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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2023 0815 AC REG ITEM 07CItem: TIC. CITY OF MOORPARK MOORPARK ARTS COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT TO: Moorpark Arts Commission FROM: Chris Ball, Senior Management Analyst DATE: 8/15/2023 Regular Meeting SUBJECT: Consider Artist for Inclusive Playground Gateway and Fencing Public Art Project BACKGROUND Moorpark Municipal Code Chapter 17.50 establishes the City's Art in Public Places (AIPP) program, with the goal of balancing the community's physical growth with revitalization and its cultural and artistic resources. This program requires certain residential, commercial, and industrial development projects to either install public artwork or pay an in -lieu fee. In -lieu fees are collected and maintained in the AIPP Fund for use exclusively for the AIPP program. The Arts Commission is tasked with reviewing proposed AIPP projects and providing recommendations to City Council regarding conceptual design of proposed artwork. On January 15, 2020, the City Council approved the design for an inclusive playground at Tierra Rejada Park and authorized staff to seek grant funding for the project. In June of 2020 the Inclusive Playground at Tierra Rejada Park was added to the City's approved Capital Improvement Projects, contingent on receipt of grant funding to support the project. In 2021 the City was awarded $177,952 through the California State Parks Office of Grants and Local Services Per Capita Program, and in March of 2022 the National Parks Service approved funding in the amount of $775,750 through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In June of 2022 the City Council approved the allocation of funding from the AIPP Fund for the purpose of installing a public art project consisting of an entrance gateway and decorative fence to further enhance the playground design. Installation of the public art project is to coincide with construction of the playground, which is anticipated to occur in the summer of 2024. The inclusive playground at Tierra Rejada Park will be a significant addition to the City's recreation facilities for a number of reasons. Unlike the City's other playgrounds, many of which contain individual accessible elements, the inclusive playground will be fully accessible, allowing individuals of all abilities, including those with mobility, cognitive, developmental, sight, and hearing impairments to access the entire playground and its amenities. Site layout, design elements, and play features are carefully thought out and selected to create a safe, engaging space that is developmentally appropriate for all children. For example, a child in a wheelchair or with mobility issues will be able to get to the top platform of the play structure or be able to swing and ride the merry-go-round alongside their able-bodied peers. Sight impaired children will have appropriately designed play elements to explore. Hearing -impaired children with cochlear implants, who are not able to use plastic slides due to static electricity, will have a slide they can use with their peers that will not interfere with their implants. Site design also enables parents and caregivers with disabilities to access and engage with their children throughout the playground. At a community level, the inclusive playground will provide an educational benefit by highlighting the importance of inclusion in everyday activities, regardless of ability level, and by showing that children of all abilities enjoy exploring, interacting, learning and having fun together. The inclusive playground will have regional significance as well. Currently, the nearest fully inclusive playgrounds are in Ventura and Calabasas. The inclusive playground at Tierra Rejada Park, therefore, will fill a recreational need in the east county, serving not only the Moorpark community, but the surrounding region as well. To help highlight the unique nature of the inclusive playground and distinguish it within the region, a community -wide naming contest was held during the winter of 2022/23 to identify a formal name for the playground. The outcome of the contest was decided on February 15, 2023 when the City Council formally selected "Enchanted Playground at Tierra Rejada Park" as the name for the inclusive playground. During design development of the inclusive playground, a "whimsical" theme was selected based on input from the Moorpark community. This theme will be expressed as a fun twist on natural and architectural elements throughout the playground design. For example, a central "tree house" feature incorporates an aged wizard -like face in its design while its roots sprout fanciful vines and natural elements that populate a custom sensory wall. Play and functional elements are embellished