1% for ART!

In 1975 our state mandated that 1% of the cost of every new building (or major rehab) be spent on art for that building.  This results in two very good things: #1 it assures quality art contemporary to each building to enhance the building itself and #2 it builds a strong collection, long term, for the State of Oregon.  For each building project a different panel is assembled including architects, building users and members of the art community.  I was on the panel for the State Lands Building some years ago and R has been on several such panels (most recently the ODOT rehab).  It isn’t exactly FUN (sorry Meagan), but it IS interesting…often in unexpected ways.  Currently I’ve agreed to serve on the committee for the new construction of a mental health facility in Junction City, and the first meting was this week.  The meeting room is in the old (but newly rehabbed) State Hospital on Center Street.  Much of this building was torn down alas, but this meeting room was in a section of the building that was saved.

the room itself has a very modern (and bleak) feel to it, but a glance at the window let’s you know you are, indeed, in the old building.

Meagan Atiyeh of the Oregon Arts Commission runs this 1% program very capably…(as did Nancy Lindburg before her)…and we immediately got down to business, which was first looking at building plans and landscape renderings by architect and landscape architect…(representatives from both companies are on the panel…)

(and making this lobby look inviting is going to be a real artistic challenge!)

Meagan presented the challenges, discussion ensued, and we were dismissed for the moment.  Nicole showed me the view from the current old facility into the court yard with the new facility beyond…lots to think about…