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City develops Public Art Master Plan
Dan Eakin/Staff Photo - McKinney Arts Commission chair Linda Spina, right, and vice chair Hamilton Doak look at 'The Nurturing Dancers,' a sculpture by Denton artist Jerry Daniel. The sculpture was recently placed in the lobby of the new Baylor Medical Center at McKinney that opens in July.
By Dan Eakin, deakin@starlocalnews.com
Lovers of fine art will soon learn that McKinney is the place to be, if plans work out as expected for the McKinney Arts Commission (MAC) and other groups in the city.
Neighboring cities got the jump on McKinney when it comes to having statues, sculptures, paintings, water features and other public art. But McKinney is quickly catching up.
McKinney Arts Commission chair Linda Spina and vice chair Hamilton Doak both believe the city will soon be topped in the area only by Dallas when it comes to public art.
The McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) is rapidly beginning to look like an art museum. Several pieces were recently added to its décor following the first annual Juried Arts Show.
Other artwork is at the Roy and Helen Hall Memorial Library, Craig Ranch, Adriatica and at Dowell Middle School.
When Baylor Medical Center at McKinney opens in July, visitors will see a wide variety of public art displayed inside the building. Eight-hundred works of art will be throughout the new building, including 100 commissioned works.
As visitors walk into the hospital lobby, they will first encounter "The Nurturing Dancers," created by Denton artist Jerry Daniel. The dancers, made of steel, are to represent the nurturing or healing that at the hospital will offer. One dancer is more than 14 feet tall and the other more than 9 feet tall.
Doak said the hospital is certainly helping McKinney achieve its goal to be a favorite destination for public art enthusiasts.
Spina and Doak are heading the drive to get more developers to include public art in their plans. The city is willing to do its part, and has, by funding art such as "The Basics" and the sculpture of a man reading to a boy in front of McKinney Memorial Library.
Until about six months ago, the city did not have a policy or a master plan for public art. The McKinney Arts Commission, at the request of the McKinney City Council, researched public arts programs, spoke with neighboring cities about public art and drafted the McKinney Art Program. The city council approved the program last December.
A Public Art Master Plan has been funded by the McKinney Community Development Corporation to identify high-priority sites for public artwork that could be commissioned over the next few years. The planning process is being guided by a 13-member advisory committee with representatives from MAC, City Planning, Parks and Recreation, Historic Preservation and Facilities Construction, Main Street, and a private developer.
Those serving on the advisory committee include: Aretha Harvey, assistant to the city manager; Ross Altobelli, city senior planner; Jenny Baker, city senior park planner; Patricia Jackson, city facilities construction manager; Guy Giersch, city historic preservation officer; Karen Klaussen of Main Street; Cindy Evans, McKinney resident; Dori Mommers of RTKL (the architects and designers for Baylor Medical Center of McKinney); and Linda Spina, Sherry Tucker David and Matt Bado of the MAC. More members are expected to join.
Via Partnership, a consulting company from St. Louis that has worked extensively developing public art master plans with other communities in North Texas, will develop the plan.
"Public art can take many forms including statues, sculptures, paintings, water features, mosaic walkways, stained glass windows, park benches, or bridge railings. It can enhance the beauty of a city by providing a well-considered, thoughtful, artistic element to a public space," Spina said. "We have a rich history in our city, and we want to make sure that the public art collection feels like it is authentic to McKinney."
Doak added, "Public art is placed in areas such as parks, recreational fields, libraries or other public spaces that are easily accessible. Not everyone can get to an art museum, so it's like bringing pieces of art to where people really live, work and visit. McKinney's reputation as an art destination just north of Dallas is growing, and adding public art pieces will be another element for citizens and visitors to enjoy."
Established in 2005, the MAC is made up of seven members, appointed by the city council, who serve two-year terms. In addition to Spina and Doak, other members are Bado, David, Janet Farr, Beth McGuire and Tameika Miller. Harvey and Mona Robinson support the commission's work.
The public will be invited to help imagine public art possibilities in McKinney through an interactive "Imagine Art Here!" workshop, scheduled for this summer. Spina said the planning team will also be reaching out to McKinney's arts and creative community through interviews and roundtable discussions.
Its goal is to learn more about the work that artists, galleries, cultural organizations and designers are creating, and how that might relate to new public art commissions.
McKinney's Public Art Master Plan is expected to be completed this fall.
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