2022-02-07 Arts Commission MInutesedmonds
ARTS COMMISSION
MINUTES - Meeting via Zoom 4:45 pm February 7, 2022
The Edmonds Arts Commission: dedicated to the arts, an integral part of community life.
City of Edmonds Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department
PRESENT:
Rhonda Soikowski
Lesly Kaplan
STAFF
AUDIENCE
Ashley Song
Lisa Palmatier
Frances Chapin
Kelley McHenry, Inae Piercy,
Harry Kirchner
Tanya Sharp
Laurie Rose
Jennifer Kuhn, Chris Cossu, Joe
Richard Chung
Doug Merriman
Mclalwain, Nora Carlson, Julaine
EXCUSED:
Georgia Livesey
Fleetwood, Clark Wiegman
The meeting was called to order at 4:45 PM by Rhonda Soikowski.
Soikowski read the land acknowledgement.
"We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and their
successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of
these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred
spiritual connection with the land and water."- City Council Land Acknowledgment
ADDITIONS/CHANGES TO THE AGENDA — Comments will be taken via Chat for the two presentations, with
Audience Comment at the end if there are other comments.
MINUTES —Approval of Jan 3, 2022 minutes, Kaplan Moved to approve, Palmatier Seconded, Approved.
PUBLIC COMMENT/INTRODUCTIONS— Welcome to audience, and welcome to new Commissioner Kirchner.
REPORTS -
A. Creative Programs
Floretum Garden Club Art Proposal — Kelley McHenry introduced the artist Jennifer Kuhn, giving a
little background on the project to place a mosaic artwork at 61" & Bell St on the SE corner of the
Public Safety Complex site. The Floretum Garden Club is the oldest garden club in the state, founded
in 1922, and over the years has made many contributions to the City. Floretum means place of
flowers and to celebrate the 1001" anniversary the club wanted to create a permanent artwork that
expressed "garden". Jennifer was selected through a competitive process. Working with a metal
artist Abe Singer, she has developed a design with three sculptural components, flowers sitting in the
bed. The metal framework supports glass mosaic panels that form the petals, celebrating nature and
the reciprocity of gardens with colorful and joyful patterns. The maximum height allowable for the
space per City code is 36" and the three elements will be slightly different sizes and heights. The base
is set into the ground with metal support and concrete. Commissioners responded enthusiastically,
also asking about maintenance. Kuhn noted that maintenance is minimal, she uses materials that will
easily withstand the frost/warming cycle for the long term, and can be easily cleaned of most things
from general grime to painted vandalism, and the pieces are repairable if needed. They are close to
the sidewalk and benches and Commissioners liked the way they add interest and color to the site,
and are close to the new Civic Park. The spatial arrangement of the three elements will be finalized
by the artist once the pieces are fabricated. Sharp Moved and Kirchner Seconded that the proposed
mosaic artwork be recommended for acceptance to the City Public Art Collection by the City Council,
Approved.
Edmonds Arts Commission Minutes — 2/07/2022
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Civic Park Art Concept — Chapin introduced Wiegman who was selected for the Civic Park public art
project last fall. Wiegman has met with a number of community groups, and presented at both the
Diversity Commission and Youth Commission as well as at a community meeting. He noted that easy
going in -person dialogue with the community is more difficult during Covid, but presentations
seemed well -received and he has had some good conversations online and in person. His written
narrative about the concept he calls cascadia, outlines the background of the project and his evolving
ideas about the relationship or dialogue between a 2D work and a 3D suspended artwork. Wiegman
has multiple secondary ideas about ways to enliven the space and knit together the concepts that
could be pursued in the future, but the secondary ideas are not part of the current budget. One piece
related to community engagement that could be implemented is a website or blog that tracks the
project and invites the community to engage with their input about what in the natural environment
makes this a special place. Wiegman described his work as environmentally focused, looking at the
land and water transitions. He sees this project as a celebration of the park as a crown jewel of the
many green spaces and waterways in Edmonds. His goal is to create a sense of scale, both larger and
small, with an installation that is bold, high impact; colorfully vibrant; warm and inviting; hearthlike;
reflects mapping and patterning; day and night presence; and honors the natural environment. The
art installation site, identified by the landscape architects in the master plan, is a large shelter
adjacent to the restrooms with the wall of the restrooms at the east end. The cascadia concept
Wiegman has created is a 3D lifeboat suspension in dialogue with a 2D seawall. He sees the
suspended artwork as a metaphoric vessel, not literally a specific boat, but an iconic archetypal form.
