# Public Arts Commission - September 1, 2026 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Commission · September 1, 2026 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6870 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6870?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2026-09-01 - **Body**: Commission - **Last revised**: September 1, 2026 - **Length**: 5,266 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** The transcript on this page is the Granicus stenographer's live closed-captioning track, captured at the time of broadcast (typos and broken sentences common). Speaker labels come from the same track. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude Sonnet. Verbatim wording and speaker attribution may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Public Art Commission held a meeting on September 1, 2026. The Commission addressed three agenda items during the session, including one action item and two informational presentations. The Commission approved the Quilt Garden Phase Two Application and received updates on the Breeders Cup Temporary Sculpture Exhibit and the Asphalt Art Project. Two motions were voted on during the meeting, and no public comments were received. ## Attendance The following individuals were present at the Commission meeting on September 1, 2026: * Christy * Mary Beth * Jenifer * Brandi * George * Nathan * Andrea No members were absent or late. ## Votes and Decisions The Commission took two votes during the September 1, 2026 meeting. **Approval of Minutes** The Commission voted unanimously to approve the minutes [timestamp: 0:06:27]. The motion passed without opposition. **Phase Two of the Quilt Project** The Commission voted unanimously to proceed and approve phase two of the quilt project [timestamp: 0:23:51]. The motion passed without opposition. ## Quilt Garden Phase Two Application The Commission discussed the phase two application for the quilt garden at the senior center. Key speakers included Christy, Mary Beth, and Jenifer. [timestamp: 06:58] The discussion covered several components of the phase two proposal, including site plans, lighting design, plaques, and budget considerations for the project. While specific details of the presentations and any concerns raised were not documented in the available records, the Commission reviewed these elements as part of their evaluation of the application. The Commission approved the Quilt Garden Phase Two Application. ## Breeders Cup Temporary Sculpture Exhibit The Commission discussed the selection of sites and artists for a temporary sculpture exhibit associated with the Breeders Cup. [timestamp: 0:32:20] Nathan led the discussion, which focused on two primary considerations: identifying appropriate sites for the exhibit and selecting artists to participate, with an emphasis on featuring Kentucky-based artists. The conversation centered on ensuring that both the locations chosen for the sculptures and the artists selected would be well-suited to the Breeders Cup event and its venues. The emphasis on Kentucky artists reflected a commitment to showcasing local talent and supporting the regional arts community in connection with this significant event. This item was presented as informational in nature, providing the Commission with an overview of the planning process for the temporary sculpture exhibit rather than requiring a formal decision or vote at this time. ## Asphalt Art Project Update [timestamp: 30:46] The Commission received an informational update on the Asphalt Art Project. The discussion covered design concepts and neighborhood input related to the initiative. No specific speakers were identified in the meeting record. The presentation focused on project design concepts and feedback gathered from the community. No particular concerns or debates were documented in the available information. The outcome of this agenda item was informational, with no formal action or decision required from the Commission at this time. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve the minutes - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Proceed and approve phase two of the quilt project --- ## Full transcript >> let's do the minutes. So we have the minutes before Has anyone questions or comments on them? I ask for a motion to approve. >> I make a motion to approve the minutes. >> second please. >> second. >> all those in favor. Well done, thank you. So now do we want to do the phase two application. Yes? All right. For the quilt garden at the senior center. How nice. >> good morning. >> will you hit it? I'm christy director of aging disability services and a board member forked friendng of lexington senior center who has made the application. And mary beth is the secretary for the board and we were hoping that jenifer can be here. So this is the quilt garden phase two. We answered some of the questions you had so if you go to the next slide or I can do that. I don't have to make you do all the work. Oops. Maybe I do have to have him do all the work. Okay, so the art is going to be right there at the corner of the building. I sent the site plans to parks and recreations michelle