Arts community works to preserve art in public places

Nonprofit arts organizations this year are fighting to preserve funding for government supported arts programs both at the Hawaii Legislature and at Honolulu City Hall.

The Honolulu City Council Budget Committee Chair Nestor Garcia on Feb. 19 moved to defer Bill 35 after receiving testimony from 59 opponents of the measure and hearing in person from Michael Pili Pang, Sharon McPhee and Roy Benham. The bill recommended a repeal of the one percent appropriation ordinance – better known as Art in City Buildings – which was enacted in 1967.

Since then the City has purchased more than $9 million worth of art and accumulated some 945 pieces. The original ordinance was intended to insure the City & County of Honolulu would promote and infuse art into any newly constructed public facilities, thereby giving all civic spaces a sense of place. This law, first established in Hawaii, was later adopted by other cities across the nation. Specifics in the law:

• One percent is allocated to purchase or commission art only at the time of “original construction of any city building.” The law does not apply to City buildings being refurbished or renovated.
• One percent funding applies only to buildings frequented by the public.
• Water tanks, refuse centers, transit tracts, base yards, maintenance facilities are examples of buildings not frequented by the public, therefore the one percent appropriations do not apply.
• The one percent funding is associated with building costs. Funds are usually provided through the City’s Capitol Improvement Budget.
• The City floats bonds to pay for construction projects and therefore funds are used only to purchase tangible pieces of artwork and cannot fund music concerts, festivals or other non-tangible art works.   

“Chair Garcia and the budget committee members expressed their appreciation of arts in public places as an integral part of our built environment,” said Marla Momi Musick, communications director for the Hawaii Arts Alliance. However, the committee members “ultimately seek to see prudent use of these funds, especially as implemented in any planning for Honolulu’s new transit system stations.”

In the Legislature House Bill 2317 and its companion Senate Bill 2143 would allow the Works of Art Special Fund to be used to pay the salary of the executive director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and other employees of SFCA for a five-year period.

In the House the bill has passed the committee on Tourism, Culture, and International Affairs, and has been referred to the Finance Committee, while in the Senate the Economic Development & Technology and Judiciary & Government Operations committees both passed the measure with amendments.

The SFCA has seen its staff reduced from about 30 to less than 20 during the last two years and bill supporters say those losses have threatened the ability of the agency to carry out programs and deliver services that are used and appreciated by thousands, including students, visitors and residents.

March 5 Art in Public Places community forum planned

A community forum on the Art in Public Places program will be held at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, March 5, in room 224 at the State Capitol in Honolulu, hosted by the commissioners of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts.

The forum will help answer questions from the arts community about APP history and current and future uses of this resource for all the arts in Hawaii. “This will be a special opportunity to learn more and to participate in the future of arts and culture in Hawaii,” said Marla Momi Musick, communications director for the Hawaii Arts Alliance. Click here to read the history of the Art in Public Places program on the HSFCA website.

Following the public forum, Senator Brian Taniguchi, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and Speaker of the House of Representatives Calvin Say have invited the public to view art in the Legislative Offices at the Hawaii State Capitol at an “Arts at the Capitol” open house on Friday, March 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. Several featured artists at the Capitol will be on hand to meet and greet visitors.

“As a gathering place for the people of Hawaii, the Capitol serves as one of the showcases for the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ “Art in Public Places Collection,” Musick said. “The Capitol provides a prominent and symbolic venue to display the state’s art collection increasing access to the arts, and supporting and promoting local artists.” If you have any questions, contact her at (808) 533-2787.