Title
A Resolution of the City Commission accepting a donation through the Coral Gables Garden Club for a proposed artwork by artist Xavier Cortada, (unanimously recommended by the Arts Advisory Panel, approval/denial vote: 6 to 0, and the Cultural Development Board approval/denial vote: 5 to 0) and authorizing the City Manager and City Attorney to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Coral Gables Garden Club in order to effectuate the donation.
Body
The Coral Gables Garden Club approached the City of Coral Gables with a proposed donation of a commissioned sculpture by artist Xavier Cortada in celebration of the Garden Club’s centennial.
About the Artist:
Over the past three decades, Florida Artists Hall of Fame inductee Xavier Cortada has created art at the North and South poles and across 6 continents, including more than 150 public artworks, installations, collaborative murals and socially engaged projects.
The Cuban-American artist has been commissioned to create art for CERN, the White House, the World Bank, the Florida Turnpike, Port Everglades Miami City Hall, and Frost Art Museum among many other art, science, and government venues.
About the Artwork:
The proposed artwork, “Planting Pollinators” is a hand-carved, hand-painted, bas-relief ceramic tile sculpture representing the importance of pollinators within the ecosystem.
This project, inspired by the rich history and vibrant community of the Coral Gables Garden Club, aims to commemorate the centennial milestone through the beauty of public art while highlighting the importance of supporting pollinators within our shared ecosystem.
Drawing inspiration from the pollinators being supported at the Coral Gables Library Butterfly Garden, the artist will create a spherical orb clad in hand-carved ceramic tile to represent the pollen these animals help to disperse. The tiles will be carved and arranged to depict pollinators such as Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris), American Bumblebees (Bombus pensylvanicus), Goldenrod Soldier Beetles (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus), and Miami Blue Butterflies (Cyclargus thomasi) forming the very flowers they help propagate.
These flowers will be created in an assortment of colorful hues set against a verdant background. This design will not only reflect the flourishing spirit of the Coral Gables Garden Club but also add a visually captivating element to the community space. The sculpture will provide visitors an opportunity to learn more about the species the garden serves and inspire them to plant the same type of garden in their backyards.
The entire 151” circumference (50 square feet) of the sphere will be clad with a hand-carved ceramic tile mural of pollinators arranged into flowers and broken hand-made tiles of colorful textures.
This visual aesthetic ensures that the artwork fully integrates with its surroundings, transforming the space into an immersive art experience that celebrates the club's 100 years of gardening, community, and environmental stewardship.
Funding:
Funding for the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation is estimated at $62,600 through the Coral Gables Garden Club.
Location:
As noted in the proposal, the Coral Gables Garden Club is requesting permission to place the donated artwork on the grounds of the Miami-Dade County, Coral Gables Branch Library at 3443 Segovia St., in the Butterfly Garden.
While the City owns the property located at 3443 Segovia Street, it is currently occupied by the Miami-Dade County Public Library System, who is aware of the request and has preliminarily indicated their support for the artwork, subject to negotiation of a separate agreement outlining maintenance and insurance requirements
Maintenance:
The cost of annual maintenance is anticipated to be minimal and is being proposed through use of the general fund as ordinary maintenance and will be included as part of the city’s annual public art maintenance plan.
The proposal was presented to the Arts Advisory Panel on July 3, 2024 and August 7, 2024, by the president and members of the Coral Gables Garden Club, along with the artist. Panel members provided feedback and on August 7, 2024, voted unanimously to recommend the proposal to the Cultural Development Board.
The Cultural Development Board reviewed the proposal on August 20, 2024, and voted unanimously to recommend approval of the donation.
The Library Advisory Board reviewed the proposal on August 14, 2024, and made a motion supporting the project and placement at the Coral Gables Branch Library.
Recommended Action
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