I'm sure.

I'm like peeking in my window and dropping off supplies.

I'm so sorry.

But they're handling it and they're doing it.

It's just she goes, I see why.

Well you work all year long for and you look forward to this.

I can take that.

Yeah, so I take pictures of the call.

And then you um I didn't scroll the nine percent I want to do it all.

But like very cool.

Because this is also a touch screen, so it doesn't mean that's so the parents could see it like in their set.

So it's also these logged in now.

I don't, but if there's anything I can help you with.

Good evening.

How are you?

Uh how many people here today?

That's nice.

Okay.

We don't typically do that necessarily.

If you wanted to share them electronically, we're more than happy to.

That's why it's after I don't think it's necessary.

Okay.

Um I'll email you.

I that would have gone to probably say I should and our Benny.

Um, yeah, everything.

So I think there's actually what I can show you real quick if you like Tuesday.

Oh, the job is on the right.

Well, what we'd be able to bring up here is some of the subject this morning.

It's probably only four.

Let me just leave.

Yes.

So hi folks.

Um I'm Benny Gusman, I'm the chair of the public arts commission.

Um, we're just getting situated here.

Um, I know that I know we're waiting on maybe one more artist as well.

Um we'll get started around 5 35.

Give everybody a few minutes to get settled in.

Um we do have a long agenda today, so I do ask that we keep it a little bit briefer with the presentation.

Uh we want to hear from everybody, but we want to make sure that we don't keep you here for five hours.

Thank you.

The last time we met was in March.

This packet would be absolutely not thank you so much for that.

Thank you.

I just find out what we could get the planning.

Okay, so just see if somebody are printing it.

If you can email it to me, that would be okay.

Yeah.

Oh, Elias is here.

Somebody has a live phone.

Oh, okay.

Oh, yes, of course.

It would well, I mean, it would to have something that you could connect it to, so you can connect it to the screen.

I I have one.

Oh, somebody's sitting there.

No one's sitting there.

No, here's yours.

I don't bite.

Okay, good, I do.

So now we know who's predator who's pregnant.

This is all just one arrow.

These are not like at least one arrow.

Yeah, that's 2601.

Yeah, 2601.

So everything would get pushed back.

With the uh Red House.

Uh she does the edge Lindsay does the uh education program.

Yeah.

I know a lot of people at Red House, but I don't know that person.

So we'll figure it out.

Yes.

We have a lot to so commissioners, we should have two meeting minutes and then five applications, and then an additional work.

There's six applications, two are stapled together.

Okay.

It's a combined project.

I'll explain when we get there.

Okay.

That's for the life.

That that's no, that's for um Sydney and Laura.

Okay, gotcha.

Okay.

So everybody have everything.

Yeah.

It's two separate, but in one area, but they got kind of print it together.

Printed together.

Oh.

Wait, that doesn't.

Yes.

Okay, gotcha.

I think that the Taylor Street, this is its own, I believe.

Taylor Street is its own separate project.

Yep.

You're trying to share it to the team.

I thought that's the first one.

All right, we're going to start five minutes after.

I want to make sure that we have all of our things together.

Yeah, um, this readers office is someone emails that I could run down and ask.

Eric Some of us.

No, they just left.

They're like on the they are they just got off the clock.

And they've had a they've been out with this on all day, so I don't blame them.

All right.

Perfect.

Shaisha send it to me as long as I have it won't my it won't even let me share it with you.

You could just hold my commitment.

I was gonna say, if you want, I can hold your computer just to keep us off.

Keep the ship rolling.

Oh, you have a time.

Yes, I didn't.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, we're also missing.

No, I think we're good.

Alrighty.

Everybody else set?

Good.

Good.

All right.

Uh welcome everybody.

Uh uh, my name is Benny Zuman.

I am the chair of the public arts commission.

Uh I will officially call this meeting to order.

Um what I will have everybody do on the uh commission.

I'll have is just introduce ourselves, so we'll start this way.

Go around.

Hello, I'm Emma Rader.

Hi, I'm Maggie Levis.

Sophia Gutierrez.

Emmanuel Carter.

Lisa Lambert.

Elias Gwynn.

Saisha Bird Parks Commissioner, and I guess acting public art coordinator.

Yes.

So yes, uh, thank you all for being here.

I know that we have had some issues uh just getting this set up.

Um I appreciate all of you for your patience and your time working with us.

Um yeah, just a few uh housekeeping things.

Uh this is being recorded uh via uh the live stream on the Syracuse the City of Syracuse YouTube.

Uh that's for record keeping purposes and minutes.

Um that being said, when you are presenting, if you can please speak into the mic, that'd be greatly appreciated.

Um again, we will try to keep this meeting to about an hour.

Um, and in order to do that, I ask that when you're presenting, please keep it as brief as possible.

Approximately five minutes is ideal, but I understand that's more complicated sometimes.

Um we all have the information here, including the artist statement, uh the resumes of some of the artists.

You don't need to get too much into that.

I guess what I'm really looking for is we want to hear about the idea behind the project, um, so that way we can also discuss a little bit about the installation upkeep uh and how this is gonna be uh presented to the public.

Um yeah, I'm gonna try to keep us under an hour.

Let's see if we can do that.

Um lofty goal, but we're gonna try.

Um yeah, and so uh what I will do is first we are just going to review the minutes.

Uh so I will have all of our commissioners.

Uh we have two sets of minutes, one from the January 13th meeting, uh, and then one from the March 31st meeting.

If we can all just review that and see if there's anything that needs to be updated there.

Oh, wait, see I see one thing I did misspell Emmanuel's name twice.

Yeah.

So on the first page.

On the first page too.

Yeah.

Where actually for January as well.

On January 2.

Which is weird because it's okay.

Yeah.

Yes, I'll make sure to update that with the correct spelling of your name.

Yes, we're not screaming.

Sounds like a hundred years ago.

Do we have to know on the March meeting that we went into executive session?

I did on the second page.

Yeah.

I wasn't sure.

Maybe I don't know how that was.

Shaisha.

Um the way that I framed that we went into executive session.

Is that sufficient for the meeting?

It should be the March 31st on the second part.

Because after our discussion.

I was going to say, because it was a motion.

Right.

Even though we really couldn't.

And we were technically adjourned though.

Well, no, we weren't officially adjourned until afterwards.

Yeah, we came back in here.

And then officially adjourned.

Oh, that's right.

Oh, I left.

Yeah.

That's right.

That's right.

Yeah.

Okay.

Looks good.

That's good.

Can I get a motion to approve with contingencies on the edit to Emmanuel's name?

Again, I do apologize.

Emmanuel uh motions.

Elias seconds.

All in favor.

Aye.

Yep.

Aye.

Unanimous.

All right.

Our minutes are passed.

First order business done.

All right.

Um, so we're just gonna move on to our main motions.

Uh first we'll have up uh Russell Mason, SPAC 26, and actually this should be spat 2602, because it's the second um one that we've received.

Yeah, okay, so they're all behind.

They're all behind one, so we'll just make sure to update them.

Uh but yeah, we'll have Russell Mason come up.

Uh tell us a little bit about your project again.

Try to keep it under five, but I understand.

Um shouldn't be a problem going under five.

I'm a minimalist, but first of all, I want to thank you all for um your time and being here on the board.

It's really important for artists to have advocates like yourselves.

Um a lot of new faces I see here since I was here last.

Um so thank you all.

Um my project's pretty straightforward.

It's a mural.

Um I don't know if you can put put it up, but um do we have uh can we put it up right now?

Or we all have it here.

So you have it.

That's fine.

Um so I have funding from the building owner, so I'm not asking for any funding for it.

Um just basically approval.

And it's a um it's gonna be renovated into a senior active center.

So kind of like um not a rehab, but just somewhere seniors can go and be active and um so that's the design on the outside to kind of go along with the theme of the business.

So um Paul Zorbal um is the new owner, and he contacted me.

So just presenting it here today.

If you have any questions, happy to answer.

Um my first question, and I know this is partially due to us, um, the installation time frame because I know initially it was later for the beginning of March.

That got pushed back because of our internal things.

I do apologize for that.

