LTC 038-2020 Art in Pubic Places Committee Motion - Pride ParkM IA M I BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 038-2020 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members o.
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: January 22, 2020
SUBJECT: Art in Public Places Committee Molon- Pride Park
The purpose of this Letter to the Commission ("LTC") is to provide an update regarding a
referral to Art in Public Places Committee made by the City Commission at its December
11, 2019 meeting. The referral is noted as follows:
REFERRAL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND
THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES COMMITTEE- CALL TO ARTISTS FOR WORKS BY
LGBTQ ARTISTS FOR THE MEANING OF 'PRIDE PARK' WITH PREFERENCE FOR
MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS.
The following motions were made during the January 21, 2020 Art in Public Places
Committee meeting:
• To acknowledge that the naming of Pride Park was conceived to recognize multiple
meanings of "civic pride", including historical pride, LGBTQ pride, pride in veterans,
and celebration of pride in the entire community; and
• To commemorate and acknowledge Elmgreen & Dragset's Bent Pool, 2019, which
was commissioned specifically for Pride Park and highly integrated into the park
design through the landscape design team, West 8. The sculpture celebrates
"Pride", including LGBTQ pride, the City's architectural pride, and community pride.
The artists are quoted in December 5, 2019 The New York Times T Magazine as
stating, "When gay culture was suppressed in other parts of society, it found a way
to flourish around pools, not least the public ones." Further, the artists where
quoted in Wallpaper* on December 1, 2019 as follows: "But it (Bent Pool) also pays
homage to the city's architectural tradition, while providing a commentary on luxury
in the age of climate change. 'Swimming pools are woven into the very fabric of
Miami Beach, what they represent is actually something in danger of becoming
frivolous, rather than remaining iconic'; and
• In order to explore the possibility of an additional public art project for Pride Park,
funding would need to be identified in an amount not less than $100,000, and
would need to be administered in accordance with established AiPP Guidelines
and in collaboration with West 8 and Elmgreen & Dragset as set forth in their
professional services agreement.
The above motion was passed unanimously.
R eference art icles are noted as fo llow s:
https://yw _nyti mes_com/2019/12/04/t-m agazine /miami-art-week._html
https:_//ywwy _wallpaper .com/art/elmgr een-dragset-bent-po ol-city-of-miami-beach -public-
art
For more information, please contact Matt Kenny at mattkenny@miamibeachfl.gov or
x6 5 97.
cc: Marcia Monserrat, Chief of Staff, City Manager
Matt Kenny, Director, Tourism and Culture Department