ITEM TITLE:
Approval of Meals Hill Founders Memorial Art Project Design
SUBMITTED BY: Nicholas Farline, PRCS Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Discuss and vote to approve Meals Hill Founders Memorial Art Project Design and Location.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Key points to consider:
• Port Valdez Company (PVC) is not requesting any City of Valdez funding for the project
• PVS has made $100,000.00 available for the memorial art project and has paid for the design competition ($7,500.00).
• PVC has engaged a grant writing consultant to raise the additional $150,000.00 to meet the goal of $250,000.00
• Memorial art work is not contingent on other projects planned for Meals Hill and can be created, installed or stored independently of other work
• Ongoing maintenance cost are minimal
Per the 2019 Agreement For Sale And Purchase Of Lands At Port Valdez, Alaska (Meals Hill Parcels, PWS 4009) (attachment 1) starting on page 3. Paragraph c.
“It is the desire of The Port Valdez Company, Inc., not only to recognize its partnership, but the spirit of many Alaskan partnerships that ushered the Alaska Territory into statehood and these United States of America. A committee of local and statewide leadership(”Design Committee”) shall be formed and chaired by the Port Valdez Company, Inc. If the $250,000.00 goal is not matched or no matching-fund monies are raised to match the grant offering within three (3) years of the sale of the Property, the $100,000.00 will revert back to The Port Valdez Company, Inc. An “appropriate memorial” means a memorial that both aesthetically blends with the natural features of the Property, ensures the protection of the Conservation Values as set forth in the Conservation Easement, and in all other ways is consistent with the terms and conditions of the Conservation Easements. At least 6 months prior to any planned construction or installation, the Design Committee shall forward any design concepts to the City and the Bureau of Land Management for review, comment, and finding of consistency. All enhancements to the Property contemplated in this paragraph shall be subject to approval by the applicable planning authority of the City and by the Valdez City Council.”
PVC along with PRCS Director developed an Call for Artists RFP. PVC hired an art commission firm (Codaworx) to post the RFP, solicit submissions and provided a portal for scoring. Seventy three (73) artists submitted resumes and portfolios. Per the language in the Sales Agreement, a Design Committee was established to review the submissions, interview six (6) finalists and choose a final design. The Design Committee consisted of the following individuals:
• (Chair) John H. Clark, President The Port Valdez Company, Inc
• (Co-Chair) Nicholas Farline, PRCS Director City of Valdez
• (Member) Anna Bateman, Executive Director Valdez Native Tribe
• (Member) Patricia Relay, Executive Director Valdez Museum & Historical Archive
• (Member) Margaret Nylund, Owner Magpies’s On The Fly Café
• (Member) Rhonda Wagner-Taylor, Sound Wellness Alliance Network President & Painted Moose Owner
• (Member) Meredith Noble- Co-Founder Senworks
The Design Committee reviewed and scored all 73 submission and chose to interview six (6) artists. Of the six (6) three (3) were chosen and PVC paid a design award of $2,500 per artist. The awarded funds were used by the top three (3) artist to visit Valdez, tour the Meals Hill site and meet with local Valdez citizens to learn about the community.
After the visit to Valdez, artists had three (3) weeks to develop a more formal design and present their proposal to the Design Committee. The Design Committee chose Gar LaSalle from Classic Foundry as the winner.
Mr. John Clark and Mr. Gar LaSalle will present (attached) the winning concept, the development process and inspirations of the design.