Arts & Culture

Amy T. Howorth has consistently supported various public art and cultural initiatives, including the Youth Art Education Initiative [4], the City Hall Lobby Art Project [9], and the installation of a shark mural at Civic Plaza [17]. She has also supported hybrid models for sculpture gardens and murals, favoring fewer permanent pieces and rotating temporary installations [13]. Howorth has expressed support for public-private partnerships in cultural projects, such as the Strand-Alcove Bench Program [3], and has emphasized transparency in public art maintenance and deaccessioning [20]. She has also supported the inclusion of cultural elements in city identity, such as the Camellia flower designation [15] and the use of the city logo on signage [19].

Over time: Howorth shifted from supporting the exploration of new processes for art selection without immediate action in 2013 [1] to advocating for specific changes in public art visibility and branding by 2024 [17][19].

David Lesser supported aligning art projects with the master plan to avoid redundancy [1], and later advocated for transparency and broader artist inclusion in the Public Art Trust Fund [7]. He opposed the installation of kinetic sculptures due to safety and liability concerns [4], and similarly raised concerns about the 'Love' sculpture and the shark mural's locations [9][12]. He also supported relocating the shark mural to a more appropriate site [14], and emphasized the need for a formal deaccession policy and maintenance budget for public art [17].

Over time: David Lesser shifted from advocating for alignment with the master plan [1] to emphasizing transparency and broader artist inclusion in public art funding [7].

No substantial public record on this issue in our archive.

Richard Montgomery supported permanent art installations over temporary projects in 2017 [1], and later supported the Catalina Classic Statue Project in 2021, emphasizing community support and opposing micromanagement of the design [4]. In 2018, they opposed delaying the Red House preservation project, stressing the urgency of its preservation [3]. They also expressed neutral positions on several arts-related projects, including the Art Center Mural Project [5], the Design and Funding for the Plaque [6], and the Historical Accuracy of Surfboard Shop Plaque [7].

Over time: From 2017 to 2021, Montgomery shifted from supporting permanent art installations [1] to supporting a specific statue project while emphasizing community input [4].