Um, but yeah, do you have an estimated timeline of start and approximate finish?

Um well, first of all, that delay was kind of um useful for me.

I redesigned it, so uh actually I think this design's much better, and he he likes it more also, so that worked out.

Um but as far as time frame, I'd like to do it um actually this week.

I've actually done some touch up um on the stucco already of the building.

So the walls are already prepped, it's like it only had a few little spots, but it's all prepped and um yeah, ready to start.

Can you confirm which of the two designs?

We have two.

We have both in front of us, which is a final.

The second one.

So use it or lose it.

Yeah.

Yeah, perfect.

Yeah, that's his updated version.

Oh, okay, perfect.

Tell us about your uh uh have you done many outdoor murals like this and any around the city?

I don't see uh he has actually he's done the one in the valley.

Oh nice.

Yeah, I get the valley one.

Um I did the Eli Harris tribute mural.

I love it.

Okay, yes, cool.

So yeah, a lot of experience and I know how to do the installation properly, materials to use, and um to make it last.

Uh, you know, because obviously you don't want it getting worn away by the harsh weather around here and um so hopefully it'll be something there to admire for many years to come.

I had a quick question.

Do you have an idea of approximately how long you're thinking that it might take you to complete?

I'm thinking probably 10 days.

10 days are cool.

Um just another question in terms of the installation process.

Will you be using a lift or um scaffolding potentially?

Because I I see that it's not super high, but I know it's fairly high enough.

And so I was wondering like if that was something you're working out with the building owner, uh and also just liability reasons like what that looks like.

Yeah, it's about 15 feet high.

Um I'll be using my own scaffolding and uh ladders.

Yeah, so it's not not quite a big enough project like the other ones around here that I've used a lift for, so is it just gonna be you or are you gonna do it with any just me?

Okay.

Like to make a motion to approve.

Okay, we have a motion to approve.

Emanuel seconds.

All in favor.

Perfect.

Thanks so much.

Thank you.

Did you want us to like stick around or uh you can leave if you would like, you do not have to stay for the entirety.

Okay.

Um also I will also say to you, but also to everybody, um, please feel free to send us any information about when it's complete.

Uh, we like to document and show up for any ribbon cuttings, any ceremonies, things like um, we're all volunteers, so we'll do our best.

But even just announcing that like this was approved and this was put up.

Um, we want to acknowledge that.

So yeah, yeah.

Is it the same email address?

It should be the either the same email address or I'll just yeah, we're communicating.

Yeah, or the Instagram or Facebook for Syracuse Public Arts Commission.

SPAC.

Okay.

Perfect.

Thanks so much.

Thanks for watching.

All righty.

We're gonna keep tugging along.

Uh next we have SPAC 2602.

Oh three.

Oh three.

Sorry, yes.

Um, and that's children of non, a survival guide.

And that I believe is uh no where that was the last one.

It was the last one.

This one.

Oh no, it's just on the agendas, not the right information.

I just in search of bluer tongues.

In search of bluer tongues, yes, that would be yes, you're up.

That's also what I know.

That's what I have in my hand and it's exactly.

But she you have it, you have it to present.

Oh, I I see what happened is the title on here is the previous one, but the description is updated.

Yeah, so everything on it is updated except for the title.

That's the only thing.

But yes, but it is 2603.

Sounds good.

Uh what I would do on this side.

Is that one second here?

Yes, yes, but uh Annika, if you will uh like you can start by giving us the overview.

Yeah, I would love to.

It's frozen my computer a little bit.

Okay, okay, it's fine.

It's coming back.

Okay, so I'll go ahead and get started on the description.

So um my name is Annika Hare.

I'm the program director of Lightwork Urban Video Project, uh, the public projections on the Everson Museum of Art Facade.

And I am here to present In Search of Bluer Tongues, a new uh exhibition by uh Zleka Shoja, Syracuse-based artist.

I'll give a short project description.

Should I I was gonna play it in the background that it's not auto, yeah.

What is that button up in the left, J.

Yeah, if we can uh don't think let me just find it.

Yeah, go for it.

Okay, there we go.

Perfect.

Yeah.

Okay.

I'll just um turn the volume down a little bit.

Is this this thing has audio now?

Sorry, it should.

I know.

Yes.

Oh, it does.

Okay.

I was saying if you don't know.

Okay, so I can't I can't turn it down.

That's yeah, there you go.

Yeah, okay.

Perfect.

Okay.

So I think it is still playing because as I remember that.

There's one shot that is okay.

All right.

In 2021, artist Salika Shoja planned to shoot a new film at the site of her maternal home and Kabul, Afghanistan, but due to the return of the Taliban and ensuing violence, the project could not be realized.

In Search of Bluer Tongues reimagines the domestic scene, shojo hope to play out in Kabul, working instead with members of resettled communities in the city of Syracuse and in Queens, New York.

The resulting piece is an act of collaborative memory making and a meditation on the diasporic experience of longing to be in a place that can only be watched from afar.

To create this piece, Shojo composed a stop motion animation sequence, which you're seeing right now, featuring traditional um Dosterquan cloths, which are to which are laid on the ground for dining, and conducted a series of screen tests and staged rituals of hospitality with participants from around New York State who have a relationship to diaspora, migration, and displacement.

She connected with community of care of Syracuse, a mutual aid group run by Palestinian American organizer Ellie Abdulfata, who brought together participants from the North Side Learning Center and Majid Isa ibn Maryam, the Mosque of Jesus Son of Mariam on the North Side.

An additional screen tests were filmed in Tempest Gallery in Queens in response to an open call that Shoja put out for participants.

The 2026 award was juried by the Rome Prize winning architect and professor of urban planning at SU, Jess Myers, and by film programmer and founder of the experimental media festival Light Matter in Alfred, New York, James Hansen.

And I can just read a short bio for Zleka, and then if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer those.

Zalika Zora Shoja is a US-based Afghan artist, researcher, and GOM core, which means grief eater in Persian.

She lives and works on unseated onadaga land in Syracuse, New York.

Her work is engaged in geopoetics, ecologies of interdependence, and the transmission of memory with an academic background in migration and diaspora.

She works with moving image, ephemeral fabric photo books, and gestural studies to explore how collective experiences can be transferred, mirrored, and felt by others.

Her films and art have been, well, I won't, I'll I will leave that to you guys, but her her films and artwork have been exhibited widely internationally.

And she was also the recipient of the 24 to 25 Fulbright US student award, pursuing creative research in uh Tajikistan and Turkey.

Thank you.

Thank you, Annika.

Um more of both a comment and kind of a question.

Uh I guess the comment first.

Um my main concern is that first two minutes.

Well, I do think it is very beautiful.

I do think it is quick moving images very fastly on a large scale.

So my concern is photosensitivity and epilepsy.

Um I I'm just throwing that out there because I know when I initially saw it, I had some sensitive like reactions to it.

I don't want to change the artwork.

That's not my intention, but I do think if we are going to approve this, there should be some kind of statement that for a disclaimer saying that there might be some photo sensitive, like if you are photosensitive, you know, just kind of um what is the term?

Yeah, just a warning that there may be some if you're photosensitive, this may cause something kind of thing.

Yeah, we can do that.

Because I do think it is beautiful, but again, like I'm recognizing that this it's just very rapid.

Um as it intended to be, yeah.

This will be shown outside on the wall.

Yes, yeah.

Uh, and then two, I know that we're probably actually coming up um the captioning, because I know that there's some captions that are integrated into the film itself, yeah, but will there be additional captioning, or is I guess I'm wondering like what is the purpose of the soundscape in relation to the video itself, just because I'm wondering if it needs captioning or if what is there is enough kind of thing.

I I think that we're following the lead of the artist here because she's really making very intentional decisions about what to translate, for instance, and how to translate it and what not to.

The captions that are in here are not the most final version because she was still working on the translation at the time of the the rough cut, but um they will be integrated into the piece and are I think there are going to be some points at which they're going to be intentionally difficult to yeah.

That's what I assume, especially like right there, in particular words, white text on white background, but I can see.

I did talk about that with her though, so we're the intention will definitely be to um make certain that whatever is meant to be fully legible is fully legible.

Any other questions or thoughts?

