Template revised January 10, 2019.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
8e
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
November 12, 2019
DATE: November 12, 2019
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Tommy Gregory, Senior Art Manager
Peter Mills, Commission Specialist
SUBJECT: Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Policy Directive
ACTION REQUESTED
Introduction of Resolution No. 3766, a Resolution of the Port of Seattle Commission
establishing the Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Policy Directive which directs the
Executive to create a strategy for art and cultural programs across all port facilities, return art
funding to 1% of capital construction projects port-wide, establish art pools for art
expenditures, and create an operational budget for art conservation, maintenance, staffing
needs, cultural programming, and public engagement
.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On September 24, 2019, the Port of Seattle Commission was briefed on the Port-Wide Arts and
Cultural Program Policy Directive. The policy, as proposed, will replace the 2009 Arts Program
policy. The policy has been recommended to Port of Seattle Commission by the Art Committee,
including Commission Chairs Stephanie Bowman and Peter Steinbrueck.
The proposed Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Policy Directive instructs the Executive
Director or his delegates to take the following actions:
• Expand the Port’s art program to include cultural programming and public outreach
efforts.
• Return art funding to one-percent (1%) of all capital construction projects and increase
the project-cost threshold for program eligibility to $300,000 in a phased approach.
• Maintain aviation division project exclusions from participation in art funding and
implement exclusions for maritime division projects from participating in art funding.
• Establish two art pools for art expenditures to flow from to create transparency,
simplicity, and flexibility.
o Aviation will continue to keep their art funds separate from the rest of the Port
due to FAA compliance restrictions.
• Increase operational budget for art conservation and maintenance, cultural
programming, outreach and staffing needs.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8e Page 2 of 6
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
• Create new guidelines for the Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program which outline
specific guidance and direction for art, cultural programming, public engagement and
the functions of the Port-Wide Arts and Culture Board.
• Rename the Art Oversight Committee to the Port-Wide Arts and Culture Board and
restructure the makeup of the Board to emphasize the port-wide role.
• Strengthen the collections database to track art and significant gifts given to the Port
including cost and date of the acquisition, specifics on how each piece was acquired
from, current location of the piece, a short description of the piece, condition,
conservation history and the appraisal value of the piece.
JUSTIFICATION
The Port of Seattle was once a national leader in curating a publicly accessible art collection,
with Sea-Tac Airport being the first public airport to begin investing in artwork in the late 1960s.
The Port’s first art-related program was created on November 15, 2000. The Port of Seattle Art
Program required art to be funded by one percent (1%) of capital projects, created the Art
Oversight Committee, and outlined criteria and guidelines for the selection of art to incorporate
throughout the Port.
The Port has many incentives to develop a Port-Wide Arts and Cultural program. A revised
program will help promote a sense of place to our community and port customers. It will
connect constituents with the work of the Port. Art can be a tool to promote port values
including equity and inclusion. Capital spending on art is also an economic stimulus not just to
artists but to trades and crafts people employed in fabrication and install.
While art inherently encompasses and embraces culture, it is important for the Port to expand
its current program to specifically call out cultural programming. This allows the Port to
showcase the diverse culture that makes up the Pacific Northwest and Seattle through avenues
such as performing arts and public engagement. Incorporating cultural programming as an
element of the overall program also gives the public more opportunity to engage with the Port.
DETAILS
Funding
The 2009 Art Program Policy and Guidelines require capital projects costing over $200,000 to
allocate one-half-of-one-percent (0.5%) to art. When the Port’s art program was initially
established in 2000, funding for art was one-percent (1%). A return to a one-percent (1%)
allocation for art puts the Port on the same funding level as its neighboring jurisdictions. Sound
Transit, Pierce County, Snohomish County, King County, and the City of Seattle all have “One
Percent (1%) for Art” programs in place to fund art integration into their facilities. Many major
airports across the country also have at least one-percent (1%) allocated for art. “Percent for
Art” programs are common across the country at municipal, county, and state levels, with the
average percentage being one-percent (1%).
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8e Page 3 of 6
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
The proposed Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Policy Directive also increases the project-
cost threshold for projects required to allocate money for art from $200,000 to the threshold
for Commission action. Currently, capital projects costing $300,000 or more currently require
Commission approval to move forward. Increasing the project-cost threshold to the threshold
for Commission action allows the Commission and the public to have greater visibility of the art
component of a project.
The proposed Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Policy Directive implements the increase in
art allocation in a phased approach. Beginning January 1, 2020, Aviation division capital
construction projects and cruise terminal projects will allocate one-percent (1%) of their
budgets to art. Non-aviation divisions’ capital construction projects will continue to allocate
one-half-of-one-percent (5%) for art and will increase to one-percent (1%) on January 1, 2021.
The proposed policy directive instructs the Executive to create and maintain a budget for
operational activities of the program: art conservation and maintenance, cultural programming,
staffing needs, and other operational activities to ensure the success of the program.
Project Exclusions
The 2009 Port of Seattle Art Program Policy include the following exclusions from contributing
to the 1% policy:
• Aviation division projects including airfield paving and associated airfield components,
fuel hydrant systems, baggage systems in the bagwell which are not in the public bag
claim area, infrastructure system in non-public areas, and underground utilities.
• Non-Aviation projects including fishing-related docks, berths, dolphins, piles, net sheds,
electrical, and sewage.
• Shared-use fishing capital construction projects shall be excluded proportionally. All
project exclusions port-wide will go into effect on January 1, 2020.
No additional projects are excluded from participation.
