ST. PETERSBURG Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council will vote on Thursday to approve the sixth extension for Artonomy to complete the Sunshine City Mosaic for Sunset Park.
“When it’s late, that’s very frustrating to me,” said Council Chair Copley Gerdes. “We have to stick to the commitments.”
Artonomy consists of three local artists, Laura Spencer, Alex Kaufman, and George Retkes, who appeared before city council on May 15 to ask for the extension. Spencer said last year’s hurricanes and limited access to an exclusive tool caused the most recent delay.
“This water jet is owned by MGA Studios,” she said. “So our access is limited to after MGA’s work hours and as long as the equipment is functional.”
Artonomy was commissioned by the city in August 2022, for $50,000, to create a 172 foot long, 800 square foot mosaic of a pelican, lizard and fish, which consists of 15,000 tiles. The artists said they have been working hard on the intricate project because they love the city and want to make it beautiful.
A committee which wanted to use local and emerging artists chose Artonomy, according to Celeste Davis, Director of Arts, Culture and Tourism. The deadline to complete the mural was May 31.
City council members said they were caught off guard by the last minute extension request.
“I do want to say to the artists you cannot wait until the last minute when there is a date in a contract and you want to ask for an extension,” said Vice Chair Lisset Hanewicz. “You’ve had ample time to do this and the problem you have is when you’re asking for extensions after the fact, the other party loses faith.”
Most council members indicated that despite their frustrations with the stalled project, they were inclined to grant one more extension.
“I want to make sure that you can complete it,” said Gerdes. “I’m super excited. Nobody will be smiling bigger than me when this is unveiled in District 1.”
On Thursday, the city will propose a resolution to City Council approving a reinstatement and second amendment to the agreement with Artonomy, to provide that 98 percent of fabrication and design services be completed by July 31. The entirety of the artist’s performance must be completed by October 31, according to city spokesperson Samantha Bequer.
The city poured a new sidewalk in May 2023 at the northeast corner of Sunset Park where the Sunshine City Mosaic will be installed.