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Home My WebLink About07.29.26 BAC PresentationsPublic Art Updates Pearl Street Mall Refresh and 50th Anniversary: Calls and Invitationals for Art July 29, 2026 Pearl Street Mall refresh 1. Study and recommend long-term investment in one of Boulder’s iconic public spaces 2. Assess and implement priority maintenance and immediate improvements 3. Enhance pedestrian experience for the Pearl Street 50th Anniversary Art Components for the Pearl Street Mall Refresh, 2027 Project Budget – $30,000 in CIP funds and $20,000 in Experiments in Public Art funds for a total of $50,000 for art along Pearl in 2027. •One open call for temporary art with project budgets up to $9,500 ($20,000 funding split between 2-4 projects) for the Spirit of Pearl Competition •One open call for a painting depicting the Pearl Street Mall for the 50th Anniversary, budget: $7,000 for the Spirit of Pearl Competition •One Invitational for performance/puppetry performances along the mall, budget: $9,500 •One Invitational for newspaper box art activation, budget: $9,500 The Standing Selection Panel (aside from the painting, these are temporary works): •Jill Katzenberger, Arts Commissioner •Steven Frost, Artist and CU Professor •Niki Rademaker, Creative Event Producer •Howard Rubin, Branding and Marketing Professional •Aaron Winston, Executive Director at Groundworks Technical Review Committee: Juilia Dullien and Shihomi Kuriyagawa, Sr. Landscape Architects; Parks and Recreation; and Anna Salim, VP of Operations and Programming, Downtown Boulder Partnership The Office of Arts and Culture presents an ongoing series of temporary public interventions through the Experiments in Public Art program which serves as a city-wide laboratory expanding the potential of public art. Unlike a traditional public art commission, Experiments in Public Art projects are as much an experiment for the community as they are opportunities for artists to work within unconventional parameters. Participating artists are selected, in part, by incorporating concepts and materials that extend beyond the notion of traditional public art. This year’s projects should be focused on the Pearl Street Mall Refresh and the mall’s 50th Anniversary, happening in 2027. Goals for this project: 1. Advance cultural equity by prioritizing access, inclusion, and representation in the public realm. 2. Promote environmentally sustainable practices in public art creation, materials, and implementation. 3. Strengthen community cohesion by activating underused spaces and connecting to neighborhood identity. 4. Support resilience through creative responses to social, environmental, and economic challenges. 5. Engage the community across the City of Boulder in enriching arts experiences. 6. Showcase local and regional talent and cultivate the spirit of Boulder. 7. Promote Boulder as a vibrant and authentic place to live, work, learn, and recreate. 8. Support the creative community’s new, thought-provoking and innovative ideas. 9. Foster collaboration between government, creatives, community members, neighborhoods, businesses, and non-profit organizations. 10. Create a sense of place and spaces that promote play, innovation, and imaginative risk-taking. 11. Honor the history, heritage, and identity of our community. 2026/27 Experiments in Public Art: Pearl Street Mall 50th Anniversary Call for Artists Potential Sites for Temporary Art Activations and Creative Pop-ups We have $20,000 to fund 2-4 temporary art projects with budgets up to $9,500. The City of Boulder will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Pearl Street Mall in 2027, in collaboration with Downtown Boulder Partnership. To prepare for the 50th Anniversary, the city is implementing a Pearl Street Mall Refresh project, investing in maintenance, improvements, and art and activation. It is also a meaningful time to reflect on 50 years of the Mall, what makes it special, what it represents, and what it should become in the next 50 years. •4’ x 4’ painting commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall. •Final selections will be made by the City of Boulder Public Art Program Standing Selection Panel with input from Parks and Recreation staff. Decisions will be approved by the Boulder Arts Commission and Boulder City Manager before work commences. •Final painting design will also be used in promotional materials (not merchandise for sale) and reproduced in vinyl for outdoor applications. Existing image of 25th Anniversary Painting Pearl Street Mall 50th Anniversary Commemorative Painting Call for Artists Pearl Street Mall 50th Anniversary Puppetry and Performance Art Invitational •Series of four puppetry and/or performance art events commemorating Boulder and the 50th Anniversary of Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall. •This