and she reviewed them and does not believe that there's any utilities underground but we are going to call 811 in case. I know the utilites are not there and the drawings confirmed that. Next slide please. So there it is in its glory. She has decided and we have agreed she is going to do 11. Some will be high and some lower so it will be staggered. There are two sided. Again at this location any car that comes through the parking lot is going to interact with this art and certainly all of the people that walk on the sidewalk that feeds the great bit of the parking lot will interact with this art. Next slide. So we talked about lighting. And she has suggested a couple different options that we would entertain after it was installed. And mary beth assures us that the friends would pay for any cost related to the lighting because there is a lot of lighting there is a light post right there in front of those trees. And then there's lights that go up and down on the building in that vicinity. So we really can't tell what lighting would be needed until the installation is in place. At least that is our thinking. But jenifer has put a lot of thought and there she is. She has put a lot of thought into everything including the lighting. Then you asked about the plaques and has decided if we had a plate and then plaques mounted plate do you want to takeover? Thanks, jenifer. >> welcome. Good morning. >> okay. i walked in so I don't know where we are. We've zone the site and talked about the lighting and we will determine after they get installed because there is lighting in place. >> okay. The plaques they decided that the size one by six which is quite wider than the stem the mounting. I call them stems because it is a quilt garden. So I started to think about it and I thought you know, the only way to do that to have six inches would be to have a mounting plate. Which worked out great because we could fit six on five on five or six, the mounting plate can be an inch larger to fit more. And since it's doubled sided there will be the mounting plate will be mounted. Even if there's not plaques the plates will be mounted. And then there is a void in-between the plates which it took me a while to figure out but how to keep the little human dirty fingers from sticking their fingers in. I'm sure people will do that. The void we filled with marine board with hdp so that way it would be permanent and there's no void. And the plaques would go directly into the hdp and mounted with the three m external glue. There is a strong glue. I know it's 3h. So that's the plaques. >> are you saying the plaques would be flush? >> yes. >> no room for debris to gather. >> no. Like I said the thing that concerned me the most was filling the void between the two plates the front plate and the back plate. There's no way that somebody wouldn't stick their fingers in there. There's no way. And the risk of that would be too great. So the marine board is weather proof and it's not going to go anywhere. So it will protect the plate. I just worried so much about the little fingers going in there. But I think it is a good solution a good permanent solution. And then I think I got the numbers wrong for 132, it's 120. >> the application you only need 10 and it was five per plate. And then once you did the math and looked at it differently came up and do six per plate. >> yes. Yes. And that would be. >> 122 versus 132. >> yes, yes. Yeah. So um, do I do lighting? Okay. That's the budget. Revised budget. Everything got like the native plant planting originally planned got folded into the cop crete slab concrete slab. I don't know what to say now I feel like I need to feel silence. >> so your largest expense is artist design and production fee and fabrication, more supplies, engineering, hardware, transportation and installation. so you are asking us for a total [Inaudible]. >> 30 it is. >> we'll take 20. >> I appreciate thank you. Questions, anyone? Thoughts? How long will it take to do this, you think? >> um -- >> just asking. >> I'm not really sure. I'm estimating my problem is that I need to the biggest thick is I need to drive to get the stained glass because that way I can choose glass if I order it on-line they will give me watever the color I choose. With glass there are so many variations they will let me into the warehouse if I don't see anything in the shop that I can go into the warehouse and pick glass that is suited forever what I want. And that's my biggest, I drive to cocoa mow and it is not that bad it's just my biggest hurdle once I get the glass, I estimate maybe three months, maybe? Maybe. I mean, I think it also depends on the weather, too, because I know concrete pads have to be poured when the weather is warm. Warmish, I don't know. I don't know that much about concrete. >> how is that happening concrete slabs who is doing that? Who is doing that part? >> I've never dealt with the concrete that part. Who is doing that part? >> [Inaudible] Nathan was going to give us the people that they use. >> his source. >> for the horses. And then he wanted to counter sync a plate into the cement like a sleeve so if anything was damaged we could