Reston Association Seeking to Spend $65K on Public Art

Reston Association’s Board of Directors will discuss at its monthly meeting tonight a motion to donate $65,000 in 2016 to the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR).

The motion, presented by At-Large member Ken Knueven, seeks to allocate the $65,000 from the Operating Cash Reserves.

RA currently donates to IPAR, but a $65,000 donation is nearly six times the current amount of $10,000 in annual giving from RA.

The donation fulfills “the Association’s obligation to uphold its design and planning foundation principle, “Commitment to the Arts” as an Essential Element of Reston,” the motion said.

From RA documents:

Currently there are nine (9) residential and/or mixed use development projects that are being planned on Reston Association (RA) covenanted properties and at least nine (9) additional projects in the Corridor.

Each of these 18 development projects has a proffer obligation to work with the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR) to install public art on the properties.

Since “Commitment to the Arts” is one of the Association’s Essential Element design and planning foundation principles, and as RA works to enhance its own amenities and consider the multitude of new development and/or redevelopment projects in the community, greater attention and resources must be allocated by the Association to Reston’s public art initiative.

Time is of the essence as IPAR will be setting its 2017 Budget in April 2016 and the Association’s current level of support ($10,000) in implementing the Reston Art Master Plan will not enable the Association to work with developers to select and commission artists to install public art on RA common areas and covenanted properties.

Additional annual funding is needed to provide the Association with adequate design management control and oversight of these public art projects.

The Association will be working with IPAR before the end of 2016 to commission public art for the Pony Barn Recreation site and the new Lake House property.

In 2017, it is anticipated that public art will also need to be planned for other RA facilities including but not limited to the Central Services Facility, Hook Road Recreation Area, and the Autumnwood Recreation Area.

As such, it has been recommended by IPAR’s President and Executive Director that the Association increase its support by $65,000 in 2016 and 2017 to assist with artist selection and commissioning.

BUDGET IMPACT It is recommended that that $65,000 be allocated from the Association’s Operating Reserve for this effort so as not to impact the Board-approved 2016 Operating Expense Budget.

Photo: IPAR statue at Reston Town Center/file photo