by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
New York, Paris, London — metropolitan cities with cosmopolitan pieces of art.
Now, with the advent of the Better Jacksonville Plan, the city will be seeing more pieces of public art in the coming years. Helping the process along is a city ordinance that was passed a few years ago, allotting a small amount of the construction costs of any municipal structure in town to be earmarked for public displays of art. Three-quarters of one percent of the construction costs, plus architectural fees, will be set aside to decorate the new county courthouse, baseball stadium, arena and downtown library.
To administer the plan, a commission was formed in 1999 to determine how best spend the money for public art.
“Its charge is to determine how much is available for public art and the way to expend those dollars for the highest impact and greatest service to citizens,” said Bob White, executive director of the Cultural Council.
Nothing has been decided yet in regards to Better Jacksonville’s trademark buildings, but a call for artists will be issued in the next couple of months.
“It’s rare in a five-year period to put together a good collection of art,” explained attorney and commission chairman Jeff Dunn. “This is a chance to place a significant amount of art in public. With the money generated, we will have the opportunity to get first-class artists to do things in the community.”
Because the percent-for-art plan preceded the passage of Better Jacksonville, the original concept is being recrafted to accommodate the influx of projects. According to Dunn, the master plan is sitting on the mayor’s desk waiting to be signed.
The Better Jacksonville Plan presented an unusual situation because a city would normally accumulate pieces of public art over time, not all at once. The artists chosen to complement each architectural design will depend on what sort of public art is most appropriate for the setting. Larger projects can afford to solicit artists from around the country. Smaller projects will likely be relegated to pieces that have already been created. To expedite the process of securing the right painter or sculptor for the job, the commission is compiling a registry which cross-references a number of variables.
“It gives people a sense of pride in the city and who they are,” said White.
Very much a collaborative effort, the commission designates a selection committee of representatives from the community, the architect or builder and art professionals for each project.
Before anything happens though, the commission’s five-year plan must be confirmed by City Council to authorize the spending of funds. The fund also provides a portion to be used for maintenance costs.
“We are in the tuning up phase,” said Jacque Holmes, also a member of the commission. “Once it is through City Council, we will address projects since the ordinance passed in 1997. There are a number of projects, but a lot are not large — branch libraries, community centers. We’ll probably try to tackle all the backlog at the same time. Nothing has been placed yet. We are doing a lot of planning and organizing.”
Charged with overseeing the selection, purchase and placement of public art, the commission includes members of the business and cultural communities throughout Jacksonville.
“We want to respond to those who actually live or work there [where the art will be placed] to ensure the broadest base of support,” said White.