Like we can also spend a few more minutes.

How long is this?

Uh this is 14 minutes, so not all of it, but I could um bring up the volumes.

I can move it around a little bit in a different shape.

Yeah.

Will the artist be here to present it?

Um the artist, like she's local.

She's based in Syracuse.

But there will also be a public event.

I think it's listed in the supplemental materials, but there will be a public event uh happening at Lightwork.

Oh, it I think we didn't have a final date yet.

Oh no, yeah, it's right there.

Um eight seven uh Friday uh seventh of August.

Yeah, she will.

Very cool.

I'm looking forward to that.

Yeah.

Any questions?

Any more questions?

Yeah.

Do I hear a motion?

Did you want to use they do like a approval contingent upon the same or like how important is that?

Yeah, I do think I would say um I would like to improve uh approve it with the disclaimer being added just in the front.

Just again for public safety, public awareness of like, hey, because again, I this is beautiful.

I love what this is, but I'm also very aware of like if we're gonna be putting out this uh in public, we should make sure that it's safe kind of thing.

Sure.

Uh can I just send you guys the disclaimer that we should and it really could just be a quick Yeah, I mean we've done that before with similar pieces in the past.

Yeah.

And I again you've presented many of these before, so I know that you know what our expectations are, what we expect.

Um yeah, if you want to just send like this is the quick, even if it's just a stale of like send it to Shadow so that we can get a confirmation of like, yep, this was done.

Yeah, approval with contingents.

Do I hear a motion?

Maggie motions, Emma second.

All in favor.

Unanimous.

All right.

Congratulations, Annika.

All righty.

If you're not we'll talk.

Yeah.

We can bring that up.

Um, all right.

We're gonna keep chugging along.

Uh next we have SPAC twenty-six oh four, uh light art part, temporary artwork uh cycle.

Um, I'll invite Lauren.

Where's Lauren?

Oh, there.

Yeah.

Um, to come forward.

I know that there's also multiple artists in this uh so we might uh Lauren, what I might think I might have you do is provide an overview of the project, and then um we'll just go like artist by artist kind of process from that.

We do not have one copy of the resume.

It came in as a photo, not a P a PDF.

Pat.

Yeah, one of the one of the artists.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

Let me see.

We'll figure it out.

I will let you all get set up there.

Just a suggestion, because we don't have photos on the screen of the first one.

I'm gonna pass the application around so folks can see the image.

Just the back page of the um we didn't do that with Russell.

Of the mural.

Oh we didn't do that for us.

Oh that one.

Okay, so it wasn't up on.

Yes.

Thank you.

I'll bring it back.

Or try that along.

Do you want mine the other side?

I got I was with Albert.

That way they're not in the board.

Sure.

Which one was Ellie?

Well, it'll just apply the screen.

Of course.

Just highlights what last year was.

We know them.

Who's that?

We can't see the club.

Whatever.

So hello.

A lot of you know me already.

My name's Lauren Baker.

I'm the president of Lipe Art Park.

And we're here to try to coordinate this year's artist applications in one round so that they can get us started with stuff.

So this is a little video of what it was like last year.

And that was our first year.

I think we did a really great job, and we're hoping to expand on that.

So we're gonna quickly just step over here to go through the slideshow.

Of course.

Okay, so last year.

Last year we reactivated the Friends of Life Art Park Group, which is a group that's been um kind of working around the past 20 years in the Slipe Arts Park organization.

Um but the park was uh bought by the city um last year, and so there was some new um excitement around getting it restarted.

We established partnerships with um the Syracuse Parks Conservancy, the Syracuse Parks Department, TNT, CNY Arts, Sherwin Williams, and the Art Store.

Um we revitalize the calls for temporary artwork in the park and uh that change over in an annual basis.

Um this is including the shark wall, five new tea panel murals, one new art flag, and um an installation slash sculpture um that happened last year, although we are not doing that this year.

Um so we've received funding through CNY Arts grants, TNT um open studio tickets that are sold at the Delevin and the Gear Factory, open studios, and in-kind donations.

The first art extravaganza had around 400 attendees, which is great.

We had four bands, uh about 20 vendors, and we're hoping to expand that this year.

Um that's that video.

This year, um, I wanted to show you an example of what our call and distribution was like.

So we really expanded our um impact.

We got nine applications for the T panels this year, which was a lot more than we did the first year.

Um nine applications for the shark wall, eight for the art flag.

Um we uh selected 19 judges that were representatives of the um Syracuse Arts District uh community to do a judging criteria score of all of the applicants out of 20 possible points, and that's how we broke it down into categories there if you want to read that.

Um and then uh these are our our murals.

Um so I don't know if uh uh each artist wants to come up and present, um, but Sanjan is first.

Yeah, come on up.

Yeah, come on up.

Can you just yeah, hey, um I'm Sanjana, and I designed the mural for the shark wall.

Um I am a uh student who recently received I'm not a student anymore.

Um I just graduated from Syracuse University in illustration.

Um and wanted to uh try my uh hand at mural painting.

This will be my first experience.

I just wanted to give you a disclaimer on that, but um tell us about the the work.

Yeah, the theme was home this year.

Go ahead.

So the theme for this year was home, and um a lot of my work revolves around food, the relationship of food with people, memory, and how food um plays an important role in identity formation.

Um and when it comes to Syracuse, we have a very diverse diaspora living in here.

We have people from all over the world, we have Jamaica and Auntie selling Joloff rice, we have the sushi place, and then we have our halal cards, we have our Indian food, we have uh of course the Syracuse classic the saute potatoes.

So I wanted to represent all the different ingredients that come together to form Syracuse as a place of home as an immigrant who moved into Syracuse.

Uh all the diverse kinds of food that's available in Syracuse made me feel like home and remind like keeps uh the whole community together.

So that was the concept for it.

Um if you don't wait, if you don't mind saying uh, because I think what we'll do is artist per artist comments, questions, concerns, anything that we might, and then that way we can kind of run through everything quickly, but like come back and forth.

Um well, first congrats on graduation.

That's a big deal.

Um yeah, uh this is um both for you and for Lauren, just because this is your first mural.

Um, ask the other artists who are support who are doing these projects as well.

Um, if you need help from us too, a bunch of us are uh know a lot of the other muralists who have done work in Syracuse who can help connect you.

Um I say this because I want to support you.

I want you to learn how to do this.

Um, and again, part of our contingent is making sure that we have good quality artwork go up.

And so this is part of that work.

Um other thing that is a little bit more nitpicky, weird.

Um yes, perfect.

Um, the pizza truck.

Um, I do ask that you avoid putting any actual specific pizza brands unless you have like a specific truck in mind that you have contacted and got approval for.

Um, because unless but if it just is like pizza, that's fine.

If it's like Pizza Regional or Pizza Hut, you need approval from them to use their likeness.

Um based on everything, everything's very generic, but also very specific, which I appreciate.

So I don't think there's any issues with that.

That that was the only thing I was like, I hope it's not like a specific truck, because if not, we need that approval.

Um yeah, any other um I'll second the non-specific truck.

I mean, you know, I'm not I wouldn't vote down on this project for that, but like in general, like it's best if our public art's not advertising.

Yeah, I I'll make sure to keep that in mind.

But it does um this was totally out of my imagination.

So great, love it.

Um also I just wanted to point out too that our relationships with Sherwin Williams and the art store are you know providing these artists a lot of content for um educating them on the pipe paint materials and things like that.

Sorry, it's great.

Um I have a question about uh prep and maintenance.

I know that this shark wall has had issues before with paint bubbling and stuff like that.

It seems like Iris' mural has held up really well, but um like what's the prep plan and maintenance plan?

Um so uh last year we um did put a primer on it to kind of help conceal.

I'm not sure if that's something that's actually totally necessary this year, but Sherwin Williams has um agreed to donate us, uh donate a five-gallon bucket of primer if we need it.

So that's available if they if they want to use that.

Nice and sealant or anything like that.

Uh we haven't done any sealants, and it seems like it's just yeah, it lasts for a year, so it's good to go.

Okay, thank you.

So you you're you're like gonna oversee the um application and you have experience in that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, we're from the next one.

