Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Accepting City Ownership of Artwork in the newly renovated Madison Municipal Building and affirming the value of including art in the design of capital projects.
Body
WHEREAS, when preservation, conservation, art, and design inform a major civic building renovation project and are met with cooperation from architects, engineers, staff, donors and other critical members of the project team, it is possible to create an exceptionally beautiful and functional public space; and
WHEREAS, the public art plan for the Madison Municipal Building was to create a public space that 1) celebrated the historic significance of an important Madison Landmark, 2) provided local arts organizations and artists with the opportunity to loan contemporary art to the building to enhance the new and updated features, 3) commissioned new contemporary sculptural installations that harmoniously bridge the old and the new, and 4) created temporary exhibition opportunities for local visual, new media, installation, and performance artists and involve them in the building reopening; and
WHEREAS, a design team consisting of architects, engineers, the Arts Administrator, Madison Arts Commission members, and local arts professionals, actively participated in selecting specific works of art and identifying locations for their placement; and
WHEREAS, the selected artworks reflect a broad based community enthusiasm for beloved features from the old building and commissioning contemporary pieces for the newly renovated space; and
WHEREAS, the Madison Arts Commission commissioned Risë Christensen to create a mixed-media assemblage installation comprised of relics unearthed during reconstruction of the Municipal Building; and
WHEREAS, Aristotle Georgiades was commissioned to recreate a sculptural installation that he originally designed for “Municipal,” a one-day art takeover of the Municipal Building after it was closed for reconstruction, as his piece was a popular favorite with hundreds of visitors; and
WHEREAS in 2016 Peter Hodapp was invited to create a wheatpaste mural out of old maps and other documents being recycled for the Municipal Building’s closing event and the resulting mural which combined the maps with wallpaper and paint was a favorite among attendees of “Municipal”; and
WHEREAS, The Madison Arts Commission invited Juliette Walker to reinterpret historic light fixtures from the building in clay; and
WHEREAS in 2018, then Mayor Paul Soglin selected Daniella Willett-Rabin’s original painting “Madison” for purchase in anticipation of placement in the Madison Municipal Building after renovation and reopening; and
WHEREAS, the Arts Program Administrator has been involved with the selection and siting of the work and does not anticipate any public safety or cost prohibitive long-term maintenance issues as a result of the following art installations:
- “Archive” by Risë Christesen
- “Limbo” by Aristotle Georgiades
- “Ruby Moon” by Peter Hodapp
- “Light 1,” “Light 2,” “Light 3,” and “Light 4” by Juliette Walker
- “Madison” by Daniella Willett-Rabin
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Madison accepts ownership of the works of art located in Madison Municipal Building, subject to the following: The City may remove the art works if the area occupied by the said "works of art" is required for facilities development or other improvements or uses of the Madison Municipal Building, by giving the artists thirty (30) days written notice prior to removal.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Mayor and the Common Council reaffirm their appreciation for the vision that has inspired the renovated Madison Municipal Building, the artists, staff, and partners who have contributed to it, and their ongoing support for including artists as collaborators in the design of all of Madison’s major capital projects.