easily take out the stem and make the repair and put it back. That part honestly we haven't dealt deeply into. It seems. >> it seems straightforward really. >> [Inaudible] They didn't indicate that this was. >> I'm concerned about the finance part of it the funding part of that. I don't know about concrete slabs and making you're talking about 11 of them? Or do they share? One large slab? >> one large slab. >> and that probably helps but I don't know about the cost of that. So is that under -- what item is that under your installation or your site prep? So you feel confident my question is you feel confident this amount will cover that part >> I am not sure. Are you? >> I feel pretty confident when I talked to michelle she said it was 2 or 3,000. I think I can feel confident that the friend woulds take care of any expense [Inaudible] Because they want it to happen. >> we don't want to fund a project and you hit a snag we are trying to look at everything that you would have so you can actually get this launched. >> I think the timing of it. >> for the weather. >> after coming into the season. >> it's hard to predict impossible. Well, that was my only question so far. Do you have more slides? >> I think this is the last slide? >> this is the last slide. >> I have a question. How many donors do you think you have? >> we have a lot of donors we are establishing a criteria for it and we're thinking we will use something similar to the libraries society. >> can you come to the -- >> basically it's over $3,000. So at this point, I think we probably have 12 individuals that have given over $3,000 and we also have the corporate chase bank who gave us $10,000 last year. We will have a committee that looks at who gets on there a committee of the friends board. Does that answer your question? >> yeah. What I was getting at is jenifer from your perspective do you have any concern about that donor plaque detracting from the stained glass and the art and the concept? >> [Inaudible]. Not to detract from the connors' names that is not the first thing they will notice people will probably more than likely notice the colors and walk over and say this is lovely. They donated money to the senior center. >> what level are the donor plaques? Can you go back. >> so people just be able to look down slightly. >> did you consider putting the names vertically up the stem? >> no. Because it's just a thing in sign making and typographical design you don't put words vertically it's too hard for people to read. >> right. >> I think that I'm with jill. I think you are expressing concern about that and I totally share that. To me they are going to distract from the focal point. But maybe that is not pertinent at this juncture we're talking about funding and I'm for approving the funding. From a design standpoint I think that is a problem. I would put them at the base of the stems. >> I do, too, I think it's almost like a -- >> it's compromising. Sorry, go ahead. >> I never thought but that is possible it's possible to put it at the base if we decide later. >> there would be no additional cost to place them lower. >> no. Just they would move down I designed I tried to design everything to be as flexible as possible with in terms of you know, I think it might also if they were at the bottom it might encourage people to walk up close. I don't think it will detract from people getting that information. You are the artist. And you are certainly welcome to do as you want to but I agree they will be they will become part of the art. I meant that would encourage you to go closer and take a look at Either way you are going to have to get closer to it. On the ground there's something more inviting about reading it if you are looking at is it lower. It is a possibility. >> yes. >> again, that's just a suggestion on our part we are not dictating where you put it. >> I think I appreciate. >> design suggestion. >> something to consider because I do think it detracts from the concept. >> I guess I'm thinking of it like drawing attention to the donors, too. But I mean I'm open to moving >> it's just a suggestion and you all have more of an idea how you want this message to get across to your constituents. But we like andrea often has good suggestions about the engineering and we have architects, so we love to make sure that you all have access to that kind of design and engineering help along with artistic opinions and that sort of thing but they are just suggestions and wouldn't impact the funding. And we will does anyone else have questions? >> how wide are the -- how deep? >> are the blocks? The quilts? >> no the donor plaques. >> how thick with the plaques. >> the whole plaque itself. >> the plaques are maybe a 16th of an inch. They are very, very thin. >> I was thinking if they are low, I don't know how many kids I was thinking kids standing on those. >> yeah, that is a good point, too. That way, yeah, and there is a park right behind the senior center and whenever you go to the senior center there's lots of at least in the evening it's tons of children, tons of kids. >> that is nice. [Inaudible]. >> the parking lot for sure. [Inaudible]. >> you put