Yeah, I'll say next artist.

Next artist.

Thank you.

Love the design.

Uh Neil Matter.

Is Neil here?

Okay.

So I I'm gonna just uh talk about Neil's design for him.

Um he's also uh recently graduated alum from uh SU.

Um he's got two views of the Syracuse um scene um that you know uh highlight the I-81 that's gonna be changing very soon.

Um but this offers a lot of nostalgia for people who are going and returning from Syracuse.

Has he done a mural before?

Has Neil done murals before?

I know he's done big paintings and big prints and um things like that.

He's he's gonna have a statement in here to indoor indoors, yeah.

He's um yeah, he's he's uh definitely got a kind of a realist sort of quality to all of his work that I've seen him do.

It's it's beautiful.

It's just um just to know like if all of these folks are gonna need more guidance for it's just a thing for you to figure out, but absolutely um I think the other thing specifically with the design is slight concern is that center point where the night meets the day.

Okay.

Um just because like that can be tricky for many artists to do those kind of gradients.

Um and especially if he is maybe less experienced.

I just again I have concern for the design quality of it.

Um I I want it to look nice and I don't want to look good.

Everything from what I can see on the the actual like the front facing sides looks really nice and I can see um where the technique is going to be.

Um but again that's that's the part where I'm just like, what's that gonna look like when it's big and done?

Um so I think again just supporting him, guiding him, especially if this is his first time.

Absolutely.

And again, having him connect with us if he needs more guidance of support.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I'll let him know.

Next one or next one.

Pat the painter.

Um also Pat was not able to join us tonight.

I apologize about that.

Um, but uh he is one of our returning artists.

He did one last year as well.

This year, um, with the theme of home, he was really kind of focused on um kind of these iconic symbols of home that you know may relate to all of us at one point in time.

Mailboxes, houses, dogs, and cats, of course, as well.

I'm definitely an animal lover, so this really responded well to me.

Um, but he's got this um uh really dynamic um uh design that I think um will be loved by many different people, many different ages.

Very cool, very cool.

Punky questions from last year held up really well and it's beautiful, so I don't really have any concerns.

Great, thank you.

Okay, Jessica Van Gordon and Aaron Better.

I'm so sorry if I pronounced your names wrong.

I apologize.

And Gronikan and Biter, it's it's totally fine.

Um so this one, we uh we're ESF grads.

Um we have a deep abiding love of the native animals and plants around us.

So that was our vision for this.

Um we also tried to uh include a lot of animals that are either endangered or are state um symbols.

So we have the beaver there, that's the New York State mammal, and we have a um bluebird, which is the New York State bird.

And we also have animals that are undergoing conservation efforts across New York State, including the piping clover and the horseshoe crab.

Awesome.

So and I have also done murals in the past as well as large paintings.

Um, this will be Jess's first mural, but we're excited to see uh what our collaboration will will bring.

We've worked together in the past on artistic endeavors, so we're really excited to do this.

Awesome.

I'll just also note too.

I forgot to say this in the intro, but um, each one of our artists is gonna be highlighted through social media.

Um, and we also have a website that highlights them as well.

So all of that educational, you know, stuff and meaning behind the work um will definitely be included there.

And every year, I think it's in the packet that I gave you all.

Every year we'll produce a sign that is in the park that has a scannable QR code that'll give more information um about the artists and their artwork.

Um so I just have a quick question.

Um, so the front side, um, is that more of a sketch or a finalized drawing?

Oh, it's definitely more of a sketch.

Digital media is not my strong suit.

I'm absolutely more for instance.

That's totally fair than physical painting.

Yeah, you can see some there is work.

Oh, yeah, no, that's what I was like, is that so?

I'm assuming that again you'll have more blending, more natural, like what you have shown in your actual yeah.

Um the other thing again, um, I I'm kind of loving that a lot of these are young artists.

I am excited to see that.

Um, not that I don't love our veterans who have seen us multiple times before.

I love seeing new blood in this room, so that's really nice to see.

Um, but again, supporting each other.

Um, also too, because yours is on the same one matching styles as without completely changing to meet the other person.

Like I don't want it to feel like one individual artist, but again, like we're looking for quality.

We want to highlight the work of Syracuse and we want it to look good.

Um, but yeah, I think this is fantastic, and I love what y'all are sharing too.

That's all very much based in New York State as well.

Yeah, we've spoken about coordinating um a little better in in the physicality of it with um sharing paint colors and and stuff like that.

It was a little challenging with the digital.

Yeah, I totally understand.

For me, that's a choice.

I'm like, okay.

Well, that's why I was like, it could be either or question, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Other cool, cool.

All right, they hope uh ESF is there with their bird houses.

Oh, yeah.

They would look really good for that, or even the beer, um, having a beekeeper there to highlight your mural would be wonderful.

Oh, yeah.

Those two editions would be wonderful.

Okay.

I hear you.

I got it.

I did work with someone who uh tends these at the zoo.

So I could reach out to him.

Awesome.

Oh, that could be great.

Connecting the arts with yeah, other energy is in certain things.

Local honeys.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you, Lauren.

Can we hear the next one?

Okay.

Next up, um, we did have a change to this uh application.

So I was sensitive towards the logo as well.

So the artist uh Jessica uh resubmitted a design.

Is she here with us tonight?

No.

Okay.

So um yeah, uh she she did do an uh an amend um of the design um on the on the coffee cup.

So um I think similarly, this is a celebration of the diversity of food um that Syracuse has to offer.

Um, and I'm happy to take any notes.

Um is Jessica has she done because I don't I know we we have all the resumes somewhere, but also I don't need to print off 2000.

Yeah, um I I think she's uh I'm not exactly sure about murals that she's done per se, but I know that she's done a lot of um painting.

She's got she's uh definitely got a huge painting background.

It seems like she's done other surfaces.

When oh windows, excuse me.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, there's a few other surfaces here.

There's a couple metal surfaces and library, yeah.

I don't think I have any other questions.

Um it'll just completely not have the coffee.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It's got the coffee.

I just looked at only those.

Yeah, I'm tricking you, but orange instead.

I like that.

Yeah, fresh.

Yeah.

That might be something to add in the application process.

Absolutely.

Yeah, no logos or get approval.

Yes, yes, that's a different which you might get in that instance.

Who knows?

You know what I mean?

Yeah, that might actually be.

Yeah, who knows?

I'm getting so hungry.

I know.

All right, I think we can move on to the next one.

So the next one is a surprise.

Um Ray, is Ray with us?

Come on up.

Um, so uh yeah, this is a change.

I apologize um about the abrupt change, but we did um have some shifting in our applications, and so Ray Turner is here to talk about design.

I also my name is Ray Turner.

Um, I'm not very good at all with uh digital stuff.

I always also doing it on my phone, so I have my actual sketchbook, acrylics.

Um, this is also gonna be my first mural.

So any and I'm not professionally trained in any way, but um I've done windows.

Uh I'm really signs, right?

And and a sign.

Yeah, sketches are dope, so yeah, so don't sell yourself short.

Yeah, yeah.

Uh and uh chalk art and uh but anyways, I'm really excited to do this.

This is gonna be really really fun to do something on a much larger scale and to like actually dig in.

And I'm interacting with a lot of artists that I have not uh in with the art community.

So do you mind if we get a closer look at the art?

Yeah, awesome.

Yeah, we can all have you done any large scale work before.

I mean feet, okay.

Yeah, that's decent size.

Yeah, yeah.

I think uh yeah, um the only thing is like um I checked the fonts I would look at are commercial uh that I no perfect.

Can you tell us about uh the messages on there?

Yeah, it's loosely connected to the home.

Um I was thinking about I I've lived in Syracuse my whole life.

Uh and uh water returns to the lowest point.

You're good, thank you.

Yeah, so we're starting.

Also my first time doing this kind of thing.

Um yeah, so water returns to the lowest point, water returns back to this, you know, it comes from a source, it returns back, and it's kind of a cycle.

Um, and then I was thinking about you know, in a very classic way, um that we are kind of connected to the sky as well.

We're made of you know, components of stars, uh, so it's loosely connected, but it's my version of home is uh kind of esoteric, I guess.