invitational is looking for proposals that embrace the darkness and holiday months, with four performances near Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years Eve (2028), and Valentine’s Day (2028). •Encouraging themes that explore the Mall as a historical public space. •The artist selected for the project will be paid a total of $9,500. And invited artists will be paid $250 for the proposal. Invited Artists, selected by the Standing Selection Panel: Handsome Little Devils Starlight Puppet Theatre Nicole Banowitz Betsy Tobin Catamounts (backup) Image from Exp. In PA performance on Pearl in 2016 by Emma Hardy •Call for artists to submit a proposal for an artistic installation in the unused newspaper boxes on the Pearl St. Mall. Themes should connect with Boulder and the 50th Anniversary of Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall. •The total budget for the project is $9,500. Invited artists who submit a proposal will be paid $250 for this work. Invited Artists, selected by the Standing Selection Panel: Marisa Ware Becky Wareing Steele Liz Quan Tiffany Miller Russel (backup) Mike Luztig (backup) Pearl Street Mall 50th Anniversary Newspaper Boxes Art Activation Invitational QUESTIONS/COMMENTS? Staff will return at a later date with the final artist selections for approval and recommendation to the City Manager. Boulder Arts Commission Meeting Wednesday, July 29, 2026 Public Participation Guidelines •The city has engaged with community members to co-create a vision for productive, meaningful, and inclusive civic conversations. •This vision supports the physical and emotional safety for community members, staff, and council as well as democracy for people of all ages, identities, lived experiences, and political perspectives. •For more information about this vision and the community engagement processes, please visit: bouldercolorado.gov/services/productive-atmospheres Public Participation Guidelines The following are examples of rules of decorum found in the Boulder Revised Code and other guidelines that support this vision. These will be upheld during the meetings. •All remarks and testimony shall be limited to matters related to city business and to a 3-minute time limit. •No participant shall make threats or use other forms of intimidation against any person. •Obscenity, racial epithets, and other speech and behavior that disrupts or otherwise impedes the ability to conduct the meeting are prohibited. •In-person participants are asked to refrain from expressing support or disagreement verbally or with applause. Traditionally, support is shown silently through American Sign Language ‘applause’ signal. Commission Working Group Updates AI Working Group: Summit Artificial Intelligence Values Statement Swap in: “Art belongs to the artist. Be conscious of artists' rights when using AI tools.” Vs “Artists have the right to know how their work trains AI. Obtaining consent from artists to use their work is obligatory.” “I move that we adopt the Boulder Arts Commission AI Value Statements.” Sustainability Draft Statement Cultural Organizations Summit: Sustainability Monday, September 14 at 12:00 pm at Junkyard Social Club Accessibility •Website in Progress (1 week) •Passport Map •Staff speaking to Center for People with Disabilities Oct 10 Grant Program Matters Arts Education Project Grant Decisions At the meeting Commission members will vote on the approval of the panel's scored recommendations. Commissioners have the options to: a.Approve the recommendations b.Approve individual awards while submitting specific questions, c.Postpone approval of individual awards pending the answers to specific questions, and/or d.Not approve the recommendations Arts Education Project Grant Scores: APPLICANT NAME OVERALL AVERAGE Empower You Therapy Services, LLC 36.2 The Catamounts, NFP 35.2 Harvest of All First Nations 35 Luna Cultura, art, science and culture for thriving communities, LLC 34 Ana Balzan LLC 33.4 Kin Studio and Gallery 33.2 Trash the Runway 33.2 Scribble Art Workshop 33.2 Colorado Shakespeare Festival 32.4 Parlando School for the Arts 32.75 Boulder Opera 32 Be Brazil-Brazilian Music Colorado 32 Boulder International Film Festival 31.8 Boulder High School PTO 31.6 APPLICANT NAME OVERALL AVERAGE Spoon Circus 31.4 Roots Music Project Foundation Inc.30.6 Dandelion Arts Collective 30.4 Bixby School 30.2 THE NEW LOCAL 29.8 T2 Dance Company 29.6 Creativity Alive 29.4 Mighty Fudge Studios 29.4 Manhattan Middle School of Arts & Academics 27.6 Rocky Ridge Music Center 26.8 Talk to the Camera 26.4 Connected by Music 24.4 “I move that we approve Arts Education Project Grants to Empower You Therapy Services, The Catamounts, Harvest of All First Nations, Luna Cultura, Ana Balzan, Kin Studio and Gallery, Trash the Runway, Scribble Art Workshop, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Parlando