Efforts Increase to Improve the Public Art Picture : Colleges, Governments, Businesses Take Steps to Display a Variety of Works

Nobody is ready to declare the San Fernando Valley a mecca for art.

“But there is definitely more art now than there was a few years ago,” said Harriet Sculley, president of the San Fernando Valley Arts Council. “People are beginning to realize that the Valley is not a separate community from Los Angeles, that it fits into the overall scene.”

In 1986, the city of Burbank turned down a proposal that would have forced developers to contribute 1% of a project’s cost (for any development exceeding $500,000) to improve art at the site and contribute to a general art fund for that city.

North Hollywood is now the only part of the Valley where developers are required to contribute to the arts. There, under Community Redevelopment Agency guidelines, developers pay at least 0.5% of a project’s cost to an art fund. A part of property taxes is also earmarked for the arts.

So far, the redevelopment agency’s art fund has grown to $130,000. Jerry Belcher, the agency’s project manager for North Hollywood, said more than $500,000 is needed to finance a public art project.

Said Sculley: “If you’re asking if the Valley will ever have a formidable amount of public art, the answer is yes. But it is not going to happen overnight. These things take time.”

Colleges, government officials and corporations are making increasing efforts to improve the public art scene north of the Sepulveda Pass.

At Cal State Northridge, the main gallery in the Fine Arts Building displays works ranging from watercolors to photography to contemporary sculpture. More than 35,000 people a year--many of them area residents who visit the campus specifically to see the constantly changing exhibits--might view creations by Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Max Beckmann or Michael C. McMillen, as well as examples of ethnic art. Admission is free.

Two smaller galleries at the university display other works and student art. Oviatt Library features a 16th-Century Duerer print. And a planned expansion of the North Campus could include a large gallery to exhibit more of CSUN’s diverse 500-piece collection, much of which remains in storage, said Louise Lewis, director of the school’s art gallery.

The school also is trying to raise funds to build a sculpture garden on the North Campus. The garden would include works by a number of prominent artists, including Dewain Valentine, that are scattered around the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St.

How did the school amass these works? “The entire collection has been donated,” said Lewis. “The school is simply the caretaker of all these pieces. We feel they improve the campus environment and provide an educational experience.”

Pierce College also operates a gallery, though the school lacks its own collection.

“We try to provide something that is provocative and stimulating, something that students and the public can enjoy,” said Wallace Hylton, gallery director at Pierce. He estimates that a rather modest 200 to 250 people visit each exhibit, which changes monthly.

College campuses are not the only places that display art in the Valley. The city of Los Angeles oversees several spaces open to the public.

The Encino Photography Center at Encino Park has a gallery. At the McGroarty Cultural Art Center in Tujunga, an 18-room Spanish mansion houses classes on arts topics and displays the art and photography of prominent local artists.

The city also is trying to display art at large public buildings, such as the Van Nuys City Hall. A major historical photo display of Los Angeles is scheduled to open in the next few months. It will include about 30 pieces from such notable architectural photographers as Julius Shulman and Bruce Boehner.

Corporations are getting into the act. The Voit Cos. in Woodland Hills, for example, has made a point of displaying some of its corporate collection. Also, the real estate development firm has held competitions for college art students. In one instance, a large wooden fence was erected around a construction site and artists were asked to paint sections of it. Winners were awarded cash prizes and scholarships.

And, at the Art Store Gallery in Studio City, the works of top Los Angeles artists are displayed, thanks to funding provided by Standard Brands Paint Co., which operates the gallery.

The San Fernando Valley Arts Council puts on shows of its own. The 250-member organization offers eight to 12 exhibits a year, featuring well-known Los Angeles sculptors and painters. Said Sculley: “It is a place to see some outstanding local talent.”