November 11, 2011

The public art project initiated by Columbia City Hall in 2007 is nearing an end, as two artists will be selected toward the end of the year. They will be commissioned to design pieces of artwork for the fourth and fifth floors of the building.

The two floors currently house offices for Columbia Water and Light, the finance department and community development.

“We hire the artist first and then they propose a design concept, which gets approved by a committee of citizens, Commission on Cultural Affairs and the City Council,” said Sarah Skaggs, program specialist of the Office of Cultural Affairs. “We are quite a ways away at this point from knowing who the artist is and what the artwork will be.”

To qualify, applicants must reside and be eligible to work in Boone County. Applications for the position require a resume, references, an overview of past projects and a statement of interest, and will be accepted by the Standing Committee on Public Art until Nov. 18.

“If students have residency here, they are considered a local artist and are eligible to apply,” Skaggs said. “We look at qualifications. These projects require contracting with the city and require a certain amount of general liability insurance. It’s public process, so it’s very involved.”

The City Hall project is a component of Percent for Art, a citywide program initiated in May 1997. The program allows one percent of the cost of renovation projects or new city construction to be spent on site-specific art.

The first project was completed in 1999 at the Eighth and Cherry Parking Garage and the Oakland Family Aquatic Center. Public artwork has been placed in over 10 public buildings since its start.

“Artwork, as part of the interior design, are an integral and indispensable part of the building construction,” said Lampo Leong, second-floor artist and MU art professor. “Without them, the space or building is not complete. They not only beautify the spaces, providing a finishing touch to the construction, but offer the citizens artistic nourishment in their living environments.”

The budget for each floor, including artist fees, fabrication, materials and installation, rests at $11,000. The first piece, Keys to the City, was installed outside City Hall in 2009.

Each piece of artwork is encouraged to reflect the community.

“I walked around and took pictures of the community,” Keys to the City designer Howard Meehan said. “Some pictures were donated. I incorporated those into the glass. I really wanted it to become an icon. I wanted people to see that as the place distinguishable as City Hall.”

Other artwork includes a series of bronze sculptures on the third floor and a series of paintings, including Chinese calligraphy, by Leong on the second floor. Constraints will not be placed on the new artists.

“Each artist is different,” Skaggs said. “We have a different style and a different approach on each floor … I think that’s a great idea and a great way to show the public the different ways to approach the art.”

Comments

The Maneater has the right to remove comments that do not comply with policies surrounding hate speech.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content