City of Richmond
Intracity Correspondence
O&R Transmittal
DATE: January 2, 2024
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Levar M. Stoney, Mayor
THROUGH: J.E. Lincoln Saunders, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Kevin J. Vonck, Director, Department of Planning and Development Review
RE: City of Richmond Public Art Commission Review and Acceptance Policy of Gifts of Art to accept a gift of art to the City of Richmond from The Valentine Museum.
ORD. OR RES. No. PAC2023 - 059
PURPOSE: City of Richmond Public Art Commission Review and Acceptance Policy of Gifts of Art to accept a gift of art to the City of Richmond from The Valentine Museum.
BACKGROUND: The proposed gift of art was created in celebration of The Valentine's 100th anniversary in 2024. The Gift includes a two-piece, interactive sculpture designed by Mickael Broth for installation in front of The Valentine and funded through the Common Wealth Public Art Fund.
The work is composed of two human-scale abstract shapes, each with a hole through its center and each faced with a mirrored surface. The pieces are interactive, drawing passers-by into the works themselves with the reflective surfaces and strategically situated holes that allow audiences of different heights and abilities to connect with the work in amusing and thought-provoking ways. Beyond serving as a playful installation, the work asks us to question what we include in our storytelling, what we leave out and what that says about ourselves, our surroundings and our history. An apt installation in front of a history museum.
The work consists of powder-coated, welded aluminum used to fabricate the main structures. Mirror-finished stainless-steel plates will be affixed to the aluminum surfaces to create a reflective surface which will include an anti-graffiti coating. Each piece of the sculpture will be raised off the sidewalk with a low-rise pedestal and their positioning will be established in conjunction...
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