DEPARTMENT: Department of Arts & Culture
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Debbie Racca-Sittre
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance approving a Pre-Qualified List of Public Art Professionals to be available for selection by the San Antonio Arts Commission and/or contracting and payment through the Department of Arts & Culture.
SUMMARY:
This ordinance approves a pre-qualified list of public art professionals whose services may be used to implement art projects established by the San Antonio Arts Commission and/or the Department of Arts & Culture in an amount not-to-exceed the budget allocation for public art and arts programming through the Department of Arts & Culture. This ordinance also authorizes contracts and payments subject to the availability of funds.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Department of Arts & Culture has issued an open call for artists since 2012 to create a pre-qualified list of public art professionals to be available for selection by the San Antonio Arts Commission and/or contracting and payment through the Department of Arts & Culture. In April 2019, City Council approved a list that still remains active for two more years.
In October 2019, the department issued an open call as part of a competitive and curated process to update the City’s pre-qualified list of public art professionals comprised of public artists and art support services. Extensive outreach included: weekly emails to art professionals requesting they apply, inclusion in the department’s newsletter which has a distribution of 5,000+ recipients, posting on the departments website and social media accounts, notices to all City Council Offices to share with constituents, and advertisements through various local and national trade publications/organizations. The goal of this open call and the outreach process was to seek new art professionals to be added to the already active list.
The Department of Arts & Culture evaluated the submitted qualifications of artists and art support service providers and recommended a list of 35 art professionals, which includes 26 local public art professionals. In December, the San Antonio Arts Commission and its Public Art subcommittee approved the recommended list of public art professionals.
ISSUE:
City Council is being asked to approve the attached pre-qualified list of public art professionals whose services may be used to implement art projects established by the department in an amount not-to-exceed the eligible budget allocation for arts.
The City may contract with the artists for design services, selection, acquisition, fabrication, installation, conservation, and display of artworks. Inclusion in the pre-qualified list does not guarantee a contracting opportunity. Public art professionals who are approved for the pre-qualified list will remain on the list for a 3-year period. Staff may contract with artists not on the prequalified list provided that contract is recommended by the San Antonio Arts Commission and approved by City Council.
Final selections for public art project commissions will be made through an evaluation process that will include representatives of the Public Art Committee, the San Antonio Arts Commission, stakeholders such as local art professionals, neighborhood and community members, and representatives of City departments where the art will be located. Final artist selections and projects are reviewed and approved by the Public Art Committee and the San Antonio Arts Commission. Once an artist is selected for a public art project commission, the artist establishes a concept which must be reviewed by stakeholders and approved by the Public Art Committee. Final designs of all public art are approved by the San Antonio Arts Commission before the artwork may be fabricated. The Public Art Division of the Department of Arts & Culture manages the entire process from artist selection to installation.
ALTERNATIVES:
If City Council chooses not to approve the pre-qualified list of Public Art Professionals, the department will be required to continue to use the 2019 pre-qualified list and would lose the opportunity to select and contract with new artists.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the Department of Arts & Culture and no funds are encumbered at this time. Public artist contracts are subject to the Public Art Policy adopted by City Council in 2011, as may be subsequently amended. In September 2011, City Council adopted a policy that 1% of all eligible capital projects would be available for public art. There is $8.3 million in 2017 General Obligation Bond funds; $0.5 million in Parks Proposition 2 funds and approximately $1.1 million in other capital funds included in the FY 2020 adopted 6 year capital budget for public art. Additionally, the Department’s operational budget includes funds for public art maintenance and art programming. All contracts are subject to the availability of funds in the adopted city budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff and the San Antonio Arts Commission recommend that City Council approve the pre-qualified artist and art support services list to be contracted for department projects utilizing eligible capital project funds dedicated to public art as well as Department of Arts & Culture budgeted operating funds.