Public Art Committee

Council Charge

The purpose of the Committee is to make recommendations at the request of the City Council on the selection of artists for, and acquisition of, permanent public art located on property owned or controlled by the City including public facilities, advise the City Council on matters related to public art, and to encourage and support art in South Burlington.  The Committee also manages the City's art gallery in the South Burlington Public Library and City Hall.

Meetings

The Committee meets regularly at 5:30 PM on the third Tuesday of the month.  Check the City web site calendar and warning to confirm there is a meeting, for meeting location, special meeting dates, and cancellations. 

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

View Public Art Committee agendas and minutes. To access all city meeting documents, click here.

Calls to Artists

Open Calls to Artists are posted on the City's RFP/BID page of this web site.  Interest in showing at the Public Art Gallery (180 Market Street) may be sent to the gallery curator.
The Committee uses the adopted Gallery Policy to manage the gallery.

Members

The three non-voting members include a designee of the Vermont Art Council, the Department of Public Works and the Staff Liaison for the Committee as designated by the City Manager.  Michele Bailey represents the Vermont Arts Council. Silken Kershner, Project Manager, represents the Public Works Department.

Council Liaison

Tim Barritt, Chair is the City Council Liaison.

Staff Liaison (non-voting member)

Ilona Blanchard, Community Development Director, 802-846-4107

From the resolution establishing the committee:

Artist Selection Criteria

Artists may be recommended based on the following criteria: meeting the requirements of a request for proposals or request for qualifications; vision and concept of the artwork; warrant that the artwork is unique and an edition of one or part of a limited edition; ability for a successful likelihood of completion as proposed by the artist; qualifications as demonstrated by past work (e.g., public art that has been durable, experience with successful fabrication and installation); and representation of a broad distribution of commissions among artists.

Art Selection Criteria

The Committee shall select artwork using the following criteria, as applicable: Aesthetics: including contribution to the city's art collection as a whole; provision of a diversity in style, scale, media, form or intent; representation of the local, regional, national or international communities; enhancing the city's identity; and meeting the context of the site (i.e., architectural, historical, geographical and socio-cultural). Craftsmanship: high construction quality with structural and surface soundness; Maintenance: resistant to theft, vandalism, weathering and excessive and disproportionate lifecycle maintenance or repair costs; and Safety: no hazard to public health.

Siting Criteria

Public art shall be placed where the relationship and scale of the artwork is appropriate to the proposed site, surroundings, and collection as a whole; it is immediately visible to the public; clearance is maintained from above- and below- ground utilities, fire hydrants, and public safety access; and it allows for easy passage to both drivers and pedestrians. Public art shall not obstruct the greater view, such as scenic vistas, windows, doors, or street signs or traffic; interfere with utility access points, benches, crosswalk ramps, sight of the curb, or unduly disrupt curb use activities, loading zones ingresses and egresses for transit buses or opening of car doors; be placed where it could cause distractions for drivers or pedestrians that might cause accidents or tripping (e.g., catching spike heels or causing water to pool); or have moving parts or edges that could cause injury.

Process

The Committee shall meet only as required to fulfill the purpose of this resolution; shall solicit input from the public and City departments; and may not recommend art that would require more than available funds.

Annual Report and Work Plan

Current Work Plan
2022 Public Art Committee Annual Report
2021 Public Art Committee Annual Report 
2020 Public Art Committee Annual Report - To view all the City's Annual Reports CLICK HERE