Public art projects underway in Almaden

By Kymberli W. Brady

Staff Writer

With the passage in 2000 of Bond Measures O and P, the City of San Jose is in the process of reconstruction, replacement or expansion of public libraries, city parks and recreation facilities. As part of the capital project, $414,349 has been set aside for public art.

During a meeting at City Hall on October 28, the City of San Jose Public Art Committee unanimously approved to proceed with two key Almaden art projects for the Almaden Library and Community Center as well as Jeffrey Fontana Park.

ALMADEN BRANCH LIBRARY/COMMUNITY CENTER

Following several community meetings and collaboration with the designers on the Almaden Branch Library/Community Center, it was determined that the art budget and size of the project would allow for multiple artists who would best serve the project by providing an interesting opportunity for variety throughout the new center.

According to Public Art Director Harriet Traurig, a panel of community members met on September 24 to review materials and select artist(s) to develop designs for the Almaden Branch Library/Community Center. They voted unanimously to recommend Ray King for glass artwork, Evans & Brown for an interior mural in the children's section of the library, and Lisa Reinertson for exterior sculpture. King and Reinertson have been given the go ahead to prepare design proposals at a cost of $20,000 and $10,000 respectively. The total contracts will cost an estimated $275,000, with the balance of the budget, roughly $77,197 set aside for additional sculpture on site or future projects in District 10.

“We've been working with the community for almost six months on this,” says Public Art Project Manager JenJoy Roybal. “By having three artists, we are able to address more goals and we did have the budget to be able to do significant pieces with each type of work. We'll be bringing the artists out to talk with the community about what the artwork can do so they will help us figure that out.”

Although a date has not yet been set, Roybal says it will be sometime early December. At that time, architectural drawings will also be presented. “Everybody's really excited about what these artists can do for the project and the community,” she adds. “I think it's going to be a really great project for south San Jose.”

FONTANA PARK

Schematic renderings were also presented for review and approval by sculptor Gary Alsum for Jeffrey Fontana Park. The project, budgeted at $65,000 for design and fabrication is expected to be complete and installed sometime May 2004 to correspond with Fontana's birthday.

Answering to comments and suggestions from the community at an earlier presentation, Alsum responded with a second composition to reflect requested changes. “The artist is balancing a lot of comments, ideas and expectations,” says Roybal. “Because it's just a concept, it doesn't have any of the details that he'll actually implement. The family gave us some images and those have been sent to him, where he'll actually sketch, render and sculpt a portrait of Jeffrey. We're also sending him details of the uniform that is specific to the San Jose Police Department, so you'll see those details more refined in the actual piece. Gary promises to do this with the same expertise and life that he brings to his other pieces into this.”