Public Art Conference Archive—2004

Concurrent Sessions: "Insertions" and the Liberated Library: The Recollecciones Project, San Jose Library Case Study
Summary by Kelly Rutan

Panelists:

• Mary Rubin, San Jose Public Art Program, San Jose, CA
• Mel Chin, Artist, Burnsville, NC

In 1999 the city of San Jose, California was presented with the San Jose Martin Luther King, Jr. Joint Library project; a project which joined the book collections of the city and the University of San Jose into one public library. While this in itself is amazing, considering that a book collection of such magnitude had not been combined since 14th century Switzerland, what was even more amazing was the public art project that sprang to life in response to this undertaking. The San Jose Public Library project, as Mary Rubin and Mel Chin presented at the Public Art: Civic Catalyst conference, was a true community collaboration and illustrated perfectly just what a catalyst public art can be.

The $170 million library project came on the heels of a public art controversy, which sparked heated debates in the city of San Jose over who really owns the history and identity of a community. Was it the artists, the historians, the residents? Mary Rubin, a senior project manager with an architectural background, who had been working with the city of San Jose for 10 years, and Mel Chin, an artist, renowned nationwide for his insertion art and who chose his projects based on whether or not they would “bring him closer to his humanity,” headed up the project. They were determined to make the project truly democratizing by involving not only artists and historians, but the actual San Jose community as well, so that in the end the public library would genuinely belong to the public.

By working with a multidisciplinary team of artists, San Jose historians, and the San Jose community, a public art collection was created that not only paid homage to the book collection but was also active in a way that encouraged the public to participate. One piece titled Fiction Fiction is a secret, rotating shelf of mystery books located in the Circulating Books section. Another piece, True & Through, is a rare redwood that was originally located on the building site but could not be preserved. The tree was cut down and transformed into a column that extends through the each library floor. As homage to the Rancherias who originally settled San Jose, the wooden chairs on the library’s second floor have been branded with replications of three original Rancheria cattle brands. In the library’s Geology sections, the tables are shaped like tectonic plates and are free to move around the floor. The San Jose public library is sprinkled with public art that encourages the public to visit, locate, and interpret these various works for themselves.

Like many public art projects that have come before, the San Jose Public Library project also had its share of controversy. The most heated debate came from the city wide competition to create a low-rider table, a table modeled after the low-rider car. Some people in the community objected to the ethnic overtones of the project, but a majority of the Hispanic community responded positively to the contest. As Rubin and Chin note, this piece best represents the true spirit of the San Jose library. The public art of the library is meant to bring in and interact with the community, especially members of the community that have been marginalized in the past.

Despite some controversy, the public library project has been an overwhelming success. The community of San Jose has embraced its new library, and with the help of the active, communal public art, has drawn in all races, sexes, and ages of San Jose life. Similar missions are now being undertaken in San Jose branch libraries and public parks. The community has come together to select projects and artists, and as Rubin and Chin conclude: it is actually working

This project was featured in the 2004 Year In Review.