AMENDMENT TWO: "CLOSE THE LOOPHOLES"

Problem: The One Percent for Arts program was meant to apply to all City projects, but it is riddled with loopholes. For example, when the City participates in a public-private partnership, only the public financing is used to calculate the percentage of money used to support the Arts. Numerous projects, like the Pacific Place Garage, Interbay Golf Course, Libraries, Experience Music Project, the Convention Center Parking Garage and the proposed Opera House renovation at Seattle Center are supported in a substantial way by city funds, and yet we collect very little from these projects to support the Arts. 

Solution: Seattle must close the loopholes. The percent for Art must apply to any project in which the city is a financial partner. These projects-the whole and not just the public part of these projects-are  required to meet city planning and urban design standards, historic preservation standards, community review and architectural standards. We must insist that they also meet the Public Art standard. We must stop cooking the books.

Seattle created its nationally imitated One-percent for Art program in 1973. Despite its achievements-art in our parks, our streets,  our buildings-we have allowed it to fall behind nationally. What?-can San Francisco, San Jose and Federal Way allocate 2% to Public Art? Can Dallas find 2.25% in its coffers.? Will we allow Fort Lauderdale, that mecca of the beach party, to give 2.5%-that's right, Fort Lauderdale-while we talk the "leader-in-arts-funding" talk without walking the walk. To add insult to injury, the funding for staff and overhead, originally provided from the City General Fund, must now come from resources meant for the Public Art itself, knocking us down even further to a nationally unimpressive .7 per cent for Art.

Solution.
It is time to aim high instead of at the middle. It is time  to raise our per cent for Art program to 2.5 % for the Arts and every three years, review the figure to see how we stack up nationally. It is  time to switch our motto from "Our Hands are Tied" to "No City above us!"


AMENDMENT THREE: "NO NET LOSS OF ART SPACE

AMENDMENT FOUR: "SAVE THE MIDDLE"

AMENDMENT FIVE: "CALL ARTS MEDIC ONE"

AMENDMENT SIX: "ART TO THE EDGES"

AMENDMENT SEVEN: "LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL"

AMENDMENT EIGHT: "OPEN ARTGATES"

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