Art in Public Places Board - Regular Meeting

so so Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. you Thank you. Thank you. you

I would make a motion to make Gary our acting chair for this meeting only.

Is there a second?

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye. Congratulations, Gary, you're in the meeting. I'll let you take it away now.

Do you want some help? So we go to item one? Sure, we can skip to, we need to call quorum, we need to call roll. Call the meeting order and we pledge allegiance and

Yes, we have to start with the Pledge of Allegiance and then the lobbyists' note.

Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And then we welcome the invitees.

If we can read the lobbyist statement real quick.

Good evening. Raymond Bede, Office of the City Attorney. Any person who receives compensation, remuneration, or expenses for conducting lobbying activities is required to register as a lobbyist with the city clerk prior to engaging in lobbying activities before city staff, boards, committees, or city commission. A copy of the applicable ordinance is available at the Office of the City Clerk, Miami City Hall, located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, 33133. Thank you.

Board Member Christina Cuevo?

Here.

Board Member Nelson Delgado? Here. Board Member Maria Napoles?

Here.

Acting chair for today, Gary Feinberg.

Here.

Board member, Juan Valadez.

Here.

Board member, Jacqueline Roach. Board member, Adalis Deyiri. Board member, Denise Wallace. Here. Vice chair, Olga Granda. Board member, Patricio Suarez. We have Chrome. And we have two absentee waivers for Vice Chair Olga Granda and Jacqueline Roach. I would move that we accept the absentee waivers.

Second.

Thank you. All in favor?

Swearing in to the public.

Aye. For all those who will be testifying, please raise your right hand and stand. Do you solemnly affirm the testimony you will give today is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Thank you. Please be seated.

First resolution.

Item number one, file ID 19255, a resolution of the Art in Public Places Board pursuant to Chapter 62, Article 16, titled Art in Public Places. of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida as amended, approving the selection of the three additional shortlisted artists in accordance with the Section 62658 of the City Code for the Integration of Public Art at Bayfront Park, located at 401 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida, making findings and providing for an effective date. And the request is to approve the recommendation of the additional three shortlisted artists after the board requested to reissue the open call to artists to a commission for artwork at Bayfront Park for the Monument to the Miami Incorporators.

Given that Christina has to leave in two minutes, can we just move through the resolutions and vote so we have quorum and then she can be excused and then we can do the rest of the presentation?

Yes, so the first item is just the exception, the accepting of the other two artists to complete the five total. And then there's one alternate artist. And if you could just show the two that are recommended and the one alternate. And you guys can vote on that.

Do we have to vote tonight? Yes, please. These are time sensitive for them. And I'm sorry, but I have to...

So in January 2026, following the first open call, the AIPP board approved three shortlisted artists through resolution AIPP R26002. These were George Sanchez Calderon, George Rodriguez-Guerrera, and Cesar Hinao. These artists remained part of the board approval shortlist for proposal development. The reissued call created an additional review process to identify more qualified artists and broaden the pool for the monument. Following the reissued call to artists, three additional artists or teams were identified for proposal development, expanding the total shortlist to six artists or teams. The evaluation used four criteria, thematic and civil alignment at 30 points, artistic strength and quality at 25, public art and technical readiness at 25, the qualifications and application quality at 20. The strongest applicants demonstrated an ability to engage documented historical information, civic memory, durability, public facing work, and the technical demands of a permanent coastal installation. And here they are. At the April 2 PAC meeting, the following three top scoring applicants were selected as additional shortlisted artists and recommended for approval to create proposals for the monument. MGA Sculpture Studio LLC, Kaiser Corp LLC, and Gordon Wither Partners Incorporated. The recommended board action is to approve these three additional shortlisted artists so they can join the proposal development phase for the Miami Founders Monument at Bay Farm Park.

OK. And are they in agreement? Are you in agreement with these three additional shortlisted? Yes? Okay. Okay, then I would make a motion that we approve. Can I make a motion? Okay, I'd make a motion that we approve resolution in connection with item 19225. Resolution of the Art in Public Places of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida is amended approving the selection of the three additional shortlisted artists in accordance with section 62-658 of the city code for the integration of public art at Bayfront Park, located at 401 Biscayne Boulevard, and providing for an effective date. Any staff recommendations to accompany it? Just the shortlisted artists, right?