It's a beautiful message.

Awesome.

Yeah, I think we can move on.

No, thank you so much.

Uh yeah, next one.

Okay, and our last design is our design for our art flag this year, which is really exciting.

Hi, uh I'm Bharti.

Um, and on the theme of home, uh this is my typographical expression about what what home is, and a little bit of a background.

So I come to Syracuse um 10 years ago from India.

Uh so I understand what it means to uh leave behind a motherland and slowly create a sense of belonging somewhere else.

Uh over over over the time, Syracuse has given me feelings of safety, comfort, community, and love.

Through my design of the flag, I wanted to express the idea of home, uh, which is not just only the place, um, but also the connections, memories, and communities that allow us to feel seen and rooted uh wherever we are.

Uh so this idea strongly influenced my design for the flag at Life Art Park, which is located in Syracuse's uh near Westside Art Arts District, a neighborhood that is shaped by a strong and vibrant Latino community.

Ummigrants, uh everywhere carry memories of another home while building a life in a new place.

Uh, because of that, I wanted to explore the idea of home as a feeling, rather than simply a physical location.

So the color palette that uh I have used, which draws from the high contrast Caribbean landscapes and environments of uh places like Havana, which is like bright, joyful, and expressive.

Um so you see like a Fuchsia pink, tropical blue, sunshine yellow, along with uh whites and black.

Uh that create like an energetic, optimistic uh atmosphere that celebrates cultural vitality of surrounding community.

And I think uh that is what we need more of uh in uh you know in the community to uplift all of us.

Yes, thank you so much.

Um this is I guess because the design is beautiful, but more of a question for Lauren.

Um the flag is going to be printed.

It is printed.

Is it going to be but like I guess is it mirrored or it's mirrored, yes, perfect.

It is it's uh the same process that we used last year.

Um so yeah, it'll be a mirrored image.

Yeah, but we'll we'll have it facing the right side facing it.

Yes, okay.

Awesome.

Thank you very much.

Yes, thank you.

Very cool design.

Um yeah, um, I opened up to questions about the project in general.

Obviously, we have multiple different applications or it's one application with multiple different projects in it.

So I open it to any other questions from the commission.

What do you think we can start?

Um with approval tonight, uh we have our artists uh contracted to start if they want to by June 1st.

Um and then the project will complete by July 10th.

Uh we're hoping.

Um that gives us a little bit of wiggle room to um be ready for our July uh 19th celebration.

Oh, 18th.

Is it the 18th or the 19th?

It's the 18th.

Woo!

Um, yeah, uh Saturday celebration.

Um so we're we're getting ready to have another set of live musicians.

All of our artists have been invited to also be vendors at the event um to highlight them even more, and um, we'll be publicly recognizing them as long uh as well as all of our partner organizations um like you all too um at that event.

Um I saw that CMY Arts shared your call to for vendors and stuff like that.

Is there a way that we would we feel comfortable sharing that on our platforms or reaching out to our register to help push that message for us?

We shared the calls for artists.

Yes, um you might have I get a lot of those I I've I've seen it multiple different places for work and this and everything.

So resend it.

Thank you so much.

Um question about the funding.

Did you hear back from the CMY arts grants yet?

So we got uh five thousand dollars from the CNY small uh festival fund, and we're still waiting to hear back from um the community uh fund, and that was another five grand that we are hoping to get.

Um but uh TNT really stepped up this year, and um we got almost double the amount of money that we got from them last year, which is really exciting.

Congratulations.

Um so yeah, we we uh are really hoping to expand um and continue to do this on an annual basis.

We're also working with the parks department to um put in um sculpture pads so that we can start having sculptures um building up to that um in the coming years as well.

So yeah.

Oh, and also um just I haven't done this yet, but any of our uh folks that are uh volunteers um or members of Flapp, if you want to like raise your hand, hey Thanks for coming.

Thanks for the support.

Yeah, thank you all for coming out too.

I appreciate it.

Um yeah.

Um I think just one last comment.

Um again, I do like seeing a lot of new faces, but I will also say that with that we still expect quality.

We still expect a level of work that represents Syracuse.

Um, and but I know and I know you love many times.

So I just encourage you again if you need support from us from other artists, muralists, and then I mean the Delvins right there.

There's we can find you someone who can support.

Uh and that goes for all the artists as well.

Like please connect to us if you are having concerns or issues.

Uh we want to support you on this commission.

Thank you.

Yeah.

And the the quality, not just in artistic quality, but uh process and making sure you know it doesn't degrade over time too quickly.

Oh, yes, absolutely.

Yeah, yeah.

I think um I think all the murals hand uh held up pretty well.

The only thing that we noticed, we did a walkthrough this last week in the park, um, and shout out, I guess uh we are going to have a gardening or weeding party.

Um so if you want to come and help us with that in the park.

What day is that?

Next Thursday?

Third or fourth, something like that.

I think it's a Thursday.

Um, right after work.

So come on over and help us pull some weeds if you'd like.

Um, but yeah, um, where was I going with that?

Sorry, I forgot.

Uh oh the top main oh yeah, maintenance, maintenance.

Yeah, so uh we're working with that.

Um the only thing that we really noticed was that the flag was a little worse for wear when we went out there.

But you know, it lasted a year, so you know.

And that's a window.

Like our school.

Yeah.

Are all torn up this year?

The wind was terrible this year, and all the flags are terrible.

We're we're gonna um we're we're doing our best to um to investigate and just another company or sticking with the same one.

So we'll work work with that with our budget.

Thank you.

Second.

Motion, second by Sophia.

All in favor.

Aye.

Yep.

Thank you.

Congratulations, congratulations to all the artists.

And again, we'll be sharing all the information as it comes to us.

Please come on the 18th.

If you have a flyer for the planting.

Um if you have a flyer for the planting, send that to us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

We're gonna keep chugging along.

Uh thank you all.

Next we have uh SPAC 2605.

That is the community street intersection mural, the Alchemic Nursery project.

And I know that is two projects or there's two.

No, no.

This one is one.

This one's one.

Okay, gotcha.

Oh, I see.

I see.

All right.

The applications are this.

Okay.

Awesome.

Hi y'all.

Uh Frank Sotero.

I'm with the chemical nursery project.

Did you want to say something, Saisha?

You wanted to put it off.

Oh no, it's okay.

I just want to make sure it was in the packets because I sent it to you late.

Those two pictures.

Those two pictures, exactly.

Yeah.

So uh I'm gonna introduce the project and then let the artist um talk to you about the design.

Uh Frank Sotera, the alchemical nursery project.

We've been doing place making in the near west side uh for about 15 years now.

Um within a three block radius, we have four properties that we manage.

One is a community forest garden, one is one of them is a mini meadow commons lot with uh public seating.

One of them is our community bicycle clinic, and one of them is our is the Binnternut Homestead.

Um and two years ago, we were one of the pilot projects for the community streets installations here in Syracuse, one of three that were selected.

Uh we did uh bump out paintings on Gifford in Ontario.

Uh we did uh coloring in of the crosswalk on Otisco in Ontario, which is where this project is gonna be located.

And we did tire planters, uh painted tire planters at those two intersections as well.

Um since then, uh it's it appears that uh some folks have loosened up and now they are allowing full intersection murals as a part of the community streets um installations.

And so we set out to uh keep the momentum going with the work that we're doing uh in that part of the neighborhood and uh decided that we would go for the for the full uh intersection mural uh this time around.

So we already uh we so we have funding to the tune of um uh for some of the artists' time and also for uh materials and equipment and supplies, um 800 and some dollars.

So that came from TNT and then the alchemical nursery is um gonna match uh whatever needs have for volunteers in terms of food and uh supplies and refreshments and so forth as well.

Um and we're gonna be looking to pick a date in uh the summer uh to complete this and continue to work in coordination with um the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council and and and um um roads department of roads and and transportation to uh get all the permits and everything.

We haven't done that yet.

That's the next step after we would um have talked to you about this.

And so uh we did a little call out for artists.

Uh yeah, we want we wanted to find somebody who is associated with the neighborhood in some way.

