Meeting_Body
SYSTEM SAFETY, SECURITY AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 18, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: METRO PUBLIC ART ANNUAL REPORT
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE first annual report on the state of Metro’s public artworks in response to the Board Motion, Item 44 from the October 2015 System Safety, Security and Operations Committee.
Issue
ISSUE
At the October 2015 meeting, the Metro Board directed staff in Board Motion Item 44 (Attachment A) to provide an annual report on the state of Metro’s public artworks starting in February 2016. Additionally, staff was directed to: beginning with the FY17 budget, dedicate a reasonable amount of funds towards maintenance and/or restoration of Metro’s public artworks, include conservation and/or restoration of existing Metro public artworks in all future line, station, and facility refurbishment projects, budget additional funds as needed for maintenance of new Metro public artworks, such as artwork on the Expo Line Phase 2 and Gold Line Foothill extensions, create a regular maintenance plan for each Metro artwork, develop an action plan to restore artworks that are not functioning as intended, including consideration of using remaining Blue Line Upgrades Project funding for the restoration of artwork altered by that Project. Attachment A contains the October Board directive. This report provides the first annual report and responds to the directed items.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In October 2015, staff provided an initial inventory and assessment of all artworks in the Metro system, noting those which were known to not be functioning as intended at that time. In November 2015, staff provided a memo to the Board updating the assessment and providing an initial corrective action plan. This will be an evolving effort as artworks are added to the inventory and action plans are implemented. Some artworks are now approaching their 25th year and, like other assets in the Metro transit system, are subjected to the wear and tear of time and use, the marine environment and the ultraviolet (UV) sun quotient. Deferred art conservation is becoming increasingly visible and impacting the lifespan of several artworks.
Over the past 14 years, one Metro Art staff person has been responsible for managing the condition of artworks in the system. During this time, the artworks have aged and more than doubled and the time allocated to monitoring each station’s artwork has correspondingly been significantly reduced. The staff person serves as a technical subject expert and manages specialized art refurbishment and conservation contracts as resources allow. Operations staff regularly removes dust, dirt and debris from a number of artworks as part of their station cleaning. However, due to the unique nature and location, the majority of artworks require special attention and care.
Annual Report
Attachment B contains the updated list of artworks in the Metro system as of January 2016 and outlines an action plan for each. Additional artworks will be coming on line later this year with the opening of the Gold Line Foothill and Expo 2 Extensions. This report will be expanded, updated and presented to the Board on an annual basis and includes the station, artist, title, year installed, as well as the current status of the work and proposed action plan.
FY17 Budget
Metro Art is currently resourced with the abovementioned dedicated FTE for art asset management including a limited number of inspections and minor art conservation and repair projects. To address the aging system, staff is evaluating the resources necessary to provide for a more substantive range of conservation and repairs to ensure that artworks do not fall into a state of deterioration or disrepair. Based on this evaluation, staff will submit a reasonable request for resources in the proposed FY17 and future fiscal year budgets to enable as many annual inspections of each of the artworks in the system as resourced, professional conservator reports identifying recommended actions, where necessary, and implementation of a select number of cleaning, repairs and specialized artwork conservation projects each year as budget allows. Attachment B is divided into two parts, Attachment B-1 includes those projects that will be part of the FY17 budget, assuming existing resources continue; and Attachment B-2 shows additional projects that could be addressed should additional resources be approved in the FY17 budget and beyond.
Future Facility Refurbishment or Modification Projects
Recent line, station and facility refurbishment or modification projects have resulted in the unanticipated relocation, alteration or even removal of some artworks. In order to ensure appropriate conservation and/or restoration of existing artworks, Metro staff will work together during early project development and scoping to ensure that the integrity of artworks is addressed.
Funding for Gold Line Foothill and Expo 2 Extensions
With the forthcoming opening of the Gold Line Foothill and Expo 2 Extensions, an additional 14 artworks will be added to the system over the next few months. With the acceptance of these lines, the new artworks will be added to the database over the course of FY17 and resources to ensure the works remain in a state of good repair will be requested in FY18.
Regular Conservation Plans for Each Artwork
Pending allocation of resources in the FY17 budget, regular conservation plans will be developed for artwork as resources permit. This will be a multi-year effort, with the first year including inspection of the work and the development of an action plan, with implementation of the plan budgeted in succeeding years. The completion of the action plan will be contingent upon sufficient annual resources being allocated.
Action Plan to Restore Artworks Not Currently Functioning as Intended
As reported in the November 10, 2015 Board memo, of the 19 artworks identified as not functioning as intended, one has been repaired, three are being refurbished as part of Union Station improvement projects, and artworks that were removed or altered by the Blue Line Improvement Project are in the process of being replaced or renovated. The one remaining non-functioning artwork on the Blue Line, Unity, by artist Thomas Eatherton is an inaugural artwork installed in the Metro Rail system 25 years ago, has been submitted for consideration as a new small Capital Project in the FY17 budget. Action plans to restore the remaining nine artworks will be developed in FY17 pending approval of resources.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to work cross-departmentally and apply lessons learned to new corridor construction and refurbishments in order to safeguard the aesthetic integrity and longevity of the system’s artworks as cultural and community assets. Durable materials and finishes, as well as artwork locations are key aspects to ensure that artworks function as intended. Staff will manage the implementation of currently resourced conservation refurbishments as outlined in the November 10, 2015 Board memo. As directed by the Board, staff will request a reasonable amount of resources in the FY17 budget and future year budgets to assess, conserve and/or restore artworks in the system to ensure they are kept in a state of good repair.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - October 2015 Board Directive
Attachment B - Metro Public Art Collection Assessment Report
Prepared by: Maya Emsden, Deputy Executive Officer (213) 922-2720
Renee Berlin, Managing Executive Officer (213) 922-3035
Diane Corral-Lopez, Deputy Executive Officer, Operations (213) 922-7676
Reviewed by: James T. Gallagher, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 922-4424
Calvin E. Hollis, Interim Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7319