Art Pools
Under the 2009 Art Program Policy and Guidelines, art integration is funded by the projects
which the funding stems from. Funds from projects that cannot incorporate art are moved into
the existing art pools. Those pools are used to supplement existing art projects. The 2009 Art
Program Policy and Guidelines established art pools for each of the Port’s participating
divisions: Aviation, Seaport, and Real Estate.
The proposed policy directive creates two art pools to fund all art expenditures directly. The
Aviation Art Pool would remain intact, and a Non-Aviation Art Pool would be created to replace
the Seaport and Real Estate art pools and fund art for all non-aviation divisions. Both pools will
be funded by projects’ art allocations of one-percent, and the pools in turn fund art
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8e Page 4 of 6
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
expenditures. The rationale behind this process is transparency, simplicity and flexibility.
Establishing art pools which directly fund art expenditures ensures that the Port can
incorporate art wherever the Port-Wide Arts and Culture Board deems fit, rather than being
tied to a specific project. Art pools also create single funds for expenditures to flow from,
making it easy to track how much money is spent on art throughout the Port.
Port-Wide Arts and Culture Board
The Art Oversight Committee was established when the Port’s art program was established in
2000. This committee provides guidance, leadership, and support to the Port of Seattle in its
acquisition and integration of art throughout the Port and Port-related facilities. Makeup of the
committee is as follows:
Existing Art Oversight Committee Membership
As many as nine (9) members:
• Six (6) members appointed by the Commission:
1. Commission President (or a commissioner appointed by the Commission President).
2. Representative of the regional visual arts community.
3. Visual artist.
4. Visual art curator.
5. Architect familiar with the Port’s design vision and standard.
6. A member of the community at large.
• Three (3) members appointed by the Chief Executive Officer:
1. Seaport Managing Director or designee.
2. Real Estate Managing Director or designee.
3. Airport Managing Director or designee.
The proposed Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Policy Directive renames the committee to
the Port-Wide Arts and Culture Board so there is no confusion about whether it is a chartered
committee.
Proposed Arts and Culture Board Membership
Nine (9) members:
• Two (2) Commissioners, appointed by the Commission President
• Three (3) members of the Executive Leadership Team or their delegate
1. Seaport Managing Director or designee
2. Economic Development Director or designee
3. Airport Managing Director or designee
• Four (4) members from the regional art community, nominated by the board and
appointed by the Commission.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8e Page 5 of 6
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
The board will continue to provide guidance, leadership and support to the Port in its goals to
integrate art into Port and Port-related facilities. Members will be required to have a
professional background in fine and/or performing arts. The board will conduct themselves
according to Robert’s Rules of Order, and their specific duties, membership requirements and
other functions will be delineated by the Port-Wide Arts and Cultural Program Guidelines.
2007 Audit
The Port was audited by the State in 2007 on its construction management. Included in the final
audit report were findings about the Port’s Art Program. Auditors found that the program’s
policies were unclear and needed revision. The report recommended the following actions:
1. Define what “accessible and visible to the public” means;
2. Clarify how one-percent (1%) determinations are made when major projects consist of
portions that are clearly outside of the policy’s defined base;
3. Clarify when matters should be referred to the Commission for discussion in public
meetings;
4. Implement a required budget-vs-actual reporting mechanism for each project to ensure
accountability; and
5. Require the Art Oversight Committee to document their determinations of which
projects comply with all provisions of the program guidelines.
Following the 2007 audit report, the Art Program was revised to address the concerns raised by
the audit. The revised Art Program Policy and Guidelines were approved by Commission on
August 26, 2008. The following revisions were made:
1. Art funding decreased from one-percent (1%) of construction costs of publicly visible or
accessible capital projects to one-half-of-one-percent (0.5%) of design and construction
costs of capital improvement projects.
2. Commission involvement decreased from approval of all art recommendations made by
the Art Oversight Committee (AOC) to setting art policy, providing overall guidance for
the Port’s art program, and other duties.
3. Implementation of a budget tracking system for all art projects to be tracked on a
budget-versus-actual-costs basis.
4. Art Oversight Committee documenting compliance of projects with the provisions of the
Art Program Policy and Guidelines.
The Art Program was revised again in 2009 and approved on December 15, 2009 as the 2009
Port of Seattle Art Program Policy and Guidelines. Revisions were made to the following areas:
1. Criteria created for a project to be eligible for consideration of art pool funding.
2. Art procurements exempted from the CPO-1 procurement policy.
3. Artist and artwork selection process criteria meets the requirements of state law and
takes into consideration State of Washington Arts Commission standards.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8e Page 6 of 6
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
4. Art Oversight Committee membership increased from eight (8) members to nine (9)
members.
The 2009 Port of Seattle Art Program Policy and Guidelines is the current policy in place at the
Port.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST
(1) Draft Resolution No. 3766
(2) Draft Policy Directive
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
September 24, 2019 – Port of Seattle Commission briefing on the Port-Wide Arts and
Cultural Program Policy Directive
December 15, 2009 – the Commission approved a request for revision to the Port of Seattle
Art Program Policy and Guidelines. Revisions were made to the art pool, artwork
procurement policy, artist selection process, and Art Oversight Committee membership.
August 26, 2008 – the Commission approved a request for revision to the Port of Seattle Art
Program Policy and Guidelines. Revisions were made in accordance with
Recommendation 48 of the 2007 SAO Audit Report on Port of Seattle Construction
Management to art funding, Commission involvement, cost tracking, and compliance
documentation.
November 15, 2000 – the Commission was briefed on the Port of Seattle Program
Guidelines. The briefing provided an in-depth discussion of guidelines and criteria for
selecting art pieces for the Port, the creation of an Art Oversight Committee, and art
funding set at one-percent (1%) of capital projects. No formal request for action was
made during this briefing.
