ArtsPark & Lippman Center join City Hall in serving as exhibition spaces for fine art
Hollywood, an epicenter of culture, has always taken its support of the arts very seriously. This fact is illustrated no better than on the walls of city hall which have historically been graced by the works of regional painters. Due to expansion and initiative, the city is now able to take this focus a step further.
With the recent renovation of the Fred Lippman Multi Resource Center on Polk Street and Dixie Highway, and the opening of the studios at the Visual Arts Pavilion at the ArtsPark in Young Circle, there is now four times the space to hang art which means the committee that makes such decisions has more work than ever.
Until now the Artwork Selection Committee was responsible solely for the quarterly change-over in city hall when artwork is taken down, packed up and replaced by new art. It’s a big task requiring the help of volunteers and city employees.
Now the committee has the arduous yet rewarding task of selecting what they deem appropriate and worthy exhibition pieces for as many as 200 spots compared to the 50 or so in City Hall. The Lippman Center’s first show is currently on display, composed of student work from the Jean Leighton Studio-School in Davie.
Hollywood resident Magi Schwartz, the chairperson of the committee since 2000, is known as a vibrant, knowledgeable docent. She and 10 other committee members are responsible for whittling through hundreds of submissions before selecting the framed pieces that make the final cut.
“During the screening process we review slides and pictures, images on disks and by email,” said Schwartz, adding that all submitted art must be framed and wired for hanging. “We choose the art by vote, and the only restrictions are no religious themes and no nudes. The artists also must live in Florida.”
“Physically it’s really a big operation, with an intake process and the hanging,” explained Schwartz, who moved to Hollywood in 1980 from New York City. “Taking down the art isn’t as bad, but putting it up requires a lot of time and thought.”
The members of the 11-member committee are all Hollywood residents, and include Mary Adderly (new to the committee), Sylvia Blutstein (a sculptor), Dennis Caltigirone (an advisory board member for the city’s parks and recreation), Thomas Draving (a painter, watercolors), Suell Scott (photographer), Jeffrey Fuller (sculpture finishing), Nancy Rust Gorman (an art teacher), Alesh Houdek (Art and Culture Center representative), Linda Howard (active in the art community) and Schwartz, who has been a docent at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Arts for many years. Schwartz also gives independent lectures on art history. The final member is still to be selected.
The art program originated in 1994 after Mayor Mara Giulianti was inspired after visiting city halls in Orlando and Tallahassee. Both were procuring art. She adopted the Walker Hanging System that the other municipalities used; a system that allows for no nail holes in the walls. Since then the art program has included Hollywood’s renowned artist Frank Monaco, a Key West-style painter who had a gallery on Harrison Street in the 1980s and 1990s, and nationally acclaimed Romero Britto, whose colorful butterfly sculpture is a recognizable highlight of the ArtsPark.
“We hung some of Britto’s art back in 1996,” said Pauline Wallace, an administrative assistant to the city manager’s office and the city’s liaison to the Artwork Selection Committee. The file included a price sheet for Britto’s work and most of the pieces were surprisingly priced under $1,000 at that time.
“The art on display is not necessarily for sale, but there’s not a living artist I know that doesn’t want to sell their art,” Schwartz said. “If you find a piece you like, there are price sheets and you can contact the artists. In addition, in February of each year we hold an open house for all the artists who have been on display during the past year.”
The newly formed board will gather Jan. 7th for its first meeting, and will begin to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the increased exhibition space.
We have a lot of issues to address because sometimes you have a wealth of great art to choose from, and sometimes the cupboard is bare, said Schwartz. “Now that we have all these new spaces, we have to address how we will handle it.”
“Also, up until now we only displayed two-dimensional art. We now have people interested in donating large outdoor sculptures, and with that comes more complexities such as how do you move, care for and display such pieces.”
The public will soon be able to take a tour of the three facilities and see all the selected works on display.
“These are the people’s buildings and everyone is welcome,” explained Raelin Storey, the city’s public affairs and marketing director. “The people that come to do business here at city hall see wonderful art, and the people that work here enjoy it as well. This is for everyone.”
