public sculpture committee work

[robertpulley]

Perhaps this should be under community help, but.... I joined a steering commity to choose and site a public sculpture near the local airport. We want a significant piece and probably can raise pretty good funds for the project. We will have our second meeting today. We have not yet decided whether to have an open competition, call a specific artist, invite a small group to compete.... Anybody had this experience from the committee point of view or comments from the sculptor's point of view.

Bob

[ironman]

Hi Bob, I may be wrong here but I believe that if you're getting public funding (1% for the arts, matching funds, etc.) that you must have an open competition. Of course these things are circumvented easily, eg. the artist picked beforehand and the committee just going through the motions of the open competition to satisfy the law. As an artist I would hope that you'd avoid any unethical situation of that sort and I think that an open comp. would give you a wider range of stuff to choose from. Then you just view the slides, debate the pros & cons and merits of the work submitted, narrow it down and pick a piece!
Jeff

[sculptor]

from the sculptore point of view:

I have found many on the unethical situations of which Jeff spoke.

Sometimes, the committee just wanted a sculptor of a specific ethnicity without bothering to mention that little point.
Sometimes they wanted only one genre without mentioning that little point.
and
Sometimes they had already selected the artist without mentioning that little point.
I find such dishonesty repugnant.

The most worthwile competitions clearly set out their point systems---
so many points for past public works, so many points for women or minorities, so many points for slides presented, so many points for place of residence, etc...

If the committee has certain preconceived goals, visions or desires, I feel that they should be voiced in their
request for qualifications
request for proposals, and wherever else appropriate.


rod

[fused]

Do a National Call for Artists.
Define your needs, budget, site, etc. and put it all out there.
Select 4 finalists and give them a $500-$1000 design fee to produce a maquette
and present all the information required to your committee.

[fritchie]

I'm of mixed feelings on this issue. Certainly, by law, if public funding is involved a fully open competition must be held, but I have heard many times from people in the art field that a specific sculptor has been preselected, and it certainly looks on the surface as though a specific genre or ethnicity has been prechosen on other occasions.

These represent the downside of things. On the upside, a fully worthy committee may feel a need to balance the community’s public art presence itself, or to develop promising artists. Both those goals were and remain fully appropriate for private individuals, and the public arena probably is richer because the rules have been bent from time to time.

Still, it violates the spirit of equal opportunity as well as the law itself for this to be done, and it can waste the time of many talented people.. I, too, hope this practice fades.

[robertpulley]

This is the first time I have been involved in a committee like this. I have been in a couple competitions as a sculptor. I am finding it pretty interesting, though as a rule I hate committee work.

You all have raised some very good points. First of all, I don't believe there will be public funds, as such, involved in the purchase price. Most or all the other committee members are paid for their time by public funds. Mayor's office, Arts commission, Parks and Rec.,
Airport Board. I just insinuated myself into the group when I found there were no artists on a committee picking a public sculpture. In case you think this is a victory for art; I'm a pretty passive guy, but I have had some things to offer so far.

We have now had two meetings and have successfully: named ourselves, written our mission statement, and written four principles for our actions. Next we tackle a timeline.
We have not yet tackled selection process, though individuals have started bringing in web site info of sculpture gardens and such and there is talk of subcommittees that would include a search group.

Columbus has been developing a People Trail system, a system of foot and bike trails along streams and parks. Members fantasize sculptures placed along these trails at critical points and this particular project as setting the example for future projects down the road.

I liked the points system idea, at least initially. I don't know if it would leave enough room for intangibles, but certainly sounds defensable for a public project. Thanks for all your input; I'll pass it on.
bob

[fused]

The People Trail sounds like a great concept and maybe your committee
can initiate an ongoing sculpture aquisition for the location. You could
invite 5 sculptors every year and purchase one work from the group.
If the works were sited for 2 years you would have an overlap and
an ongoing exhibition of 10 works, plus the permanent collection of
purchased sculptures. One advantage of this will be the variety of work
as what's on view changes annually, the DeCordova Museum (http://www.decordova.org/decordova/sculp_park/sculp_park.html) has many
sculptures on it's grounds next to Walden Pond, but only a handful are
part of a permanent collection.

If the funding is insufficiant, start regionally and grow from there. Sculptor
Sam's midwest and east coast Sculpture Tour certainly shows what kind
of amazing things are possible with a vision over time.

selection processes...
Personally I prefer a totally anonomous jury system; giving points for
gender, race, tonnage of public works, establishes a criteria that excludes
many, including those who are trying to step into the spotlight for the
very first time. Eye color, shoe size and annual income should also be
avoided as selection criteria because what you are seeking is sculpture.

A public Art Committee formed with no 'Art Professionals' included is the
most curious statement you have presented thus far.

[robertpulley]

Good Points Fused: shoe size is not a good criteria for sculpture.

Our sister city in Japan has an annual outdoor sculpture exhibition from which prizes are awarded and pieces are purchased. I do not know where they have them installed. I also am fascinated with the international sculpture symposium concept (would someday like to participate in one). Perhaps down the road something like that may be possible.

Bob