Um and Naomi works in the neighborhood um with uh the Onondaga Earth Corps, and so um we talked and I'll let her speak to you about the design.

Yeah, thank you.

Hello.

Um so my name is Naomi Kersamansky.

Um I'm not from Syracuse, but I moved up here a little under a year ago.

Um I've been working with the Anadaga Earth Corps and getting to know a lot of the community, which has been amazing and very rewarding.

Um thankfully I saw the ad for the artist mural, and I thought that was a great way to get engaged.

I've been loving community gardens, and we did a little trash cleanup, and it was also amazing to get to meet some of the locals that came out and really like the community garden and how much it has to offer.

Um I took that into note when I was thinking about what I wanted to showcase in this neighborhood.

Um I think a really good tone, I hope cares this year is love and unity.

I know there's a lot going on, and I think that's always something to circle back on.

Um, and I was hoping to make it more of an inclusive art um volunteer event.

Uh as you can see around the outside, there's a bunch of outlines of individuals, and I was hoping that volunteers can outline themselves, including the children.

There was a lot of children that were very excited about it.

Um, and then they can pick a color and if possible, I don't want it to get too complicated, but use something as an identifying factor, whether it's hair, hat, helmets, whatever, fun stuff, but put in that um community piece, and then I have it centered around a big table with a bunch of food that I also would like to be centered around Syracuse, salt potatoes.

There's a heavy Puerto Rican community there, so I have a couple of dishes based on um Puerto Rican food, and then I have a couple other things in there that I were more greens-based because of the community garden and what you can pick.

Um sorry for my voice.

I've been fighting a cold all week.

Uh but yeah, so I um would love to hear comments, feedback.

Thank you.

Um just to clarify, this project is going to be a little bit more collaborative, uh, correct, right?

You're not gonna be it's just gonna be you, it's gonna be you kind of directing a group of other people from the community in this project, correct?

Yes, it's a big volunteer event where they'll shut down the intersection and everyone can come paint.

Are there gonna be specific because I know so in the design we have the food is a little bit more detailed?

Is that something you're gonna specifically focus on?

Wow, or how how are you gonna navigate that process?

I think I'm going to originally sense all at least the big table and the dishes, and I'm gonna simplify them a little more, not to lose the actual integrity of the food dishes and make it look, I guess, bad, but um yeah, I probably was gonna send her a little more on that part and then allow volunteers to do the rest, and then as the day progresses, seeing you know who's still painting, who wants to be involved, how quickly it goes.

They're more than welcome to.

I'm just probably gonna do like a stencil with like show the color in each little section.

Yeah.

I would recommend uh if you're doing this in the summertime, right?

So the um fine arts department, there's a whole summer program over at Holler.

That you could get the high schoolers even to help you with uh detailed uh more detailed table of how the community do the people part.

Yeah, but if you contact uh um the art department, they would probably love the chance because they are doing community arts and stuff.

But you're right.

They normally they have it over there.

Yeah.

That might be a good resource to do for their summer program and a great thing for the kids.

I agree, that would be a really great way, and that'll solve the problem of the dishes.

It would be.

So I guess I just had a quick question about like any time that we hear about a project that's um associated with minors in any way, shape, or form.

Obviously, we have to make sure that all of our Ts are crossed and I's dotted.

Is there some sort of like permission slip or something like that?

Is there gonna be some sort of supervision for anyone under 18?

Is there gonna be like what's what are the steps there?

Absolutely.

I could absolutely provide one.

Um I will be overseeing the project all day long.

Uh be there early waiting.

Um it is there is obviously a ton of neighborhood communities and children that were right in that area.

Um I will be involving their parents as much as possible and also a lot having a form that they should most likely be signing.

I guess that also lends itself kind of because when we were talking about like tracing the outlines and stuff like that, technically that's a likeness, which I know is a stupid unit.

I mean it's it's a dumb thing, but it is if you are especially if it's a minor, you would probably want to have not that I foresee it being an issue.

I'm I'm sure it wouldn't be, but just in the event that it would be, you might want to consider some sort of waiver or some sort something somebody could sign.

Yeah, our general practice we've been doing, you know almost 20 years projects uh related to um placemaking community developments and our general practices that uh uh minors have to be accompanied uh by an adult on site.

Um and uh you know, we just make sure that when people are coming on site, uh if you know when you're doing this in a neighborhood, uh children come out of the woodwork, of course.

Yeah, and that's what you want.

Like, yeah, that's half the fun.

So I totally get that.

I also just had one other quick question.

What was the what is the process like to get the um the crosswalk itself like shut down like traffic-wise for that day?

What does that look like?

Yeah, so we'll get um uh after going through um the arts commission, we will go to back to the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council.

They'll facilitate our communications with Department of Public Works, um, Department of Public Works will then uh you know put it on their calendar, and then they'll facilitate bringing the barriers out uh that will be placed uh the morning of the event and the signage, and um, and we'll have um they'll require us to have a volunteer uh staffing each of the barriers um to you know so the cars are are not coming through without being you know not trying to be sneaky.

Um last uh two years ago when we did this, we had probably 15 to 17 volunteers on site for the for a lot of the day, so it was more than enough to um to do what we did.

And I think even though this may seem a little bit more uh it is a little bit more detailed and a little bit more extensive than what we did two years ago, it's also focused just in this one intersection as opposed to us doing two intersections last year, like two different parts of the project.

So I think that'll facilitate um making it a little easier for us.

Um just another quick uh safety concern.

Um, going back to the outline, I probably wouldn't recommend that because you will be having children on concrete in the summer, which is probably not the best idea.

Um so again, I think just for simplicity's sake for safety of them, ease of you.

I would just have them have you do an outline.

I would recommend that that a stencil and just yeah, and I think that would be just a um just to help kind of alleviate something.

I would also recommend to have cardboard, like refrigerator cardboard those that they can lay on it, and stuff might be a lot easier to handle, especially with the heat of the uh yeah, while they're painted.

If you need cardboard, I manage a warehouse and I have nothing but cards.

So literally, like it would you be doing me a favor if I got rid of it.

I have to get trucks to get rid of this stuff.

So please, if you guys need it, please let me know.

I'll look at do you have an approximate date?

I know you just said summer, but do you have an idea of when you want to start?

Uh we didn't decide to pick a date because we were a little behind on getting this uh information to you all.

I got it to Saisha on the day that the 10-day mark, I think, that it needed to get on before the agenda, and I was like, Oh, we're gonna have the draw, the illustration and and everything ready by the day of the agenda.

So we wanted to make sure that we, you know, weren't gonna have to push back, or if we have to push back another month, we didn't want to schedule anything without having uh the the big timeline framework um uh in front of us.

When you guys do nail it down, will you let us know?

Because I want to go.

Please.

Yeah, absolutely.

Um, and you know, we're very close to Light Art Park, we're only three blocks away from Life Art Park.

So uh if anybody wants to uh come into the neighborhood and do some uh activity with us too, that would be great.

Awesome.

Thanks so much, Ellie.

Do I hear a motion?

Maggie motion to approve, manual seconds, all in favor unanimous.

All right, congratulations.

Thank you.

All right, thank you all for being patient.

And um next we'll do SPAC 26, Thornton Park, and then I believe this is also combined with uh 26 7, uh the paths we weave, those are to stay hold them together.

They can do oh yeah, okay.

There's they may want to present separate.

Okay, good.

They're together.

Yeah, that's that'd be totally fine.

Yeah, okay, that's right.

Okay.

Yeah.

Two applications, so I have to because there's Cindy filled out one, you filled that one, so I had the money.

We were over too much administered.

No, we totally understand.

That's all right.

We have both, so yeah.

We have both, so is it just not connecting?

I know that it may need to just be like as I say, that is the technical IT term.

I think what did Annika do?

She just changed the HDMI.

No, Annika just unplugged it.

She just wiggled it.

We needed to go to HTMI three.

Oh, HDMI.

Unplug that.

Otherwise, we can present what we know there we go.

Yeah, we also do have it here, but it is nice to so that everybody.

Beautiful.

Yeah, let's sit over here.

I get nervous and use.

Yeah, my bad.

Um take it away.

Go ahead.

All right.

So this fall I was approached by Thornton Park to um create another sculpture.

