LTC 472-2022 DRB22-0879 1809 Meridian Avenue - Pride Park SculptureMIAMI FACH
OFF ICE OF THE C ITY MA NAGER
LTC No. 472-2022
LETTER TO COMMISS ION
TO : Honorable Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Rafael Granado, City Clerk 7<i
DATE: November 9, 2022
SUBJECT: DRB22-0879
1809 Meridian Avenue -Pride Park Sculpture
On October 4, 2022, the Design Review Board (DRB) reviewed an application on an advisory
basis, for the installation of an Art in Public Places (AIPP) project within Pride Park. Five (5) of
the seven (7) members of the DRB were present.
The Art in Public Places Ordinance (No. 95-2985) was adopted in 1995 and was created to
"enhance the aesthetic environment of the City of Miami Beach by including works of art on public
property within the City and in City construction projects." The goals of the Ai PP program are:
• Overseeing the City's public art collection.
• Enhancing the physical environment of Miami Beach with artworks of the highest level of
quality and suitability for the site.
• Serving as the coordinating body for all public art projects on City property.
• Building partnerships with the private sector, non-profit and community groups that connect
the Ai PP projects to the life of the City.
• Encouraging participation by artists based locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Serving as a source of information about public art.
On November 23, 2021, Richard Gray Gallery (Chicago), on behalf of the donor Norman Braman,
presented to the City's Art in Public Places Committee the proposed artwork, Jaume Plensa's
Minna (2022). The following is a summary of the proposal:
Artist Resume
Over the past thirty-five years, internationally celebrated Spanish artist Jaume Plensa (b. 1955)
has produced a multifaceted body of work creating sculpture that speaks to the capacity and
beauty of humanity. Conventional sculptural materials like glass, steel, and bronze blend with
unconventional media such as water, light, and sound to create hybrid works of intricate energy,
psychological weight, and symbolic richness .
Jaume Plensa has received many national and international awards including the Honorary
Doctorate from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in 2018 and the 2013 Velazquez Prize
awarded by the Spanish Cultural Ministry. His solo museum exhibitions include MM OMA-Moscow
Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Soffa, Madrid,
Spain; MAMC-Musee d'art moderne et contemporain SaintEtienne Metropole, Saint-Etienne,
France; Max Ernst Museum Bruhl des LVR, Bruhl, Germany; Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire,
England; and Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas. He lives and works in Barcelona.
Project Description
Minna, the proposed donation to the City of Miami Beach, is a monumental sculpture composed
of marine grade stainless steel, measuring approximately 17' x 17' x 12'.
Proposed Location
The Art in Public Places Committee, along with the artist, gallery, and donor, originally identified
the western edge of Pride Park as the ideal location for installation. That has since changed to
the east end of the park, as shown to the DRB.
Project Budget
The proposed donation is inclusive of costs associated with the acquisition of the artwork. Costs
associated with shipping, installation, site work, permitting, plinth design, and lighting need to be
identified. These costs are estimated at approximately $175,000.
Maintenance Plan
The artwork is a large-scale depiction of a human head composed of 316L marine grade stainless
steel rods, shaped and welded into five (5) sections mechanically fastened together. The routine
maintenance guidelines for the artwork will ideally be performed by dedicated staff overseen and
in collaboration with a local professional art conservator.
Following a presentation of the proposed work by artist Jaume Plensa and upon reviewing the
required submission materials, the Art in Public Places Committee made a unanimous motion to
accept the work as part of the City of Miami Beach Art in Public Places Collection and further
recognize the generosity of Mr. Norman Braman in gifting this monumental work of public art to
the city of Miami Beach. On January 20, 2022, the City Commission approved the donation of
the artwork for installation in Pride Park.
The Design Review Board serves as advisor to the City Commission with respect to AIPP projects
and the proposed art installation would be in addition to other AIPP work already approved for
Pride Park. With respect to the subject art installation, the Design Review Board provided the
following recommendation:
1. The design of the base of the sculpture should be evaluated in context with the current
paving and landscaping in the proposed location in order to address any conflicts.
RG/ETC/TRM/MAB
C: Alina T. Hudak, City Manager
Rafael Paz, City Attorney
Joseph Centorino, Inspector General