Richardson City Council received a presentation outlining the selection of the two artists: Tony Schraufnagel and GiGi Miller during its May 13 work session.
What you need to know
For projects included in the 2021 bond, funding was set aside specifically for public art, according to the presentation. The budget for art at Fire Station No. 5 is $75,000 and the animal shelter project allocation is $48,900.
Schraufnagel’s work for the Fire Station No. 5 project incorporates layers of meshed steel, which will allow for airflow through the exterior screen fence. The project also includes decoration on the outside layer of the fence and a new sign for the fire station.
Miller is basing her entry sculpture for the animal shelter off the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Bremen Town Musicians.” The final design will include animals available for adoption at the shelter stacked on top of each other.
The context
The process for discussing public art at the city facilities began back in September last year when McKinley presented a timeline and overview to council.
“We did a tremendous amount of research for our public art colleagues in the Dallas Fort-Worth area and across the state,” said Meridith McKinley, co-founder of Via Partnership, the city’s consultant for public art on the projects.
The search also included soliciting submissions from artists based outside of Texas, she added.
What’s next?
McKinley said next steps include finalizing the design of the art, creation of the works and installation at the city facilities.
For Miller’s project at the animal shelter, McKinley said there could be opportunities for public engagement, such as individuals adopting animals contributing tiles or a public tile creation day.
According to the presentation, both the animal shelter and fire station artworks should be completed and installed outside the animal shelter in early 2025. Council will learn more about the selected artist for the library and the project process for new public art at City Hall in July, McKinley said.
