As part of the two percent of General Obligation bonds dedicated to Public Art and with the direction of the 2016 Allen Public Art Master Plan, the Public Art Committee elected to pursue a public art installation in the lobby of the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium.   

The Public Art Committee appointed an Artist Selection Panel January 21, 2020, to review artist submissions and to conduct interviews of artists for the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium Public Art Project. The Selection Panel reviewed all the submissions on February 25, 2020, and narrowed the candidate pool to six semi-finalists which were invited to participate in initial interviews via video conference on October 8, 2020.

After the initial interviews three finalists, Adam Frank, Erik Carlson and Mitchell Chan, were invited to virtually tour the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium and receive input regarding the community as well as the project, via video conference. Each artist then presented their concept(s) to the Selection Panel on March 11, 2021.  After discussion and assessment of all three concepts, Erik Carlson (Area C) was selected by the Selection Panel for recommendation to the Public Art Committee. The Public Art Committee reviewed the recommendation of the Selection Panel and the artists' concept designs on March 16, 2021, and voted, without opposition, to recommend Erik Carlson (Area C) to the Allen City Council as the artist selection for the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium Public Art Project.

At the City Council Workshop on April 13, 2021, staff presented the Public Art Committee's recommendation of Erik Carlson, dba Area C Projects concept designs.  The piece titled, ALL IN, visualizes water-forms and structurally the installation will be built on an 18' x 15' wall-mounted base, with a grid of roughly one thousand rods, each set atop an LED node.  Installation is expected late 2021.

Funding for this project is derived from General Obligation Bonds dedicated to Public Art.

Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract with Erik Carlson, dba Area C Projects for the Design, Fabrication, and Installation of Artwork at the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium in the Amount of $200,000.

I make a motion to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Erik Carlson, dba Area C Projects for the design, fabrication, and installation of artwork at the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium in the amount of $200,000.