City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 8, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JACK BROWAND, INTERIM DIRECTOR, RECREATION, PARKS & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Grant Application to Bloomberg Philanthropies - Asphalt Art Grant Program for the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities’ Office of the Arts.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of Grant Application to Bloomberg Philanthropies - Asphalt Art Grant Program for the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities’ Office of the Arts.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1) Authorize the submission of an application in the amount of $100,000 to the Bloomberg Philanthropies - Asphalt Art Grant Program. The grant application deadline is January 31, 2025; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: Bloomberg Philanthropies - Asphalt Art Grant Program supports arts-driven street redesigns with outsized impacts. The current round of the Asphalt Art Initiative grant application is open to cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States with populations of 50,000 or more. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025. The program will award 10 cities grants of up to $100,000 each, as well as providing on-call technical assistance from a tactical urbanism firm and impact evaluation support. Winning cities are expected to be announced in spring 2025 for projects installed in 2025-2026.
The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities with the primary goals of improving street and pedestrian safety; revitalizing and activating underutilized public space; and promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities. This round of grant applications is catered to supporting large-scale projects, and for this reason the grant award has been increased from $25,000, available in previous years, to $100,000.
DISCUSSION: Recent changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) explicitly allows asphalt art projects on roadways in the United States. In 2024, the Office of the Arts worked closely with the Complete Streets team in the City’s Transportation and Environmental Services Department (T&ES) to undertake an asphalt art project to support the City’s Vision Zero Initiative and use public art as a method of supporting traffic calming to reduce risk to pedestrians and other motorists. The pilot project, located in Warwick Village, was identified based on a traffic calming project that was already underway and the community’s request of incorporating art into the project. In accordance with the City’s Public Art Implementation Plan and Policy to ensure community engagement, artist selection, and design approval, the pilot project was completed in October 2024.
Working closely with T&ES, and applying lessons learned from the pilot project, the Office of the Arts will apply for a grant up to the maximum award of $100,000 to support an asphalt art project located in the West End of Alexandria along the Sanger Avenue corridor. Artwork will be limited to curb extensions and will not be in the primary travel lanes of the roadway.
If selected, projects must be designed to last a minimum of two years after being installed, with plans for maintenance of the artwork itself as well as any additional materials (planters, protective bollards, seating, etc.). After at least two years required by the grant, all proposals must include a description of plans to further maintain, remove, or replace the project.
At their meeting on October 15, 2024, the Commission for the Arts met and recommended that the City Council allow the Office of the Arts to prepare and submit an Asphalt Art Initiative grant application to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their 2025 grant program.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no cash match requirement for this grant. The Office of the Arts will be responsible for normal administrative costs associated with this grant which include project management, financial and reporting oversight, and communications.
ATTACHMENTS: None
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Meika Daus, Senior Public Art Manager, RPCA/Office of the Arts
Cheryl Anne Colton, Regional Program Director, RPCA/Office of the Arts