Petoskey City Council approves new Public Art Policy
PETOSKEY — The Petoskey City Council took steps to formalize the process of installing public art within the city during its meeting on Monday.
The council unanimously approved a new Public Art Policy that had been developed by a committee over the course of the past year that provides guidelines for developing, approving, installing and displaying public art.
The committee includes Petoskey Mayor John Murphy, Petoskey Parks and Recreation Director Kendall Klingelsmith, Petoskey City Manager Shane Horn, Crooked Tree Arts Center President Megan DeWindt, Crooked Tree Arts Center Visual Arts Director Liz Erlewine, Downtown Director Becky Goodman, and resident Ed Boyer.
“We had a policy or kind of a working document that we went off of,” Horn said. “We used Traverse City’s model to help guide our discussion, but we have had a lot of good discussion to get us to this point with the goal of providing public art in our city. We as a committee value that and we want to set up a process that we can duplicate going forward. This is not a one-off, one year thing, but we can build on as we go.”
Horn described the final plan submitted to council for review as “almost artwork in itself.”
The document reviewed by council describes the benefits of public art and what it could entail, ranging from murals in alleyways to sculptures in parks to interactive displays.
In establishing the official process and procedures, two new entities would be created. The Petoskey Art Commission would be comprised of a staff member of the Downtown Management Board, the mayor or their appointee, the city manager, a staff member from the City Parks and Recreation Department, a staff member from Crooked Tree Arts Center, and two citizens-at-large. This commission would oversee the implementation of the Public Art Policy and approve projects recommended by the Art Selection Committees.
The Art Selection Committees are responsible for considering proposed artworks and installations. Members are appointed by the Public Arts Commission based on the location and scope of the specific project.
During their discussion on Monday, city council members voiced some concerns about who would be appointed to the new commissions, and whether a council member or others should be added to the list. They also wanted to ensure that any final contracts would come before council for approval.
In general, however, all of the council members voiced their support for the initiative.
“I am open to having a second person, but I don’t feel strongly about that,” said council member Brian Wagner. “The fact that budgetary things would have to come to us, I’m in favor of that. But getting it started, and letting the art happen, I’m in big favor.”
“That’s my feeling is, let’s get it going,” Murphy added. “I feel very comfortable with this. This is something that can be tweaked and changed as we go. Everything is open and on the board for that.”
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The commission already has $50,000 available for use this year. The Petoskey City Council approved $40,000 in the 2023 budget, and the Downtown Management Board also voted to put in $10,000.
The council voted unanimously to approve the new policy and move forward with establishing the commissions. Murphy said they would bring more information to the council’s next meeting regarding commission applications and term limits.
“I’m hoping it gets a life of its own, and it’s not bogged down with us having to be in the middle of this thing,” Murphy said. “It’s Crooked Tree running with this, and let’s get some cool stuff going for the city."
The application for the Arts Commission was posted to the City of Petoskey’s website this week, and interested citizens are encouraged to apply. Applications must be sent in by 5 p.m. on Aug. 15.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey City Council approves new Public Art Policy