Kathleen S. Margoles

Community and Economic Development Director

The Arts and Culture Board held their first meeting in November 2014. One of the responsibilities of the Board is:

“Administration and development of the Oakland Park Public Art Program including but not limited to the creation of guidelines for the commissioning of public art, criteria for artwork selection, and amendments thereto.”

The Board has been reviewing other municipal Public Art Master Plans and programs in an effort to create the aforementioned guidelines. 

City staff along with the Board considered and recommends a plan to enhance the City by wrapping utility boxes as well as efforts to encourage new installations at the Art Park.

The Board discussed various themes and decided native flora would be desirable due to the City’s beautification efforts.  The Call will be for original artwork of native flora.  Subsequent Calls can be for native fauna, Historical Oakland Park history and America the Beautiful.  A Call to Artists has been prepared.  

The Call will be released within the next few weeks to tri County artists and the submissions would be due in September for review by the Arts and Culture Board. The Utility Box Wrap Project has funding in the FY16 budget.

The approximate cost of each wrap is $400 for the artist design and $1,000 for fabrication and installation of the wrap.

Staff has compiled information on the process to obtain permission from Broward County and Florida Department of Transportation to wrap their boxes.   There are approximately 54 boxes in the City.  Once the designs have been approved the applications will be submitted to the appropriate agency. 

The Board is also reviewing a Call To Artist for a second installation at the Art Park.  The Art Park space was designed for temporary sculpture installations. The Call to Artist for the Art Park Installation is scheduled to be released in October. 

$25,000 is budgeted in the current CRA Budget for the 1^st Utility Box Wrap Installation.    If these funds are not expended they will be rolled over to FY17. Funds of $15,000 are also included in the Recommended FY17 Budget for future public art projects.