RV 2015: Art, Community Culture and TOD: Four Stories by Abigail Thorne-Lyman

Click to edit Master title style Art Policy Issues Funding and Programming Alternatives

• BART Planning & Development

Presentation by: Regina Almaguer, Art Consultant Jeannene Przyblyski, Art Consultant Abigail Thorne-Lyman, BART

Rail~Volution 2015 Dallas, TX

Background: Why a New Art Policy Now?

1 A Delightful Rider Experience Community Pride & Connection

Enhanced Wayfinding Unique Station Identities

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We wanted to take a step back; take a broader view of what we are trying to achieve It is clear that art, as one component of a larger place making strategy for BART, can help us achieve many goals, which we’ve heard repeated from those of you we have had the chance to interview: Station identity: differentiating from one station to another, reflecting the surrounding communities (Image – LA Metro Red Line Station design by Sheila Kline) Enhanced rider experience: encouraging riders to appreciate BART on a day-to-day basis with improved aesthetics, often woven into other improvements already being made Enhanced wayfinding: clarifying the path to key destinations outside of the station, drawing patrons to the ends of the platform where train cars are less crowded (Image - 161st Street (Deconstructed) Vito Acconci) Community pride and connection: increasing the sense of pride of ownership could reduce safety and security issues and vandalism (Image – Tanforan Photo Exhibit, Photo from Paul Kitagaki, Jr) As we are embarking on a new era of station modernization, the question is raised, how can we get there from here? Photo sources: Twitter: #sfmomalive

BART Planning & Development

Make Transit Cool

Ricardo Mendoza, The Will to Progress (2004), LA Metro Blue Line Firestone Station

2

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Nationally and internationally, art is a part of a 21st-century transit experience. AND YET, transit agencies do not initiate major arts programs as a disinterested public benefit: ART is a vital part of helping a transit agency to achieve its goals for improving rider experience, embedding mass transit in the civic imagination by creating memorable places and… Making public transportation cool for everyone.

Is BART Cool or What?

BART employees in the 1970s (BART.gov) 3 BART Planning & Development

Existing Conditions: A History of Art in BART

• 1970s 1990s 2000s • Original Stations Partnerships Extensions

4

Ex: William Mitchell (Richmond, Lake Merritt,

Mission), Alfonso Pardiñas (El Cerrito, Lafayette)

Ex: Rockridge Fire Mural, Ohlone Greenway Sculptures and Mural, World Wall for Peace (Fruitvale),

Larkin St. Youth (Powell)

Ex: Warm Springs, BART to OAK

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Today there are over 50 works of art throughout the system, many of which may go unnoticed, and some of which are deeply appreciated by the nearby communities. Aside from the Art Poster program run by the marketing department, nearly all works of art in the BART system have an undefined life span and are considered permanent fixtures. They have been funded on a piecemeal and opportunistic basis: Capital Projects with a % for art Negotiated on One-on-One Basis Permits to Community Groups, partnerships with groups including previous National Endowment for the Arts grants The Art Poster Program is funded as part of BART’s marketing – and is designed to promote BART.

Art Policy Goals

BART Planning & Development 5

• Cohesion. Create a Single, Cohesive Art Program

• Opportunity. Proactively Seek Opportunities to Implement Art

• Partnerships. Leverage Investments Through Partnerships

• Make Transit Work. Use Art to Further BART’s Functional Goals

• Showcase Art. Maintain and Interpret BART’s Art Collection

• Integrated Design. Identify Art and Design Opportunities Early in Project Development

• Transparency. Establish a Transparent Process for Collaboration

• Engagement. Engage with Communities

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We’ve streamlined into a series of 8 goals that boil down the above for the policy Got here through roundtables, surveys, interviews

Transit Agency Case Studies: Art in Transit Program Capital Allocations


Charlotte: 1%

Philadelphia: 0.5 - 1%

New York: 1%, 0.5% > $20m

Cleveland: 1.5% Chicago: 1%

St. Louis: 1.5%

Portland: 1.5%

Seattle 1%

Vancouver: 1%

Los Angeles: 0.5%

New Jersey: 1.5%

Expanding Systems Extensively Sized Systems (by # of stations)

Slow Growing, Smaller Sized Systems

Presenter

Presentation Notes

You asked us to research Best Practices in Art in Transit Programs. From on-line surveys and on- on-one contact we found that art allocations range from .05% to 1.5%. These allocations, however, are from agencies which generally have had aggressive capital build out or expansion programs that have generated substantial amounts for art. The challenge to BART is that it is not in a major expansion phase so art program allocations will rely primarily on modernization programs and facility upgrades. Without a larger percentage allocation, art program budgets will be modest.