The only comment that we got from PAC, I can briefly present three artists, but the staff supports the selection. The only comment is that the PAC wanted the board to decide which third artist would be additional, basically. Okay. Out of these three.

So we're voting on two, and then... Two will be part of it, and then one's an alternative. One is an alternative.

That requires more discussion.

I can very briefly point at strength of each artist, if that would be helpful. So MJ Sculpture Studio, a little bit of a bio is on a slide if you want to quickly browse through it, but their relevant strength is monumental public sculpture and in-house fabrication capacity. Their public art experience includes civic, cultural, educational, landscape-based commissions across the United States. Their approach emphasizes durable materials, spatial relationships, and work that can anchor a public setting. The second artist group, their relevant strength is narrative-driven visual language with accessible layered imagery. Their experience includes public-facing design, community workshops, they engage the community at a different level, and cultural identity projects. Practice connects history, social context, technology, and contemporary urban storytelling. And then our third artist is Gordon Horther and Partners, Incorporated. Their relevant strength is major public art commissions with complex fabrication and installation requirements. Their portfolio includes airports, civic facilities, memorial context, and large-scale integrated installations. Approach emphasizes site identity, visitor experience, material presence, and long-term public impact.

Make a recommendation for the second, Kaiser Corp. and not the other two?

I think we have to, we're gonna shortlist the three of them, and I think one of them has to be the alternate. So two would go in, and so which of the three would you like to be the alternate?

I guess the first one? Right, I agree. That's the alternate. That's what, I agree with that. Can we hear from the, yes sir?

Right.

Do you have a preference?

The board members could just speak into the microphone, please, when speaking. Thank you.

First one is MGA Sculpture Studio. Second one is Kaiser Corp. And the third one is Gordon Huther. You would be voting to select an alternate at this point.

The point of clarification.

Of those three, we would be selecting an alternate.

Yes, and the other two would move on to join the first three.

So point of clarification, these three that are before us. Point of clarification, these three that are before us, we have to select one of those three to be the alternate? Correct. Okay, that then moves on to the pool of the other two that have been already selected. Correct.

Other three. The other three. So it's a total of five. So it's a total of five. Five on one alternate.

So we've been discussing it. And out of the three, we like the group that has the wall. The third one. It kind of reminds us of the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C. And I can see that wall with the names and the races of each man on it. And the little sitting ground at the bottom is very appropriate. We love that. Yeah, and that is, this is more in line of what we're thinking of having the 344 names that fits more in line with what we just, I mean, the diameter of it, we'll be able to put that many names on there without it being all squeezed up and stuff.

What do you think of the second room?

Excuse me, can you both please state your name for the record?

My name is Keith Moore.

And Marie Henry.

Thank you.

So the second one is fine as well. The profiles are there. The statues, the busts are there and everything, but I don't see where the names would be if we're going to be using this. I know they're going to be showing other replicas of what they want to do, and this is not it. The buster there, that's fine, but I don't see how they would interpret the rest of it.

I think this depicts other works that they've done.

Yeah, that's all that does, right.

All right, this is not a proposal yet.

Exactly.

And the first group, did you... Yeah, so we go with Gordon Huther and this Kaiser.

This one...

We're fine with that being the alternate. That's the alternate. Okay.

So I think we're all in agreement. Yes. So do you want to make a motion?

Okay, so can I continue my motion from before to approve this resolution? And we would add that MJ Sculpture Studio LLC would be the alternate of the three shortlisted artists. Is there a second? Second.

All those in favor?

