Fiscal Note
Funding for the project is authorized in the 2012 adopted capital budget of the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development, Project No. 1, "Municipal Art Fund," Acc't No. 810427.
Title
Authorizing acceptance of funds from Rotary Club of Madison and Madison Children's Museum, and the hiring of lead artist, Aaron Stephan, for Rotary Plaza.
Body
WHEREAS, on June 29, 2010 the Madison Common Council approved Resolution Number RES-10-00717, Legislative File I.D. Number 19038, authorizing the Madison Arts Commission to administer a public art process at the corner of North Pinckney Street and the Capitol Square, establishing a selection committee, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into an agreement with the Rotary Club of Madison and the Madison Children's Museum for this project; and
WHEREAS, a request for qualifications resulted in 92 qualified applicants; and
WHEREAS, the North Pinckney Street Public Art Selection Committee vetted all the application materials and selected three finalists and an alternate to visit Madison and meet with stakeholders and City staff; and
WHEREAS each finalist was then given a $1,500 design fee by the Rotary Club of Madison to develop proposals for the site and to return to Madison to present their proposed models in four separate public presentations; and
WHEREAS broad public participation informed the steering committee's January 9, 2012 recommendation to award the commission to artist Aaron Stephan; and
WHEREAS, after selecting Aaron Stephan as the best candidate for this project, City staff, Rotary Club of Madison, and the Madison Children's Museum (hereafter referred to as "the partners") re-evaluated their approach to placing public art in the upper portion of Rotary Plaza, determined the location was already visually complete, and concluded that a large sculptural element in that location would appear crowded in the existing streetscape, and
WHEREAS, the partners agreed that the stage area, which is yet unfinished, presents a better opportunity for incorporation of public art; and
WHEREAS, the partners would like to honor the selection committee's recommendation by hiring artist Aaron Stephan to be the lead artist on a design team comprised of representatives with design expertise from Rotary Club of Madison; Madison Children's Museum; and City Planning; and
WHEREAS the design team will be charged with completing the stage area adjacent to the Madison Children's Museum; and
WHEREAS Aaron Stephan's primary role on the design team will be to design either the stage backdrop and/or an overhead canopy; and
WHEREAS, the Madison Children's Museum has received notice that they will receive a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to hire Aaron Stephan to work with the design team in this capacity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison, through the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development, is authorized to accept $35,000 from Rotary Club of Madison and $15,000 from the National Endowment of the Arts through the Madison Children's Museum, which, along with a $25,000 match from the Municipal Art Fund, will fund the $75,000 project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to execute an agreement, not to exceed $75,000, between the City of Madison and Aaron Stephan for the design, fabrication, and installation of public art at Rotary Plaza.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Madison Arts Commission and the Common Council must approve the final design
prior to work commencing on the fabrication and installation of public art project.