SECA COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Discuss Community Arts
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DEPARTMENT: Community Services
SUBMITTED BY: Jake Fiedler, Special Events Coordinator
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Review Section Three - Community Arts in the SECA Policy and Procedures Manual for Applicants. Section Three is the last piece to be discussed.
DISCUSSION:
Section Three - Community Arts
The City of Naperville is committed to contributing to the intellectual, emotional and creative life of the community by facilitating engaging art experiences and dynamic public spaces. Public art, in all its forms, helps the City of Naperville stand apart from other communities and having a plan and policy for the arts will not only ensure visitors keep coming back, but will also brighten the lives of residents.
In 2022, the City Council approved the City of Naperville Public Arts Program (“Program”) and designated the responsibility for program administration to the SECA Commission and Special Events Coordinator. A detailed overview of the Program is below.
A. Mission of the City of Naperville Public Arts Program
To create opportunities for artists to implement a diversity of art and art experiences that bring people together and inspire, beautify, and enhance Naperville public spaces.
B. Public Arts Program - Goals
• City beautification
• Integrate diversity of works into public spaces to promote tourism and contribute to the economic vitality of Naperville
• Facilitate public art initiatives
• Commemorate historic dates and events
• Provide an opportunity for artists to display original pieces/performances
• Represent a variety of media, styles, locations, and community interests
• Build awareness and promote understanding about public art and the benefits of the arts
• Serve as a point of contact for artists
• Establish a process for review, approval, installation, maintenance, and decommission
• Offer a competitive selection process and recommend works based on thoughtfully designed criteria by art professionals
C. Application - Annual Call for Arts Projects
The SECA Commission and Community Services Department staff will facilitate a Call for Arts Projects as part of the fall SECA Grant Fund Program application cycle. Criteria to evaluate submissions will include, but not be limited to, the following:
• Qualities/purpose of art
• Intentionality of design
• Thought process of impact
• Diversity
• Originality/redundancy
• Location
• Conservation
• Public safety/accessibility
• Agreements/public liability
The SECA Commission will perform a review of all applications and reach consensus on a Unified Recommendation for award. The City Council will have final approval. Upon approval, the SECA Commission and Special Events Coordinator, will coordinate installation/performance and any necessary permitting with the artist.
Both non-profit [501 (c)] organizations and individual artists who do not have a 501 (c) designation may apply to the SECA Grant-Community Arts/Public Arts Program. Applicants are eligible for concurrent SECA Grant Fund Program awards and may submit more than one application per funding year.
D. Placement
The project must be completed within 12 months of approval date or must have received an approved extension by the SECA Commission.
E. Agreements
Works of art selected and implemented pursuant to the Public Arts Program may be placed in, on, or about any public place owned by the City of Naperville by agreement with the art owner. If the art is to be placed on private property, an agreement with the private property owner must be submitted for approval. Upon award, the artist and the City of Naperville will sign an agreement outlining terms including, but not limited to, liability, maintenance, permitting, and removal.
F. Ownership
Unless otherwise stated, the City of Naperville does not own, collect royalties on, or hold copyrights for temporary works of art approved by the SECA Commission.
As detailed in the Agreement, the artist, or organization creating the artwork, grants the City of Naperville the limited right to reproduce the artworks for the purposes of promoting the Public Arts Program and Public Arts Program events via print and electronic communications methods. As a general rule, the City of Naperville will require that it own permanent art installations on City-owned property involving City funding in excess of $5,000.
G. Documentation
The Special Events Coordinator is responsible for keeping a catalog of permanent pieces in the Public Arts Program. The catalog will include a file on each work with information including, but not limited to, artist, grant application and final award amount, placement date, location, medium, photos, maintenance invoices and/or damage documentation, and decommission date.
H. Decommissioning
The SECA Commission and/or the Special Events Coordinator will be responsible for partnering with the artist to facilitate the thoughtful and careful removal of pieces. Works of art may be considered for decommissioning if any of the following conditions are met:
• Display has reached approved decommission date stated in the application
• Has physically deteriorated
• Is a duplicate, or considered excess
• Is fraudulent or not authentic work
• Displays faults of workmanship or materials
• An appropriate space for display no longer exists
• It is attached or embedded in a structure slated for destruction
• Requested by the artist
• Other
I. Education
The SECA Commission will facilitate public education and community engagement components of the Program. To the extent possible, commissioners will collaborate with organizations on events and activities designed to provide a greater understanding of public art and gather feedback on desired arts experiences. These may include, but are not limited to, artist lectures, exhibitions of works, and community surveys.