Title
Resolution approving a Public Art Agreement with J Muzacz in the amount of $168,000 to design, fabricate, and install three mosaic art components for the New Park at Linden Avenue and Pine Avenue.
body
WHEREAS, the City of South San Francisco (“City”) staff identified three priority public art elements to be included in the design for the New Park at Linden Avenue and Pine Avenue, informed through a series of community visioning workshops; and
WHEREAS, community input gathered through these workshops identified that the three priority public art elements should be interactive art, murals, and entry/identity art, which were incorporated into the final park design as three integrated mosaic components consisting of (1) mosaic columns at the plaza, (2) pavement mosaic inlays, and (3) a mosaic-clad playground sculpture; and
WHEREAS, the City issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) in June 2025 through both an invitational call to artists on the City’s Public Artist inventory and a publicly posted opportunity on CAFE (CallForEntry.org), resulting in 34 submissions from local, regional, and national artists; and
WHEREAS, the Public Art Subcommittee of the Cultural Arts Commission evaluated submissions using established criteria including artistic excellence and originality, relevant experience, technical capability, professionalism and collaboration, and local/regional connection; and
WHEREAS, based on these criteria, the top five finalists were invited to participate in detailed briefing with City staff, design architects, and project management team, after which four finalists submitted full concept proposals and received a stipend of $1,000 for their work; and
WHEREAS, each finalist developed a comprehensive artistic approach addressing all three mosaic opportunities and subsequently presented their concepts to the Public Art Subcommittee, and the community through an in-person pop-up event and online survey; and
WHEREAS, the Public Art Subcommittee reviewed their own completed weighted ranking poll with the results of a broad community engagement effort resulting in over 130 responses to an online poll, both of which identified J Muzacz as the highest scoring finalist for his proposed concept of the three mosaics clad art elements at the New Park at Linden Avenue and Pine Avenue; and
WHEREAS, dedicated public art funding in the amount of $168,000 has already been approved and allocated to the art components for the New Park at Linden Avenue and Pine Avenue art component; and
WHEREAS, at the regular meeting of the Cultural Arts Commission on November 25, 2025, the Cultural Arts Commission unanimously voted to recommend that the City Council approve the selection of artist J Muzacz, as the artist for the New Park at Linden Avenue and Pine Avenue.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby approves a Public Art Agreement with artist J Muzacz, attached hereto as Exhibit A, to design, fabricate, and install three mosaic art components (mosaic plaza columns, pavement mosaic inlays, and a mosaic clad playground sculpture) at the New Park at Linden Avenue and Pine Avenue.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of South San Francisco authorizes the City Manager, or designee to execute all necessary documents, agreements, and amendments to proceed with the development, fabrication, and installation associated with the selected artist’s work, subject to approval from the City Attorney.
* * * * *