Arts and Culture Commission Meeting Date: November 10, 2025
To: Commission Members
From: Natalie Draper, Library Director
Title
Public Art Review Committee (PARC) recommendation for Ice Arena Artist.
Body
Action Requested:
Motion to confirm PARC recommendation of Michael Sweere as the Ice Arena Artist.
Summary Report:
The Ice Arena PARC met on October 13th to review and discuss the submissions that were received and come to a consensus. 25 artists submitted applications and Arts Guild staff narrowed down the list to 10 qualified applicants to be reviewed. After careful review, the PARC has made their recommendation to the ACC to select Michael Sweere. The time and care put into the decision by the PARC is greatly appreciated, as are the time and talents of arts guild staff throughout the process. The community is invited to a ribbon-cutting for the Guild’s Water Street Studios on November 13th from 4-8 p.m. where they will have the opportunity to meet the artist. ACC members are encouraged to attend. A draft news release is attached.
From the Arts Guild’s report:
o We are in the process of drafting a design that will fit comfortably in the space for the scale of the project. The artist, Michael Sweere, is looking for community feedback and help with the design.
o Having more interaction with the PARC Board members and stakeholders helped expedite the selection process a lot. Having a rubric for material review made reviewing applicants more accessible to those who either didn’t have a visual arts background or who had never been involved with a project of this scale before.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines: