Public Arts Board could soon become committee of Norman Arts Council

Aug. 16—A discussion on a potential Norman Public Arts Committee will be a topic at a future City Council study session, following preliminary talks between arts council and city leadership earlier this month.

The Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman created the Norman Public Arts Board in 2009, with the mission to create appealing public spaces through art.

The Norman Public Arts Board works to enhance Norman's perception locally and nationally by focusing on the creation of high-quality public art, according to a Norman Arts Council presentation at a Business and Community Affairs meeting

In 2016, the City of Norman contracted with the arts council to administer the Norman Forward "1% for Art" program, which receives 1% from Norman Forward project budgets set aside for art. The Norman Arts Council administers the selection process for the use of those funds.

Norman Arts Council executive director Erinn Gavaghan said during the presentation that public art in Norman is rapidly expanding beyond the boundaries of public property with the successes of Norman Forward.

To stay relevant in public art, Gavaghan said more attention on the program is needed. On behalf of the Norman Arts Council at a Business and Community Affairs meeting earlier this month, Gavaghan proposed that the Public Arts Board become solely a committee of the Norman Arts Council, forming the Norman Public Arts Committee. The board currently functions as a subcommittee of the Norman Arts Council.

"The public Arts Board does fall under the boards and commissions at the city of Norman, but it's unique in that it is also a subcommittee of the Norman Arts Council," Gavaghan said.

The Norman Arts Council outlined five advantages to that potential change. Gavaghan said it defines legal standing, explaining that as a committee of a 501©(3), the legal responsibilities of board and committee members are clear.

The Norman Arts Council board of directors has full fiduciary responsibility regarding public and private funding, Gavaghan said.

"The Norman Arts Council has really thoughtfully written bylaws and policies, and all of our committees are guided by these, and all of our committees have input into edits as committees grow and morph as part of this natural progression of programming and missions that happens in committee work," Gavaghan said.

The arts council also believes the creation of a Norman Public Arts Committee would increase community involvement, she said.

According to the Arts Council's presentation, NAC board members would be invited to join the committee, increasing awareness of public art programs within the board that is responsible for them.

Gavaghan said there's currently an air of mystery around the Public Arts Board and how it operates, but a committee would make public art generally more accessible to the community it serves and create awareness of public art processes.

Under the arts council, public arts committee members would not be tied to open meeting laws, which Gavaghan said would free up the committee to "act more nimbly," saying it would free up city and Norman Arts Council administrative time.

This would allow the committee to adapt meeting times as needed and the ability to operate without a quorum, according to the presentation.

Gavaghan said the mission statements of the Public Art Board align perfectly with the goals of the Norman Arts Council, particularly as they relate to public art. Having two groups involved in running public art in Norman is often confusing to the public, she said.

If not tied to the city, the Norman Arts Council can expand public art to more spaces in the community.

Gavaghan said she is currently working with the Norman Economic Development Coalition to create a large mural on the Commerce Building on Main Street. If part of the Norman Arts Council, the committee would be free to pursue expanded projects that are within the public view, but not necessarily on public property.

The Public Arts Board doesn't have an office space or staff. If it became a committee, it would have a home and retain the talents of the Norman Arts Council for campaigns and clarity in fundraising efforts.

As a 501©(3), Norman Arts Council can qualify to apply for public and private grants to support public art.

"There are a lot of them out there," Gavaghan said.

How would it work?

The NAC Board has already approved the transition for the Norman Public Arts Committee. If approved by City Council, the arts council would continue the management of public funds for public art in addition to utility funds, which would be restricted to art projects on city property.

"We feel confident we can continue to manage the utility bill donations without the complexities of having a joint committee that's beholden to both the city and to the NAC," Gavaghan said.

Utility bill donations would be administered exactly as they are — in quarterly checks from the City of Norman to the NAC, according to the presentation. A new agreement between the city and the NAC would be written for the management of public funds like the Hotel Tax Agreements and the Norman Forward Agreement.

Current Public Arts Board members would be able to remain on the committee, and there would be expanded membership opportunities; Gavaghan said NAC wants to open it up to more community members.

Other goals of the committee would be public art strategic planning funded by NAC, creation of a mural program, advocating for a percentage of Norman Forward II for art and a permanent amount for art programming in Norman, and creating an artist-initiated project process and funding mechanism in collaboration with the NAC's Program and Grants Committee.

"We really feel like we are at an important juncture for public art in Norman right now," Gavaghan said. "There's exciting possibilities ahead. Like I said, we have committed to fund the strategic plan that would be specific to public art, and we would want to embark on that right away."

Mayor Larry Heikkila said his vision for the city includes getting more public art in Norman.

"This is part of it," Heikkila said.

City Attorney Katherine Walker said the discussion will move forward to a City Council study session.

Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.