The Brookhaven Arts and Culture Commission has been tasked with generating ideas for repurposing the “brighter than expected” tiles meant for the centre dome.
On June 23, the city released a statement that the blue, green, red, and yellow glass tiles would be removed after installation prior to the highly-anticipated opening of the $81 million city centre.
“The mosaic glass planned for the dome was intended to reflect muted tones of the city’s signature colors – blues, greens, and complementary hues-consistent with the design vision supported by the community, mayor, and council. However, the glass recently installed appears significantly brighter than expected,” the statement said.
The city said that the dome was always intended to be adaptable, and would remain open-air until further notice.
At an Aug. 13 meeting, members of the Arts and Culture Commission started a conversation about the tiles, which will be relayed to city council members and city management, said City Planner Samantha Trust.
“It has been generally discussed that the Arts and Culture Commission may have valuable input to repurpose the glass tiles in the event a return or refund was unsuccessful,” Communications Director Burke Brennan said.
The city does not have a definite answer about whether a refund is possible for the $986,000 expense. The tiles are currently being stored in the back parking lot at the city centre.
“Depending upon the Arts and Culture Commission’s recommendation(s) and associated cost(s), the council may need to approve the additional expense,” Brennan added.
Trust said the Arts and Culture Commission’s ideas included a community art project with Brookhaven Police Department, schools, or similar groups; holding a contest for ideas on what can be made with the tiles; working with artists from the Dashboard Exhibit at the 2024 International Festival; and creating an art installation at a city-owned building.
“We haven’t made any decisions, and we need more information on the tiles themselves before making decisions,” Trust said.
Rough Draft requested audio and video from the Arts and Culture Commission meeting, but the city said they were unable to retrieve a recording from their new software vendor.