Los Alamos Art in Public Places Board Meets March 26 at Municipal Building

The Los Alamos County Art in Public Places Advisory Board gathered Thursday evening at the Municipal Building on Central Avenue, one of its regular monthly sessions drawing residents with a stake in how public art shapes the county's streets, plazas, and civic buildings.

The board holds its meetings on the last Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Room 110 of the Municipal Building at 1000 Central Avenue. Thursday's session carried a finalized agenda with six items, and a Zoom link was available for anyone unable to attend in person, with the link accessible through the posted agenda on the county's Legistar system.

The board operates at the intersection of capital spending and community identity. Its mandate is to encourage art's integration into the architecture of municipal structures, increase public awareness of art, and visually enhance the community, with the Art in Public Places fund drawing one percent of the budget of any capital improvement project and one-half of one percent of the budget of any road project.

That mandate has kept the board busy in recent months. A new artist selection model was piloted for the Police Station Lion Sculpture project, focusing first on collecting qualifications and interest, with artist stipends approved for design development and contracts finalized with selected finalists. A design phase was also completed for the Justice Center Wall project following a community input process, with the design reviewed and approved by County Council and a commission contract executed with the selected artist for the creation of a glass-tiled mosaic.

The board is also mid-stream on the Barranca Mesa Homesteaders art project, which continues as an active item on the work plan.

Membership on the board has also been in flux. Los Alamos County was accepting applications for one vacant seat on the Art in Public Places Board as recently as this month, with the vacancy carrying a two-year term expiring March 24, 2028. Interested county residents who do not hold public office and are not employed by the county may submit an online application through the county's Boards and Commissions webpage, with applications accepted until the vacancy is filled.

The board integrates art into public spaces, promotes public awareness, and creates visually inspiring environments that reflect Los Alamos County's history and culture. For those who follow its work, the published agenda and any supporting documents are available through the county's Legistar portal at losalamos.legistar.com.