HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item - 2025-10-07 - Number 10.1 - Presentation - RtR and ACLO Project at LOPL 10. 1
Respond to Racism x ACLO public art
project at the Lake Oswego Public
Library
Respond to
Racism
ARTS
DIALOGUE • LEARNING •
City Council meeting October 7, 2025
RtR x ACLO x LOPL Jro'a ct
p
overall timeline
• 2020 — RtR leaders held meetings with City leaders about the vision for the public art project
• 2021 — LOPL was identified as the host site; early visioning and planning meetings were held
including RtR, ACLO, and Library and Engineering staff of the City
• 2022 — RtR applied for ARPA grant funds through the City for the public art project and received
Council approval
• 2023 — Planning meetings continued
• 2024 — RtR received a date extension for disbursement of grant funds, hired a project manager,
and prepared a Request for Proposals (RFP) for artist selection; however, for a variety of reasons
RtR was not able to actually place an artist under contract before the end of 2024
• January 2025 — Council reallocated the ARPA funds to another project and awarded a General
Fund grant to the RtR art project
• February-June 2025 — RtR worked closely with the City and ACLO to ensure the process was
consistent with the City's Public Art Guidelines
• July — September, 2025 — Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, proposals were received, and
the selection process was followed to narrow to one finalist
Project Overview: RFD Process & 'artners
Respond to Racism (RtR), in collaboration with the L ake Oswego Public Library (LOPL) and the Arts Council of
Lake Oswego (ACLO) , invites artists/artist teams living in Oregon to submit proposals (Request for Proposals AKA
RFP) for a site-specific public artwork installation at the exterior of the Lake Oswego Public Library to be unveiled
by summer 2026.
• Selection: One artist/ artist team will be selected to create the public art installations. Strong consideration is
given to proposals led by BIPOC artists.
® Theme: Historically relevant and accurate regarding the history of racism in Lake Oswego and the City's
aspiration to be free of racism, as well as embodying themes of hope and healing.
® Budget: $ 31,000 combined for the interpretive panel(s) and sidewalk stamps.
• Key Partners:
o RtR: Leading the project and ensuring alignment with community vision.
o ACLO: Providing insights and guidance on the art collection and inclusivity, and will lead project
management during install phase. Liaison between the City of Lake Oswego.
o LOPL: Site partner for art installations, community stakeholder, and site expertise.
o Emilly Prado: Project manager for development and launch phases of RFP
o Panelists (you!): Crucial role! Responsibility of reviewing, narrowing, and ultimately selecting the
artist/ artist team to execute this meaningful project.
Community - Centered Approach
Our panel is comprised of trusted stakeholders representing each
organization as well as community members with varied expertise and
hackgrounc+ in including local arts, activism , curation, arts education,
public art, local history, social justice, and/ or community engagement.
The community- centered approach is essential for the project's success
and relevance, actively engaging community members in the planning
and implementation phases, ensuring that the art reflects the diversity
and identity of the community, and builds stronger connections between
artists and local community.
Grounding in RtR's Mission and Vision
Respond To Racism (RtR) is a community -led effort created to disrupt Racism in Lake
ncwcrin Oregon and Clackamas County. We look to educate, communicate, and reiterate
discussions on how to respond to racism. Through our community education activities, social
media presence, and community - based events, Respond To Racism serves to give concerned
citizens an opportunity to grow and foster the rhetoric of how to advocate against racism in all its
forms.
our work is pillared on three legs:
• Learning — Ensuring a culture of awareness through diving into the history of racism and
how it continues to operate in the present.
® uiaiogue — Engaging in healthy conversation through the sharing of our individual stories
and learning how to bridge those disparities with neighbors .
® Action — Empowering the community through facilitating hands- on advocacy while directly
affecting policy and behavior change.
Project Goals and Values
The public arts installation project was proposed at the height of the COVID - 19 pandemic. The
Lake Oswego Public Library was selected an ideal partner for their shared values and as a high -
traffic destination for community members of all races, ages, and backgrounds.
Artwork Goals.
1. Facilitate a sense of introspection, knowledge, and hope.
2. Be engaging, informative, and inspiring to the public —especially youth and families.
3. ADA-accessible and enhance atmosphere by exhibiting a variety of sensory elements.
4. Grounded in knowledge about the local history, balancing information about the past,
present, and future of Lake uswego.
5. Artworks are encouraged to be designed in such a way that allows for easy relocation or
reproduction.
