SALEM PUBLIC ART COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 21, 2014
The Public Art Commission (PAC) was held on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 in Room 313, Third Floor, at 120 Washington Street, Salem, Massachusetts.
Chairperson Norene Gachignard called the meeting to order 6:05pm
Roll Call:
Members present: Norene Gachignard (Chair), Victor Miguel Cruz, Lillian Hsu, Claudia Paraschiv, Ellen Hardy, and Juliette Fritsch (arrived at 7pm), Deborah Greel, Public Art Planner, was also present.
Absent: J. Michael Sullivan
Approval of Minutes
Claudia Paraschiv made a motion to approve the minutes of September 21, 2014. Ellen Hardy seconded the motion.
Discussion followed: Hardy asked to amend the minutes by adding to the Art Box initiative discussion from the Public Art Work plan to reduce the number of boxes painted each year.
Lillian Hsu asked to amend the minutes by moving the Art Box program to a separate item in the Planning Department budget.
Motion passed to approve the Minutes as amended with 5 in favor and none opposed.
Discussion of Draft of Work Plan:
Chair Gachignard requested discussion on edits made to PAC Work Plan from suggestions made at the September meeting.
Documents & Exhibitions
- Public Art Work Plan 2015
- Call for Creative Entrepreneurs Application
- Map of Artists’ Row
Initiative One: Artbox:
Suggestion: The program will stay in its present configuration so as to not lose curatorial and selection process to others, such as neighborhood groups. Hsu suggested the Art Box call for proposals to be sent in January.
Initiative Two: Artists’ Row
Discussion: Hardy reiterated the importance of the call for works sent out in November instead of late spring as in the previous years as more will answer the call and the PAC will have a larger group of artists to choose from. She also informed the PAC that there would be 4 stalls instead of three as Salem Arts Association’s three year lease is up this year.
Hsu suggested that the emphasis for the call be for incubator businesses that are unique to the area.
Paraschiv suggested the purpose of Artists Row is to engage the community. Applicants should define their goals and aspirations for the row. Ownership of the space should include beyond the walls and a defined area outside of the individual stall.
Hardy suggested lighting is important to make the space look engaged.
Hsu said tenants need to create a lively atmosphere on a daily basis with diverse activities. Artists’ Row should be open the same hours as other retail venues on Front Street and surrounding areas.
Paraschiv suggested the “Call for Artisans/Artists” be changed to “Call for Creative Entrepreneurs”.
Hardy agreed that this would create a larger pool of applicants.
Greel asked the PAC to forward suggested changes to her to be incorporated into the “Call for Creative Entrepreneurs”.
Initiative Three: Collection Management
Suggestion: Greel will send requests to Endicott College, Salem State University, and Boston Colleges to seek an intern for the collection management initiative.
Initiative Four: Site Specific Public Art Projects
Discussion: Temporary Art Installation
Hsu suggested shaping the scope of the project to be responsive to the site around Derby Square, Front Street and Artists’ Row.
Fritsch reported a public art project the Peabody Essex Museum is hosting with Patrick Dougherty that uses volunteers to complete the work and suggested the scope of the proposal could include public participation. She cautioned using Patrick Dougherty work as an example in a Request for Qualifications as it could be limiting to other artists’ inspiration.
Paraschiv would like to see have the space engaged to be a counterpoint to the witch tourism business.
Hardy noted that last year’s Salem Arts festival had “Spice” as a theme but this year the festival committee has decided that having art become the central theme.
Suggestions:
Hsu suggested taking off “Request Submission from Combined Jewish Philanthropies” as the PAC has not identified a project for this group.
Hsu will send examples of Request for Qualifications incorporating suggestions of the scope of work from the PAC to Kylie Sullivan, Director of the Salem Main Streets Program and the Chair of the Salem Arts Festival
Acceptance of Public Art Work Plan 2015
Chairperson Gachignard noted that the plan could not be accepted until the edits were made. Greel said the discussion did not change the edits on the plan itself and the PAC could vote on the version of the document in front of them.
Suggested changes will be made to the Call for Creative Entrepreneurs, which is a separate document and the revised document will be sent to PAC for review and vote at the November meeting.
Paraschiv made a motion to approve the Public Art Work Plan 2015, seconded by Hardy.
Motion passed 4 – 0- 1
Gachignard, Paraschiv, Hardy, Hsu voted in favor. Cruz left prior to the vote. Fritsch abstained because she was not present for the entire discussion.
Other Business: Salem Public Space Project
At 7:20pm Claudia Paraschiv, Director of the Salem Public Space Project, recused herself from the discussion of this grant proposal and left the meeting room.
Documents & Exhibitions
- Draft for Phase One of Grant Proposal
Jerolim Mladinov, Lead Designer at the Salem Public Space Project, presented “Get to the Point/El Punto”, a yearlong place making project that will co-build permanent community-serve-art-platforms in six underutilized spaces along two primary commercial corridors in The point, Salem’s lowest income and majority Latino neighborhood. Salem Public Space Project is applying to ArtPlace America for a $250,000 grant.
Mladinov said that if they are successful at being awarded a grant, the Salem Public Space Project, will create art stations that may include, pop-up gathering spaces, open air library, share-a-chair poetry readings, dance performances, a rotating gallery and public art installations such as a wall build by the community to gather suggestions for the future of an abandoned lot.
The events, workshops and art planned will be an entry and informational point for immigrants in the Point neighborhood.
Mladinov presented the concepts to PAC and asked for their feedback and a letter of support.
PAC Feedback:
Hsu asked if artists had been selected and will funding be sufficient for all six spaces. She also asked what happens to the art spaces when the initial programming goes away.
Fritsch was in support of creating spaces for the public but said that it was not fair to leave it without an infrastructure in place for the future.
At 7:50pm, Claudia Paraschiv returned to the Board.
Public Comments:
City of Salem Councilor Joseph O’Keefe addressed the commission and said he was in support of the Public Art Master plan and the Public Art Commission.
He iterated that the commission and has important work to do for art and the people of Salem. He suggested that PAC have an official tape recorder at the meetings.
He looks forward to all good things and hopes there will be more funds for the program in next year’s budget.
Laura Potter, a member of Salem Collective of Artists and Musicians, and one of the current tenants on Artists’ Row, said that interactions between the artists and the public are a unique experience. She spoke of the importance of having maker spaces for artists. And she talked about how the collaborating with other artists on Artist’s Row was important in creating successful events, such as the pumpkin decorating which brought out 300 families.
Adjournment:
Chairperson Gachignard called for a motion to adjourn. Hsu made the motion, seconded by Hardy.
Passes 6-0
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