Councilmember Johnny Khamis
has announced in his Nov. 2018 newsletter the following :
“Join us on Saturday, December 8th, at 8:30 AM, for an early morning celebration of the completion of the Beautility water vault painting project – a project to beautify local utility infrastructure in TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks.
There are twelve concrete block structures, called water vaults, throughout both parks, stretching from Almaden Expressway to Coleman Road. The Martin-Fontana Parks Association (MFPA) was interested in having murals painted on them to make them a more beautiful part of the park, instead of the boring concrete ‘blocks’ that they are. My team and I looked carefully through the District 10 Parks budget and found that there was funding available in the line item for Park Art. We proposed the idea to Michael Ogilvie, Director of Public Art for the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs, who was immediately excited about the project. He worked closely with our partners at the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), the owners of the vaults, to get all the permissions and permitting required, and posted a Request for Proposal, seeking artists to paint the murals. A Review Panel was convened, which included community members, and six artists were selected, each given two vaults to paint. A grant was provided by the Water District to cover the cost of permitting, and the project moved forward.
Working out all the details and moving parts took many months, and we are excited to finally be able to celebrate the completion of this beautification effort. We are grateful to Michael for all the work he did to make this possible and those he partnered with here at the City, the Water District, and the MFPA to bring this special project to fruition. He found some amazing artists who have all done a fantastic job!
For the celebration on December 8th, we will be meeting near the dog park on Golden Oak Way at 8:30 AM. Several of the vaults are visible nearby, and a map will be provided to show the locations of all the vaults, along with the names of the artists. Guests are encouraged to walk through the park to view these lovely works of art.
This event will happen rain or shine. Canopies will be available should we be blessed with rain. Coffee and donuts will also be available.”
MARTIN-FONTANA PARKS ASSOCIATION 