Agenda Item Name:
Title
Select Artist for West Lawn Sankofa Statue and Approve Use of General Fund Reserves for balance of budget
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Presenter:
Gina Peebles, 352-538-8265
Description:
Select Artist for West Lawn Sankofa Statue and approve use of general fund reserves for the balance of the budget.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Select Artist for West Lawn Sankofa Statue and approve budget amendment 2022-2220 to authorize the use of general fund reserves for the balance of the budget needed.
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Prior Board Motions:
Jan. 25, 2022 - County’s portion is not to exceed $75,000 ($25,000 of which is being contributed by an anonymous benefactor) for the fabrication, transportation and installation of the sculpture. The FY22 Adopted Budget includes $38,332 from General Fund Special Expense for the advertising and the artwork itself; 001.04.0490.519.49.00. The balance of the funding has not yet been determined.
Dec. 14, 2021 - Commissioner Prizzia moved to honor Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn’s work with a statue of a durable medium at the County Administration Building with the inspiration of a sankofa in the call to artist with a budget of up to $100,000.
May 11, 2021 - exploring the private donor and other private funds and working together with truth and reconciliation committee and cultural affairs committee, and meaningful, durable, and impactful, and reject all submittals with gratitude.
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
Not to exceed $75,000 for all costs, including advertising, artists stipends, and the art itself. $25,000 will be paid by an anonymous donor; while up to $50,000 will be paid from County Funds. The FY22 Adopted budget has a balance of $38,332 for this project; the budget amendment attached will provide the full $50,000 from County funds.
Project # 6200402. General Fund Special Expense: 001.04.0490.519.49.00
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Strategic Guide:
Social and Economic Opportunity
Background:
The West Lawn at the County Administration Building formerly displayed a Confederate Soldier Sculpture for more than 100 years. The placement of the sculpture became a divisive issue in the community. The Board of County Commissioners voted to return the sculpture to the Daughters of the Confederacy, who originally donated the sculpture to the County in 1904. The Confederate Solider Sculpture was peacefully relocated in 2017.
Three prior Call to Artists have been advertised for this site, with the County Commission rejecting all prior submittals. Previous Calls were broad; whereas this Call is very specific - a Sankofa made of a durable outdoor, vandal-resistant, material, with a protective railing (or other solution) that provides biographical information and an image of Dr. Hillard-Nunn and an explanation of the meaning of Sankofa. A private donor (who wishes to remain anonymous) has pledged $25,000 for the project, bringing the total available budget to $75,000 ($600 was used for advertising and $600 was used to pay artists for their sketches).
Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn was an adjunct associate professor for the University of Florida, African American Studies Program. She studied Media and Culture, Audience Analysis, Enslaved Africans in Alachua County and African American History in Alachua County. Her creative practices included Media Production, West African Dance & Mixed Media Art. Before teaching in African America Studies, she taught Black Women and Film in the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at the University of Florida and served various populations while working as a Community Organizer in Alachua County (https://afam.clas.ufl.edu/faculty-profiles/hilliard-nunnpage/).
A Sankofa refers to the Bono Adinkra symbol represented by a bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward carrying a precious egg in its mouth. The Sankofa bird appears frequently in traditional Akan art representing the need to reflect on the past to build a successful future. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa). “Sankofa” literally means, “to go back and get it.” The egg represents the “gems” or knowledge of the past upon which wisdom is based; it also signifies the generation to come that would benefit from that wisdom. There are several overlapping interpretations: Taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. Going back and reclaiming our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today (https://www.rochester.edu/diversity/faculty-staff/resource-groups/sankofa/).
15 submittals were ranked and the top four (4) were paid $150 each to provide a project specific sketch of their work (attached).