with stylized natural imagery (forest creatures, flowers, mushrooms, logs, etc.) to infuse a sense of whimsy and nature throughout the site. Preliminary conceptual designs and artwork are included in Attachment 1 for reference. In January of 2023 staff released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking artists for the Inclusive Playground Gateway and Fencing Public Art Project. The RFQ sought proposals for the design, fabrication and installation of an entrance gateway and decorative fencing (collectively the Artwork) for the playground. The general concept outlined in the RFQ was a sculptural gateway element that spans or borders the pedestrian walkway at the entrance to the playground, with a complementary decorative fence extending from the gateway. No specific sculptural format or artistic elements were prescribed for the gateway feature, however it was noted that the accompanying fence would serve both a decorative and functional role to keep children within the playground and separate the playground from the parking area. With this in mind, artists were invited to develop their own creative concepts for the Artwork with the goal of creating a unique, welcoming entrance that delights arriving visitors, complements the whimsical theme of the playground, and incorporates the playground name. Additional goals, as stated in the RFQ, included: ■ The artwork should be ADA compliant and safe for installation in a playground environment. ■ The artwork should be engaging and aesthetically pleasing to individuals of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. • The artwork should be fabricated from durable materials that can withstand long- term exposure in an outdoor environment, are resistant to vandalism, and require minimal maintenance. ■ The artwork should be a significant addition to the City's public art collection and grow Moorpark's reputation as a city that values and supports the arts. The initial January RFQ release attracted four proposals prior to the submission deadline of February 17t'. Staff re -issued the RFQ in March with several clarifications and a total of seven proposals were ultimately received prior to the April 18t" submittal deadline. The artist selection process followed the procedures recommended in the Arts Master Plan involving the formation of a project -specific artist selection panel (the Panel) to review RFQ applications, select semi-finalists and ultimately recommend an artist for the project. The Panel for the Inclusive Playground public art project included two members of the Arts Commission, two members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and a representative from the playground design firm. On May 2, 2022 the Parks and Recreation Commission selected Commissioner Jason Flame and Commissioner George Estrella to serve on the Panel, and on May 17, 2022 the Arts Commission selected Commissioner Rose Hoberg and Commissioner Carol Roullard to serve on the Panel. Arts Commissioner Kim Simons was selected to replace Commissioner Roullard on the Panel in March of 2023, following Commissioner Roullard's departure from the Arts Commission. Nate Stutz, Business Development Manager and lead consultant on Inclusive Playground design, represented RecWest Outdoor Products Inc. On April 27th the Panel met to review the submitted applications and select three semi- finalists for the project. Of the seven applicants, the Panel selected Adrian Litman, Urban Rock Design (Jeanine Centuori and Russell Rock), and Sean Orlando to invite to develop preliminary artwork proposals. All three of the selected semi-finalists exhibited strong portfolios and considerable experience developing public art projects. DISCUSSION The Panel met on June 1st at the Moorpark Civic Center to receive the preliminary proposals from the project semi-finalists. Adrian Litman and Urban Rock Design presented proposals in person, providing scale mock-ups, preliminary renderings, and other details about the proposed artwork. Sean Orlando participated remotely via Zoom and rather than offer a preliminary artwork proposal, proposed coordinating a public engagement campaign that would involve having the community, including the inclusive playground users, design the artwork. After carefully considering all the presentations, the panel selected Urban Rock Design as the recommended artist for the project. The proposed artwork by Urban Rock Design, titled "Fence Concert", is composed of a 10-foot-tall gateway spanning the pedestrian walkway and a complementary 3'/2-foot-tall fence. Both the gateway and fence are made up of free form, flowing blue bands with brightly colored floral imagery mounted along the fence and archway. The playground name is integrated into the gateway design, with "Enchanted Playground" sitting across the top of the arch, and "Tierra Rejada Park" mounted underneath the arch. The artist narrative describes the artwork as follows. "Combining imagery of flowers with the concept of music notation — it seeks to make a rhythmic composition that is colorful and dynamic. Using the sensibility of whimsy, the natural beauty of flowers are brought into a musical composition implying sound and movement. The cadence of forms, colors, and arrangement interplay in this 2-part piece... The composition of floral elements on the fence and gateway utilize theme and variation that are set upon flowing blue bands evocative of flowing water, tree bark, and other patterns found in nature." The fence and gateway are constructed out of architectural grade aluminum and all elements are to be powder coated with color and an anti -graffiti top coat to ensure durability, stability, and ultraviolet light resistance. Urban Rock Design's presentation slides are included as Attachment 2. The proposal by Adrian Litman consisted of a monolithic steel archway and fence featuring glazed stoneware panels decorated with flora and fauna design elements. Adrian Litman's presentation slides are included as Attachment 3. Sean Orlando's proposal to lead a community -based design project was discussed by the Panel, however it did not conform to the requirements of the semi-finalist stage of the selection process and ultimately was not considered. Although the proposal from Urban Rock Design was well received and recommended by the Panel, some members voiced reservations about the selection. These reservations generally centered on two aspects of the proposed Artwork. The first was a desire for the gateway to be more prominent and serve as more of a focal point within the overall composition. The second was a desire for the Artwork to tie in more with the whimsical woodland theme of the inclusive playground. Therefore, the Panel requested that staff share this feedback with the artists and ask that they consider revising their concept to address these reservations. Jeanine and Russell were receptive to the Panel's feedback and agreed to draft revisions to various elements of the preliminary design to be included for consideration when the recommendation was brought to the Arts Commission. Staff also provided updated playground equipment renderings and a revised configuration for the fence component, which reduced its length by approximately 45 feet (Attachment 1). Urban Rock Design's revised preliminary artwork designs are included in Attachment 4. In these illustrations colorful woodland images (rabbit, pinecone, acorn, frog, mushroom, etc.) replace the original flower imagery on the fence and gateway. The updated gateway also features more robust lettering and additional woodland graphics mounted on the outside, enhancing its dimensionality. Staff concurs with the Panel's recommendation of Urban Rock Design as the artist for the Inclusive Playground public art project. The proposed artwork meets the goals of the project and would be constructed of durable treated aluminum which would withstand outdoor elements and require minimal maintenance. Furthermore, the Artwork would be a vibrant stand-alone addition to the City's public art portfolio. The Arts Commission is now asked to review the recommendation of the Selection Panel and make a final recommendation to the City Council for the artist for the Inclusive Playground Gateway and Fencing Public Art Project. Following approval by the City Council and execution of a contract, the Urban Rock Design will complete the Artwork design development and return to the Arts Commission for final artwork approval. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Affirm the Selection Panel's recommendation of Urban Rock Design as the artist for the Inclusive Playground Gateway and Fencing Public Art Project and forward recommendation to the City Council. Attachments: 1 — Inclusive Playground Conceptual Design & Renderings 2 — Urban Rock Design Presentation Slides 3 — Adrian Litman Presentation Slides 4 — Urban Rock Design Revised Preliminary Artwork ATTACHMENT 1 Inclusive Playground Conceptual Design & Renderings EN LA RG EM ENT uNt NXIA f � S a s. �.. ( �► w.. P n "Whimsical" Sensory Wall Concept Art Play Equipment Renderings Tierra r+. a& frxJueive Play MW d Play Equipment Renderings I Revised Fence Configuration Fenceline Mountain Trail street ®[�®1®[/�®k a CIr Parking Lot aor mm Kim PA&MACIMPAOF k"i' POJ D IN IV Playground Swing Zone 4* Attachment 2 Urban Rock Design Presentation Slides Inclusive Playground Gateway & Fencing Public Art Tierra Rejada Park Moorpark, CA The Artists JEANINE CENTUORI RUSSELL ROCK UrbanRock Design Fence Concert Inspiration • Whimsical • Exciting & fun • Appeals to children and adults • Positive and uplifting Qualities of Artwork Site Plan RAL 1017 RAIL 1016 RAL 