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Photograph by Jacquelyn Ramseyer
A steel sculpture, 'Untitled,' by Johanna Jordan sits out in the parking lot in front of General Magic in Sunnyvale.
High Art
Sunnyvale program brings art to public and private grounds
By Jana Seshadri
Sunnyvale, with a reputation as a technology town, has another distinction it can be proud of--artwork in public and private developments.
"It's fairly unique--the art brings culture into Sunnyvale," said Dane Andrew Beezley, chairman of the Sunnyvale Arts Commission.
The Sunnyvale Arts Commission and the City Council developed a 10-year master plan for public art in 1983 by passing an ordinance to acquire art for permanent display in parks and city buildings. The "out to lunch" bronze statue, by J. Seward Johnson, of a boy reading a book while eating his lunch, is instantly recognizable outside the Sunnyvale Public Library.
The citywide collection of artwork varies widely in style, medium and imagery. Officials hope these works will help to humanize the buildings and the environment and make these areas more inviting to people.
City officials have taken this idea further, extending it to private developments. By passing the Art in Private Development Ordinance in 1990, the city hoped to enhance the quality of life for residential and business communities, according to Kristin Dance, visual arts coordinator for Sunnyvale. The ordinance requires every nonresidential or commercial property larger than two acres and highly visible developments in Sunnyvale to include artwork for public display, she said.
Sunnyvale has experienced an explosion of development and growth. According to Dance, in 1998 there were only two or three building projects in the city, whereas 1999 saw more than 10 times as many--23 developments citywide. And that number continues to increase. Further development could certainly lead to open spaces and park environments being taken over by high-density buildings.
Since funding for art is practically nonexistent, Beezley said, the city is able to achieve two objectives--continuing with the growth and development in the city and, at the same time, encouraging the developers to give back to the community in the form of artwork.
Consequently, the completed development project has more to offer to its residents, Dance said.
"It looks nicer with art in it and maintains the history and heritage of the area to a certain extent," she said.
The Cherry Orchard Specialty Retail Center at the intersection of El Camino Real and Mathilda Avenue was built over the Olson cherry orchard. The Irvine Company from southern California developed the project and was required to include publicly accessible art. Keith Eyrich, president of the Irvine Company Retail Properties, said the concept of incorporating artwork into his development project was not new to him.
"We are very accustomed to including art into a lot of our projects," Eyrich said. Some of his projects, including shopping centers and office buildings, have included murals, fountains, decorative medallions and sculptures, he said.
Sometimes developers are not very receptive to the idea of including art in their projects, Dance said, because of the cost involved.
"The two obelisks and the additional tiles came in just under $100,000 for us," Eyrich said.
Another reason for their hesitation could be the ambiguity of dealing with something totally new to them, like commissioning artwork, Dance said.
"My job is to guide them through the whole process," Dance said. "I act as liaison between the city and the developer."
Dance said she has been able to eliminate the intimidation from the process by helping steer developers in the right direction.
"The developer is free to choose the artist," Dance said, adding that the style, medium and imagery would also be the developer's choice. However, the Arts Commission, working closely with the Planning Department, reviews the artwork plan for appropriateness of scale and location before it gives approval for commission. The City Council's approval is needed only in the case of a special development permit.
Several guidelines need to be satisfied before the artwork is commissioned and installed in a private development. According to the city's guidelines, the artwork should be easily visible to the public, placed in a prominent and well-lit area and proportional in size to the development's scale. The work should enhance the area aesthetically, be designed by an experienced artist, be in good taste, and be made of materials that can withstand the elements and require little maintenance.
"Most developers have been very good," Beezley said. "They're choosing something that pleases them, and it benefits the employees as well."
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
