Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve the Selection of a Temporary Public Art Sculpture at the Botanical Gardens to be Leased for 18 Months.
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Submitted By: Bethany Grubbs, Senior Planner
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal to enjoy culture, nature and fun activities.
Executive Summary (General Business): This is a request to approve the selection of a sculpture titled “Vajramantrabhiru” by Matthew Mosher, which the city will lease for a period of eighteen (18) months, and display in the rose garden at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens. The 2021 Art in Public Places Plan (AIPP) recognizes the City’s public-private partnership with the Friends of Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden. Appendix E of the AIPP states that the City shall continue the implementation of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden Public Art Plan.
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Board recommend approval of the temporary public art sculpture selection made by the Friends of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens for a sculpture titled “Vajramantrabhiru” by Matthew Mosher.
Alternate Recommendation:
1. Move that the Board recommend denial of the selection.
The Port St. Lucie Art and Cultural Enhancement (ACE) Committee, in collaboration with The Friends of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, has coordinated this year's call to artists for a temporary sculpture to be displayed in the rose garden at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens for a duration of eighteen (18) months.
As the existing sculpture nears the end of its contract, it will be removed by November 8, 2024, to make way for new artwork. A call to artists was published on September 5, 2024, and the Board of Directors recently convened to review the submissions. After considering five entries, they selected a sculpture by artist Matthew Mosher titled “Vajramantrabhiru,” which is set to be installed on or around November 13, 2024.
The Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden is a beloved destination in Port St. Lucie for residents and visitors alike. The Botanical Garden is a public-private partnership with the facility being provided by the city and maintained by a 501c3 non-profit. There is a strong desire to include more art within the Botanical Garden and a partnership with the Art in Public Places program should be enhanced. Since the Botanical Garden is on property owned by the City of Port St. Lucie and admission is free the location is eligible for Art in Public Places installations. According to the Friends of Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden’s Public Art Master Plan, future pieces may be installed on the exterior of the building or within the gardens itself. A series of pieces could be installed, each with a budget of $5,000 - $15,000.
The Friends of Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens created their master plan in 2019, consistent with the City’s Art in Public Places Master Plan, and in doing so, partnered with the City to gain funding from the Public Art Fund for the art program at the Botanical Gardens. Places for additional sculptures have been identified for the future expansion of the program.
Issues/Analysis: N/A
Financial Information: The selected artist will receive a fee of $8,000 for the eighteenth (18) month lease of one artwork. The plinth is existing; therefore, no costs will be incurred for plinth installation.
Special Consideration: If the selection is approved, a contract for the two-year lease will be entered into and signed by the City Manager per the City’s threshold amounts.
Location of Project: Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens
Attachments:
1. Matthew Mosher Sculpture
2. Call to Artists - RFP
3. AIPP Master Plan and Appendix
4. Friends of the PSL Botanical Gardens Master Plan
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 24240-08