3015 RAL 4003 -ft- -it RAL 5012 Color Palette RAL 4006 RAL 5017 RAL 9010 Fence Concert Our proposal for The Enchanted Playground Gateway and Fence is entitled Fence Concert. Combining imagery of flowers with the concept of musical notation— it seeks to make a rhythmic composition that is colorful and dynamic. Using the sensibility of whimsy, the natural beauty of flowers are brought into a musical composition implying sound and movement. The cadence of forms, colors, and arrangement interplay in this 2- part piece comprised of the 150 ft long fence and the companion gateway element. The composition of floral elements on the fence and gateway utilize theme and variation that are set upon flowing blue bands evocative of flowing water, tree bark, and other patterns found in nature. This piece is an inviting introduction to the Enchanted Playground. Narrative Budget ITEM AMOUNT Professional Fees Artist Fee $20,000 Structural Engineer $2,000 Materials 16 pieces- 4' x 12' 6061-T aluminum plate- 3/8" thick $12,000 10 pieces- 4' x 12' 6061-T aluminum plate- 1/4" thick $5,000 6 pieces- 4" sq x 20 ft- 6061-T aluminum square tube $2,500 Hardware (high security fasteners, threaded rod, epoxy) $2,000 Fabrication Waterjet Cutting (25 panels, flowers, gateway) $28,000 Metal Rolling (gateway piece) $1,500 Welding and Assembly of Panels and Gateway $28,000 Powder -coating $12,000 Shipping (between shops) $1000 Crating and Packing for Shipment $2000 Site Work Shipping to Moorpark $1500 Equipment Rental $3000 Installation Labor $7500 Contingency $2,000 TOTAL $130,000 Payment Schedule Onboarding $30,000 Complete design Engineering Coordination w/ parks, landscape arch, etc. Begin Fabrication $25,000 50% fab complete $25,000 100% fab complete $30,000 Installation Documentation Sign -off $20,000 TOTAL $130,000 Timeline Design Development 3 weeks Engineering 3 weeks Waterjet Cutting 4 weeks Rolling 1 week Welding and Assembly b weeks Powder -coating & Foundation 2 weeks Shipping to Moorpark 1 week Installation 1 week TOTAL TIME 21 weeks Fabrication & Installation Plan Design Development 3 weeks Complete design Meetings w/ Parks, Landscape arch, etc. to review project Engineering 3 weeks Design footings for gateway and fence posts Create Construction documents Begin Fabrication (Digital Design & Fabrication) Purchase material Waterjet Cutting 4 weeks Rolling (Paramount Roll & Form) 1 week Welding and Assembly (Digital Design & Fabrication) 6 weeks Powder -coating 2 weeks Cast Foundations at Site Shipping to Moorpark 1 week Installation (UrbanRock Design with assistance) 1 week TOTALTIME 21 weeks Materials and Maintenance Plan DIMENSIONS 1. Fence: the fence is 150 ft long. It is composed of 25 panels that are each 3'/2 ft high x 6 ft long with maximum openings of 4" wide. 2, Gateway: the gateway is 5 ft x 3 ft x 10 ft high, also have maximum openings of 4" wide. MEDIUM The base panels of the fence and gateway are waterjet cut architectural grade 3/8 in thick 6061-T651 aluminum. The floral elements are waterjet cut architectural grade 1/4 in thick 6061-T651 aluminum. They are fastened to the base plate with high security stainless steel machine screw hardware, as are each fence panel to the posts. The posts will be either 4" square or 4" round x 45" high x 3/8" wall thickness 6061-T651 aluminum. The posts will have mortised custom base plates welded in place to accommodate three to four 3/8" thick stainless steel threaded rod tie -downs. These tie -downs are epoxied in place to the foundation and fastened with high security nuts. The gateway will be fabricated in a similar manner with the top portion of the gateway element being rolled, then welded to the verticals to create an entry archway. It will have floral elements fastened to it too. All elements are to be powder coated with a color and an anti -graffiti clear top coat to ensure durability, stability, and UV resistance. The piece has the following powder coated colors from the RAL system: Tiger Drylac Colors: RAL 1017, RAL 1016, RAL 3015, RAL 4003, RAL 4006, RAL 5017, RAL 9010, RAL 5012. CARE AND MAINTENANCE Once applied, powder coating needs to be properly cared for, just like any paint. Powder used on exterior applications needs to be cleaned 2 — 3 times per year. Pressure cleaning The most efficient method of cleaning powder coated surfaces is with a pressure washer using filtered water under low pressure. Mild detergent may be used, but do not use chlorine or harsh cleaning solutions. It is very important that low pressure be used in pressure cleaning. If the pressure is strong enough to move the metal surface, it may be strong enough to damage the finish as well. Avoid using unfiltered tap water or ground water when cleaning the powder coated finish, and pay attention to where the wind blows the water from sprinkler systems. Unfiltered