Prairie grass sculpture is Public Art Board's first major project

By Tom Blakey

The Public Art Board's first major project -- a 29-foot-high sculpture made of steel and glass representing hardy prairie grass -- will be installed in the center of the East Main Roundabout at the intersection of East Main Street, Carter Avenue and Acres Street.

"This is the Public Art Board's first major project," PAB chairman Larry Walker told the Norman City Council at the council's discussion Tuesday evening.

The Public Art Board and Norman Arts Council last month selected Juan and Patricia Navarrete's sculpture, "Indian Grass," as the winning sculpture out of 62 proposals submitted for review by a PAB Selection Advisory Panel of 12 people, Walker said.

The sculpture, made of corten steel, stainless steel and dichroic glass, will stand 29 feet tall.

Corten steel is a special steel used in architecture, and is designed to weather or age to give a coppery color.

Dichroic glass contains multiple micro-layers of metal oxides. The main characteristic of dichroic glass is that it transmits different colors as certain wavelengths of light pass through or are reflected, causing an array of color to be displayed. The colors shift depending on the angle of view.

Walker said the sculpture would require little or no maintenance.

The sculpture's cost is $60,000, and will be funded by PAB through funds raised by donations on utility bills, private fundraising and the Art in Public Places Fund.

The sculpture must be completed and installed no later than Jan. 15, according to the agreement. The Norman Arts Council will purchase the work and transfer ownership to the City of Norman, Walker said.

The City of Norman will determine the final arrangement and placement of the work and will pay for the site preparation, including base and landscaping. The cost of the base is estimated at $5,000 and landscaping at $20,000, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jud Foster.

The council, at its Aug. 28, 2007, meeting, adopted an ordinance establishing the Public Arts Board and the Art in Public Places Fund. One of the duties of the Public Arts Board was to develop a master plan for the placement of public art.

Artists Juan and Patricia Navarrete are a husband and wife team from Taos, N.M.

The Public Arts Board is continuing to solicit donations for the sculpture through tax-deductible gifts to the Norman Arts Council's Art in Public Places Fund.

For additional information, contact the Norman Arts Council, 210 E. Main St., Norman, OK 73069 or call 360-1162.

The council's regular session began at 6:30 p.m. and lasted about 30 minutes, as every item was on the consent agenda and approved unanimously in one vote.

Mayor Cindy Rosenthal and Councilmembers Dan Quinn and Hal Ezzell were absent from the meeting.

The only item discussed at the meeting was consideration of approval for the City of Norman to act as lead agency for the Cleveland County Continuum of Care Committee for the purpose of submitting a $498,248 grant application for the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing program to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Revitalization Manager Linda Price said the grant would be similar to an Emergency Shelter Grant and would be a three-year program.

Price said if a family should receive an eviction notice and stand in danger of becoming homeless, that family would be provided rent by agencies being funded by the grant.

"If the family were evicted, the grant would pay their first month's rent and bills," Price said.

Norman resident Sylvia Martin said the grant is part of the federal stimulus money bill and the item "should be important to every taxpayer."

Martin said people would be "spending today and paying tomorrow" if the grant application were approved, and criticized elected officials for their "quick decisions" on close deadlines in regards to the stimulus money.

Price said there were "no additional strings attached" to the grant.

"There are over 600 homeless people in Norman. Over 200 of them are children and one-third are 18 years old or under," Price said.

Norman Police Officer Jennifer Newell made the only other presentation at Tuesday's meeting, announcing the 26th annual National Night Out, scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Newell said National Night Out presented a "unique opportunity" for Norman residents to get out and meet neighbors, neighborhood police officers and city council members.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to get to know these people," Newell said.

In the miscellaneous discussion period, Councilwoman Carol Dillingham said it's "not too late (for neighborhood associations) to sign up for National Night Out."

"It's a chance to interact with public safety officials," said Dillingham, adding that she plans to try to attend every neighborhood get-together Aug. 4.

Other items approved on the consent docket included:

· The mayor's appointment of Curtis McCarty to the Planning Commission;

· A bid for the Little River Interceptor, Phase III, and Northwest Interceptor Projects;

· A final plat for Monterey I Addition and acceptance of public dedications;

·A final site development plan and final plat for NRH Medical Park West Addition, a planned unit development;

· Four, separate final site development plans and final plats for NRH Medical Park West Additions, a planned unit development, a replat of part of NRH Medical Park West Addition, a planned unit development and acceptance of public dedications;

· Acceptance of a $114,000 public fleet conversion grant from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, to be used for compressed natural gas conversion of two refuse trucks;

· A $169,783 contract between the city and Apposite Engineering LLC to provide professional engineering services for the design of widening improvements for Porter Avenue between Woodcrest Drive and approximately 1,000 feet north of Tecumseh Road and budget transfer;

· A lease agreement between Norman and the National Insurance Crime Bureau for a "bait" vehicle to be used by the police department to capture car thieves;

· A contract between Norman and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for a stimulus project for the resurfacing of portions of Eufaula Street, Flood Avenue, Jenkins Avenue, West Lindsey Street, Porter Avenue and University Boulevard.

Tom Blakey

366-3540

tblakey@normantranscript.com