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PUBLIC ART Councilors discuss way forward for public art Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 20, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Apr 20, 2016 at 12:33 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 20, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Apr 20, 2016 at 12:33 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Council votes to ask for alternative design • 'Gather' to grace Gateway Island • Presentation of Gateway Island public art proposals coming • Public art finalists chosen • Ashland plans $100,000 public art project » Social News Just what hoops a controversial public art proposal on Siskiyou Boulevard still has to jump through became clearer at a City Council study session Monday. The artist, Susan Zoccola, will be invited to unveil her second proposal in public, then people will be invited to comment online, then the City Council will vote on which proposal — the first one, called “Gather,” or her new one — then, toward the end of the year, it will be erected on the Gateway Island between the fire station and the library. After a long review of its process through the public art brouhaha in recent months, the council agonized over how to let the city’s Historic Commission have some say on whether the new art compromises history — but doing it without letting history dampen the artist’s creative spirit, which is necessary for Ashland to keep evolving out of bygone esthetic tastes. Seattle artist Zoccola’s new piece will go to the city’s Public Arts Commission to make sure it meets standards specified for the project, and the council will continue to shield the artist from a public tug-of-war, while still asking her to make a public presentation on the new one. Before the vote on whether to request the artist’s presentation, the council acknowledged she has the right to decline, since it wasn’t in her agreement, and that, if she does decline, it won’t affect the council’s judgment of her proposal. The Historic Commission in December voted its approval of the project, with four of nine voting nay or saying they would have opposed it, if present. Historic Commission member Keith Swink said part of the conflict over “Gather” arose from feeling they weren’t involved in the process early on and “didn’t feel listened to.” Mayor John Stromberg responded that other city commissions “are required to listen to your opinion, but not to follow it.” Swink agreed that is their role but it was a “very fuzzy area, what we were supposed to be doing.” Arts Commission members said they would do better at keeping the Historic Commission informed. Stromberg and city management analyst Ann Seltzer interviewed arts and historic commissioners, as well as local historian George Kramer (who was vocal against “Gather”) and that “everyone agreed” the Historic Commission shouldn’t interfere on the public arts process. Citing the rise of Impressionism, Stromberg noted it “redefined reality” and the nature of light and color, merging the inner and outer world and changing the viewer’s experience, yet such art was resisted and called disruptive, especially if tax money was involved (the Ashland project will be funded by bed tax revenues, which are paid by visitors to town). The process here is designed to bring in “seriously high quality art” but in the recent controversy here, he said it was “met with derision, even by artists.” He added, “It’s a given there’s going to be a public outcry and recrimination … but you can’t have good public art if the historic commission interferes. It raises the question how you distinguish good, serious art from bad art. It’s guaranteed to be unpopular to some citizens.” Placing a controversial piece of art at the uphill end of downtown might draw more people there, which is a city goal, he said. The mayor’s report had much advice for commissioners for future projects, which raised the question whether some ordinances should be changed, such as removing public art from the land use code, which requires application fees and can be appealed. Stromberg advised that arts commissioners appear before the Historic Commission when they issue future specifications for future projects, that the PAC use a three-dimensional model of the proposal and that history commissioners attend any presentation by an artist, in person and on-site. The concept should be presented publicly three different times and places, he said, with video posted on the city page. Such improvements in the chain of events for public art will be tested as it works on plans for a proposed mural on Winburn Way at the end of Plaza buildings and the public walkway from Starbucks up to Hargadine parking. Zoccola’s second proposal is due May 12. For more background on the public art process, see the webpage on the city website about the Gateway Island Public Art Project by clicking here . April 20: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Susan Zoccola's name. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 20, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated Apr 20, 2016 at 12:33 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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