The appendix of this document provides guidance for project budgets andselection of artists for public art projects. The next section discussessome of the opportunities available to fund the public artrecommendations.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Funding for public art on Alberta may take many forms. The streetscapeproject will incorporate some of the recommendations into theconstruction of the project. At the same time, Tri-Met has a public artprogram that should be tapped, as well as other public agency funds.

Private and public organizations can apply for grants from organizationssuch as the Regional Arts and Culture Council and the Oregon ArtsCommission Project Assistance grants.

Private property owners, business owners and corporations should beapproached for their involvement and civic responsibility to the street.

Neighborhood arts organizations and the Art on Alberta group may takeon specific projects, seek funding and oversee the creation andinstallation of public art on Alberta Street.

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ELEMENTS OF THE PUBLIC ART PROCESS

Selection Processes

Several traditional processes for selecting artists may apply to thecreation of public art on Alberta Street. Elements of three types ofprocesses are provided below.

Open Competitions- Reaches broadest range of artists and creates wider choices for jurors.- Favors artists who live near the site.

Limited or Invitational Competition- Usually between 3-5 persons are initially selected (by slides).- Artists are awarded an honorarium to cover a site visit and proposal

development.- Ensure proposals can be executed within the budget.- Artist receives architectural plans and engineering drawings from

client.

Direct Solicitation- Based on a review of a slide registry or the artist’s reputation.- Chooses the artist best suited for the particular project.- The artist is invited to the site at the client’s expense.

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The Jury

A juried selection process allows the agency or individual sponsoring theart to gather a range of opinions in selecting the artist. Ideally, the juryshould be a multidisciplinary team of the following or a combination of:

- A local historian, a folklorist or chronicler who can offer insight intothe community culture.

- The designer of the space (architect, landscape architect, urbanplanner, etc.).

- A community leader with proprietary interest in the area.- Several artists and artisans who can generate ideas (not seeking a

commission).- Head of the maintenance staff who will oversee the space.- At least one member of the sponsoring agency with an arts

background.- A behaviorist - someone who can analyze the user patterns of the

space.

The Site

Artists can reflect on a number of aspects of the site increating theirwork, including those described below.

The Physical Setting- Significance of the site in terms of larger urban design issues or

relationships.- Opportunities and constraints of the site.- Evolution over time.- Aspects of natural history (geology, flora & fauna, etc.).- Effects of climate and environment (use of site, damage or

deterioration).- Natural and artificial lighting.

Historical and Sociological Content- Historical events in the vicinity with significance, meaning or parallels

with our own time.- Neighborhood history.- Ethnic traditions.- Artistic traditions of the area.- Legends, myths or folklore of the area.- Human resources in the area.- Community involvement.

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EVALUATION AND RESPONSE

Although the beauty and experience of an artwork defies quantitativemeasure, certain aspects can be evaluated. A variety of participants inthe process should be queried to obtain a rounded impression of theprocess and product. We recommend a critical self-evaluation of projectedgoals of the art program to ask questions such as:

-were the intended results achieved?-what elements worked best and why?-what were strengths and weaknesses of project aspects?

Criteria such as implementation, level of community involvement, costs,adherence to timelines, maintenance, and function of design elements canbe assessed, and provide valuable insight into future efforts.We recommend maintaining the evaluation as a living document, completewith photographic reproductions of the artwork, for reference andarchiving purposes.

Sample BudgetA project budget for any public art piece should include the following:Equipment ($500+ with two year life expectancy)Fabrication CostsLaborSupplies & Materials (postage, space rental, phone, copying, etc.)Artist Fee or Salary (@ 15% - 25%)Fees, Rentals, ServicesTransportationPermitsInsuranceTaxesSite PreparationContingency/Miscellaneous

Activity of Site- Uses and potential activities of the site.- Patterns of sun, shade and wind.- Possibilities for new uses (ceremonies, photo opportunities, meeting

place, etc.).- Special interests (children, physically-challenged persons, tourists, etc.).- Educational & communicative possibilities.