so much thought into this and we appreciate your professionalism and the passion you have for the project and the support you have. I make a motion to proceed and approve phase two of the quilt project. >> I second. >> after we score this. And we would -- unfortunately, brandi we are going to do a closed session and if you guy also step out we are going to do a closed session. >> I will add the con with putting it on the ground is lawn maintenance. That is a big thing. >> all these things we have to think about. >> and snow removal salt with cause a lot of issues. If you drop them down you are putting them in a territory where they can be damaged. >> these are all considerations you will have to wrestle with. Sorry about that. >> what about pavers? >> donors names are often in pavers? >> thank you for stepping out. We are still tabulating the scores. >> do you have the phase one sheet here? Did we not give you a phase two. >> it's small print. I circled at the top of mine to know it's phase two. >> got it? Okay. >> yours is really short. >> thank you. >> thank you. Anyone else? >> we'll make the print bigger. >> okay. With the exception, we'll add to it but it passes. And you are approved for your funding. >> thank you. >> so now I make a motion to approve this officially. >> yes. >> is it okay then the front to go ahead. >> let's use the microphone. >> because obviously we like to start sooner than later for the friends to give our $10,000 to the artist to buy material so it can get started if that's okay. >> we need to officially vote. >> so we will get this process as soon as we can but it's fine with us if you want to spend your money towards that. We don't have any constraints on that. If you want to move forward in that way. >> and then you will then write a contract for the artist. >> yes, we will get a contract. And you will chances are most time it is comes in thirds or it can come in halves. However you want to do that. So we can -- you'll send me an invoice for and I will write this up in the contract however you want to do And then we'll have that paperwork your invoice and I will get that out to you. >> okay. Thank you. >> I think we're squared up here? >> we are. Thank you. >> the next up is phase one application I was here. So we move down -- >> thanks. >> roll down to the asphalt art project update then. >> I don't think she is here. And I don't have a super accurate asphalt project. I know that the lewis street and sharp sexual orientation streets projects are moving forward and we had a design concept and it is a floral. But the last time I spoke to them there was possibility that after some neighborhood meetings that they were going to take more input into that and it could change a little bit which for us, is fine. And so anyway we MAY still get an update coming in with images and I will be happy to e-mail that to everybody. And you guys can let me know your thoughts on that. If someone misses a meeting like this I sort of feel like it's hard to wait another 30 days. So I think some of the things we need to as a group look at in the e-mail and respond and then that can get back to the people fast f it doesn't require a vote. If it is just an update I will send that out if I get pictures i will send them to you. >> any thoughts there anyone? Is there old business we have before us? >> a report out. >> absolutely. >> so we had a subcommittee meeting yesterday on teams. This was an update for the breeders cup temporary sculpture exhibit. And I say temporary two-year exhibited. So that we have 18 artists that had applied. I was impressed by the quality of the sculptures. I think groups that attended felt the same. And we've submitted 17 sites in front of the state department of transportation for consideration. With the hopes that we will get 10 approved. Once we hear back from the initial assessment then we MAY have to make adjustments to the sites we are trying to activate. We have sites along oliver lewis way near davis park as well as of course heading out down versailles road as well. One of the intersections has nice seating areas that we've selected four sites around that. >> what was that site again? >> that was I think alexandria connects to versailles road. There is also a couple at the entrance of man o' war right there near the airport. So there's keeneland and versailles road. All of those sites have been put in front of the state and we're waiting to hear back. And what we walked through yesterday was a first assessment of all the artwork a quick walk through of the sites. We did develop a scoring rubric for the artwork I will send that out to the commission anybody that wants to participate is welcome to and we'll use that as a kind of guide map of the works we select. We would like to select 10 artworks and preferably by 10 different artists. We are emphasizing kentucky artists in this process we are wanting to activate works by local artists there is a lot of great ones in the mix. Excited about the progress we've made. >> voting contingent upon the state's approval of sites? >> yes. Our matchmaking that will play in so as soon as we hear back >> we'll reconvene and have the