Politics & Government

Public Art in Village May Cost $125,000 as Part of City Centennial Celebration

Volunteer committee sees proposed logo and hears plans for website and series of events.

La Mesa’s centennial celebration will include a Party of the Century in January 2013, a website to be launched in November and an official logo for branding souvenirs and other items.

But the crowning effort might be a grand work of public art planned for The Village downtown with a possible price tag of $125,000 and room for a time capsule.

“The City of la Mesa is requesting qualifications from professional visual artists to create a Centennial Legacy Project,” says the draft of an RFQ—request for qualifications—distributed Monday afternoon at a meeting of the 30-member Centennial Committee.

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Only San Diego County artists need apply, says the draft RFQ. Finalists will get an honorarium “not to exceed $1,500 to develop and present a design concept for the project.”

Then one artist or team will be chosen from five finalists—whose portfolios will be due sometime in October.

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“In selecting finalists, the panel will consider professional qualifications, i.e., record of artistic achievement and successfully completed projects as evidenced by resume and professional recognition and artistic merit as evidenced by submitted slides.”

The RFQ notes the budget for the project is estimated at $100,000 to $125,000, “but may be modified as funds are available,” and concludes: “This is a very important project for the city.”

Assistant City Manager Yvonne Garrett, secretary to the committee, says proceeds from the centennial—including donations, Party of the Century proceeds and commemorative item sales—will pay for the artwork, and “the intent is to use donations, not taxpayer funds.”

The group’s Finance Committee is trying to raise $125,000 for the Centennial and Legacy project, she said.

Gathered in a large room at the Allison Avenue fire station, panel members heard progress reports on the Party of the Century set for Jan. 12, 2013. The city turns 100 on Feb. 16, 2012, but events will extend well beyond that.

Pledged donations so far total $66,500—including $21,000 from the Kumeyaay Nation (13 area tribes) and $10,000 each from Drew Ford, EDCO and Sharp Grossmont Hospital, said a financial report.

Four donors have already given $5,000 each—Drew Ford, EDCO, American Medical Response and Unique Travel, the business of Kelly and Jim Wieboldt.

The centennial website will be lamesa100.com, and should be live in November, Garrett said.

The Party of the Century, said panel member Linda Horrell, will transform the La Mesa Community Center  into “something that’s a wow”—with exhibits and food from the decades since La Mesa’s incorporation in 1912.

“You will actually enter into the era,” Horrell said.

Ticket price for the party is still under consideration, Garrett said, but major donors ($1,000 and up) will get free admission.

Sharp Grossmont Hospital spokesman Bruce Hartman, a member of the marketing subcommittee, said the centennial’s “positioning” statement will be: “For East County families, the La Mesa Centennial is the community celebration of your hometown.”

The centennial logo will feature some version of the phrase “Celebrating the American hometown,” with final design to be done by the San Diego-based Starmack Group.

Panel members Monday debated whether the logo should include depictions of a pair of date palm trees or perhaps one palm. Or maybe the city flower—the Barbara Karst bougainvillea.

(Committee member Aaron Landau of the La Mesa Historical Society said his subcommittee voted 6-1 in favor of the palm trees.)

They touched on whether the logo would look good embossed on glass mugs.

In the end, committee chairman Art Madrid, the mayor, pronounced the draft logo “a very, very good foundation.”

Beyond the party and public art, six other projects are planned—including an essay contest at various grade levels, a geocaching treasure hunt, a silent movie night, an event devoted to La Mesa authors and a rotating photo exhibition of La Mesa history.

“We haven’t determined the commemorative items as yet, but the Centennial Finance Committee has asked that all items generate at least 25 percent toward the Centennial Legacy project,” Garrett said Tuesday via email.

Grossmont Center marketing chief Tracie Plefka noted the La Mesa mall will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a Sept. 24 event that includes impersonators portraying 1960s icons James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Marilyn Monroe, with the public urged to dress in that generation’s outfits.

Free food, giveaways and raffle prizes are planned, plus an oral history recording booth to capture Grossmont Center memories.

Said Plefka: “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Story updated at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 16, 2011.


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