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FAC 08-28-12 APPROVED MINUTES FINE ARTS COMMISSION Special Meeting, Conf. Rm. B 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino August 28, 2012 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE At 7:10 p.m., Vice-Chairman Mahalingam called the special meeting to order in Conference Room C, 10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino and led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Chairwoman Jessi Kaur (7:15), and Commissioners Russell Leong, Rajeswari Mahalingam, and K.C. Chandratreya Staff Present: Staff Liaison Kimberly Smith and City Clerk Grace Schmidt. STAFF REPORT - None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None NEW BUSINESS 1. Minutes of the regular adjourned meeting of May 22, 2012. Commissioner Mahalingam moved and Commissioner Leong seconded to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried 4-0, with Chairwoman Kaur absent. At 7:15 p.m., Chairwoman Kaur was present. The agenda was reordered to take up item No. 3 next. 3. Status report on the Fine Arts Commission budget. The City Council approved the following budget for the Fine Arts Commission. This reflects a $5,000 decrease in the 2012 amount requested for the Euphrat Museum of Art* Office Supplies 200 Membership and Dues 50 Professional & Contract Services 300 Fine Arts Special Events 1,000 Grant and Expenditures, as shown below 11,500  FALC judge 500  Distinguished Artist 500  Emergency Artist 500  Euphrat Museum 10,000 August 28, 2012 Cupertino Fine Arts Commission Page 2 *In 2011, the City Council honored the Euphrat’s separate request for additional funding so the Euphrat Museum was granted the $6,000 FAC request plus an additional $9,000, for a total of $15,000 for fiscal year 2011/2012. Staff Liaison Kimberly Smith reviewed the budget approved by the City Council, and noted that the two organizations requesting grants had representatives present to answer any questions. The Fine Arts Commission took no action. The agenda was reordered to take up items 4 and 5 concurrently. 4. Consider grant request form the non-profit Fine Arts League of Cupertino (FALC) to help defray costs associated with the Annual Member Juried Art Show held in conjunction with the Rotary Club Fall Fest celebration. This includes an auction of donated paintings during the September 22 reception, and 100% of the proceeds go to charity (Council approved up to $500 for this budget item). 5. Consider annual grant request from the Euphrat Museum of Art at DeAnza College. (Council approved up to $10,000 for this budget item). Mr. Slava Shabrov, representing the Fine Arts League of Cupertino (FALC) explained that for the last 8 years they held the art show and auction in conjunction with the Rotary Club’s event. This year’s show will be in the Cupertino Senior Center, and the judge is Claire Verbiest, a recognized artist from San Mateo. The 2012 winners of the Distinguished and Emerging Artist awards will be invited to participate as well. Part of the event is an auction of donated art pieces, and anyone attending the reception can bid on the art. The Rotary Club selects the beneficiary of those proceeds, and this year’s recipient will be a Cupertino School District garden project. Mr. Shabrov explained that the FALC meetings include monthly presentations that are open to the public. There is no fee to attend the presentations, but there is a membership fee if people are interested in joining. Diana Argabrite, representing the Euphrat Museum of Art and its Arts in Schools program, said they were gearing up for another year of full programs and the full scheduled will be available in late September. She explained that the Arts in Schools program serves nine different schools in the Cupertino School District, including classes at the Quinlan Community Center, teaching tours, and first-grade student visits to the Euphrat Museum of Art. She will send a detailed description in late September. Ms. Argabrite explained that every other year there is an exhibition in the fall by DeAnza College and Foothill College faculty. This October it will feature guest artist Harriet Estelle Burman, who has created a sculpture that addresses the effects of standardized testing on critical thinking skills. It is made out of over 100,000 No. 2 pencils that have been used in testing, and measures 28 feet tall. The Euphrat’s winter show will be held in collaboration with the “Silicon Valley Reads 2012” program. This year’s books address the traumatic effects of war, one by a veteran returning from Iraq, and another by the parent of a veteran. The Euphrat show will focus on war and healing, August 28, 2012 Cupertino Fine Arts Commission Page 3 veterans, activists, and the scientific point of view about how that influences our worldview and our view of t “the enemy.” She said they had just finished a foster youth art show, and finished an extended year program and Collins, Miller, and Cupertino, in which there were 700 children enrolled in art classes. She expressed her gratitude for the Council’s approval of $10,000 for the Euphrat, especially in the current economic climate. Commissioner Mahalingam moved and Commissioner Chandratreya seconded to award a $10,000 grant to the Euphrat Museum of Art, and a $500 grant to the Fine Arts League of Cupertino to help defray the costs of the judge for their upcoming art auction. The motion carried 4-0. 