scores if you want to participate have your scores in by the end of the week that will give you a few days to go through those and everybody has gotten access to that folder. >> to the images. Not the rubric yet. >> correct. I will send the rubric out today. >> and the state you will check back with them. >> I left a voice mail with robert baker yesterday. >> there were two artists that were not from kentucky and you were going to ask why they submitted. >> correct. I will reach out to them and see what their kentucky connection We did say it was okay if they had spent time living in lexington or somewhere in kentucky. And then now we're in another state. >> there was one that you knew. >> yes. >> one went to U.K. Sculpture program. >> and that's enough. >> I think so. I consider that a kentucky artist even if they are have relocated. >> okay. >> if they are willing to deliver the piece. >> yeah, right. >> we are still working on that quite tight timeline to get this installed. >> part of the rubric and the criteria it's important to know what the tie is. >> I have a question. So if we go ahead and score and the top 10 we select, what if they the projects don't fit on the pedestal or in the locations we end up getting from the transportation cabinet what happens then? I think we need to have that consideration. So we won't notify the artists until we get the sites back from the state. That will be part of our final assessment. Most of these works are completed works works on hand readily available there's one or two that is in in production that I think was in our kind of at least in my mind were viable options. But they are in production meaning they will be ready in time if we selected them then we can have it as part of the mix but that is a great question. we can consider the site. I think site appropriateness is going to be key here. Because we can't fit a five foot pad in a space that needs a three foot pad. >> interesting puzzle to solve. >> it was very exciting to look at them yesterday it was great. >> any other old business? >> yeah. I was going to bring up the we had talked last month about having a subcommittee for figurin out process I just wanted to touch base on that. >> so this I've been out for my son was in town and then we also have two new interns who will be working part-time with us. So we've been getting all that settled. But actually george and I talked about that this morning, I do want that committee to -- I'm not sure we have such a small group here today. I'm not completely I have to look at my notes to see who wanted to be on that. But I would think very soon we need to have a meeting. We have several documents have come to our attention that there's something we need to add or I think once each time we do a different project we think I wish we would ask different. So I think also I think we need to really look at the phase one and phase two and some of them are built more for sculptures and some are built more for something else. This is all going to have to be worked out with this committee and brought to the commission. So anyway if you guys will let me know I will look at my notes if you didn't say you wanted to be on that subcommittee let me know today and I will get an e-mail out and we'll do three or four dates and do a poll. Is everyone more interested in like an after work thing like at Or the general consensus for subcommittee meetings would that be better during the workday? >> I don't have a preference. >> all right. >> I don't want to make this a problem for everybody's work and I'm happy to do these afterhours I am happy to get it done during the workday. >> okay. >> all good? >> I think we are. >> I make a motion. >> I was going to ask for new business. >> I had one item. I had a conversation I had a conversation with councilmember sevigny last week, I think it was. He there has been a recent repavement in this district on cherry bark. And it's quite wide. And there is a section it's not very long. There's no room for adding a sidewalk but he's interested in doing a strip of asphalt art just to test it. And I was copied on communication with traffic engineering and they seem at least at this point they seem fine with that and to approve I'm just bring to go to your all's attention because again, I think we're going to see more of these requests. And it might be something to for the subcommittee to think about in terms of process. Because I think they are not going to be kind of as formal and always artist driven. And so I think it might be an opportunity for the commission to think about sort of how we handle those types of requests. I have some thoughts and opinions, but, of course, would want to have a discussion. So I just wanted to bring that to your attention. I don't know that they have a timeline yet. He was talking about working with students at gosh I'm blanking, the high school. >> lafayette. >> yes. Thank you. Gosh. Anyway to and some of the art students there. So I don't know if you know if you all have a thought on do they need to come to the public art commission and get approval when they come to that point? Or if they get approval from traffic