Title
Review and Provide Guidance on the Music Out Loud Proposal
Recommended Action
General Government Committee Recommendation:
· Support the Music Out Loud proposal, criteria, tasks, and budget as recommended by the Arts Commission (detailed below).
City Manager Recommendation:
· Provide guidance on whether to move forward with all or a portion of the proposal.
· Do not change the Ordinance to allow use of the Fund for performance art, which would potentially create an on-going operating use of the Fund.
Report
Issue:
Should the Music Out Loud concept and associated amendment to OMC 2.100 be approved?
Staff Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, Arts & Events Program Manager, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.709.2678
Presenter(s):
Stephanie Johnson, Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation
Marygrace Jennings, Chair, Olympia Arts Commission
Trent Hart, Olympia Arts Commission
In attendance -
Danielle Westbrook, Olympia Arts Commission
Michael Olson, Olympia Arts Commission
Background and Analysis:
Arts Commission Recommendation -
Honoring past musicians and celebrating today's music, Music Out Loud pairs artistic elements incorporated into sidewalks with a summer series of music performances. The sidewalk areas are intended to honor musicians posthumously who significantly contributed to music growth in the area. The Commission proposes three sidewalk sites in downtown Olympia:
· The corner of 5th and Capitol Way.
· To the south of the Washington Center entrance.
· The sidewalk in front of the Market Center
As part of their planning process, members of the Arts Commission have:
· Held preliminary meetings with business owners adjacent to each art site.
· Met with representatives from the Olympia Police Department, Olympia Fire Department, Public Works Transportation and Community Planning and Development to discuss pedestrian safety and egress for the Music Out Loud performances, where the audience is expected to remain for the entire set.
· Met with the Assistant City Attorney to draft changes in OMC 2.100 to allow for Municipal Art Funds to be used for performance art.
Implementation tasks include:
· Secure written approval from adjacent businesses for the project.
· Move forward with a public hearing at an advertised Arts Commission meeting to determine artist names to be memorialized in the sidewalk public art sections. Commissioners have tentatively identified the following list of honoree selection criteria:
o Is deceased
o Was born or has lived (10+ years), and has had a significant connection with the Olympia area.
o Pivotal in the musical growth of the Olympia community.
o Accessible to the public
o Contributed to vitality of Olympia's music scene.
o History of musical achievement.
o Respected by peers.
o Has made a significant contribution to music.
o Honored by local musicians and aficionados for his/her contribution to the community.
o With his or her passing, left a lasting legacy that will forever be remembered.
· Allow for the Call for Art for the sidewalk public art to be developed and to go out to artists.
General Government Committee has asked the Arts Commission to return to General Government with an update once they have secured written approval from adjacent businesses, completed the public process to determine musical artist names to be memorialized, and the Call for Art has gone out.
City Manager Recommendation -
The proposal for music performances potentially creates a new, annual, on-going operating work commitment and cost.
Both components add to the work load of our Arts & Events Manager. The sidewalk installations will also require review and oversight by Public Works staff.
Municipal Art Fund -
The Municipal Art Fund was established to create a source of money to acquire and/or install visual art. It has not been used to pay for performing artists.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Commissioners will continue to communicate with downtown business and property owners as they move through the process.
Options:
1. Concur with the recommendations from General Government Committee and Arts Commission. If so, staff will prepare an amendment to the Municipal Art Fund Ordinance for Council action at a future meeting.
2. Concur with recommendations from the City Manager, which includes no amendment to the Municipal Art Fund Ordinance.
3. Refer the proposal to General Government Committee and/or the Arts Commission for future refinement.
4. Do not advance the proposal.
Financial Impact:
1. Projected costs for Public Art in the Sidewalks Honoring Past Musicians
Funding Source: Municipal Art Fund
Site Demolition $ 800
Artist Allowance $1,000
Concrete Artwork $3,500
Cast Bronze Letters $1,000
Adjacent Concrete Replacement $ 500
Contingency 10% $ 680
Sub-Total $7,480 per site
TOTAL one-time costs for 3 artwork sites $22,440
2. Projected costs for Music Programming
Funding Source: Municipal Art Fund
Musician fees:
$600 per site x 3 months x 3 sites $5,400
Staffing/Coordination:
45 hours at Lead Recreation Specialist Classification $ 883
Street closure fee: $50 per site x 3 sites $ 150
TOTAL Annual Cost for 3 sites $6,433