6. Should harmonize with the mission of RtR, the Library's values and architectural design,
and the City of Lake Oswego's Public Art Guidelines.
7. Strong consideration is given to proposals that are led by artists who are BIPOC.
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
May - August 2025 timeline
MAY 2025
• 5/ 23 MOU between City, RtR, and ACLO signed laying out roles and responsibilities of each entity
(ALL)
• 5/ 30 RFP finalized between RtR, ACLO, LO Library (ALL)
• 5/ 30 Call for applicants to Selection Committee Panelists finalized (ALL)
June 2025
• 6/ 2-6/ 20 Call for Panelists (ALL)
• 6/ 26/ 25, 4- 5pm Panelist orientation- 1 hr virtual meeting, approximately 30 min presentation on the
project goals and review process, plus up to 30 min Q&A (ALL)
July & August 2025
• 7/ 15- 8/ 31 RFP open to applicants
September - October 2025
RFP Panelist Process & Recommendations
(01 ) (02) ( 03) (.04 ) '05
9El 6
is
et is Co IF
All Applications Semi Finalists 3 Finalists 2 Recommended 1 Selected Artist or
Panelists scored Panelists attended Viability and eligibility Artist Team !
their 3 assigned a deliberation check completed by RtR Board make Notifications are
applications. Each of meeting facilitated Public Art Committee final ranked made to the top-
the 9 applications by Emilly to narrow (PAC) and Lake Oswego recommendation(s) ranked applicant!
was read and scored 6 semi -finalists to a Public Library to confirm to City Council for
by 3 different ranked 3 finalists. applicants meet criteria approval.
panelists. and can move forward
SEPT 1 -SEPT 7 SEP 1 1 SEP 15 SEP 23 ElOCT 22
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY REVIEW ACLO/PAC + LOPL OCT 8
REVIEW PANEL PANEL OCT 7 Council mtg
O 0
O 0
O 0000
O 0000
RtR x ACLO x LOPL
project
RFP scoring gguide
Artistic Expression Art as Social Engagement with Local Vision Alignment Accessible &
Justice History and Inclusive
Evaluates thequality, Communities Examines the
creativity, artistic Assesses the extent proposal's Assesses the project's
excellence, and to which the Evaluates how well and appropriateness for responsiveness to the
innovation of the work artwork, artist, and accurately the project the City's Public Art site with consideration
samples and proposed engages with Lake Oswe o's Collection and how
proposal engageOswego's accessibility of
installation(s). with themes related history' particularly its well the artist
diverse populations
Considers a wide demonstrates
to social, racial, context of racism, exclusion, includingpeople with
range of attributes and and social justice, and the understanding of the p p
aesthetics such as economic, disability, project vision of disabilities (mobility,
gender, and/or city's aspirations to be free artwork that: hearing, vision), youth,
and
of racism. Assesses the y '
sensorial impact, risk environmental representation and • Creates a sense of elders, local residents
taking, coherence, justice. Applicant amplification of historically introspection, in the neighborhood,
cultural integrity, and addresses the role marginalized communities. knowledge, healing, and more.
meaning.Only original of art in social Proposal demonstrates and hope
works of art will be change. meaningful collaboration, • Engages, educates
considered. and/or partnerships with and inspires
local communities of color. residents of all ages
and backgrounds
• Reflects
community value
Info noted in orange directly references 5.1 .2 of the Public Art Guidelines Art Selection Criteria
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
RFP scoring gguide
, .
Feasibility & Longevity Maintenance & Provisions _______
IIIIII
Evaluates the proposal's Work must have clear title,thoroughness, including a no restriction, and the wrealistic budget, timeline, ability to be safely and - � � _
appropriateness for the site securely displayed. ��,
and resource management. Provisions for maintenance �. %` — ' !i ti
44.
Considers the artist's ability must be included including t]
to execute the project and materials, maintenance •
- t
integrate adaptability with instructions, and provisions ", _
future site developments in for future needs. K t�R = — ---
r
allak
mind and its ability to be ""
moved and maintained. ,
, ,
Artwork is structurally sound
and can be adequately and ,
safely displayed, maintained,
and secured
Info noted in orang( directly references 5.1 .2 of the Public Art Guidelines Art Selection Criteria
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
Finalist recommendation
Sahara Aylanna Defrees (she/they)
-*71'w7Irt. ji
�� a 41p
Studio Eden
46
116 ,4% Project name :
� ,, ,; Echoes of Belonging
- ' l
Artist finalist•
: pw.�,l+, �. .K 1 l'_' :1.1
y`4
I 1 1 1 i
Sahara Aylanna Defrees -- __ _ -- - -
` ' //.i�
/ .. p ,6'1yr � ,lw,Y I SY 444.w� ... rwa.w !r .N�.1' .aWuN . . - _ _.