Um it's going to be a willow sculpture.

Um I approached Laura Reader, um, who has done uh cultivators in the park previously to see if she would like to collaborate.

So we've come up with um this design.

The duration for the piece will probably be I I say three to five years.

Five years probably at maximum, um, before obviously, you know, goes through the natural process of like decomposing.

Um but the location as is um below the uh Stuart standpipes of the water tower in Thornden.

Um so it has views of overlooking the city and from different vantage points, the sculpture and the cultivator leading up to it will appear as if it's like floating in the clouds, and um both of our practices are centered uh centered with the um like being physically present on site and in the the land and modifying and adapting as we feel natural or at CFIT.

Um my work is about walking, and so while it is just grass, um it is an invitation to folks to come walk um in and through and around and see things in a different way, see the familiar our familiar neighborhoods differently with Sydney's work as sort of a centerpiece or as an adjacent again.

It's sort of however we're gonna again we're gonna we're going to actually work together as she situates her sculpture.

I will actually then draw outward from the sculpture, and again, my work is always a labyrinth, so no one gets lost, but the grass doesn't grow that high at Thornton Park.

So this site on the side of the hill should actually have high enough grass that it actually will create really nice contrast, but it will have walking pathways so that no one can get lost, and they'll actually send folks toward and through Sydney's sculpture.

So I oh wait, as we say, do you oh perfect?

If you want to put your questions, we have your answers.

Well, actually, yeah, actually, let's go back to design real quick.

Um, because I um yes, actually looking at yeah, these three images.

So in this first top image on the left, it looks like it is a kind of raised, you know, it's it's raised, but there's also movement through it.

And I'm wondering, is that is that gonna is it essentially gonna be a labyrinth of sorts?

So my original concept drawing is of a labyrinth.

Um I had imported the actual landscape topography um into CAD.

This is just like the sketch of it.

Okay, I do anticipate being on site.

They'll you know, I'm going to modify based on elevation and the horizon lines that I've kind of marked out being there physically, but that is the general idea that you're being brought to this central point.

And I guess will it have a because it almost again, like it's hard to tell through this just these renderings.

Um will it be like an enclosed structure in which you can walk in, people can ascend.

I I guess I'm wondering like is it completely open?

Because in some of the designs it looks more open, and versus other, it looks more enclosed in a space.

So the way I kind of work is I as I'm doing you know, weaving the willow, there'll be just little pockets that or areas that seem to just naturally form or open up or seem like this is an area that I want to connect.

Um so I anticipate there will be some areas and I being on site want to actually highlight some of the uh landmarks in the distance um to create some of those like Vista vantage points as you actually are engaging with the sculpture.

Sorry.

And then uh Laura, you too.

Is that because I see we have a very like spiral labyrinth design?

Is that gonna be the exact I just want to I guess it's it's I want to make sure that if what we're seeing is what we're getting or if because I understand y'all are both more conceptual artists, so I want to fully understand the concept and make sure that for the public there where like oh well why doesn't it look like that kind of thing?

Yeah, exactly.

So I think it's really worth having this conversation um for probably artists who are gonna come now that you're really starting to have more temporary works, I think it's a really great conversation to have because it's true.

I think what you see here, you will absolutely see in any of my cultivators this what you see this meander shape, which is the sort of central, it's it's an old Greek word for river, but it's the central moment in any labyrinth where you come in and out of a central point.

Um and it's a safe coming in out, you spiral in, you spiral out.

That will happen.

It may not happen here, and it may not be as big and round and juicy here as AI has allowed me to sketch.

Um, but what will happen is when we're working with the land, we I'm not gonna speak for you, but I'm gonna speak about our conversations.

The land will tell us what the forms are, and if we try to form fit a labyrinthy shape into this, it will not it will not sort of sing or speak as um thoughtfully and meaningfully to the space that it's in.

We have to be physically on the site for it to happen.

So I do feel as though it would be great to have an educational moment to help folks understand that.

Um but you're seeing work you've seen from our previous work.

Okay, yeah.

What kind of educational moment do you mean?

I'm sorry, I was a little concerned.

So for our community to understand that sometimes when you share sketches of works that with nature, they will evolve and change.

And it may change over the next five years.

Yeah, you know.

I just hope that you understand at least our perspective that we kind of have to have an idea of what we're talking about here too.

Yes, that so yeah, no, it's it's just a really good opportunity to I had a quick question.

Oh, yeah, go for it.

So I see on I see for um the actual for Sydney's, we've got like kind of a breakdown, which I really appreciate of funding sources and the amounts and all of that fun stuff.

But then looking over at Laura's, it looks like there was some um wasn't necessarily spelled out as to where the funding sources were coming from.

And I also had another question about the parks involvement in this.

It says parkslash TPA truck access for hay pickup and delivery.

Um, can you just speak more a little bit more on that?

Sure, the parks are funding the oh do you want to speak to us?

So Laura will be paid as a consultant as she was last year through us, so we will pay her as an artist to do the art.

Is that from the capital improvement or through just regular parking lot?

Yeah, we have contract money.

Okay.

And in fact, it um the way I'm actually sketching this out, we actually will need less um hay or sort of sketching materials, so I won't have to schlep bales this year, which was um probably about a quarter day or half a day's work for our parts.

It was actually very fun, and they enjoyed the drive in the country, so we had a good time, but um, yeah, this year we we don't need as much.

And then uh just another quick question.

It said volunteer support.

Do you guys have some sort of outreach for volunteers?

Is that something we can help you with, maybe?

Yeah, we actually do.

Um, Thorndon Park uh folks, do you want to speak to this, Kate?

Yeah, it's a family affair.

Uh sure, and uh Kate Oweter, um some of you know me.

Um and I'm uh I'm representing the Thornton Park Association, and we're very excited to be working with with both of these artists.

Um, this is something something very exciting and new for Thorndon Park, and we're hoping that this will be the beginning of something great, not only for Thornton, but maybe we'll be able to spread to other parks as well.

Art in the parks.

Um and of course, like art park.

It's great to see that um all that's happening there.

Okay.

Um, but getting back to the TPA Thornton Park Association, we're definitely helping to uh coordinate volunteers.

I know that Sydney has good networks of of people.

Yeah, I also will post on social media and I have a Google form, like sign-ups.

So that is it up for you.

I would love that.

That would be amazing.

I'm sure people that would be that would be great.

And there will be opportunities for um sort of more teaching, actual physical teaching moments for um the volunteers to come and learn how to do some weaving with Sydney and that's cool.

Um that's really cool.

And um yeah, sorry.

I put together about five workshops.

So from harvesting to learning the material to building the structure, then interweaving, and all these can be drop-in.

So at any point, anyone can come and um pick up, you know.

Awesome.

Would say please reach out to the schools because that would be a great field work for kids.

And now that our middle schools are all turning into Yale schools, they do field work, and that would be an amazing thing for weaving in in our classes and stuff to see it.

Do you have a contact?

Because I reached out to Edwards okay, because I reached out to Syracuse City School District and I talked to you a little bit.

Yeah, because I worked with your mom now.

Oh my gosh.

Small world.

I was gonna say the arts in Syracuse.

We will help you well.

Thank you.

Um I actually did one more question for Sydney.

So I know we had talked about LIPE, and I love your I see it every day, and I go and sit under it sometimes.

It's one of my favorite stops on my way back to work.

Um safety.

You had talked about safety, and I just want to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to support you and Ms.

Laura in in any how can we help?

How do you feel?

What's going on?

So last year I just put out signs that said sculpture in progress.

Please do not touch.

And I think it worked.

Yeah, and that worked.

Um I mean, as soon as it's complete, my hands kind of go.

Sure.

Okay.

You know, it's exposed to nature, that's part of the whole process.

Is there will be changes.

But um, LIP was honestly a really great learning experience for me.

And you're exposed to all the elements, but the billion bulbs every day.

Yeah, and the sculpture has held up great.

I've not had anyone climb on it.

Um yeah, which and you know, I've had like I had groups of kids come through while I was actually building it.

Um everyone's been very, I think respectful.

Awesome.

