HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-06-17; City Council; 19473; Acceptance of donationCITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL
AB# 19,473
MTG 06/17/08
DEPT. ARTS
ACCEPTANCE OF DONATION AND
APPROVAL OF INSTALLATION OF
ARTWORKS
DEPT. HEAD ±#
CITY ATTY. fy-
CITY MGR. \jj — -
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt Resolution No. 2008-166 accepting a donation of two artworks from the Italo Scanga
Foundation and approving the installation of those artworks on the front lawn of the Cultural
Arts Office.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
The Italo Scanga Foundation has generously offered two works by the artist, Italo Scanga, to
the City of Carlsbad for its Art in Public Places Collection. Mr. Scanga was an internationally
renowned artist who lived in San Diego from 1978 until his death in 2001. (A longer biography
is attached as Exhibit 2.) The two works are "Tree with Bird" from 2000, and "Untitled" from
1997. Both works were previously displayed in the City's Sculpture Garden.
Following the Cultural Arts Office's Policies and Procedures for Donation Offers, the works
were first reviewed by an Acquisitions Committee, whose primary role is to comment on the
aesthetic quality of the work and the appropriateness of the proposed installation site. The
Acquisitions Committee recommended (5-0 vote) to the Arts Commission that the works be
accepted and installed on the front lawn of the Cultural Arts Office, see renderings of
proposed installation attached as Exhibits 3, 4, 5, and 6. The Arts Commission approved the
recommendation by a 6-0 vote.
The proposed artwork was then put on display at the Cole Library for one month to gather
public input and comment. The City received 48 responses, with 54% positive, 27% negative,
and 19% split. The public comments were then presented to the Arts Commission for review
and discussion. On March 6, 2008, the Arts Commission voted 5-0 to recommend
acceptance of the artwork and installation on the front lawn of the Cultural Arts Office to the
City Council.
ENVSRONMENTAL IMPACT:
Accepting this donation and installing the works on the front lawn of the Cultural Arts Office
does not qualify as a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA
Guidelines Section 15378) and no environmental review is required.
DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Peter Gordon, (760) 434-2921, pgord@ci.carlsbad.ca.us
FOR CITY CLERK'S USE ONLY.
COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED fS^-
DENIED D
CONTINUED D
WITHDRAWN D
AMENDED D
CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC
CONTINUED TO DATE UNKNOWN
RETURNED TO STAFF
OTHER -SEE MINUTES
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FISCAL IMPACT:
All costs for the acceptance and installation of the two offered artworks are included in the
Cultural Arts Office's FY 07-08 approved budget. Costs, which include the pouring of cement
pads, labor to move and install the two artworks, and bronze identification plaques, are
estimated at $4,000, based on estimates from Sherwood Artworks and Bonsall Construction
Services.
EXHIBITS:
1. Resolution No. 2008-166 . accepting a donation of two artworks from the Italo
Scanga Foundation and approving their installation on the front lawn of the Cultural
Arts Office
2. Biography of Artist
3. Current photograph of front lawn of Cultural Arts Office
4 Photographic rendering of "Untitled" installed on front lawn of Arts Office
5. Photographic rendering of "Tree with Bird" installed on front lawn of Arts Office
6. Photographic rendering of "Untitled" and "Tree with Bird" installed on front lawn of Arts
Office
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1 RESOLUTION NO. 2008-166
2 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE
3 ACCEPTANCE OF A DONATION OF TWO ARTWORKS
4 AND APPROVAL OF THEIR INSTALLATION
5 WHEREAS, the Italo Scanga Foundation has generously offered two works by
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the artist, Italo Scanga, to the City of Carlsbad for its Art in Public Places Collection; and
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WHEREAS, on March 6, 2008, the Carlsbad Arts Commission, after reviewing8
n recommendations from its Acquisitions Committee and comments from the public, votedy
10 5-0 to recommend to City Council the acceptance of the donation of the two artworks
1 ] and approval of their installation on the front lawn of the Cultural Arts Office; and
12 WHEREAS, costs to cover the acceptance of the donation and their installation
are included in the Cultural Arts Office's FY 07-08 approved budget.
14 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of
Carlsbad, California, as follows:
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1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
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. „ 2. That the donation offer from the Italo Scanga Foundation of two works by1 a
19 the artist, Italo Scanga, is hereby accepted.
20 3. That the installation of the two artworks on the front lawn of the Cultural
21 Arts Office is hereby approved.
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council
of the City of Carlsbad on the 17th day of June, 2008, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Council Members Lewis, Kulchin, Hall, Packard and Nygaard.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ATTEST:
-WAkQxxtU
LORRAINE M. WOOD, City Clerk^(}
(SEAL)
Exhibit 2
Biography of the Artist
Internationally-renowned sculptor Italo Scanga (1932-2001) was an innovative
artist who fashioned many of his works from everyday items in a style that
blended cubist and folk influences. Born in Lago, Italy, Scanga emigrated to the
United States in 1947 after World War II. He earned his bachelor's and master's
degrees from Michigan State University after working on the General Motors
assembly line and serving in the U.S. Army.
Although he made art throughout his life, Scanga did not become a commercially
successful artist until he was nearly 50. In his early years he augmented his
income by teaching at the University of Wisconsin, the Rhode Island School of
Design, Pennsylvania State University and the Tyler School of Art. In 1976, UC
San Diego lured him to California as a visiting professor and in 1978 made him a
permanent faculty member. The self-proclaimed "gypsy teacher" had found a
home.
Scanga has been the subject of well over 100 one-man exhibitions and his work
has been included in more than 225 group exhibitions across the United States
and in Europe. He received two National Endowment of the Arts awards, and has
appeared on the front cover of one of prestigious art magazine, ArtNews. His
artwork is in numerous museum collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago;
the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the
Guggenheim, all in New York; County and Contemporary Museums in Los
Angeles and San Diego; and the Hirshhorn Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
A museum devoted entirely to his work is now under construction in his Italian
hometown of Lago.
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