Naperville debating how to support public art

There isn't yet agreement on the best way to create a public art program administered by the city of Naperville.

About half the city council – four council members and Mayor Steve Chirico – voted this week to seek proposals from consultants who could identify best practices for running a municipal public art program.

But the other four council members said they oppose the idea of spending on a consultant and would like to see a task force of Naperville residents and artists take its own steps toward establishing a public art program.

The question of how to organize ideas and funding for public art -- as well as how to maintain works already in place – has been under consideration since early this year.

That's when Brand Bobosky, chairman of Century Walk Corp., a nonprofit that has placed public art in 50 locations in Naperville since 1996, asked if there could be a better way of funding art than to require applications go through the same process festivals follow to get money from the Special Events and Cultural Amenities fund.

Council members agreed that questions surrounding planning, funding and maintenance are good ones to answer.

“It's long past time that we better clarify the long-term plan for all of the very important art that we've seen come to our community through Century Walk and how it's going to be maintained, hopefully in perpetuity,” council member Kevin Coyne said.

Coyne, along with council members Patty Gustin, Paul Hinterlong and John Krummen, said local artists and residents would be best prepared to answer these questions.

But council members Theresa Sullivan, Judith Brodhead, Patrick Kelly, Benny White and Chirico, took a different stance. They said the council should allow city staff members to request proposals from consultants who could “assist with not only developing a long-term strategic plan, but also guiding the city on best practices to establish a group to coordinate public art initiatives in Naperville,” Pam Gallahue, director of the city clerk's office, said in a memo.

Sullivan said a consultant could give guidance on how to solicit new art, choose artists and ensure the art is high-quality and in line with Naperville's brand, then address post-creation issues such as liability, ownership and maintenance.

Brodhead said a consultant would give a “more objective” viewpoint than the city has received in the past. Both Brodhead and Sullivan said it's important to involve not only Century Walk, but also other people and organizations in creating art.

Century Walk's Bobosky said he does not support involving an outside consultant in decisions about how to support public art in Naperville. He said the existing system only needs to be tweaked to fix elements of the funding process that make it difficult for art works to compete with events or other projects for Special Events and Cultural Amenities money.

Following the council's 5-4 vote, city staff members will request proposals from consultants, then bring the proposals back for city council review.