Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution approves the fabrication, installation, and delivery of the South Point Public Works Facility Percent for Art Project at 402 S Point Rd. Funding for public art is calculated as an additional 1% of the eligible project budget as called for in the Percent for Art ordinance (MGO 4.30). Construction estimates in the schematic design phase were approximately $43.8 million; an additional 1% for art was calculated to be $437,991. The proposed agreement with The Milligan Studio, LLC for the artwork authorizes the use of up to $337,920 of the Percent for Art allocation.
The 2026 Adopted Capital Budget included $43.7 million for the Far West Facility project (Munis project 13016) supported by $41.7 million in General Fund GO Borrowing and $2.0 million in Federal Sources. The Percent for Art project is supported by the GO borrowing. No additional City appropriation is required with approval of the proposed resolution.
Title
Approving the design for the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art Project, authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an agreement with StudioKCA, LLC for design, fabrication, delivery and installation of a site-specific public art feature, and dissolving the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Ad-Hoc Committee. (District 2)
Body
WHEREAS, multiple plans adopted by the Common Council over the last twenty years, including the Public Art Framework and Field Guide for Madison, Wisconsin (2002) (the “Public Art Framework”), the Madison Cultural Plan (2013), and the Comprehensive Plan (2018), recommend that the City integrate and fund public art as part of City capital projects as a primary way to introduce public art into the life of the community; and,
WHEREAS, in 2017, the Common Council adopted the Percent for Art Ordinance that requires that one percent (1%) of the City funding for capital projects with a total budget of at least $5 million be designated to integrate public art into the project; and,
WHEREAS, in RES- 23-00721, File ID #79408 from November 21, 2023, the Common Council approved city staff issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQu) to seek artist(s) and the creation of the Ad Hoc State Steet Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee to review proposals and recommend an artist(s); and
WHEREAS, on August 22, 2025, the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQu 14068-0-2025) for artists interested in creating public art for the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art Project; and
WHEREAS, by September 25, 2025, the deadline for submittals to the RFQu, the City received 66 eligible applications; and
WHEREAS, on October 13, 2025, The Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee met to score applicants on Artistic Merit, Experience, Feasibility, Quality, and Local Vendor Preference, and voted to recommend to the Madison Arts Commission that the top three scoring applicants (Matthew Mazzotta, StudioKCA, and AREA-C Projects) be invited to submit design concepts for review; and
WHEREAS, on October 15, 2025, the Madison Arts Commission (MAC) reviewed the recommendation of the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee, and voted to approve the top three scoring applicants (Matthew Mazzotta, StudioKCA, and AREA-C Projects) be the finalists and proceed to the design phase of the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art Project; and
WHEREAS, on November 14, 2025, the finalists attended an in-person orientation, site-visit and a community meeting at the Chazen Museum of Art to receive feedback from the public; and
WHEREAS, on February 17, 2026, the finalists submitted their final design concepts for the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthrone Court Percent for Art Project to city staff; and
WHEREAS, on February 23, 2026, the finalists attended a virtual community meeting to present their designs and answer questions; and
WHEREAS, a survey was issued to the public between February 18 and March 9, 2026, and 625 responses were received and results were shared with members of the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee; and
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2026, the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee reviewed the design proposals, scored them on Artistic Merit, Content, Site-Specificity, Feasibility, and Budget, and voted to recommend that the Madison Arts Commission select the top-scoring proposal, StudioKCA’s Cheerio, for the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art Project, with the second scoring proposal, AREA-C Projects’ Inter/Stitch, as an alternate; and
WHEREAS, on March 17, 2026, the Madison Arts Commission voted to approve the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee’s recommendation to select StudioKCA’s Cheerio for the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art Project, with AREA-C Projects’ Inter/Stitch as an alternate; and
WHEREAS, if staff cannot reach an agreement with StudioKCA, LLC by November 1, 2026, they may offer the public art opportunity to the selected alternate AREA-C Projects.
WHEREAS, the original project budget noted in the RFQu was $320,000 and $48,000 was paid to StudioKCA LLC under a design development agreement, the remaining award amount is $272,000; and
WHEREAS, StudioKCA, LLC. will be contractually required to collaborate with appropriate City of Madison staff and commissions in finalizing the design details of the State Street Camous Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art project; and
WHEREAS, RES- 23-00721, File ID #79408 states that the Committee shall be dissolved upon completion and acceptance of all projects funded from the Percent for Art allocation; and
WHEREAS, the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee has completed their work as of March 2026 and there is no need to reconvene; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Madison Common Council, the Madison Arts Commission, and the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee approve the design of Cheerio, or alternate Inter/Stitch, for the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Percent for Art Project; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to execute an agreement with StudioKCA, LLC. for up to $272,000 or the alternate AREA-C Projects for up to $320,000 for all costs associated with design, engineering, fabrication, delivery, and installation of the proposed artwork.
BE IT STILL FURTHER RESOLVED that any unspent funds upon completion of associated projects shall be transferred to the Arts Aggregated Fund or the Art Maintenance and Conservation Fund.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Ad Hoc State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Public Art Committee completed their work and is hereby dissolved upon approval of this resolution.