San Pablo Ave. Light-Pole Art Back at Arts Commission Tonight

A revised plan by two Berkeley artists for what would be El Cerrito's biggest public art project — abstract copper sculptures on San Pablo Avenue streetlight poles — will be presented to the Arts and Culture Commission for possible action tonight, Wednesday, at City Hall.

The initial plan by the husband-and-wife team, Jonathan Russell and Saori Ide, was to install colorful picture icons of people and objects on 50 streetlight poles along the length of San Pablo in the city, but the design was rejected by the commission on two occasions.

The pair returned Sept. 27 with a different design idea — abstract copper sculptures that move with the wind on 12 light poles. The artists showed the commission drawings of possible designs at the September meeting, and the panel expressed support for the new direction, asking the pair to return to the panel's regular monthly meeting this month with a more fleshed-out proposal and designs for more of the sculptures. Tonight's meeting starts at 7 p.m.

The two artists were awarded a $100,000 commission in an open competition sponsored by the city to mount the largest public art project in city history as part of the multi-year San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Project. The streetscape project is essentially complete except for the art component, which has been delayed by disagreement over what direction it would take.

The funding results from the city's Art in Public Places Ordinance, adopted by the City Council in 2005, requiring that new projects costing $250,000 or more devote at least one percent of the development costs to public art.