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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCPAAC Minutes 05.16.23Carmel Public Art Advisory Committee (CPAAC) Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, May 16, 2023 Carmel City Hall Caucus Room Call to Order Committee Co-Chair Julia Saltsgaver called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM. Attendance Members Present in Person: Julia Saltsgaver, Luci Snyder, Karen Poyser, Dru Doyle, Bill Cooler, Donna Tutwiler, Cathy Strawn, and Jill Reese. Additional City Representatives in Person: Sharon Kibbe, Mayor’s Office and Jessica Komp, Deputy Clerk. Guest Attendee: Raju Chinthala, President of Indiana-India Business Council, Senior Advisor of Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Human Relations, and contributor to design of “Indian Heritage” art installation. Minutes Minutes from the March 21, 2023 meeting were unanimously approved – (8 votes in favor, 0 opposed.) Discussion of “My Sixteen-Year-Old Dreams” Location The proposed location of the “My Sixteen-Year-Old Dreams” sculpture on the west side of the Palladium near the box office entrance was discussed by the committee. Concerns that were addressed included congestion in the circle drive, protection of the sculpture from vehicles in such a heavily trafficked area, and lighting. Sharon Kibbe confirmed that these issues have been thoughtfully addressed by the Street Commissioner, City Engineer, and the Director of the CRC, and that the Street Department will take care of all the hardscape needed. Ms. Kibbe also stated that issues such as barrier, lighting, and signage have all been considered for this location. The sculpture is currently being prepared for placement and will likely be installed in the fall of 2023. The committee unanimously approved of the chosen location, as they had already voted in approval of “My Sixteen-Year-Old Dreams” being placed somewhere on the Palladium campus, deferring to the experts to choose the specific locale. Introduction of Raju Chinthala, Contributor to “Indian Heritage” Sculpture Raju Chinthala explained the process of how the “Indian Heritage” sculpture was designed, with input from himself and Sumeeta Bhatia, another Carmel resident of Indian heritage. Mr. Chinthala and Ms. Bhatia were the only two people on the committee, and the committee’s process was facilitated by Paula Stoeke of the Seward Johnson Atelier. Sharon Kibbe was also in attendance at the meetings. Mr. Chinthala discussed the proposed location, by Allied Solutions in Midtown Plaza, and the desire to have it placed in a highly visible area. He discussed the clothing worn by the different family members in the piece, with the woman’s clothing being more representative of Southern India, the man’s clothing of Northern India, the girl’s clothing of Mumbai, and the boy’s clothing being of any region. Mr. Chinthala stated that it is the manner in which the woman’s sari is fashioned that indicates she is from the South. Mr. Chinthala shared that an art piece celebrating Mahatma Gandhi was initially discussed, but the committee ultimately landed on the concept of representing an Indian family. He stated that another artist besides Seward Johnson was not considered for this piece. Karen Poyser, Luci Snyder and Dru Doyle all shared that they spoke with different persons of Indian heritage about the piece and the feedback was positive towards it being colorful. Some said that four people were too many, and nearly all said that this family was from Southern India. One person asked why they were dressed so “old-fashioned”. Several of the Indian people that gave feedback stated that it would be nice to represent the celebration of Diwali, India’s most unifying holiday. This could be done with a child running with a sparkler, or with lanterns – something joyful. Raju and Sharon were offered the opportunity to leave the meeting prior to committee discussion as is the committee’s standard practice. Raju departed and Sharon stayed. Discussion of “Indian Heritage” Intake Form Comments were made in appreciation of this piece being thoughtfully designed, deliberate and authentic, and not just “off the shelf”. Critiques of the proposed design included it not being “active”, but “static” and “flat”, and that the family’s traditional clothing should be in context with their depicted activity. Some committee members stated that Carmel already has too many Seward Johnson sculptures, and the ones we have are more interesting, more engaging. The consensus was that the committee strongly supports the celebration of Indian heritage, but that Carmel can do better than this particular sculpture. Some committee members would like an art piece that celebrates Indian heritage to be designed by an Indian artist. Several committee members feel that the art should depict the celebration of Diwali, as stated by the Indian persons who were shown the design plan. Concern was also expressed about the proposed placement on a public plaza that often becomes very crowded. The positive comments about the proposed art installation were that it is colorful and that people in the community will be able to take a photo on the bench. There was discussion of the endeavor of representing various ethnicities in local art, and doing this in a way that will be positively received, especially by persons of said ethnicities. If the goal is more inclusivity in Carmel’s public art, there are implications of not having a thoughtful plan to do so, such as different person groups feeling unrepresented. The committee voted against the “Indian Heritage” Art Installation – (7 votes opposed, 1 vote in favor), with the recommendation that a different piece be designed, preferably not by the Seward Johnson studio. The committee’s full comments are included on the completed intake form. Adjournment Ms. Saltsgaver adjourned the meeting at 7:01 pm. Post-Meeting Discussion with Carmel Parks and Recreation Consultant Jason Elissalde of Next Practice Partners met with the members of the CPAAC to gather input at the beginning stages of the formulation of the Carmel Parks and Recreation Department’s next 5-year Master Plan.