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Assorted Perspectives on Public Art

When a project is initiated and the artwork newly completed, it may begreeted with excitement or puzzlement, skepticism or resentment. As thework becomes more familiar, almost invariably, a growing audience beginsto defend and appreciate it. Now that the notion of art in public placeshas become more widespread — and the sponsors more numerous anddiverse — it is finding increased interest and support, with a growingnumber of communities eager to bring art into the public environment.Art in public places are individuals works of art,but they are more thanisolated objects — they are expressions of a community’s aspirations foritself, and of its initiative and persistence.

Adapted from Art in Public Places, a survey of community-sponsored projectssponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, John Beardsley

Specific enough to engage people on the level of their own livedexperiences, to say something about the place as it is or was or could be.Collaborative at least to the extent of seeking information, advice andfeedback from the community in which the work will be placed.Generous and open-minded enough to be accessible to a wide variety ofpeople from different classes and cultures, and to different interpretationsand tastes. (Titles and captions help a lot here; it seems like puresnobbery — even if unintended — to withhold from the general publicthe kind of vital information that might be accessible to thecognoscenti.)Appealing enough either visually or emotionally to catch the eye and bememorable.Simple and familiar enough, at least on the surface, not to confuse orrepel potential view-participants.Layered, complex and unfamiliar enough to hold people’s attention oncethey’ve been attracted, to make them wonder, and to offer ever deeperexperiences and references to those who hang in.Evocative enough to make people recall related moments, places, andemotions in their own lives.Provocative and critical enough to make people think about issuesbeyond the scope of the work, to call into question superficialassumptions about the place, its history and its use.

The Lure of the Local, Lucy Lippard

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- To make a place more interesting and attractive.- To make contemporary arts and crafts more accessible to the public.- To highlight the identity of different parts of a building or community.- To increase a city’s, county’s or company’s investment in the arts.- To improve the conditions for economic regeneration by creating a richer

visual environment.- To create employment for artists, craftspeople, fabricators, suppliers and

manufacturers of materials, and transporters.- To encourage closer links between artists and craftspeople and the

professions that shape our environment: architecture, landscaping,engineering and design.

Percent for Art: A Review, Arts Council, 1991

- Create a sense of joy, delight and wonder at the life of the city.- Stimulate play, creativity and imagination by drawing on legend,

metaphor, mythology or history and/or by creating a form that can bemanipulated, sat on, or walked under.

- Sculptures or fountains that intrigue children generally also intrigueadults.

- Promote contact and communication. A sculpture or fountain that ishighly visible and near well-traveled paths may encourage people tostop, perhaps to sit nearby or strike up a conversation.

- “Triangulation” — the encouragement of public and performance art asa potential bridge between adjacent strangers in public places.

- Provide comfort and amenity by incorporating steps, ledges, or railingsfor sitting or leaning within or close to the work of art.

- Sensory experiences — the texture of a “touch me” sculpture, the soundand feel of a fountain — may offer brief but pleasing encounters.

- Art making use of, or drawing attention to, natural phenomena (e.g.fog, wind, rain, fire) tends to be a natural attractor.

- Encourage interaction and cast people as actors rather than audience.People Places: Design Guidelines for Urban Open Space,

edited by Clare Cooper Marcus and Carolyn Francis

A Question of ValuesExperienced community-based artists have come to realize that the bestprojects are successful because all the participants can articulate theprinciples by which they operate. A matrix of common principles wasdrawn up at a notable multicultural gathering of grassroots theater artistsat Cornell Univeristy during the ‘90s. This matrix addresses such issues asvoice, a sense of place, tradition, inclusion, collective responsibility, andequity. These principles can fairly be said to underlie much of the bestgrassroots work now being conducted in all disciplines under the rubric of“community-based art.”

