Dexter Village Officials Debate Proposed Public Art Ordinance at Monday Work Session

A proposed public art ordinance for the village of Dexter was met with myriad questions from the Village Council during a council work session on Monday.

The proposal, which was drafted by the village’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee, would require 1 percent of the cost of village capital improvement projects, such as roadwork or sewer improvements, to be set aside to fund public art. The maximum to be set aside for each project is $10,000.

Council trustee Ray Tell said he is concerned the ordinance does not clearly outline what public and private art entails.

“I want a definitive example. What constitutes obscene, popular, unpatriotic, etc. Art means different things to different people,” he said. “The definition needs to be tighter. I’m all for art, though I don’t understand it.”

Tell and Village President Shawn Keough said the current proposal doesn’t include an adequate long-term plan for art in the village.

“I want to see a map with site locations, division of funding sources, alternative locations and private vs. public funding options,” Tell said.

Keough, whose criticisms included the proposal’s lack of goals, vision and potential timeline, directed committee members to outline their selection process for public art and a long-term plan that could possibly involve Dexter Community Schools.

“I’m not yet to the point of understanding what the committee’s plan is,” Keough said. “I’m hoping to see a vision of what we’re going to do and how we plan to get there before we start talking about funding.”

Keough said response from a recent capital improvement survey sent to residents shows a low percentage of support for funding public art in the village.

In response to an inquiry of public art locations from trustee Jim Smith, Victoria Schon, committee vice chairman, said the No. 1 location would be in downtown Main Street.

“We have to draw people into our businesses and then branch out,” she said. “The obvious place is downtown."

Other areas of interest include Community Park, Warrior Creek Park, Mill Creek Park, Peace Park and the Baker Road corridor.

Trustee Donna Fisher said she would like to see the committee appoint a diverse subcommittee that could, for example, consist of representatives from the Downtown Development Authority, Planning Commission and Parks Department to serve as the art selection committee in order to ensure continuity. Currently the Arts, Culture and Heritage committee is also listed as the oversight committee under the proposed ordinance.

“Our motivation is not to upset anyone,” Chairman Mike Vickers said. “We are motivated simply by vitality and creating spaces. We’re not looking at bringing in objectionable art to make a statement. The goal is to make Dexter a place that people want to walk around and enjoy.”

The committee said it would revise its proposal to include recommendations from the council. The Arts, Culture & Heritage Committee meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Dexter Senior Center. The next meeting is Aug. 2.