Jackie Brookner's Touching The Earth, Touching The River at Roosevelt Community Center is a site-integrated artwork which serves as a functional filtration system, helping to diminish the center's environmental impact on nearby Coyote Creek. Ms Brookner worked closely with the City's Environmental Services Division to design two art elements that capture rainwater run-off from the Center's roof and filter environmental pollutants before the water seeps into the nearby creek. A stone-filled translucent yellow glass work at the Santa Clara Street entrance captures and filters storm water. At the facility's parking lot entrance, a steel cascade sculpture (pictured, with recent rainwater.) transports roof rainwater to a rock bed filter and pool that helps filter the rainwater before it flows to the nearby bio-swale. Brookner's goal was in part to help promote greater awareness about protecting the natural environment.  (This project was covered in detail in the December issue - see archive link below for more information).
 
In Lineage, Tom Drugan's and Laura Haddad's artwork completed in November 2007 at Fire Station 35, water animates the interplay between two elements: Tule Reed Drain captures and channels water down a rainchain into runnel on top of the Strata Wall; the water flows down the mirrored-finish runnel onto a splash stone and into the landscape. The Tule Reed Drain design alludes to indigenous plants used extensively by the Ohlone. The Strata Wall mirrors elements of the area's natural and cultural histories in layers, suggestive of a geologic excavation: on one side the layers evoke the area's past, present and future while the side facing the fire station contains fire fighting

Next Meeting:  February 17, 2009 - 5:30 PM. 

The Public Art Committee 's regular monthly meeting is Tuesday, February 17 at 5:30 PM. The Public Art Committee meeting is in City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street. PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR THIS MONTH ONLY, THE MEETING HAS BEEN MOVED TO T-1254 IN THE TOWER BUILDING. The meeting is open to the public.

The following action items are on the meeting agenda:

Norman Mineta San José International Airport 

Concept Designs of Ben Hooker/Shona Kitchen, infranatural/Stephen Glassman and Gregory Kucera for the Art & Technology the Art + Technology Norman Y. Mineta José2008- 2010 Program. (Citywide).  


Schematic Designs of Janet Zweig, Gorbet+Banerjee with Maggie Orth, Gorbet+Banerjee, and Gorbet+Banerjee with Adam Frank for the Art + Technology Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport 2008- 2010 Program. (Citywide).

Calabazas Branch Library:

Review and take action on a recommendation to approve the Design Development proposal for a public art project for the Calabazas Branch Library, and recommend an agreement with Living Lenses to fabricate and install an artwork in an amount not to exceed $65,000. (Council District 1)  

The Public Art Committee, a sub-committee of the Arts Commission, is advisory to the Commission and to San José City Council. The Public Art Committee monitors and provides oversight in the artist selection, development and design review of public art projects throughout the City. 

TWO FUN WAYS TO EXPLORE PUBLIC ART IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE