ITEM No. 1 – RECOMMENDATION – COMMITTEE MEMBER APPOINTMENT


Richard Rudnicki stated that Mackenzie Spence has offered to represent All Staff Council on the Public Art and Artifacts Committee.

Melissa Ragain motioned to appoint Mackenzie Spence to the Committee. Caleb Fey seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously


ITEM No. 2 – INFORMATIONAL – WELLNESS CENTER INTERIOR MURAL


Robert Stockdale presented the Committee with images of the original concept proposal and the completed mural in the Wellness Center.

Richard Rudnicki noted that the composition of the finished mural faces to the right, which differs from the leftward orientation of the original proposal. Richard explained that the hallway where the piece is located has a sloped ceiling and that Stella Null, the artist, thought that the mural’s bison figure would fit the wall better if it faced to the right rather than to the left.


ITEM No. 2 – INFORMATIONAL – WELLNESS CENTER EXTERIOR MURAL


Robert Stockdale provided an update on the mural that will be featured on an exterior wall at the southeast corner of the Student Wellness Center. Robert showed artist Kelsey Dzintar’s original proposal, her revised sketch, and the final concept art for the mural. Robert mentioned that work on the mural will begin in late June or early July and that it is expected to be completed by the end of July.

Richard Rudnicki commented that a different artist was chosen for this project, but that artist took a teaching position while the Wellness Center was under construction which prevented him from being able to paint the mural this summer. Richard also explained that the selection committee had asked that the current piece incorporate more MSU-centric details and feature more group-oriented activities. The artist responded to these requests in her updated sketch and final proposal.

Kris Johnson asked whether the individuals depicted in the mural would represent diverse identities. Richard replied that the final concept art illustrates diversity within the design through figure shape and the color palette of the piece.


ITEM No.3 – Open Discussion


Melissa Ragain asked whether there were any upcoming art selections or other items expected for discussion in the future. Richard Rudnicki answered that the Committee had previously discussed the development of a vision statement that would provide guidance for the campus art collection. Richard noted that Robert Stockdale had compiled a document to help with the development of such a vision, although that draft still needs to be reviewed. Richard also mentioned that there would be pieces in Gianforte Hall that will need to be addressed at a later date when that project is further along.

Melissa Ragain stated that she thought the scoring rubric used for the mural selection process was not very useful in terms of judging the aesthetic quality of a piece. Melissa proposed that the Committee reconsider how it reviews and scores proposals as well as how it advertises RFPs to reach a broader range of artists, noting that the RFPs are difficult to find if one is not familiar with the institutional process. Richard Rudnicki replied that the scoring sheet was developed based on criteria pulled from an earlier RFP and from the Committee’s guidelines. While the RFPs have been refined over time, that scoring sheet has not been revised. Richard expressed his thought that the development of a committee vision statement could be helpful in dictating the revision of the scoring sheet. Melissa offered that public art organizations such as the Public Art Fund and Creative Time could provide guidance for developing more helpful score sheets and for reaching a more diverse pool of artists. Keely Holmes agreed that the current scoring card criteria are unhelpful for evaluating proposals. Keely proposed that the committee members be involved in the revision of the scoring sheet questions.

Robert Stockdale raised the fact that the Committee has a vacancy for its community-at-large representative seat. Robert asked that the committee members suggest or reach out to individuals that they think would be well suited for the role.