Item number two, file ID 19288, a resolution of the Art in Public Places Board pursuant to article 11 entitled Art in Public Places of ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the city of Miami, Florida as amended approving the waiver of public art fees pursuant to Chapter 11 for improvements associated with the Henry Reeves Soccer Fields project located approximately at 528 Northwest 10th Street, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. This item is requesting for the waiver of public art fees associated with two building permits at the Henry Reeves Park. The scope of the work is donation of a soccer field and a shipping container that will serve to host workshops and activities within the park. This is a site plan with the location of the new the new soccer field, an adjacent shipping container, and a summary of the building permits associated with the fees for a total of approximately $10,950. The resolution recommends approval And the Public Art Division is also recommending that any proposed artwork be developed in consultation with the Art in Public Places Division, with consideration given to utilizing a local artist in support of community engagement and neighborhood identity.

And would that artwork come before us, whatever is being proposed?

I think they will go through their own artwork selection, but they will consult with the AAPP Division.

I mean, I think it would be nice whatever they did propose, you just presented to us as a report. As a report, I think that would be good. And then I would support. And is the commission district in favor of this waiver?

Yes, they actually requested the waiver. Okay.

Do you want to make a motion?

Sorry, just to clarify. So it'll be waived, but there will still be an artwork there that we would pay for out of

No, the whole project is a donation from a nonprofit. So the nonprofit is donating the work.

The artwork.

The whole scope of work. So the soccer field, the container, and the container itself has plans for an integration of art.

But who's paying for the artwork? They are. Okay, great. That's moved too.

No, and that's why I asked if there's still going to be artwork. So by approving the waiver of fees, we're not approving waiver of artwork being incorporated.

Okay. And this is city land?

Yes, a city park.

What is it now?

It's a park, Henry Reeves Park, close to Overtown.

Yeah, that's fine.

That's great.

Yeah, sorry. So I'll make a motion that we approve resolution with item 19288 of the Art in Public Places Board pursuant to Article 11 entitled Art in Public Places of Ordinance 13114, the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Miami. approving the waiver of public art fees pursuant to Article 11 for improvements associated with Henry Reeves Park soccer field project located at approximately 528 Northwest 10th Street and making findings containing a solubility clause and providing for an effective date and asking that staff bring back the artwork that is proposed by the nonprofit organization that's going to build the park.

As an update.

As an update, as a report to the board.

Second. Second. All those in favor? Aye.

Item number three, file ID 19289, a resolution of the Art in Public Places Board approving the acceptance of a donation of a permanent public artwork titled The Miller and Nancy Dawkins Mural by artist Marvin Weeks into the City of Miami Public Art Collection for installation at the Miller J. and Nancy S. Dawkins Olympic Pool Complex. at Charles Hadley Park located at approximately 1350 Northwest 50th Street, making findings and containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. This item is a recommendation to formally approve the donation of the artwork at the park.

I don't want to shortchange your presentation because I know you do really good work and you do great presentations to us. I don't want to be disrespectful, but I really have to go. So can we just approve this and then you can do the presentation? Yes.

The only difference from the last time we heard about this item is that the project is now supported through a collaborative effort involving the neighborhood applicant group, the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation, and the office of Christine King, Chairwoman, District 5, led the majority of funding coordination and allocation efforts in support for the project implementation.

So what's different, you're saying?

There is now a nonprofit that sponsors it.

That's sponsoring it, okay. Okay, so I'll make a motion that we approve resolution with item 19289 of the Public Places Board of the City of Miami approving the acceptance of a donation of permanent public artwork titled Miller and Nancy Dawkins Mural by artist Marvin Weeks into the City of Miami Public Art Collection for the installation. at the Miller J. and Nancy S. Dawkins Olympic Pool Complex at Charles Hadley Park, located approximately 1350 Northwest 50th Street, making findings continuous of ability clause and providing for an effective date.

Second. All those in favor? Aye.

Okay.

And the motion did pass unanimously, as did the other previous two.

Thank you, Christina.

Would the board like to hear any of the presentations, or are you okay with the information that's been provided? This is the same item that was previously presented to you.

Yeah, we've seen this. Yeah. Thank you, Arianna.

And I'm sorry, for the record, all items, they are appealable, and the decision, we have 15 days to make an appeal within the Division of Hearing Boards for all three items. Thank you.

Did you have anything to say? Meeting adjourned.

Thank you all. Thank you all for your time this evening. I know that it was kind of a quick and hectic meeting, but we appreciate it.