What is on the surface of the form is primary, is what draws people in. Wiegman sees seawall as a
reference to the regional biome and the special relationship Edmonds has with the surrounding
environment, and lifeboat as a beacon which represents our situation as humans related to local
environment, with oars which capture the feeling of how it moves through space, the geometry of
rowing and flight. The seawall graphics focus on the topography of place with much to be discovered
in the patterning. The specifics of what is included in the imagery will evolve from the call and
response with the community about the web of life. The project is still in the conceptual phase with
more design development to be completed for the final design (with exact public -input lifeboat
patterning and seawall mapping finalized as part of the fabrication phase). Discussion followed.
Commissioner comments included enthusiasm about the interest in the "mash up" of the idea, the
sense of motion conveyed, the multi -sensory appeal, celebration of teamwork and way it calls up
many different images; liking the vibrant use of color; and the sense of discovery in the graphics with
multiple layers of imagery giving people many things to think about which includes the community of
all ages. Commissioners asked questions about construction, boat structure, vandalism, materials,
sound components (birds, water...), and how the community would be involved. Wiegman discussed
materials (use of vinyl graphics, fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, RGB LED lighting and industrial
mp3 players) and the importance of base project site and spot -lighting which will enhance artwork
visibility and contribute to the experience of the suspension as a safe and welcoming place day and
night. He acknowledged concerns about durability, maintenance and potential vandalism are on his
radar screen, have been successfully navigated in numerous previous projects and will be fully
addressed during design development and CDs/engineering review phases. Commissioners
suggested that Wiegman look closely at traditional indigenous boat designs to be sure that the life
boat form while called generic is not accidentally using an image very close to a specific
indigenous design. To that end it was noted that the Suquamish Museum has a large indigenous
canoe suspended on exhibit (other suspended boats include rowing shells at UW). Wiegman
expressed awareness of the potential issue of cultural appropriation, stressing that the form is
generic and universal, representing an archetypal human -powered vessel, and that this boat form
serves as a canvas for graphic flora/fauna elements. Commissioners want to make sure there is a
plaque that tells the story in part and refers to more information on the website. The budget for the
artwork is for lifeboat and seawall elements, including internal boat lighting (spotlights are part of
the base project budget) and possibly sound, but Wiegman is willing to be a resource to help get
secondary projects (ceramic tiles on benches, petanque grove poetry, plantings etc.) off the ground if
Edmonds Arts Commission Minutes — 2/07/2022 3
possible. Commissioners expressed appreciation for a project scope of work charged with ambitious
civic goals within an acknowledged modest budget. The next step is a Zoom public meeting in which
Wiegman will present his concept for community comment.
3. On the Fence Recommendation — Palmatier reported that the review committee under the new
process included herself, Song and Kaplan. Exhibits are for 6 months. Priority was given to artists
whose proposals used the fence as a canvas. The Commission had already agreed that Floretum
Garden Club could use the fence March — August and Chapin will contact them about the proposal by
Mona Smiley -Fairbanks. Three additional artists were selected to complete the schedule. Palmatier
showed the proposals by Tsovinar Muradyan, Christina Caravaglio, and Sophia Fang. Soikowski
Moved recommendations for OTF be approved, Song Seconded, Approved. Staff will review and
finalize locations before contacting the artists. Commissioners inquired about the possibility of
additional fences in the future and staff will explore.
4. Literary Arts/Poetry Project — Kaplan welcomed new Commissioner Kirchner and thanked him for
jumping right in to participate on the WOTS steering committee. The potential keynote is not able to
participate this year so they are back to the drawing board for a keynote. She thanked Soikowski for
suggesting the adopted name, Poet's Perspective, and said the judging will take place after the Feb
24 deadline with 3 commissioners and up to two outside judges. Poems will be posted in April for
National Poetry month. Rose mentioned that the Best Book Poster Exhibit is underway with a few
posters submitted already.
C. Funding & Administration
STAFF REPORT— Chapin reported that City buildings are scheduled to reopen on March 16.
NEW/OTHER BUSINESS —
Adjourned: 6:41 pm