A controversial proposal to give Century Walk $100,000 a year to create public city art for the next three years was approved by the Naperville City Council Tuesday night after the deciding vote was cast by Mayor Steve Chirico.
The deal comes with the proviso that $100,000 be spent only on public art on public property, and Century Walk must include a council liaison on its board for financial oversight and provide audited financial reports to the city.
Council members were evenly divided on the plan, with those in opposition saying the city was wrong to move forward with the funding before a city task force had the chance to weigh in on the issue.
Last month, Chirico proposed adding Century Walk to the list of organizations that receive guaranteed funding from the city’s 1% tax on food and beverages through the city’s Special Events and Cultural Amenities program, known as SECA.
Naperville Municipal Band, Naperville Development Partnership and public access channel NCTV-17 are the other guaranteed grant recipients. The $100,000 would be in addition to the $50,000 Century Walk receives for public art repairs and maintenance.
Critics say the action undermines the role of the public art task force that started in February 2020 to review public art in Naperville, develop a plan for the creation and funding public art, and evaluate whether an independent entity should be created or a more formal alliance with nonprofit Century Walk be established.
Councilman Patrick Kelly said he was stumped as to why the council wouldn’t wait until it had all the information it needed from the task force before making a decision. “I feel like we’re jumping the gun,” he said.
The decision doesn’t take into consideration the criticism the city and Century Walk received last summer for its failure to have art represented by a diversity of its residents.
Councilman Benny White said Naperville has changed tremendously since Century Walk was formed 25 years ago, he said. “Our art needs to reflect that,” White said.
Chirico said it’s clear the relationship between SECA and Century Walk has broken down, and that a reliable city partner like Century Walk was rejected by the advisory commission shows the grant application process became political.
“I don’t want to see that happen again,” Chirico said. “I think it’s time for our City Council to give a policy direction on this.”
W. Brand Bobosky, president of Century Walk, has maintained funding from SECA has been scant in recent years and it’s become impossible for the nonprofit to complete its mission of creating public art in the city without it.
The 5-4 council vote came after two hours of debate, including comments from the public for and against making Century Walk a city obligation.
Melvin Kim, former chairman of SECA who now oversees the art task force, said giving Century Walk money has caused “a great deal of confusion” for task force members researching how to establish an inclusive public arts program in the city.
“I’m really here to seek clarification from City Council as to if or how my subcommittee, the exploratory task force, should proceed,” he said.
Chirico and council members reassured the task force that its report is still warranted.
“Just because Century Walk has been the only public art SECA award recipient and applicant in the past 25 years doesn’t mean that they have to be the only one going forward. That it should be open and competitive,” Chirico said.
SECA Commission Chairwoman Judy Brodhead said the council can expect a completed report “certainly by this fall, September, October.”
Council member Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, who supported Century Walk’s request, said she views the money to Century Walk as a bridge until the task force recommendations are up and running.
She also asked staff to look into ownership of public art in Naperville and whether it is in the best interest for the city to own the art.
Councilwoman Theresa Sullivan said what’s she’s learned through vetting Century Walk is the lack of oversight and accountability the city places on organizations that use SECA funds.
While much of the talk centered on the SECA Commission, Sullivan said it oversees less than half the funds. “The rest of it is on us tonight. This vote is what we look over, 58% of it,” she said.
With the council allocating $1.1 million to city obligations Tuesday, city staff said that leaves a balance of $814,283 for the SECA Commission to award during the annual grant process this fall.