Public Arts Committee Recommends Approval Of Placement Of Temporary Pinecone Sculpture In Veterans Memorial Park

The Public Arts Committee is meeting 07/02/2025. The one item on the agenda was a request from Hannah Ohayon, the Appleton Public Library’s Artist in Residence Program, to create and place a temporary sculpture out of pinecones in Veterans Memorial Park. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the request be approved.

I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download:

The Appleton Public Library runs an Artist-in-Residence program. APL describes the program thusly: “Each residency lasts three consecutive months. Artists provide three engagement events (e.g. workshops, demonstrations, lectures) and display art in our gallery. Artists receive a $600 honorarium and up to $250 for program supplies (funded by the Friends of the Appleton Public Library), coordinated workspace, and promotion of art and residency through our communication outlets.”

This quarter’s artist in residence is Hannah Ohayon an artist who creates art by placing nature-based items on the ground in patterns such as lines, spirals, and circles. She would like to hold a community event on 07/24/2025 from 5:30PM-7:30PM (subject to change depending on the weather) in Veterans Memorial Park in which she will work with 30 community members to lay pinecones out in a pattern on the ground in a wooded area of the park. The pinecones would be gathered in the park and supplemented with other pinecones that she gathered elsewhere.

The committee reviewed the request and asked a number of questions.

Committee member Beu Vang asked what the meaning of the pattern was and was told it had no meaning; it was just a pattern.

He asked if the event was associated with veterans and was told it was not; the event was merely taking place in the newly renamed Veterans Memorial Park.

Committee member Elyse-Krista Mische asked if gloves would be available for participants. Staff member Lily Paul responded, “So, I think with the glove one, it would be in part of the like the calendar invite saying, like, bring or be aware of that you’re gonna be working with this. Bring something that you would need to handle them.”

Ms. Mische also asked from where the additional supplemental pinecones would be sourced (and specifically wondered if they would come from Hobby Lobby) and if there was any concern about bringing them into the park. Additionally, she wanted to know if the pinecones would be picked up at the end of the event of “left naturally to kind of dissipate on their own?”

Ms. Paul responded that the Parks and Recreation department did not have any concerns about pinecones being brought in. The pinecones would be sourced from nature, and “since they are sourced from nature, leaving them would be also fine.” [Technically speaking, pinecones from Hobby Lobby originate in nature also.]

Committee member Vang wanted to know if water would be available to participants so that heat stroke, particularly in children, could be avoided. He was told that registration was capped at 30 participants and although children were welcome the event was intended more for adults. Per Ms. Paul, “If adults do bring a child, that’s fine, but having water is a consideration that they will make.”

The committee ended up voting unanimously to recommend the request be approved.

[I doubt this write-up captures the very “Waiting For Guffman”-esque quality of this meeting or the inherent level of absurdity in someone seeking approval to lay out pinecones on the ground of a public park and everybody pretending that it’s genuine art. But at the same time, if this is the process then this is the process and I’m glad the committee members are trying to carry out their duties conscientiously. I will say, it’s a small thing, but I’m not sure the details of how the event will be run (i.e. whether the participants will be provided gloves and water) is within the purview of the committee. I thought they strictly had oversight over the artistic aspect of the request.]

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1317280&GUID=76325815-C40E-48D6-A942-A406AA1F3409