09/18/2018 05A Larson Gallery Letter of Support Recommendation1
BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDASTATEMENT
Item No. 5.A.
For Meeting of: September 18, 2018
ITEM TITLE: Council Partnership Committee recommendation regarding Larson
Gallery letter of support
SUBMITTED BY: Cliff Moore, City Manager
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
At the August 16, 2018, Council Partnership Committee, Larson Gallery Director David Lynx
requested a letter of support for the Larson Gallery -- West Campus capital campaign. The
Committee recommends the City Council support this request.
ITEM BUDGETED:
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
APPROVED FOR
SUBMITTAL:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve request
BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date
D draft support letter 9,/10/2018
0 l ars on 8/16/2018
Type
Coker Memo
Coker Memo
2
September 11, 2018
Senator Curtis King
P.O. Box 40414
Olympia, WA 98504
The members of the Yakima City Council are writing to recommend the Member Request
submitted by Larson Gallery Guild that will enable their organization to build the new Larson
Gallery as part of the West Campus project at Yakima Valley College.
The Larson Gallery Guild has supported the Larson Gallery since 1965 and know how important
this project is for the college and the entire community. Thleir work, in partnership with
Yakima Valley College has resulted in being a leader in visua arts for the entire community.
This new facility will expand their capacity to bring new exhibits to enhance the quality of life in
the area, provide easier access for school children of all grade levels, and easier access for the
citizens of the area who enjoy free admission to their facility.
We recommend and support this project.
City Council
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GALLERY GUILD
Larson Gallery — West Campus
History: The Larson Gallery was built on the new campus of Yakima Valley Junior College in 1949. The Larson
Gallery Guild was formed in 1955 to support the programs and exhibits at the Larson Gallery and was
incorporated as a non-profit in 1965. The mission of the Larson Gallery Guild is to "Inspire artists, students,
and the community through exhibits, programs, collections, and events, and to promote the art and artists of
the region. In 2015, the board of the Guild, adopted a more focused vision statement of "Cultivating a Love of
Art." The board currently consists of 16 members, and gallery a staff of 3.
Demographics: The Larson Gallery serves the Central Washington area including Yakima, Ellensburg,
Goldendale, and the Tri -Cities that now have over a half -million residents. The Central Washington exhibit,
now in its 62nd year, invites artists from 10 counties through the center of Washington State down to Walla
Walla. The Larson Gallery also partners with the Yakima Valley College which has been designated as a
Hispanic Serving Institution. In 2016 the enrollment was 8020, of which 57% were Latino, and 32% White/non-
Hispanic. The Larson Gallery serves the community at large, opening its gallery free to the public with six
exhibits a year, programs, workshops, and special events.
Budget: The yearly budget for the Larson Gallery is met through a partnership between the Larson Gallery
Guild and Yakima Valley College. Yakima Valley College supports the Larson Gallery through the maintenance
of the building, providing the director's salary and benefits, technology, security, and work-study students.
The Larson Gallery Guild provides the funding for exhibits, programs, special events, and staff. With an overall
budget each year of 184,000, the Guild and the College each contribute $92,000.
Challenges: The gallery has been operating since 1949 in the same building, without many changes to the
interior except the construction of new interior walls in 2011 and new track lighting in 1985. New LED lighting
was added in 2012, and new art storage in 2016. The Larson Gallery owns a collection of 500 artworks, with
50% installed in YVC campuses in Yakima, Grandview, Toppenish and Sunnyside. One of the challenges of the
existing building is that the top half of the building is glass block, which makes lighting the gallery a challenge
as the south wall of the gallery receives direct sunlight through the glass blocks that interferes with LED light.
In 2016, special mesh blinds were installed to eliminate much of the glare. Not being able to control daylight
makes it difficult to borrow exhibits that require minimum light exposure.
The gallery serves as a resource for students and teachers who integrate the exhibits into their curriculum, but
also serves the community who find challenges with access. The visitor parking is a few blocks from the
gallery and visitors must first walk to the gallery to obtain a permit, then immediately return to their cars to
display their permits. Although this may seem simple, it does deter people from coming, and its location is
difficult for the community to find.
