Williamsburg Public Art Council

City of Williamsburg Agenda Williamsburg Public Art Council Meeting Monday, October 31, 2022 @ 3:00 PM Stryker Center (Room 127), 412 N Boundary St, Williamsburg, VA 23185 Page I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. September 26, 2022 - WPAC Minutes 2-4 WPAC - September 26, 2022 Minutes - Draft 1 III. CHAIR'S REPORT a. New Member - Sally Wolfe IV. MURAL PROGRAM AT MIDTOWN ROW a. Wall # 2 - Silas Baker's Mural 5-6 • Progress • Unveiling Collaboration with Midtown Row • Plaque Silas Baker Mural Public Art Plaque Copy b. Wall #1 - RFQ Update c. Marquee Wall Discussion V. NEXT MEETING The next meeting is Monday, November 28, 2022, at 3:30 pm in Room 127 at the Stryker Center. VI. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 6 The Williamsburg Public Art Council met at 3:00 pm, Wednesday, September 26, 2022, in room 127 at the Stryker Center, 412 N Boundary Street, Williamsburg, Virginia. WPAC members present: Robert Currie (Chairperson), Patricia Rublein (Vice-Chairperson), Scott Spence (Secretary), Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey, Rachel Trichler, Chris Caracci, Conor Sokolowsky (arrived at 4:05 pm) WPAC members absent: Harold Philipsen Staff members present: Joanna Skrabala (Tourism Development Specialist) Others Present: Leslie Skinner (guest speaker), Kim Defibaugh (DAR), and Sherril Buckner (DAR) I. Call to Order Mr. Currie called the meeting to order at 3:31 pm. II. Approval of Minutes a. August 29, 2022 – WPAC Minutes b. September 7, 2022 – WPAC Minutes Ms. Rublein made a motion to approve the August 29 minutes and Mr. Caracci seconded. All approved. Ms. Rublein made a motion to approve the September 7 minutes and Mr. Dent seconded. All approved. III. Presentation a. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Plaque – Leslie Skinner Ms. Skinner gave a presentation on the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She said DAR is now 97 years old and has been involved in community initiatives for many years, including the Kaplan Arena flag, tree planting and grave preservation at Cedar Grove Cemetery, art preservation projects at Berkeley Plantation, Constitution Day, and Naturalization Ceremonies. Ms. Skinner said the Williamsburg Chapter wants to apply for a Revolutionary War plaque. She said after talking with City leadership, the plaque (24” x 24”) would be best in Bicentennial Park. Ms. Skinner said the national DAR organization is looking for deserving places and she felt Williamsburg would be a great fit. She said in years past, the plaques have helped to generate tourism revenue because women travel to see the plaques, and this was especially true right now because of the ancestry research trend. Page 2 of 6  Ms. Skinner said because the plaque was considered public art, it would need to be approved by the WPAC before proceeding. Ms. Rublein asked what graphics would be incorporated into the plaque and Ms. Skinner said it would be a heavy bronze material with raised gold lettering. She said it would include the DAR logo depicting the original 13 colonies. Ms. Skinner presented a mockup image of a location that showed other plaques currently in Bicentennial Park and Mr. Caracci asked about the origin of these other plaques. Ms. Skinner said she could not remember them all, but they did involve a veterans group. Mr. Caracci expressed concern over their worn appearance and asked if they could be refurbished to the quality of the new plaque. Ms. Skinner said if funding the reburnishing is not in the budget, the DAR plaque could be placed elsewhere in the park. She also said she had spoken to the City’s Public Works department, and they were equipped with the tools to mount the plaque. Ms. Trichler asked if the plaque could be presented differently and not placed in the ground and Ms. Skinner said the City prefers it to be in the ground, but it can be raised. Ms. Ramsey asked the WPAC members to visit the park on their own time to identify other potential spots for the plaque. She said cleaning the other plaques could be a part of a long-term plan. IV. Chair’s Report a. CAN Exhibition and Creative Summit Mr. Currie said he was asked by Asa Jackson to participate in a Creative Summit for a collective cooperative group at Assembly in Norfolk. Mr. Currie said he participated in a panel discussion focused on municipalities and everyone was really excited to learn about the Williamsburg’s initiatives. Mr. Currie said he also sat in on two other panels with speakers Janet Starke, former Virginia Commission for the Arts Chair, and Kate Pitman, Director of the ViBe District. Mr. Currie said he would send additional materials from the Summit to the WPAC. Ms. Rublein asked if Mr. Currie thought they might coalesce a new group and he said there is interest to form a regional group again. Mr. Currie said the event was very well organized, but also very relaxed and comfortable. He mentioned that 757 Maker was present at the Summit and it could be a good idea to do a feasibility study to see if there is a demand for something comparable. Mr. Sokolowsky said Asheville also has a similar concept. Mr. Currie said because the City does not have any old factories or warehouses to repurpose, he feels Midtown Row might be the best fit for something like this. Mr. Sokolowsky said he had worked with former Planning Director Carolyn Murphy when he was in high school on a study looking at the Triangle Building and the Arts District. b. Public Art Plan Ms. Skrabala included the first complete draft of the plan in the agenda packet and asked if anyone had any additional comments. Ms. Ramsey reiterated that it did not need to be perfect on this first go-round and Ms. Rublein said if there were no Page 3 of 6  comments, the WPAC could entertain a motion to approve it. Ms. Ramsey made a motion to approve the Public Art Plan and Mr. Sokolowsky seconded. All approved. V. Mural Program at Midtown Row a. RFQ Reissue for Wall #1 Ms. Skrabala noted that the RFQ reissue had been posted and the deadline for submissions was November 2. b. Update on Wall #2 Ms. Skrabala said the contract with artist Silas Baker was finalized. She said due to recent construction at Midtown Row, Mr. Baker would not be able to start the mural until mid-October. c. Marquee Wall – Branded Arts Mr. Currie suggested tabling this discussion for the next meeting. Ms. Ramsey asked for additional direction on what types of ideas to send to Mr. Currie about the curated mural. Ms. Trichler also suggested looking at other artwork and not just murals for inspiration. Mr. Currie also said that it does not need to be specific artists; it can be an aesthetic to get a feel for what the group wants. VI. Next Meeting The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 31, 2022, at 3:30 pm in Room 127 at the Stryker Center. VII. Adjournment Mr. Currie made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Ms. Rublein seconded. All approved and the meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. _______________________________________________ Scott Spence, Secretary Page 4 of 6 Page 5 of 6 Public Art Plaque Copy – Ongoing Papilio Glaucus Artist: Silas Baker Mural 2022 Papilio Glaucus is the first commissioned mural in the City of Williamsburg. The artwork depicts a Papilio glaucus, commonly called the eastern tiger swallowtail. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in North America and is also the Virginia state insect. After working as a tattoo artist for many years, Silas Baker decided to pursue a fulltime profession in fine art and murals in 2020. His artwork can be found throughout the Hampton Roads region. This mural was installed in partnership between the City of Williamsburg’s Public Art Council and Midtown Row. Learn more about the City’s Public Art Program: <insert QR code> Page 6 of 6