Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager
DATE:	April 13, 2014
CC:	Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager
RE:	Recommendations by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission to amend the City’s Percent for Art Resolution and Remove the “Emergence” Sculpture in Watson Park due to Damage by Vandalism

Please place the following items on the City Commission agenda for April 22, 2014:

Adopt Resolution No. 7070 amending the procedures within the City’s Percent for Art Resolution and approve the removal of the sculpture, “Emergence” in Watson Park due to Damage by Vandalism, as recommended by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission, if appropriate. 

Background:

The City has had a policy on “percent for art” since the late 1980s.  The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission (LCAC) is recommending several changes to the existing resolution which would clarify the procedures by which percent for art projects are requested by the LCAC for funding by the City Commission.  Specifically, the LCAC would provide the City Commission with a capital funding request for art annually, along with its operating funding request.  The LCAC believes that the changes will enable it to be more proactive regarding public art in Lawrence.  A track changes version of the resolution shows the suggested changes to the current Resolution 6774. 

“Emergence” Sculpture:

At its April 9, 2014 meeting, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission unanimously approved this motion: 

Due to irreparable damage through vandalism to Emergence, a limestone sculpture conceived by sculptor Ed Ortiz and installed in 2002 in Watson Park as a project of the Kansas Sculpture Association’s Stone Symposium, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission requests that the Lawrence City Commission approve removal and disposal of the remainder of the limestone sculpture by City parks and recreation staff.

Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission members noted that multiple acts of vandalism and a large crack running through the largest portion of the sculpture make the sculpture irreparable at this point. 

Requested Action: 

Adopt Resolution No. 7070, amending the procedures within the City’s Percent for Art Resolution and approve the removal of the sculpture, “Emergence” in Watson Park due to Damage by Vandalism, as recommended by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission, if appropriate.