Linda Burnham

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Adidas Metropolitan Assembly

of God

St. Andrew'sChurch

AlbertaStreetMarket

KingElementary SchoolNE

6TH

AVE

NE M

LK J

R BL

VD

NE G

RAND

AVE

NE 7

TH A

VE

NE 8

TH A

VE

NE 9

TH A

VE

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ART PLACEMENT

The map on the following pages shows potential sites for placing art along AlbertaStreet. Some locations are on public property or within the public right-of-way, othersare shown on private property.

NE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BLVD TO NE 9TH AVENUE

scale: 1” = 100’LEGENDExisting art on Alberta

Sculpture opportunity site

Banner/soft sculpture opportunity site

Mural opportunity site

Proposed curb extension (per Alberta Streetscape Plan)

26

NE 10TH AVENUE TO NE 14TH PLACE

Sevier's

Brooks'TemporaryServices

T BOutfitters

Roslyn'sCoffee House

TheBuddhist

Association

BathoStudio

ClassyNails

Rose CityCab

Salt&

PepperBeautySupply

AlbertaPublicHouse

WaagmeesterSails & Awnings

NE 1

0TH

AVE

NE 1

2TH

AVE

NE 1

4TH

PL

NE 1

4TH

AVE

NE 1

3TH

AVE

NE 1

1TH

AVE

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Sabin CDC House ofUmojaAlberta

CooperativeGrocery

BantuVillage

R A JInfant & ToddlerWear

Studio 1627Artist Studios

Maggie GibsonPlaza

Earl'sBarberShop

CoastIndustries

Joe'sPlace

Grou

ndsw

ell

Tum

blew

eed

Indu

s Bo

oks Medicine

HatRestaurant& Gallery

GalaxyBakery

A1Auto

Repair

El TiangusMarket

P

Alberta StationBallroom

NE 1

5TH

AVE

NE 1

6TH

AVE

NE 1

7TH

AVE

NE 1

8TH

AVE

NE 1

9TH

AVE

NE 2

0TH

AVE

NE 15TH AVENUE TO NE 20TH AVENUE






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RexWalker

Plumbing

AcmeGlass &Door

AmericanLegion

Post 134WashHouse

AladdinFinishers

Chez

Wha

t? C

afe

Mat

rix

Galle

ry

ONDA

Gal

lery

Med

usa

Salo

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AlbertaArt & Culture

Pavillion Star

E. R

ose

Cafe

Com

mun

ity

Cycl

ing

Cent

erne

onjo

nes

stud

io

Pizz

aria

Tong

a Fa

mily

Mar

ket

Bobb

y M

oore

Moj

o's

BBQ

AlbertaSanitaryService

F

NE 2

1ST

AVE

NE 2

2ND

AVE

NE 2

3RD

AVE

NE 2

4TH

AVE

NE 2

5TH

AVE

NE 2

6TH

AVE

NE 21ST AVENUE TO NE 26TH AVENUE

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Moj

o's

BBQ

The

Ride

King

Sol

omon

'sTr

easu

res

y

Faustrollean

LaSirenita

BlackUnitedFund

LaBonita

OjotuntunMural &Graphics

Bernie'sSouthern

Bistro

Glas

s Ro

ots

stud

io

Hi-i

h Ga

llery

Fusi

on G

alle

ryGu

ardi

no G

alle

ryGo

lden

Bam

boo

Acup

unct

ure

Open

Han

dW

omen

of

Grea

t St

yle

Plai

n Ja

neVi

deoR

ama Victory

OutreachChurch

VitaCafe

AlamedaCleaners

NE 2

7TH

AVE

NE 2

8TH

AVE

NE 2

9TH

AVE

NE 3

0TH

AVE

NE 3

1ST

AVE

NE 3

2ND

AVE

NE 27TH AVENUE TO NE 32ND AVENUE






30

NE 3

2ND

PL

NE 3

3RD

AVE

NE 32ND PLACE TO NE 33RD AVENUE

alberta streetscape plan recommendations for public art

Documents