As reflected in the attached letter of March 4, 2024, from Beth Louise Fregger, Design Committee Vice Chairperson, and Tina Gordon, Program Director, of New Port Richey Main Street, Inc. (NPR Main Street), NPR Main Street is proposing a multifaceted public art project which would help celebrate the City’s Centennial, our community’s history, and our historic downtown buildings through the commissioning of several small bronze statues that would be affixed to landmark buildings/locations in downtown and create an interactive downtown art adventure.  Since the transmittal of the aforementioned letter, the project has continued to grow and evolve.  As of the date of this writing, key components of the project include:

• In celebration of the City’s Centennial, small permanent bronze sculptures would be commissioned for each of up to 12 landmark buildings/locations in downtown.
  •  The currently identified locations are:  Richey Suncoast Theater, Leeston-Smith Building, The Hacienda Hotel, Havens-Chasco Inn, Clark Building, The Burnette Arcade, Swafford Building, New Port Richey Land Company Office, Morey-Bowman Building, Pasco Building, and First Bank of NPR.
• The sculptures are anticipated to be projecting from a plaque mount attached to the building face or directly to a building face accompanied by a mounted plaque.
  •  The plaque would include a QR Code, which would link interested parties to an online landing page that identifies the piece of art and artist, the current building name and owner, history of each landmark, and the project sponsors.
• NPR Main Street has entered into an agreement with accomplished sculptor Gillian Harper (https://gillianharper.com/About).
• The proposed project has many sources of inspiration, including:
  •  The Public Art Ordinance and our community’s continuing commitment to maintaining and enhancing our public art program.
  •  Celebrating our Centennial by recognizing our landmarks and remembering our history.
  •  The Figurines of Boras (More information available at www.atlasobscura.com/places/figurines-of-boras).The Hidden Mini Statutes of Budapest (More information available at https://budapestflow.com/hidden-mini-statues-budapest/).
  •  Connecting the permanent plaques to dynamic online educational programming.
  •  Creating a participatory art adventure that can generate arts-related tourism and give our citizens another fun thing to do downtown.
  •  Increasing business and contributing to economic development.
•  Estimated Cost of Project is $55,000.
•  City funding of $27,500. The balance of funding, $27,500, to be provided by private sponsors secured through NPR Main Street. 
•  The current schedule calls for completion by end of calendar year 2024.

As noted above, the project is currently estimated to cost $55,000.  It is important to highlight that NPR Main Street had originally estimated the cost at $43,000 and sought a City sponsorship of $20,000.  However, wanting to recommend utilization of the Public Art Fund for this request and recognizing several notable requirements of the Public Art Ordinance, as set forth below, our administrative team is recommending City support of the project through a 50/50 partnership, through which the City would work with NPR Main Street to secure use licenses from each of the building’s/landmark’s property owners for the placement of the art, thereby making those locations (limited to where the art is placed) public places, and providing for the City to own, maintain, and insure the artwork in accordance with the Public Art Ordinance. 

Notable Requirements of the Public Art Ordinance

• 27-3(c)  Monies on deposit in the public art fund shall be budgeted and appropriated by city council solely to pay the cost of…works of art installed in public places [emphasis added].  Monies derived from a municipal building project may be utilized for the installation of works of art on the project site or on such other city owned property as the city council may designate.

• 25-5 (a)  Ownership of all works of art paid for with monies from the public art fund shall be vested in the city which shall obtain title to each such work of art. 

Additionally, please be advised that the City Attorney has recommended a corresponding minor update to the Public Art Ordinance, which clarifies the City Council’s ability to make determinations as to “public places.”  Please note that this proposed amendment is being presented as a separate item under separate cover. 

At its meeting of May 15, 2024, the Cultural Affairs Committee reviewed the proposed public art project, including the use of $27,500 from the Public Art Fund, and unanimously recommended approval.