,fir 3.U...'.F.
Oil.`• E,,..E o1CI o j�h-F
+ Sundown Redlines and Covenants Tumwata Communities in Color
to pertenece
._- , :'it" .
\ ,�� This panel depicts a sunset over The Red Lines layers grids and Tumwata honors Willamette Falls Peoples of Colors forms a moss
7 i' You ' -I ong Lake Oswego with Black folks re- boundaries to reference restrictive as a cultural hub where tribes of diverse faces,representing it
'^ �-,-. • _-1 faxing admiring the sunset.Sun- covenants and redlining that once gathered for fishing and migrant,diasporic,and Black
„ down shows a fading sunset into shaped housing and wealth.The trade.Indigenous peoples communities who enriched Lal
-,, a�� \ ni a starry night,symbolizing Lake white hand in this picture holds stewardship was disrupted by Oswego.Each square of the fac
\ �/ �Fs ���t}� ���, — — 'I — Oswego's history as a sundown the key,and a pair of brown hands settler violence,yet whose will depict a different race and
1— r,_f \ ® M I it, g town will be holding a home represent- presence continues today.But background color as well as the
:74
Rle _ i�/ — excluding Black ing the City's effort to amend racist indigenous communities are words"You Belong"translated
�1 Arai' ® \tt , `� I� ��� c ve residents after dark. covenants. currently reimagining new life for into many languages.
'�— W this space.
Wq
ew: ni ma i
n pHHagn '_
_ •_Lir_
-�� . S ..
Inside of each of the blue R
rings will be floral
_.,_.., symbols and doodles that `...
are revealed when it
rains,emphasizing and -,
There willbea -
- quote etched here
- _ decoration around each 11111P
:. quuote. Look at first ring _
on the left for example.
r •
• Example of contrast between wet and drink side
_'" walk.This contrast would make the design when
., , .�,.,, , „ ,, drawn with a hydrophobic seal.
1
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
Next steps & moving forward
ACLO will lead the next part of this process with the artist and LOPL
to bring the proposal to fruition.
• Once the artist is notified of selection ( 10/8), RtR & ACLO have a
scheduled contract meeting with the City Attorney on 10/10
• Aim for contract to be executed by 10/31
• Meet with artist to discuss the project specifics including :
o site plan, parameters, placement
o materials,
o timeline,
o ADA considerations,
o Community engagement plan and timeline
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
Library Site
a Google
Considerations Images may be subject to copyright
ar . a •yM1•A .{;s i.• `f'•i ;4"i •I Jk _ ice
• Placement _ _ _ ;1 •.� _ pf. rY - ;
�- • 'i: �: Jam• 4.
• Landscaping - - -.: ,_ ��-'• �, �; �r' .� =
p 9 ;ram • � • 1.
• Elements = .-s• ; x . :-. • .t. -•.a f; _. �}; - ` "`-- ..c
Aitt
already in - -_ - — _ � �
lace - a -. , ' -� � •�' � .__ _ _ �'.
•
• ADA ' _ .
• ROW/sightlines - s _ . - 4 T ""'"
• Footings
'�,--- ''�� • '
. . : .
,f.
t
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
Community Engagement
Considerations - � , . r r
• Co-created • ' • ` ,-� f
ig
4 ,
• Dialogue I 6 w to •
• Paint by •
number events /
• Learning ,ti,
f� kit,
44
• Joy `
1 I _ Y� i�j k 1
RtR x ACLO x LOPL project
Mission alignment
Considerations
• Co-created with "Together, we inspire
• s mmun p ed y disco very and cultivate
dialogue
• Rooted in learning wellbeing by welcoming all
• Multiple languages o read,• Multiple entry peoplet learn, and
points of discovery: ff
physical site, water connect,
activated, written &
audio info
Questions?
Thank
Respond to
— Racism =
ARTS _
DIALOGUE • LEARNING • ih•, . ,.,it..
City Council meeting October 7, 2025