Palm Springs art commission approves up to $50,000 for sculpture repairs, adds time capsule to inventory

The Palm Springs Public Art Commission on Thursday approved spending up to $50,000 this fiscal year to repair the artwork Crawler and the Pride Monument and to maintain the monument, subject to City Council approval if needed.

Chair Gary Armstrong said the motion lets staff carry out the work and find the money from the public art fund or other sources without returning to the commission.

The Pride Monument’s upkeep alone would cost $1,500 a month, staff said, based on an estimate from contractor Signature Sculpture. To repair the damaged area on another sculpture, Crawler, the artist quoted $7,500 while a full repaint could run roughly $20,000.

The pride monument was vandalized with paint handprints and writing, “Somebody had written, ‘hate, hatred, hated’ up on the monument,” Chair Gary Armstrong said. “We documented it, we sent them to the police department.”

Also causing problems on the monument was mineral buildup in its seams. Armstrong said he believes water is the cause, and that the city has moved irrigation. City Parks and Recreation does a light cleaning, project manager John Brickley said, while Signature Sculpture would do a more restorative one.

Some commissioners questioned the long-term cost. One said she worried other pieces could drop off the maintenance schedule if money shifts to the monument. Armstrong said the commission may ask council for a larger maintenance budget if problems continue after about three months. Commissioners also discussed reviewing the maintenance schedule quarterly.

The commission also voted to accept a time capsule buried 25 years ago on a block of Arenas Road into its commemorative art category, at the request of the LGBTQ+ History and Archives of the Desert. The capsule’s status could be reconsidered for opening or extension at the end of its natural life, under the motion. The archives will keep the related video and materials.

The city’s gifting application must be completed, and council must give final approval. The archives asked for a press release and an event at the site in October, which is LGBTQ+ History Month, and Armstrong said that could be arranged.

In other business, Armstrong said the AIDS Memorial is still targeting a Dec. 1 dedication. The commission is still accepting donations to cover the final budget gap.

Armstrong said he asked staff to schedule a meeting within two weeks on the Taming of the Horses installation alongside Riverside Drive, adjacent to Tahquitz Creek. The site is in a wash controlled by floodplain authorities, and the tribe has offered to donate historic markers.

A downtown mural is set to be installed Oct. 20 on a utility building at a parking garage. Commissioners were asked to visit potential community mural sites, including parking garages, ahead of a vote next month. Council must approve any new locations.

Staff said the city attorney is still working on proposed changes to the public art ordinance. A dedication for the Creature Alley sculptures, installed in June, has no date yet.

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