The gallery offers six exhibits a year. Between each exhibit there is art that is incoming, art on display, and art
that is leaving the gallery. Currently there is no storage dedicated to this process, so art must be stored where
space is available. Caterers serve from a worktable and small closet kitchen that has a sink and a microwave.
LARSON GALLERY GUILD • P.O. BOX 22520 • YAKIMA • WA • 98907 • 509-574-4875
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The loading area for the galiery is a small alley between the gailery and another building that is accessible only
by one car or small truck. The only bathroom used by patrons who access it through the staff office. Our
current gift shop and reception area is a desk in the gailery itself.
Project: Recently the Yakima VaIIey College purchased a shopping area across the Street from the Larson
Gallery that has three empty buildings. One of the goals of the long-term plan for The Larson Gallery Guild
was to create a new modern gailery on campus. The college also had on their Iong-term plan to create a new
space for the gailery, so they agreed that this was the appropriate opportunity to act. Over the past year the
director and Board members have met with the administration and architects for what we would need in the
new space.
The refurbished building, which sits inalarge parking lotwould provide access for the community to park
close to the galiery and it would provide a more visible presence. New loading doors and access to the rear of
the building will allow larger trucks and it would provide the capability for better exhibits. This drive-thru
access will aso allow school buses direct access to the gaflery and parking space. Sections ofthe building
would create a new catering designed kitchen, art storage, separate gift shop and public restrooms. Part of
the building will be used to provide a small tasting room in cojunction with the Yakima Valley College
Vineyard and Technology program out of Grandview who wish to have a presence in Yakima and to provide
wine for exhibit receptions. The exhibit area would enlarge and provide the capability for more than one
exhibit at a time. The cost to create the new gailery within the shell of the proposed building has been
estimated at 1.3 million dollars by BORA architects.
The Larson Galle with the 370 -member Larson Galle Guild has become the visual arts leader for the region.
We see this new step moving to a new more accessible and visible facility as followng our ongoing mission to
Cultivate a Love of Art. The Larson Gallery provides free admission and free school and group tours.
Education: Exhibits and programs integrate into the curriculum of the Yakima Valley College each year. This
year with an exhibit called 4th Grade Stories, photographs of 4th graders from around the world were seen by
school chlldren in Yakima and nearby school districts. For the past five years, catalogues for targeted exhibits
that are aimed toward enhancing the college curriculum, are provided free for classes that utilize the exhibit
for teaching.
Community: The Larson Galiery Guild is community driven. The director serves on the Yakima Arts
Commission and is involved in public art p'ecty education, and promotion of the visual arts. The Larson
Gallery Guild and director also work in partnership with other organizations such as the Yakima Symphony,
Capitol Theatre, Yakima Maker Space, Seasons Performance Hall, and Mighty Tieton to coordinate and create
visual and performing events for the community.
As a partner of the Yakima -Morelia Sister City Association, The Larson Gallery sponsors workshops such as one
on Dia de/os&Yuertosvvithmnart|stconductingaVvorkshOponAotecarts. With a permanent position on the
Yakima Arts Commission the Larson Galiery helps bring art to fill empty downtown windows through the
Windows Alive! Program. In cooperation with the Arts Commission and the City of Yakima, traffic signal boxes
are being covered with art, with 12 competed and 98 on the schedule. The Larson Galery partners with
downtown businesses to provide satellite galleries that have exhibits that are changed approximately every
two months, with artists' talks and other programming. Each week the director writes the visual arts column
LARSON GALLERY GUILD • P.O. BOX 22520 • YAKIMA • WA • 98907 • 509-574-4875
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for the newspaper providing more information about the Larson Gallery and other galleries and art exhibits in
the area.
The Larson Galiery Guild is an active and robust member of the community sharing a love of the visual arts.
LARSON GALLERY GUILD • P.O. BOX 22520 • YAKIMA • WA • 98907 • 509-574-4875