engineering is that enough? >> I think it's something that the public art commission needs to know about. I think we need notification about all of these things. But I think we could also do we've done phase one where we fast track things and I think we could come up with something with the committee that would be similar to a fast track if it is something we already know the materials. >> and they don't need money. >> a lot of these could be fast tracked. And I do think traffic engineer is perhaps as important if not more important than us in this process. And I welcome the opportunity to work with them on approvals for these. And make it quick. >> super. >> I mean if everybody agrees I think we can do that easily as a commission we can make it fast. >> awesome. Thank you. >> very good. All very good. Do we have an update on gains way? Gainsway park. >> I thought you said date. The gainsway update is we are still working on the call for artists. We have like we did make some changes to the way we're going I'm still working with civic lex and their consultant on the language that I want to use in that so we make sure they understand that this project will have many layers of public engagement and also speaking of that, so yes I'm still working on that. And I do have on my desk the mou for the delaware project. So we are sort of working through this paperwork part to get the language down and being new to this, heather was much more well versed in creating the documents I feel like we're developing and I have two new administrative assistants working with me, we are developing much more of a template that we will use for these and we can make gainsway is more complicated so we are going to add more language to that. but there will be some we can reuse for calls for artists and contracts and for the community engagement. That's the update. But I'm still working on that and I wanted to present at this meeting but I don't have it ready. I was out all last week. We will have that for the next meeting and hopefully we'll have artists to share. >> I would like to bring the origins question up again it seems to have fallen off of our radar for good reason. We got plenty to work on. Nathan and I were talking about the possibility of initiating a conversation with the artists which I would be happy to do if there's no money, there's no money. I'd like to bring that back into the mix for an appropriate conversation at the appropriate time. >> when you say there's no money, there's no money what do you mean? >> talking about a design solution begins with some kind of knowing what ball park you are in economically. And right now there's no. >> I do think the question of that is can we fund that kind the language is fairly clear when we fund artwork only to go back and do anything else is in a gray area. I'd like to get law to weigh-in on that part. Otherwise if it was approved, then I think the commission could help with that. >> I wonder, too, if this can be a phase two enhancement to that piece. It was installed I don't remember the year but it's been 10 years ago 14 years ago. And. >> 2014. >> and the led fixtures have evolved greatly since then. So I think we can potentially look at it as an update to make it function as well as it can. I actually went down there the other night to turn it pink when the light fixtures were turning pink for dolly and I wasn't able to connect into it that evening for whatever reason it was the software did not connect. So I think that we the full update and also addressing the esthetic transition from the artwork to itself would be appropriate and if we can consider it a phase two modification to the artwork but not maintenance but we are updating the piece. >> we haven't done hat. We haven't approached that as a commission. >> it's 14 years old. >> so one of the things to be able to change the lights. >> so you can't change the lights. We have to physically connect to the usb cable but with the park now in place there's wi-fi it should be able to be modified to be tapped into remotely and not going to go down there. >> I don't know how this is seen as the artwork. >> but the fixtures should also be replaced with higher power lighting. Because we for a town that loves our blue they can't turn blue. [Laughter] >> the bonded funds is the issue there. There's some clarification we need there. So let me track down some information about that. And put that on the list for our next meeting. Again I can update everybody via e-mail if I get a response before that. >> and the artist is happy to entertain a modification that he can be involved with helping design, too. That is on the table that he's aware that we are interested if we can navigate what that looks like in terms of our funding ability. >> and to address that, too, every commission member is welcome to e-mail me an issue you want to discuss and it will go on the agenda. We don't want things to get lost in the shuffle and do, by all means e-mail me because that is what we're gathering for so let's do it. >> okay. >> anything else, you guys? >> great work. >> I make a motion to adjourn. >> all those in favor? We are adjourned. Thank you.