HomeMy Public PortalAboutKarla Eitel - Letter of InterestKarla Eitel I PO Box 141 I McCall 1208.301.4794 I karla.bradley.eitel@gmail.com
October 1, 2017
Public Art Advisory Committee
c/o BessieJo Wagner, Clerk
City of McCall
216 East Park Street
McCall, ID 83638
Dear Selection Committee,
Please accept this letter of interest for a position on the Public Art Advisory Committee of the City of
McCall. I was very excited to see the announcement of this position as it combines a long-standing
interest of mine with a place that I love.
My interest in public art stems from my time as an Art major at Williams College where I studied
contemporary American art forms and took a class in public art. After graduation, I moved to New York
City where I worked for a Public Art consultant. We worked with architects and their clients to select works
of art for public spaces that would be installed as part of new buildings — for example, we worked on
Terminal One at JFK airport, seeing an Alice Aycock sculpture all the way through from concept to
installation. We also worked with the City of Peekskill, NY to develop an "arts led" economic development
plan that included artists residences and the design of public spaces that would promote community. In
this work, I learned a lot about the importance of including all the stakeholders — from the client, to the
maintenance staff, to the "public" in the process of selecting art. I also learned about the importance of
working to find the right artist for the space and allowing the client to choose from a small group of pre -
selected artists, all of whom would be great choices.
More importantly, I learned that art can play a significant role in creating spaces that support communities
to gather, to learn and to interact with each other. I learned that well designed works for public spaces
can transform our relationship to that place.
I moved to McCall in 2003 to help develop the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources' McCall
Outdoor Science School (MOSS). I am currently faculty in the department of Natural Resources and
Society at the UI and Director of Education for MOSS. My path to McCall and to my current career was
somewhat winding, but in McCall I have found a place where I can do all the things I like to do outside,
work at a job that is rewarding, raise a family in a strong community and find ways to give back.
While I have the chance to build community through my work at MOSS, I have missed the chance to
interact with the art community in the same way. Serving on the Public Art Advisory Committee would be
a great way to give back to the community while satisfying my personal interest in seeing high quality art
that is well suited for the spaces it will occupy and that, more importantly, might help to connect our
community more deeply to this wonderful place that we call home.
Karla Eitel