Moses Lake to form art review committee

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake is arranging a committee to review proposed gifts or loans of artwork presented to the city by members of the public.

At the request of council members, City Manager Joe Gavinski presented a draft policy last week stating all proposed gifts or loans of art should be looked over by an organization associated with the city. The committee would then make a recommendation that the city council either accept or deny the artwork.

Gavinski left the name of the organization out of the policy, saying he was unsure who city council would like to review proposed gifts.

"It would be something like an interdepartmental committee," he said. "We don't have an active arts commission or anything like that, which would be a real nice place to put it but we simply don't have one. I thought the Museum and Arts Center (MAC) had a committee that helps with show selections, but it's defunct; they can't find membership."

Council members tossed around ideas of who could serve on the committee, including members of the Parks and Recreation Committee, but Gavinski and Parks and Recreation Director Spencer Grigg said that group is geared more toward overseeing outdoor activities than determining what could be considered fine art.

"They have a different bent in terms of the information and advice they provide," Gavinski said. "They may not feel comfortable with this."

"I hate to have to convene a committee just for this purpose," said Councilman Jon Lane. "It seems cumbersome. I like the idea of a policy, maybe some guidelines, but I don't know how you'd do that."

Councilman David Curnel and others suggested at least one actual artist should be on the committee.

"We have a number of artists in town, and we need somebody with a little more acumen regarding those kinds of things than we have," he said.

Gavinski agreed, saying MAC city staff could be included on a three to five person panel that would consider art donations citywide. He added the city doesn't have a flood of people trying to donate artwork to the city.

"It isn't frequent; actually it's pretty rare," he said. "Most people would prefer us to buy their art as opposed to providing a donation or loan."

Councilman Dick Deane moved to authorize a representative group of "artistically inclined people" to assist in making recommendations to the council. The motion was unanimously accepted.

"(The committee) is not under the gun by making the recommendation," he stressed. "They are presenting it forward to us and we would make final call."