July 1, 2004

City council examines process for $10 million airport art program

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

The San Jose City Council Rules Committee discussed the budget and direction of the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport’s Public Art Program on Tuesday at City Hall in response to concerns raised by the community.

The airport’s public art budget of $10 million, which is 2 percent of the overall airport budget, came under fire at a recent community meeting at the Vineland Branch Library. In addition, residents requested the addition of local artists to the project, ideally with aviation and historical knowledge of San Jose.

“We spend millions each year on public art and I want to make sure that in tight budget times, it’s the best way to use the money,” commented Vice Mayor Pat Dando. “For instance, with the airport, we’re spending 2 percent of a billion dollars on art, which is a lot of money, so we want to make sure that we know what the art budget is, and that there’s good public outreach so the community can have their input. We also want to make sure that local artists can participate in this process so we can generate jobs. At some point we may want to put a cap on public art. We want to make sure we are using the money in a thoughtful and responsible way.”

Pursuing the public’s comments, the Rules Committee turned to the city manager’s Office and Convention, Arts and Entertainment acting director, Jim McBride, for answers.

In response to questions on the selection and outreach process for master planning consultants, McBride presented the following information: In January 2000, a nationally circulated “Request for Proposals to Develop a 10-Year Master Plan for Public Art for the San Jose International Airport” was issued to 55 public art professionals.

Twenty-three of these candidates were located in California. As of April, three qualified teams submitted proposals to develop a Public Art Master Plan for the airport. In May, a selection panel interviewed Gyroscope, Inc., of Oakland, Calif.; Arts Management for Public Spaces, of Palm Desert, Calif.; and The Rome Group, of St. Louis, Mo. Upon evaluating each team’s materials, presentations, and responses, the panel recommended that the city contract with The Rome Group to develop a Public Art Master Plan for the airport, which they did in August 2000.

Following his report, Dando and McBride exchanged questions and answers on the airport art’s planning stages.

“I’m glad you had so many consultants interested in the process,” said Dando. “Is there a reason you went out of the state?”

“They were the ones who had the best experience and made the best presentation,” explained McBride. “I’m still unclear on the amount of the budget, how it’s being allocated, and how it’s being spent,” remarked Dando. “The other question is what do you do with the comments when you get them from the community?”

“Notes taken at the meetings are transcribed and given to committee members,” assured McBride.

“My concern is how do we involve the community and ensure that they’re heard? I’m particularly concerned that we’re not reaching out to local artists. One person wrote a letter that they were particularly interested in one area of airport art and they got back a form letter. I want to make sure that when we tell a local artist they’re going to be involved, and they take the time to send a letter, that they’re taken seriously—and I get the feeling they’re not,” stated Dando.

“We give training once a year to local artists at San Jose State University on how to get involved in public art,” offered McBride.

“It just so happens that this is a very large project, and the public art budget is a significant amount of dollars,” observed Council Member Forrest Williams. “The question is, should we limit the amount that we spend for public art or not? Should we revisit the process? For me, I’m consistent with the program as we have it today—we need to have more public art. This opportunity provides us a means by which we can fund those public art projects.”

Williams feels that the San Jose Mineta International Airport’s Public Art Program should be a gateway for the city of San Jose while representing the valley historically. “It should be an expression so overwhelming that when I leave the airport, I talk about it, and when I come in, it greets me,” he contended. “It has to be creative, and tell me that I’m welcome—that this is the city of San Jose.”

Regarding the choice of artists, Williams believes that the Arts Commission is on track. “I don’t think as council members we should be dictating who the artist should be,” he commented. “I think the process is a good one.

You get feedback from the community as to what they would like to see and look for the artist that best meets those requirements, and that person may not be here. The artist may be in New York or Europe. We want to be world-class, but we do want to encourage our local artists as well. There may be areas of participation where local artists can gain experience and grow and become that artist one day. You have to look at it from the point of view of ‘What is it that we’re looking for? Who can best provide that level of artistic expression that will have people talking about San Jose airport’s public art?”

City Council Member Cindy Chavez sees the airport on the whole as a critical economic tool for the city of San Jose. “In order for us to maintain our competitive edge, not just in the region, but internationally in terms of business, transportation is critical, and our ability to be connected to the whole world matters almost more than any other thing we’re doing besides education,” she said. “From that perspective, I’m excited about how it’s moving forward. It’s such a big project, it’s going to require a lot of attention to detail, and on what we are and aren’t spending money on.”

Regarding the airport’s public art, Chavez compared the airport to an entry hall or living room in a home. “It’s the room you give the most thought to as it relates to people coming to visit, and we need to do that with the airport,” she contended. “Public art doesn’t have to mean a sculpture; it could mean a certain type of treatment for the windows so they’re luminescent, a historical mural made out of tiles on the floor, light art, or something else that enhances the building. I think it is really important that art not be seen as frivolous. The city of San Jose is almost the tenth largest city in the country, and in order for us to maintain our economic edge, we have to have an environment that is creative and innovative. We want to be known for that element worldwide. That is what distinguishes San Jose from Anytown, USA.”

In closing, Dando requested that at the next Rules Committee Meeting, McBride return with details of the airport art budget, solicit local artists, and engage in local outreach. “Again, because we’re at $10 million and rising on this budget, it’s something we should be paying close attention to,” she commented.