Public Art Committee Minutes – January 12, 2021

PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE (PAC)

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

4:00PM via Zoom

Meeting Minutes

Participants:

• Ingrid Hansen
• Dave Hegland (Secretary)
• Kay MacIntosh (ex-officio: Manager of the Chestertown Arts & Entertainment District)
• Carla Massoni
• John Schratwieser (ex-officio: Kent Cultural Alliance)
• Sam Shoge
• Ben Tilghman (Chair)
• Gordon Wallace
• Pam White (Vice Chair)

• Jim Bogden (Guest Participant – Chestertown Recreation Commission)
• Kees de Mooy (Guest Participant – Chestertown Zoning Administrator)

1. Approval of 12-08-20 Minutes – minutes were approved without changes
2. Sculpture Project
   1. Ben announced that the grant for moving and installing the first two sculptures was approved by the Maryland State Arts Council.
   2. Next step is to plan for the artists of the two sculptures to come and do any necessary work and help to get them installed. Ben took the action to contact the artists with a target of Fall 2021 for the installation.
   3. Ben and Kay are working on finalizing the gift agreements with the donors.
   4. Kees de Mooy provided feedback from the State Highway Administration (SHA) on the feasibility of installing a sculpture in the roundabout at the intersection of Morgnec Rd and High Street. SHA said it was not feasible due to the safety issues involved.
   5. Kees also provided feedback on placing sculptures in the waterfront critical area. The primary issue is caused by the amount of impervious surface created by the installation of a sculpture.  The number of square feet made impervious needs to be mitigated by additional planting of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, to replace the buffer functions lost.  The size of the required mitigation is typically 2 to 3 times the area lost to the impervious surface.
3. Discussion with Jim Bogden of the Chestertown Recreation Commission to share ideas
   1. To orient Jim, Ben reviewed the Sculpture Project.
   2. Jim made the following suggestions regarding potential site locations:
      1. In the vicinity of the new Marina building on a plot of land as you enter the parking lot. Potentially a larger sculpture like the one proposed for the roundabout.
      2. A location next to Ajax park. The Recreation Commission has recently proposed a rain garden on a plot of land between a buttressed road salt shed and the rail trail.  Potentially “Tupelo Cloud” with its reference to climate change.

• In Wilmer Park near the parking lot.

1. Washington Park at the intersection of Lincoln and Kennedy Drive off Flatland Road.
2. The grassy area in front of Peoples Bank at the Intersection of Washington Avenue and Morgnec Road.
3. Gateway Park on Route 20 past the roundabout. Potentially the “The Ball and Red Arches”.

1. Jim finished up by encouraging a partnership between the PAC and the Recreation Committee on placing art in public parks.

4. Update on the Chestertown Slavery Memorial – A meeting has been scheduled with John Queen of the Racial Equity Advisory Committee concerning the role of the PAC in supporting this project.
5. Dave reported that the A&E Committee had started developing a list of all the open spaces that could be potential Sculpture locations within the A&E District.
6. Wrap Up and Action Items
   1. Ben raised the issue of having agreements that could be used to approach private landowners that might be interested in hosting a sculpture. Kay and Dave agreed to do some research and report back.
   2. Ben (Carla, Pam, and Gordon) to report back on the meeting with John Queen and any other developments on the Slavery Memorial.
   3. Ben and Kay will report back on their upcoming meeting with the donors.
   4. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday Feb 9, 4:00PM.