Transit Agency Case Studies: Staff and Program Funding

Agency Capital % Set Aside # of Staff & Funding Source

Annual Operating Allocations for Arts Programming

Translink Vancouver 1% 1: 100% operating Yes - Variable

Sound Transit Seattle 1% 1: 100% operating Yes - Variable

Tri-Met Portland 1.5% 2: operating/capital Yes – Variable

Los Angeles Metro 0.5% 6: operating/capital ($400k operating) Yes - $100k/year

St. Louis Metro Transit 1.5% 1: operating/capital Yes - $25k/year

Cleveland RTD 1.5% 1.25: 100% operating Yes - $3k/year

NY MTA 0.5 – 1% 8: 100% operating Yes - $35k/year

Charlotte CATS 1% 2.5: 100% operating Yes - Variable 7

Presenter

Presentation Notes

We also looked at how agencies staff their art programs. We found that all agencies with a formal art program maintain at least one full time staff person, while LA and New York have between 6 and 8 positions respectively. Most agencies also increased the number of staff - or brought in consultants - in times of high activity. We also found that in addition to allocating operating funds for staffing most agencies also contribute funds for other programmatic activities, such as the conservation and maintenance of the artwork, community engagement strategies (performances, rotating and temporary exhibitions), interpretive strategies and program promotion).

Percent Allocation

Ballpark Project Budget

$1 million $2 million

$10 million

$15 million

$50 million

0.5% $5,000 $10,000 $50,000 $75,000 $250,000

1.0% $10,000 $20,000 $100,000 $150,000 $500,000

1.5% $15,000 $30,000 $150,000 $225,000 $750,000

2.0% $20,000 $40,000 $200,000 $300,000 $1,000,000

Operations Control Center

Relative Scale of Possible Projects


Paid Area Barriers, Plaza Improvements

Bike Lockers / Station Bench Replacement ($200-500k)

Entrance Enclosure

Station Modernization

Presenter

Presentation Notes

To give you a sense of the scale we are talking about per project we wanted to lay out what some currently active capital projects might look like if they had a percent for art - and then show you the resources required for different types of projects.

Projects & Price Tags BART to OAK (0.5% of station construction costs)

Coliseum $335,000


Airport $350,000

Smaller than other BART stations, enables larger visual impact for budget

Presenter

Presentation Notes

$335,000 (0.5% of construction) To get a similar budget for Station Modernization, we would need 2% of a $15 million budget for $300,000 High quality contextual work. At the same time if we had been thinking about arts integration in a more practiced way, we could have even more. The artist grate going over the overpass could have been an art opportunity.

,_ !

..;··\

··. -

l .

1 --·· ji

Projects & Price Tags


Central Subway: San Francisco Arts Commission and SFMTA ($14,500,000 / 3 Stations | 2% of overall construction costs)

Art on all three station levels at Chinatown

Presenter

Presentation Notes

$14,500,000 was allocated for 3 stations. 75 % = art projects $8,700,000 (including 10% contingency and 3% inflation rate) 5% = maintenance $2,900,000

Projects and Price Tags

LA Metro: MacArthur Park ($98,000 / 13 murals)

11 BART Planning & Development

Reflective of the community Leveraged construction project by using station materials More up-front staff work involved

Presenter

Presentation Notes

REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY LEVERAGES CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BY USING STATION MATERIALS $98 K Sonia Romero created 13 artworks documenting her observations of MacArthur Park as an urban oasis. Her designs reflect the park as layered, diverse, and dramatic in renderings drawn from observed park activities. The ceramic mosaic tile mural is divided into 13 panels installed along two facing mezzanine walls representing both halves of the park separated by Wilshire Boulevard

In Scarcity, We Bare the Teeth In scarcity, we bare the teeth selling them off one by one appetites in search of the highest price no longer able to smile at or chew on what it means to live the good life.

Boulevard, Del Paso You silver spark the sapphire-bouquet mind You fire-forth weeds of stars from asphalt cracks Opening art's tender heart, sparkling arks See your bones rise those orange-iron, air paths


12

Sacramento Arts Commission ($12,500 / 5 murals)

Incorporates both literary and visual art Designed to be temporary

Private buildings


Grand Central Centennial ($7,000 Temporary Performance)

Equipped with flashlights and cameras, the group illuminated the windows of the historic

building with simple choreography. The surprise performance engaged thousands of

passersby below.

13

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Arts in Transit commissioned a temporary performance to celebrate the centennial of Grand Central Station. Equipped with flashlights and cameras, the group illuminated the grand windows on the West façade of the historic Terminal building with simple, impactful choreography. The surprise performance engaged thousands of passersby on the Main Concourse with a luminous shower of light

So What’s Our Plan?

Allow art to happen and record its result! Images Courtesy of Srishti Art in Transit Program


Small wins that let the evidence speak for itself


Advance the traditional elements of the program

Questions?


Presenter

Presentation Notes

We could use Tanforan Here…same station, different art!

Art & Photos

RV 2015: Art, Community Culture and TOD: Four Stories by Abigail Thorne-Lyman