water often causes staining on outdoor products due to sulfur, iron oxide, chlorine, fluoride, and other minerals commonly found in hard water or ground water in certain states. Only filtered water should be used to clean and rinse powder coated products whenever possible. Avoid Abrasives Avoid harsh, abrasive cleaners such as steel wool and scourers. Treat the powder coating as you would treat your car paint. MATERIALS and MAINTENANCE REPORT, cont. Avoid Solvents Any use of a solvent -based cleaner will void any warranty that is issued. Where a solvent is absolutely necessary to remove materials from the surface, such as adhesives, the weakest possible solvent should be used (e.g. methylated spirits, white spirits or isopropyl alcohol). A small and unobtrusive area should be tested prior to attempting to use solvents on significant surfaces. After removal of the surface contaminant, the solvent should be dried from the film, and the area that has been wiped with solvent should be washed with a solution of mild liquid detergent and then rinsed with clean water to ensure complete removal of any solvent residues. Under no circumstances should strong solvents be used. Examples of inappropriate chemicals for cleaning or any contact with powder coatings are gasoline, kerosene, xylene, caustic cleaners (especially kitchen and bathroom detergents) and paint thinners. Always flush metal that has been exposed to cleaner with copious amounts of fresh clean water. If the local water is high in mineral salts, finish powder coated metal cleaning with deionized water and/or a chamois. Damage Repair Where mechanical damage to the powder coating has occurred such that the substrate is exposed, it is certain that the underlying chromate film has been damaged. In order to achieve the maximum corrosion resistance, it is necessary to replace the pretreatment. In some cases it will be possible to apply a suitable chromate pretreatment on site, apply a suitable primer and repaint the damaged area in accordance with the recommendations above. Where on -site application of a chromate pretreatment is not possible, the application of a high performance etch primer to the aluminum is essential to the repair process. Application of a suitable touch-up paint is the only recommended method of damage repair. Touch up paint is available, if necessary, through LVP Powder & Paints- https://www.lvppaints.com/ral-paint-standard-touch-up-aerosol-spray- paint.html CONTACTS Public Artists UrbanRock Design- Russell Rock and Jeanine Centuori 670 Moulton Avenue, # 7 Los Angeles, CA 90031 323-227-0955 Metal Fabricator Justin Phelps Digital Design & Fabrication LLC 1640 Miller Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90063 323-999-4933 R I A L I T M A N ART & DES I G N 4284 Deer Trail Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95404 510.386.7859 - adrian.artistic@gmail.com www.adrian-susnea-litman.com Enchanted Playground at Tierra Rejada Park Gate and Fence Artwork Concept Design Proposal The Concept Design for Tierra Rejada park art project takes into consideration three main aspects: 1.Represent creatively the theme of "Enchanted Playground" with colorFulwhimsical images executed with glazes on fired stoneware tiles. The images illustrate a selected number of elements from the local flora and fauna. 2.Safety for the people and children using the park. 31ow or no maintenence for the art components. For that purpose the suggested use of materials includes CorTen (weatherized steel), stainless steel and stoneware tiles. Gate Artwork Design Proposal 2'x2'x10' side columns decorated with nature's elements support the top arch piece showing the name of the park. Flora and Fauna design elements are executed with glaze on fired stoneware tiles. 12ft 3ft 'Stainless steel letter Cut out letters with ' color background IAM 0�. Stoneware glazed tiles depicting natural desi n elements attached t_o..t.'.l'-e-_.. loft structure -Stainless steel angle supporting structure CorTen plates attached to the structure - Concrete pads of Fence Panels - 42"Hx 48"W made of perforated CorTen or stainless steelwith stoneware glazed tiles attached. The side supporting poles extend to 8' high with stainless steelbird shapes at the top connected with wheelbearings for kinetic motion. The bases of the fence are bolted down to concrete pads. The 150' long fence includes 36 panels. Attachment 4 Urban Rock Design Revised Preliminary Artwork Inclusive Playground Gateway & Fencing Public Art Tierra Rejada Park Moorpark, CA The Artists JEANINE CENTUORI RUSSELL ROCK UrbanRock Design Gateway Portion of Fence— There are approximately 16 panels along the 98 ft length of fence. Each panel has a unique set of elements that work together in the composition. Example of Fence Panels Example of Fence Panels Example of Fence Panels