New art installation planned for Hotel Sebastopol site
Sebastopol Center for the Arts will curate the exhibition on the empty lot across from the downtown plaza.
Piazza Hospitality, the developer of the long-promised Hotel Sebastopol, has invited Sebastopol Center for the Arts to fill the company’s fenced-off empty lot in downtown with an exhibition of large-scale public art.
Sebastopol Center for the Arts Director Serafina Palandech said Piazza’s president Circe Sher reached out to SebArts in October.
“She asked, ‘Do you guys want to help us bring art to that space?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely!’ We’re thrilled to work with them to find some artists and some artwork that would be great in that space.”
Sher said public art has long been a part of Piazza developments.
“We have included art in all our projects and have sponsored many public art projects, including the recent Maria de los Angelos four-story mural on the exterior of our Harmon Guest House in Healdsburg,” she said. “We like the good energy art brings to a space.”
“Throughout the years we have worked with and supported Sebastopol Center for Arts and thought they would be the ideal partner on this project,” Sher said. “It’s always great when an organization can go beyond their walls for more exposure in the community.”
The Belonging Project
The project to be developed on the future site of the Sebastopol Hotel is called “The Belonging Project.” Sebastopol Center for the Arts released a call for artists a few days ago. Here’s the description of the project for that call:
Sebastopol Center for the Arts and Piazza Hospitality invite artists to submit work for an upcoming public art exhibition exploring the theme of Belonging. This exhibit will delve into the intricate connections between people and places, the bonds that tie individuals to a community, and the universal search for a sense of connectedness.
We seek sculptures, site-specific artworks, or installations that interpret the concept of “belonging” in diverse and meaningful ways. Artists are encouraged to reflect on themes such as:
Belonging to a small town and the Sebastopol community
The significance of feeling connected
The role of community in shaping identity
A sense of place and connection to the natural and built environment
Environmental sustainability and celebrating the beautiful place of Sebastopol and West County.
Art pieces must also be able to withstand the weather and the wear-and-tear of being outside. The call for artists will be open from now through March 28.
“The idea is to make a place that draws people in, that creates community, and then to really proactively engage folks into conversations and creating a sense of belonging,” Palandech said.
A blank canvas
This isn’t the first time that this site has been used for an art exhibition. Local artist Ned Kahn put a series of wind-driven sculptures on the site in 2020. Before that, in 2017, local street artist Roland Smith wove designs made of strips of fabric all over the chainlink fence as a kind of guerilla art protest against the hotel. (The hotel has memorialized Smith’s art project on its hotel website.)
Palandech believes The Belonging Project will be a popular, if temporary, addition to the town.
“I know a lot of the businesses would love there to be some engagement in that space downtown, and, yes, creating more beauty downtown would create more tourism. So I think it meets a lot of our needs,” Palandech said.
For insurance purposes, the site will remain fenced and locked, which means art lovers will have to view the artwork from afar.
“We’re trying to engage with some artists on how to utilize the fence as part of an interactive art project. So, for example, weaving—we could do some kind of fiber art weaving on the fence. Or there could be some kind of sound project. These are just different ideas that we are exploring to have it be interactive,” Palandech said.
She also said that SebArts had applied for a T-Mobile Hometown grant to help fund the project. She expects to hear back about that grant in mid-February.
What about the hotel?
The installation of The Belonging Project doesn’t necessarily mean the hotel won’t be breaking ground this year, Sher said. What it does mean is that the empty lot will look a lot nicer in the interim.
As for the hotel, Sher said, “We are standing by, monitoring interest rates and continuing to pursue creative sources of financing not beholden to interest rates,” Sher said. “If something opens up, it’s possible we could start construction before the end of the year, but if that was the case, we would certainly work with Sebastopol Center for the Arts to relocate the artwork if they would like. We love this hotel project and continue to be committed to making it happen,” she said.
The ridiculous nonsense that passes for "Art" in Sebastopol isn't art at all IMO. It's ridiculous, most often ugly (Florence Avenue is a perfect example of destroying a historical street with rusty garbage art) and only a Pot-head would think any of it is art. I'm a life long Sebastopolian and that's my 2 cents today.
With interest rates trending up I think Hotel Sebastopol is further off in the future.