By Khalida Sarwari
The public spaces of Saratoga may soon be filled with art–that is, if the Montalvo Arts Center has its way. First, though, city officials want to know what residents think.
That decision was made at a Saratoga City Council meeting on Oct. 21 when city manager James Lindsay informed the members that Montalvo had expressed interest in partnering with the city to bring some of their artwork into the public sphere. The city’s role would be to provide the space for the art to be displayed on a temporary basis. They’ve identified Blaney Plaza and the southwest corner of Saratoga-Sunnyvale and Prospect roads as potential locations.
The artwork would be coming out of Montalvo’s Art on the Grounds program, where students produce everything from sculptural objects to time-based performance events and experiences, durational projects developing out of community engagement activities and workshops, sound works and interventions.
One such example is the “Edible Dress Tent,” a piece by Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao that soon will be removed from Montalvo. Montalvo was hoping it would be the first piece they could have displayed in Blaney Plaza, specifically in the spot where the Italian stone pine used to stand.
While generally supportive of the idea, the council had concerns about the selection process for the artwork as well as the proposed locations for their display.
Councilwoman Emily Lo argued that the location of the art carries more importance than the content, but that ultimately each piece should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Councilman Rishi Kumar was interested in soliciting input from residents, a sentiment that was echoed by his colleagues who called for the implementation of a public engagement process.
“I think it would behoove us to maybe utilize these platforms that have come before us and engage the citizenry; get some input from them so we can understand the limits of what the community would prefer, not specific to each piece but in general,” said Vice Mayor Manny Cappello.
There was also talk about how much envelope-pushing would be acceptable for a culturally diverse community like Saratoga relative to the nature of the artwork. Kumar opined that potential controversy associated with the art may detract the city from other issues, while Mayor Howard Miller argued that “art is supposed to be controversial.” The cultural diversity, Cappello noted, “can be a plus, but we need to understand it enough to make sure we’re being responsible.”
Ultimately, the council decided to at least pursue a conversation with Montalvo and discuss the parameters and terms of potential sites. They also agreed to create an hoc committee to study the issue, assigning Lo and Councilwoman Mary-Lynne Bernald to the committee.
Currently, Saratoga doesn’t have an updated process to review the display of art in public settings. The city used to have an arts commission, but that program was suspended in 2005 due to financial constraints.
It was noted during the meeting that other neighboring cities, such as Cupertino, use public parks to display art.
Link: Montalvo is reaching out to the city to display some of its artwork