2. Presentation from aloft Hotel representative Jason Durbin and art consultant Chandra Cerrito regarding the public art of this project. Mr. Jason Durbin said that he represented the Azul Hospitality Group, a hotel management company that will manage the new Cupertino aloft Hotel. It is owned by the Shashi Corporation, and will be a franchise of Starwood, whose brands includes St. Regis, Westin, Sheraton, and aloft. Mr. Durbin presented slides showing the hotel exterior, as well as prototypes of the lofts (guest rooms), splash (outdoor pool), wyz (lounge lobby bar), re:fuel (ready-made foods), re:charge (fitness center), and a front yard with outdoor fireplace. There is a four-foot water wall between the patio and street that will help to diminish road noise. The four-story building is scheduled to open on December 20, 2012. It is intended as affordable alternative for a tech-savvy, modern traveler, featuring an innovative design combined with programs and services. It has an urban look and style, with emphasis on a social scene including live music. Lighting, music, content and energy will change from day to night. Mr. Durbin explained that the owner had requested a bold and simple piece that emulates the design of the building, paid homage to the digital revolution of Silicon Valley, and had a dynamic lighting design. Art consultant Chandra Cerrito of Art Advisors LLC reviewed the portfolios of 15 artists, interview four, and selected artist Joyce Hsu. He said that Ms. Hsu has a background in art and architecture, including: Bachelor of Fine arts, Master of Fine Arts at the San Francisco Art Institute; a Master of Architecture at California College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Taiwan, and has she been appointed as a public art advisor. Joyce Hsu said she had done several public art commissions throughout California, including a permanent piece at the international terminal at the San Francisco Airport. She showed some slides of her prior work at the airport, as well as proposals for a public art project in Edmonton, a loft development in Walnut Creek, a project in Sacramento, a proposal for the Oakland Airport, and a privately commissioned piece. Her proposal for the aloft hotel is called “Message Blade”, a 19-foot tall wedge structure measuring approximately 6 feet in width and 5 feet in depth, with binary numbers measuring 2-3 inches tall etched on one side. The numbers spell out a secret message which can be cracked, but it is not August 28, 2012 Cupertino Fine Arts Commission Page 4 necessary to read the message to enjoy the artwork. Its shape is reminiscent of part of the original Cray supercomputer. It would be made out of anodized aluminum painted with polyurethane paint; the color would look similar to the housing on a MacBook computer. The binary numbers will be black during the day and will glow white at night, and the edge of the sculpture will also glow using a colored LED light. The top of the blade is tilted to match the building’s architecture, and will appear to change its form as the viewer walks around. She explained that the paint is a new product used all over the country for signage, and it is a cost- effective way to have different looks at day and night. The lighting comes from an RGB LED inside, but it can be changed seasonally or for special occasions. The lettering is always either white or black depending upon the time of day. Ms. Hsu said that the final message has not been chosen by the owner, but two under consideration include the transcript of the famous “1984” Apple Computer commercial, or the first Internet message ever sent. The finish will be a two-part polyurethane paint plus a clear coat that is designed to withstand any solvent needed to clean off graffiti. It is a common form of sign paint, estimated to have a minimum life span of 10 years or more and requiring minimum maintenance. The LED lights will last for at least 10,000 hours and only need cleaning. Ms. Hsu also illustrated her proposed identification plaque made of etched aluminum with a clear coat, blind-mounted or flush-mounted to the ground, measuring 8x15 inches. There is some landscaping around the sign, although four planned trees have been removed for the artwork. The letters are route out to fit perfectly, and will not provide handholds for anyone trying to climb it. An exterior signage fabricator instead of fine art fabricator will make it, because they can take care of structural footing, lighting, etc. In response to questions by the Fine Arts Commission members, Ms. Hsu agreed to create a 3- dimensional scale model (without the lighting), which she will send for the next Commission meeting. The commissioner members shared their thoughts on the proposed artwork, and they felt it was very clever, every aspect of the artwork relates perfectly to the building, and it looks as if it is almost part of the building’s architecture. Its binary hidden code and technology theme will appeal to the hotel’s target guests. In response to a suggestion by the commission, Mr. Durbin agreed to have a reception to celebrate the launch of the artwork. Audience member Diana Argabrite, representing the Euphrat Museum of Art, said that it might be possible to write a children’s curriculum unit, to teach them about binary numbers, and invite Joyce Hsu as a guest artist. The Euphrat also displays work at a nearby coffee shop, and could do a window display about the Message Blade and encourage people to visit the site. August 28, 2012 Cupertino Fine Arts Commission Page 5 The commissioners also suggested that the Fine Arts League of Cupertino and the Euphrat Museum of Art be contacted to if local artists’ work could be included in the interior as paintings, fabric art, etc. Commissioner Chandratreya moved and Commissioner Leong seconded to approve the concept as submitted; to have the artist send a 3-dimensional model; ask that a reception be held to celebrate the launch of the artwork; and to take advantage of the talents of local musicians and artists whenever possible. The motion carried 4-0. 6. Receive report on last meeting, and confirm representatives for the Mayor’s upcoming meetings with commissioners. No reports were given. Commissioner Leong was selected to attend the next meeting on October 1, at 4:30 p.m., in Conference Room A. 7. Follow-up report on Distinguished/Emerging Artists awards and the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival performance. Staff Liaison Kimberly Smith gave a brief report, and no action was taken. COMMISSIONER REPORTS 8. Commissioner announcements about local arts events and opportunities. No reports were made. NEWS ARTICLES - None ADJOURNMENT At 8:40 p.m., the meeting was adjourned. /s/Kimberly Smith _____________________ Kimberly Smith Staff Liaison