Less than a year after the Council approved the design and placement of its first piece of recycled public art, “Wind, Water, Land” will be submitted for the city’s acceptance.

Library Director Diane Smikahl wrote City Manager Brad Kilger Dec. 10, 2014, explaining the multi-section art piece is the collaboration of six local artists, who used recycled metal and glass to illustrate the importance of the three elements.

The Arts and Culture Commission and its Public Art Committee successfully sought a $30,000 grant from the Community Sustainability Commission to underwrite the cost of the project, and the Arts and Culture Commission has raised money to pay for John Beck’s filming the production of the art and a few other expenses, she wrote.

Discussion about public art date back to 2011, when a group of local artists started talking about the prospects of creating a piece, then began sketching conceptual drawings and planning for an educational component.

Six artists agreed to produce the public art piece — Brian Giambastiani, Mike Kendall, David Lindsay, and three members of the Nourot family, Michael, Nick and David.

Eventually the Arts and Culture Commission’s Public Art Committee sought to use the art piece to “celebrate sustainability and educate the public about the use of recycled materials,” Smikahl wrote.

The Benicia Community Center, itself a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold-certified example of how to reuse and repurpose used materials effectively, was chosen as the place to hang the artwork, made up of five 3 foot by 5 foot panels of salvaged materials.

An educational audio component will be installed with the help of the Benicia Historical Museum and engineer Larry Lauber, she wrote.

Because of the nature of the piece, the artists sought Community Sustainability Commission grant money, which the Council confirmed March 19, 2013, and by Jan. 14, 2014, the Council also agreed to the proposed design as well as the Community Center as the artwork’s destination, Smikahl wrote.

“This work will combine the work of renown local artists with the leadership in energy and environmental design that is Benicia’s vision and will be placed in a central location so that it may be easily seen by the approximately 295 people of all ages who use this building,” Smikahl wrote.

In other matters before the Council, the panel will hear City Attorney Heather McLaughlin recommend denying two claims against the city.

In one, Chris Alexander said he ran into a boulder Dec. 3, 2014 while driving on a flooded street. He said the rock was on Bayshore Road at the curve underneath the railroad underpass, and is seeking $329.18 in damages.

In the second, Denise Cullen said her 12-year-old son injured himself Nov. 8, 2014, after falling from his non-motorized scooter when he went around a cone that had been set up in the skate park at Community Park.

She said the cone caused her son to trip, and the boy suffered traumatic brain injury, pain, and dental and facial fractures. Cullen is seeking in excess for $10,000.

Mayor Elizabeth Patterson will announce her appointments of Council members to standing, ad hoc and outside agency committees.

If you go:
The Council will meet at 6 p.m. Jan. 6 in a closed session to talk about labor and personnel matters. The regular meeting will start at 7 p.m. today in the Council Chamber of City Hall, 250 East L St.

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