Say something quickly, also that the um Thornton Park Association will be helping to monitor through through its lifespan.

Yeah, um, getting out there with a weed whacker if we need to, and working with the parks, obviously.

Um, and uh thought a lot about the safety issue and sort of heidi holes and that kind of thing, but recognizing that this is a public park and there are plenty of places where people can go.

Absolutely.

So we're throwing some of that to the to the wind and absolutely yeah, so sorry, where will this be relative to the water tower?

Like a hillside, like the hillside below it.

I have the actual the one that goes down to the pool or yes, so on this area in between uh 650 and six okay, but yeah, okay.

Umleds I've I've thought of it, yes.

So we're the other way.

You're good.

The sleds are this way, because again, I know and so you're thinking this is a yeah, so there's a an area.

If you notice there's certain sight lines from the street, so I can point it out really quickly.

But down here, that's from doing off the pool.

There's a Verizon line that kind of here.

So where it's going to closer up to the top of the um of the elevation there.

Yeah, okay.

It won't ruin anyone's ride.

Like keep them warm too.

Shelter is shelter.

Yeah, no, there's plenty of, you know, it's funny when you look at it flattened out this way.

You don't realize how much hill there still is that's very true for sure.

As a parks commissioner, I recommend that folks sled where it's safe.

Just for the record for the record, yes.

All right.

Um, just in the um being mindful of time, any other major questions or anything specific y'all want to let us know about.

Uh I think you've done a great job at the community engagement.

Y'all have been here before, we've talked safety.

Y'all, y'all know the spiel that I would give.

Um, but yeah, anything else that I think it's cool.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

Beautiful.

Looking forward to it.

Can I hear a motion?

All right.

Lisa motions, Emmanuel Seconds, all in favor.

Yep.

I'm excited for this.

Congratulations.

Oh, and actually, wait.

So pause.

Because we have two applications.

Oh, we have to vote on the order of our water tower.

Can I hear another motion?

I'll motion.

All right, allowance Maggie seconds.

All in favor, approved.

Now you're they are both approved now.

Congratulations.

Pre editing approval.

Thanks so much.

Uh no, you're a license and maggie.

Is there is there anybody from MDZ here?

I don't think so.

I don't think they showed, so we don't have to do this discussion piece.

The Taylor Street, yeah.

Yeah, this is okay.

Information for you all to review.

I gave you the main packet.

They just want advice before they come to the table.

Gotcha.

Okay.

So we're not voting on this.

Yeah, so if we are officially done with any of the major motions.

Um we do have a few.

We have one item on discussion, which is a Taylor Street mural project.

Um, given that we are at about an hour and a half, I do want to be mindful and we can look at this on our own.

I know we have it in emails.

Um, was there any major discussion that we needed to bring up today as well?

Um I'm wondering how these designs were selected, if this was like community involved at all or in-house design.

I I don't know.

I would say just um email.

I I don't know, Manila is looking for or MED is looking for just they want your you all advice.

I think they're looking for artists, so they want to open it up to the our commission prior to planning it.

Could we just respond to them individually?

Would that be okay?

Yeah.

I mean, or do we or do you want to do something more formal for them or what's up to you?

If you all want to send me your comments, I can put it compiled together and send it to them.

And if they want to come, I mean, we'll probably be need to meet in July, really or June.

I don't know what day it is.

June 30th is the next meeting.

I we will probably need to meet in June.

So if they want to come and then ask their questions before they do a formal proposal, we can do that again.

But yeah, I think sake of time and we have a lot other and we've done a lot today.

Um we can kind of table this until next time people can look it on their own.

And we'll send you any glaring issues or questions that we might have.

Just some other things.

I know we are still working on getting our commissioners on the count uh on the commission.

Uh I know that we're waiting on Mayor Owen's office to kind of get things moved forward and the same thing with common council, just uh just the official paperwork and getting the people appointed that we want to appoint.

And I did receive one more application.

Um off the top of my head, I don't maybe Anna Ann Smith, I'll send it to you.

I sent her the link to apply.

She's in our teacher.

Yep.

Okay.

I did tell all the art teachers to check it out.

No, that's fair.

Sorry.

Well no, and I I well, so I we live in the community.

No, no, no.

And with it with that saying that too, I do think we are getting to a point where we are going to cap our commission's eleven.

However, that doesn't mean these individuals cannot be a part of it.

And I actually think it makes more sense to have people continue to support in a volunteer role because for example, once we all eventually transition out of these roles, it would be great to have individuals who can step out who are already somewhat familiar with the process.

I know that um the transition of like, okay, now you're in this, and here's a million different here's five stacks of pay applications that you have to look at and figure it out.

Um, I think it would be good to have people slowly in that process.

I also think too that as we are in the process of reevaluating the ordinance, who is to say that there isn't, you know, other volunteers is outside of being an official commissioner or whatever, you know what I mean?

Like you used to have committees as well.

Yeah, we have task force.

Yeah, um and when which we I mean that's definitely something that's a part of the master plan revision that we could definitely talk about again.

I'm not mad at that, but I um more the more the merrier.

Yeah, I think that's kind of where I think we're gonna end up going.

Um again, I think some of the things that we can probably talk about in June when we meet again are those commissioner roles, making sure they're all set.

The public art coordinator position.

We want to see that up and going.

It's almost posted.

I understand.

HR has the description.

Okay.

It's been sent to them.

They're reviewing it so they can post it.

And then um, I know one other thing is we do want to start reviewing the ordinance.

It's 20 years old, it needs a new life.

I actually sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.

Do we want to elect a vice chair?

Oh, we have never done that.

Wait, yes, actually, this is so we can elect a vice chair because we don't have a vice chair.

But I I guess I don't know the process.

Is it a mayor appointee or does the chair appoint?

I'm not 100% sure because in the past it has been appointed by the um the commission essentially.

If it was like a new person, then I think we would have to go through all the process.

But obviously, if it is it's an existing member, then I from what I understand.

We can check on it if we want to do that beforehand.

But for what I understand, it's just an internal vote.

Yeah.

As long as we have quorum, it should hold.

I think we should hold it until June so I could officially go over everything and make sure correct.

You got it.

Perfect.

All right.

And then, but yeah, but um send your nominations if you want to put your hand in, or if you yeah, we can just do it then.

Awesome.

It looks like you should be the vice chair.

Trace was like, I don't need one more thing.

Um I'd be the commissioner.

Um the other thing, as I know, uh Emma, you are working on typing up the ordinance so that way we can kind of look at you sent it out.

Oh, yes, I think.

I meant to send it like four weeks ago and I forgot and I went, oh, we have a meeting today.

I should send that.

No, honestly, thank you so much.

Um, because I do think please just look over it.

Um, I think next week we can kind of talk about where we want to start, because obviously we can't do all of it all at once.

Um, but if we can all come to a like we're gonna start in this section, because this is where the most glaring issues are, we can kind of do that.

And I would suggest come up like these are the top three issues that we see with the ordinance, and we'll kind of go from there.

And I'd say um you're free to leave comments, just don't like edit any of the lines.

Um, but I like just leaving comments on word docs.

That's how I remember.

So feel free to do that.

I guess one other just quick question that I had is that in our um CNY Arts had made a very gracious offer to help us evaluate or can reconsider the master plan and the ordinance, and I'm wondering if at some point we could invite them to or unrepresentative from St.

Wire's to attend one of our meetings so that we could have like a real-time conversation about best practices, verbiage, um, things of that nature.

So I don't know if it's if June is too soon for that.

Um, or if we want to think about sometime later in the summer now that, yeah, because I know everyone's kind of popping off and going crazy, but I definitely would love for them to be a part of that conversation for sure.

They should not be in a grant cycle this summer.

No, no, but we are in our busy season, and I think I think we can see where the yeah, see what we're doing.

We can we can see where the cycles sync up.

That's just the truth.

But yeah, I'd love for them to be a part of that because that's some guidance I could definitely use for sure.

That might be it.

Um can I hear a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Maggie and Lisa Seconds, all in favor.

Yay, adjourn.

I do apologize for the folks who are in the audience.

Uh if you have you can definitely, I will be available to talk if you need, um, but I do want to respect people's documents.

Oh.