REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 06/07/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMUNITY MURAL PILOT PROJECT IN CORONA’S PARKS - SUBMISSION SELECTION
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to discuss and provide feedback on submissions for the Community Mural Pilot Project in Corona’s Parks, and narrow down the submissions to two selections for the Corona community to choose by way of public voting for the final mural at Promenade Park.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council discuss and provide feedback on the Community Mural Pilot Project submissions and narrow down to two selections.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In September 2022, the Community Services Department brought the Community Mural Pilot Project in Corona’s Parks to the Fall Financial Workshop for City Council discussion and consideration. At the workshop, the City Council confirmed their desire to move forward with the Community Mural Project at Promenade Park as a pilot project. Promenade Park was selected to be the pilot location for the purpose of trying to reactivate the park due to its many residential complaints of graffiti and active homeless activity.
The City put out a Call for Artists in November 2022 in an effort to showcase local Corona artists. The prospective artists submitted applications that included a waiver, biography, and a picture or conceptual sketch of the artwork or planned design that adhered to a theme that resonated with Corona’s parks and/or rich and diverse heritage. Eligible prospective artists had to adhere to the following requirements:
• Open to Corona artists 16 years and older
• Complete and submit submission form with basic information and sketch of artwork
• Artist whose artwork is selected will be asked to complete W-9 Form in order to receive stipend from the City of Corona
• Provide a timeline that outlines the phases for installation of the mural
• Outline how artist will incorporate the City’s volunteers
• Include professional references of other murals or public art
The City received six prospective mural submissions. City staff reviewed the submissions and brought forth four eligible submissions to the Parks and Recreation Commission at their February 14, 2023 meeting. The Parks and Recreation Commission provided their input based on the following questions:
• Did the artist meet the City’s criteria?
• Did the artist adhere to a Corona theme?
• Does the artwork provide a creative and original concept?
The Parks and Recreation Commission ranked each artist on a scale of 1-3, with a ranking of 1 being the best. Three artists were selected by the Commission to move forward for City Council consideration.
ANALYSIS:
Based on the Parks and Recreation Commission’s recommendation, the following three artists and their artwork are being presented to the City Council for review and consideration:
A. Artist Eliseo Silva - “Lemon Capital of the World”
B. Artist Kathryn Duncan - “Welcome to Promenade Park”
C. Artist Ryan Nguyen - “Life in Corona”
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide feedback on the Community Mural Pilot Project submissions and narrow down the submissions to two selections. The final two mural submissions will be presented to the Corona community by way of public voting, where mural with the highest votes will be featured at Promenade Park, located at 615 Richey Street, Corona, CA 92879.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The estimated total cost of the mural project is $12,850. This includes completed mural stipend, staff cost, and paint costs. The costs associated with this project is budgeted in the Community Services Department operating budget for Fiscal Year 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: VIOLA VAN, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, INTERIM COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR