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A new ordinance regulating public art will be presented to the Milledgeville City Council for consideration at its first meeting of 2024 this Tuesday.
Grace King, a student at Georgia College & State University, addressed Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan and council members on Dec. 12.
She said students in the Public Policy-Making undergraduate class drafted the Public Art Ordinance, adding that the project was done with the assistance of and under the direction of their professor, Dr. Max Harleman.
“Public Art Ordinances are policies that establish the process for committee members to approve proposed public art installations,” she said. “Milledgeville has an excellent opportunity to adopt a public art ordinance to improve its aesthetic, economic, and cultural value.”
King pointed out that public art is lacking in Milledgeville.
“Prevailing public policies prohibit murals, the most prevalent form of public art, on any building in our 10-block historic district,” she stated.
King also pointed out that the proposed ordinance will not cost the city or city taxpayers any money.
“Instead,” she said, “it establishes a process for community members to apply to install public art, using private or non-profit funding. A key aspect of the ordinance is it keeps applicants from needing overlapping permits from other commissions when proposing and installing public art.”
As a part of that process, if the ordinance is adopted, a new city commission, the Milledgeville Public Arts Board, will be established. That board will review and approve all applications for public art that “are in the best interest of all residents in our community and its visitors.”
The proposed ordinance lists three forms of public art that the new board may consider for acceptance: standalone, either permanent sculptures or temporary exhibits; applied (to a surface): murals, building-mounted sculptures, lighting exhibits; and digital media, performance artwork, and festival artwork.
The proposed ordinance calls for five members to serve on the board, all appointed by the city council with that panel establishing guidelines to follow when considering whether submitted art is acceptable. Applicants must submit a budget for the art, and a 10-percent maintenance bond will be required.
The public art board shall also create a public art maintenance fund to help ensure the upkeep of art installations.
The ordinance contains several specific prohibitions for public art: no public art shall be placed such that it will obstruct traffic; shall not imitate traffic signs; shall not be on or by the Georgia Department of Transportation right-of-way; shall not interfere with ingress and egress to any door, driveway, street, emergency exit, or roadway; shall not interfere with such utilities as water and sewer mains, gas and electrical lines, and such other delivery lines.
Harleman highlighted the process thus far in preparing the draft for consideration.
“After speaking with some leaders in the community that were interested in passing a public art ordinance, I decided to focus on this topic in my Public Policy-Making course at Georgia College,” Harleman said.
The professor wanted his students involved.
“Students registered in my Public Policy-Making course drafted a report containing a draft public art ordinance for consideration for adoption by the Milledgeville City Council,” he said.
“We drafted the ordinance after reviewing ordinances passed by other municipalities in Georgia and the literature on public policy-making, and by corresponding with seven leaders in our community,” Harleman continued. “We found that in other communities, public art has enhanced economic development, tourism, and social cohesion. “ Milledgeville City Council member Walter Reynolds was among the seven stakeholders identified in the report presented at that December meeting, who were identified to offer input for the creation of the ordinance. He said the proposed regulation will be a benefit to the city.
'The proposed public art ordinance is a way for the city to responsibly and consistently manage art installations throughout the community,” Reynolds said last Tuesday morning. “By establishing a panel of stakeholders from the community, we can encourage public art that is attractive, appropriate, and reflective of our community.”
Reynolds welcomes input from fellow council members and encourages them to consider adopting the measure.
“I'm sure there will be some worthwhile questions from the council and the city's administration, but I hope we will be able to pass this ordinance and use it to add thoughtful and inspiring public art to our town.
“I was very pleased with the work done by our students at Georgia College and appreciate their interest in pursuing this proposal for Milledgeville,' he added.
The Jan. 9 city council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.