School for the Arts, Boulder Opera, Be Brazil, Boulder International Film Festival, and Boulder High School PTO." Arts Education Project Grants Motion Lifelong Learning Grant Decisions At the meeting Commission members will vote on the approval of the panel's scored recommendations. Commissioners have the options to: a.Approve the recommendations b.Approve individual awards while submitting specific questions, c.Postpone approval of individual awards pending the answers to specific questions, and/or d.Not approve the recommendations Lifelong Learning Grant Scores: APPLICANT NAME OVERALL AVERAGE The New Local: Clay Roots 25.4 Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras: Student Leadership Council activities 25.2 Be Brazil: Disconnect to Connect 25 Dandelion Arts Collective: BLOOM 24.8 Parlando: Intergenerational Youth Programming 24.5 Scribble Art Workshop: Teen Portfolio and World Arts Class 22 RICK DALLAGO, ART: ART FOR KIDS 20.8 “I move that we approve Lifelong Learning Grants to The New Local and Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra." Lifelong Learning Grants Motion ACTION: Reports Commissioners have the options to: a)Approve all reports, b)Approve individual reports while submitting specific questions, c)Postpone approval of individual reports pending the answers to specific questions, or d)Not approve the reports. Arts Education Project Grant Reports •Boulder Ballet, Bilingual Ballet Program: Increasing Cultural Access Through Inclusive Ballet Education $3,000 •The Catamounts, Educational Residencies $3,000 •Frequent Flyers Productions, Kids Who Fly with Uni Hill & New Vista $3,000 ACTION: Arts Education Reports Motion “I move that we approve the reports by The Catamounts, and Frequent Flyers.“ “I move that we approve the report by the Boulder Ballet.“ Leadership Pipeline Grant Report •Lee Trombly, Colby College, $8,000 ACTION: Leadership Pipeline Reports Motion “I move that we approve the grant report from Lee Trombly." Community Project Grant Report •Nathan Storey, UNDERTOW EDITIONS, $5,000 ACTION: Community Project Grant Report Motion “I move that we approve the grant report from Nathan Storey." Boulder Vision Grant Reports •Dance Continua Productions, Dance Continua Festival, $4,000 •Curtis K Rogers, 13 Fires, $6,000 ACTION: Boulder Vision Grant Reports Motion “I move that we approve the grant reports from Dance Continua Productions and Curtis K Rogers." Artist Hiring Eligibility First Congregational United Church of Christ, Boulder hiring Merlyn Holmes Cultural Grant Program Step 1 2027 Grants Program Steps July Staff proposes a scope of topics to be addressed that would affect the 2027 grant program August Staff provides pros, cons, and recommendations about the agreed upon topics September Staff compiles draft grant materials based on the feedback received about the recommendations October Final versions of the grant materials are voted upon November Grant materials are translated, updated, and advertised Staff analyzed responses to the applicant survey, notes from panel and Commission meetings, and a running list of feedback when interacting with community members. This information, combined with the finalized version of the Boulder Arts Blueprint, informs the following process: 2027 Grants Program Step 1 Eligibility •First time applicants •Blackouts for one year for GOS awardees, for first-come, first-serve grants •Arts and culture as a primary theme Definitions •Professional development opportunity •Contemplative arts •‘Project’ grant (distinct from regular programming) •Bedrock Organization 2027 Grants Program Step 1 Process Edits •Scoring: Eliminate highest/lowest scores •Mid-review feedback •Word count limitations •Boulder Vision: Individuals evaluation strategy question •Assessment of financial documents and organizational financial health •AI Use •Two Commissioners per panel meeting •Audio/Video submissions Grant Additions •1-2 more "Bedrock" or title TBD Organization •Artist Hiring Incentive --> Artist Innovation/ Experimentation Fund? 2027 Draft Budget $2 Million Grant Program •$1.2 million is dedicated to organizations who received 2- or 3- year 2026 GOS awards •$380,000 for 2027 General Operating Support (GOS) Grants •$421,000 for other grants 2027 Budget—GOS Option A 2027 Budget—GOS Option B Estimations are based on how many organizations from each tier applied in 2026. 2027 Budget Questions or Additions? Liaison Reminders Questions •Is there a recent success or upcoming achievement you’d like to share? •What challenges are you facing? •Any collaborations with other organizations? Office of Arts and Culture events to share: -Artist Meetup: Tending the Fire: Wellness for the Working Artist, Aug. 11 at 5:30 to 7pm -Cultural Organizations Summit: Sustainability, Sept. 14 at 12:00 pm -2027 Grant Training Fin