TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JAMIE EARL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
DATE: APRIL 28, 2026
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC ART FOR EL BARRIO PARK (FUNDING SOURCE: PUBLIC ART FUND)
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SUMMARY
On December 8, 2025, artist Jose Antonio Aguirre presented an art concept to the Public Art Committee for a series of mosaic steles and mosaic panels to be installed at El Barrio Park. The Public Art Committee unanimously approved the proposal and recommends the City enter into an agreement with Mr. Aguirre to fabricate the artwork.
The artwork proposed includes nine free-standing sculptures (steles) which feature photographic tiles depicting the history of the Arbol Verde neighborhood and the east and west barrios in Claremont placed throughout the park. The proposal also includes mosaic panels on the back of the park monument and on the exterior sides of the park restroom building. The park restroom wall panels include two mosaics pieces by Jose Antonio Aguirre, which will be donated to the City by the Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles. As part of the El Barrio Public Art Proposal (Attachment A), Mr. Aguirre will conduct work sessions with the community to help set the mosaic tile designs
The selection of the artist and art proposal comes after several years of community meetings and neighborhood input sessions. The artists invited to present proposals to the Public Art Committee were selected by a judging panel made up of residents of the Arbol Verde neighborhood and representatives from Claremont Heritage, the art community, and an Ad Hoc Committee of the Public Art Committee.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council:
A. Approve the purchase of the Jose Antonio Aguirre artwork as recommended by the Public Art Committee;
B. Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Jose Antonio Aguirre for $82,000 for the purchase of the mosaic tile sculptures and tile panels, fabrication, delivery, and installation; and
C. Appropriate $82,000 from the Public Art Fund to fund the purchase and installation of the artwork and the plaque.
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The proposed artwork includes fabrication of nine tile sculptures (steles), one monument sign tile panel, and four exterior restroom wall tile panels. The total cost for materials, fabrication, delivery, and installation is $82,000, which will be paid to Jose Antonio Aguirre. Sufficient funds are available in the Public Art Fund for this purchase and if approved, the balance of the Public Art Fund will be $116,552
Claremont McKenna College has committed $20,000 to the project, which will be paid to the City as a reimbursement. Additionally, the Mexican American Cultural Institute of Los Angles is donating two existing mosaic pieces by Jose Antonio Aguirre valued at $22,000 to the project. These two pieces will be incorporated into the mosaic wall panels on the exterior restroom walls.
The staff cost to prepare this report and administer the program is estimated at $450 and is included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
ANALYSIS
In 2019, the Public Art Committee (PAC) identified a mural at El Barrio Park as a Work Plan priority, concurrent with the City and Claremont McKenna College’s planned park renovations. Originally opened in 1972 to serve the Arbol Verde neighborhood, the park improvements began in January 2022 and were completed in July 2022 after a two-year delay.
An Ad Hoc Committee was appointed to develop the project scope. Due to site constraints, including the absence of a suitable wall surface and the future timing of perimeter wall construction, the Committee recommended a freestanding public art installation rather than a traditional mural. The original area designated for the artwork was the northeast section of the park in a landscaped area.
The Ad Hoc Committee issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking artists to collaborate with the community to design artwork reflecting the Arbol Verde neighborhood’s history, culture, and future. A community selection panel reviewed submissions and advanced five artists to interviews, ultimately selecting three finalists: Jose Antonio Aguirre; Angel Villanueva; and the team of Cathy Garcia, Athena Hahn, and Alba Cisneros.
Community engagement was a central component of the process. Finalists participated in a public meeting on June 22, 2025, to present their experience and gather input from residents. Finalists were also given access to Claremont Heritage’s Stories of the East and West Barrios Project collection and the Honnold Library archives. On November 6, 2025, Mr. Villanueva withdrew from consideration.
The project budget was established at $50,000 and approved by the PAC. Claremont McKenna College committed an additional $20,000 in support, with other potential supplemental funding sources discussed. The PAC indicated they were open to additional funding from the Public Art Fund or community fundraising efforts if the proposals necessitated it.
On November 17, 2025, the PAC reviewed proposals from the remaining two finalists and voted to continue the item to December 8, 2025, to allow for additional Committee participation and further community review. The Draft Meeting Minutes of the November 17, 2025 Public Art Committee meeting (Attachment B) include the comments received from the public and vote to continue the item to the next Public Art Committee meeting. On December 5, 2025, the Garcia/Hahn/Cisneros team withdrew their proposal.
On December 8, 2025, the Public Art Committee unanimously approved the artwork proposal submitted by Jose Antonio Aguirre and directed staff to work with the artist on artwork locations and installation requirements. The December 8, 2026 Draft Public Art Committee Meeting Minutes (Attachment C) include the Committee’s discussion points and public comments. Following the December 8, 2025 meeting, staff met with the artist to select the locations of the steles sculptures and to discuss installation requirements which are reflected in the art purchase agreement (Attachment D).
The artwork proposed includes nine free-standing sculptures (steles) which feature photographic tiles on the history of the Arbol Verde neighborhood and the east and west barrios in Claremont placed throughout the park. The proposal also includes mosaic panels on the back of the park monument and on the sides of the park restroom building. As part of the proposal, Mr. Aguirre will conduct work sessions with the community to help set the mosaic tile designs. Mr. Aguirre will present the final designs with photo selections to the PAC before fabrication begins.
COMMISSION REVIEW
The Public Art Committee reviewed the finalists’ proposal at its November 17, 2025 meeting. Draft Meeting Minutes are included as Attachment B. The November 17, 2025 meeting was continued to December 8, 2025. At that meeting, the PAC voted to select Jose Antonio Aguirre’s proposal and recommend approval by the City Council. Draft Meeting Minutes from the December 8, 2025 meeting are included as Attachment C.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds the item applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities and the 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Jamie Earl Bevin Handel
Assistant City Manager Public Information Officer
Attachments:
A - Jose Antonio Aguirre Proposal
B - Draft 11/17/25 Public Art Committee Minutes
C - Draft 12/8/25 Public Art Committee Minutes
D - J. Aguirre Art Purchase Agreement