Public Art Commission - December 18, 2025

Commission sets aside up to $50,000 for 2026 Artlift grants

The Public Art Commission voted 4-0 to approve up to $50,000 from the Art in Public Places CIP fund for the fourth round of Artlift Grants. The program calls for 10 grants of $5,000 each for temporary projects centered on Downtown, California Avenue and the Cubberley Community Center. Projects may run for up to six months.

Staff said funded projects must be free, accessible, safe and appropriate for their locations. Applicants must be at least 18 and demonstrate a connection to Palo Alto.

The application period is expected to open in early January and close during the third week of February. A panel will review proposals in February and March, with its recommendations returning to the commission for approval. Grants and artist contracts are planned for March and April, followed by projects from April through December 2026.

Two downtown mural designs advance as Cannery work nears completion

The commission voted 4-0 to approve conceptual designs by Nigel Sussman for the Pacific Art League and Mona Caron for Max Smoke Shop. The city-financed murals will be painted on private property, with staff coordinating dates from winter into spring. Under the agreement described by staff, the city would maintain the murals for five years.

Staff said the designs draw from Palo Alto and local-area history and may not include advertising or imagery associated with the businesses. The initiative had been paused over state commercial-painter licensing requirements, but staff said Senate Bill 456 would allow the murals to proceed beginning Jan. 1.

Commissioner Robin Mullery asked about paint, protective coating and nighttime visibility for the Max Smoke Shop mural because of its dark, narrow alley location and possible future installations there. Staff said the alley has a light fixture. A third design by Harumo Sato is expected to reach the commission in February or March, with painting anticipated in April 2026.

Separately, staff reported that mosaic tile murals at the former Fry’s site at the Cannery were nearly complete. Installation of the top portion was expected Dec. 19, weather permitting. The murals incorporate imagery from the site’s agricultural, Chinese American, Stanford and Silicon Valley history, but remain inaccessible while the property is under construction.

Engineering contract receives up to $10,000 more

The commission voted 4-0 to add up to $10,000 to an existing contract with Hocbach-Lewin Inc. for on-call structural engineering services and extend the contract term by three years. The contract began in 2020 with an original allocation of $50,000.

Staff said the services are used primarily for temporary public art projects that require structural calculations. Individual assignments generally cost between $3,000 and $6,000, depending on complexity. The additional money will supplement the contract’s remaining balance and reduce the need for another amendment. The firm’s services have supported artwork development at King Plaza and consultation on hardware for the Sherman Avenue garage.

Donated self-portrait joins the city art collection

The commission voted 4-0 to accept “Self-Portrait as Athena in the Kitchen in June 2019” into the city collection. The 28-by-20-inch archival pigment print was produced in 2025 using pencil, pastel and ink on Kozo Japanese mulberry paper.

The donation was made under the Cubberley Artist Studio Program agreement, through which an artist donates an artwork in exchange for subsidized rent. The future installation site has not been determined; staff said works in the portable collection rotate among locations throughout the city and collection information will be available online.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet