Los Angeles Studio: 5418 Packard Street • Los Angeles, CA 90019 Miami Studio: 852 NW 71st Street • Miami, FL 33150 323.377.8425 • 305.573.7011 http://rlaconservation.com 1 SELECT COLLECTION MAINTENANCE PROPOSAL – FY ’26 – ‘31 MULTIPLE ARTWORKS Prepared for: Sam Lee, Collections Manager Art in Public Places Program Cultural Affairs Division, City of Culver City City Hall, Second Floor 9770 Culver Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 310.253.6001 | [email protected]
Prepared by: Christina Varvi, President & Chief Conservator [email protected] Nelson Hallonquist, Director of Operations [email protected] Date of Proposal: May 13, 2026 RLA Conservation is pleased to submit the following conservation proposal to Sam Lee of the City of Culver City for the annual routine collection maintenance of multiple artworks currently located throughout downtown Culver City. Artworks to be treated within the collection are as follows: Artist: Natalie Krol Title: Film Strip USA Date: 1981 Materials: Stainless Steel Overall Dimensions: 17’ H x 32’ W x 36’ D DESCRIPTION: The artwork is currently located at the entrance of the Veterans Memorial building (4117 Overland Avenue). The sculpture consists of larger-than-life stainless steel film strips intertwining within the basin of a tiled fountain. The steel sculpture is generally inaccessible to the public due to the fountain aspect, but the tile basin regularly receives interaction from the public, most notably skateboarders. The sculpture panels are secured to concrete footings within the basin. These plinths appear to be made of the same material as the rest of the basin, which is likely concrete with a thin parge coat and paint or specialized fountain basin coating. Concrete structures usually contain a ferrous metal mesh or internal reinforcement that provides structural support to the concrete material.
Los Angeles Studio: PO Box 480069 • Los Angeles, CA 90048 Miami Studio: 852 NW 71st Street • Miami, FL 33150 323.377.8425 • 305.573.7011 http://rlaconservation.com 2 PROPOSED MAINTENANCE: • Plan with Public Art Coordinator to empty pool. • Reduce tarnish and ferrous corrosion staining. • As needed, create plan for addressing basin tile damage. Provide a proposal for additional conservation treatment to address damaged tile or other areas of damage outside of routine maintenance. • Clean/polish identification plaque and City Seal as necessary. • Maintenance cleaning and waxing annually thereafter • Submit treatment report along with a few select before and after photos (include “during” photos only as necessary to highlight a specific procedure.) Artist: De L’esprie Title: The Path of Life Date: 2003 Materials: Patinated bronze, wax, sealant Overall Dimensions: 12’ H x 9’ W DESCRIPTION: The sculpture consists of four (4) bronze figures standing on a ribbon-like base with two (2) additional figures located below them at ground level. The sculpture is situated outside of the Culver City Senior Center at the corner of Overland Avenue and Culver Boulevard. It is located in a high-traffic vehicular and pedestrian area and is highly accessible to the public. The artwork receives direct sunlight throughout most of the day with no trees overhead. Two (2) in-ground plaques are located at the center front and center rear of the sculpture with seven in-ground lights that surround the sculpture. There are no barriers around the sculpture. PROPOSED MAINTENANCE: • Clean and remove cupric drips and staining at woman’s leg from weep hole and identify water entry point at top and address for further mitigation. • Touch up patina where needed. • Replace sealant at base of sculpture every two to three (2-3) years, and clean/polish identification plaque as necessary. • Wash and wax as required. • Maintenance cleaning and waxing annually thereafter. • Submit treatment report along with a few select before and after photos (include “during” photos only as necessary to highlight a specific procedure.)
Los Angeles Studio: PO Box 480069 • Los Angeles, CA 90048 Miami Studio: 852 NW 71st Street • Miami, FL 33150 323.377.8425 • 305.573.7011 http://rlaconservation.com 3 Artist: Lucy Blake-Elahi Title: Homage to Ballona Creek Date: 1994 Materials: Bronze, steel, tile, grout, paint, adhesive Overall Dimensions: 24’ H x 16’ D DESCRIPTION: Homage to Ballona Creek is an equatorial sundial constructed of various materials. The sundial has a patinated bronze sheet ring with painted, recessed lettering. The bronze ring is affixed to a stainless steel pole by three (3) stainless steel spokes emanating from a mild steel collar. The pole suspends the bronze ring above the ground away from a concrete base at a 34-degree angle from the ground. The concrete base is clad in tiles of multiple colors and patterns. The base cascades away from the sundial in the form of four (4) concrete plateaus that are clad in tile. The tops of the base elements display mosaics highlighting various words and characters of different languages. PROPOSED MAINTENANCE: • Polish brass, stainless steel, and remove any rust from gnomon and sundial • Remove efflorescence from tile grout and clean tiles at base; in paint past repairs as necessary • Clean, polish, and wax identification plaque • Maintenance cleaning and waxing annually thereafter • Submit treatment report along with a few select before and after photos (include “during” photos only as necessary to highlight a specific procedure.) • As needed, provide treatment proposal for additional repairs to tiles at base, etc. if they are damaged beyond what can be repaired during routine maintenance. Artist: Wick Alexander & Robin Brailsford Title: Moving Pictures, Zoetropes (*7) Materials: Various Location: Seven (7) Zoetrope sculptures installed at various locations throughout Cardiff Paseo and Town Plaza in downtown Culver City DESCRIPTION: The Moving Pictures collection currently consist of seven (7) multi component sculptures. Artwork materials include mild or weathering steel, glass, Sedona red flagstone, brick, powder coated ferrous metal, mortar, cement board, grout, ceramic tile, stainless steel, perforated stainless steel, and mirrored glass. The display environments for these sculptures vary from relatively dry, elevated display on concrete pads, to mounting directly in watered foliage and with minimal tree cover. Due to their location in an urban area, the sculptures are exposed to corrosive vehicle
Los Angeles Studio: PO Box 480069 • Los Angeles, CA 90048 Miami Studio: 852 NW 71st Street • Miami, FL 33150 323.377.8425 • 305.573.7011 http://rlaconservation.com 4 exhaust particulates and are highly accessible to public interaction, which is encourage in order to utilize the zoetrope. Contact with water high in mineral content results in white deposits in a droplet pattern remaining on the surface. • Check all seven free-standing zoetrope for damage and address as necessary. • Access moveable drum slots to remove any debris caught inside. • Restore, polish and/or stabilize all stands/supports as necessary. • Clean/polish identification plaques • Submit treatment report along with a few select before and after photos (include “during” photos only as necessary to highlight a specific procedure.) • As needed, provide treatment proposal for additional repairs to tiles at base, etc. if they are damaged beyond what can be repaired during routine maintenance. ESTIMATED COSTS: Please Note: Costs are inclusive of labor, documentation, materials, and limited site protection (i.e. stanchions and caution tape). They do not include any special insurance, permits, licenses, or bonds and are not at prevailing wage rates. Costs also assume that work can take place during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, between 8 AM and 6 PM Pacific Time. RLA will require access to bathrooms within relatively close proximity to each job site. Parking is included. If on-site water access is available, that would be preferred. We have accounted for bringing water to all small-scale artworks. Access to a hose hook-up will be required for Film Strip U.S.A. Parking, lifts, scaffolding, and/or security fencing is not included. Any work not expressly outlined above is excluded. Filmstrip USA: $ 3,200.00 The Path of Life: $ 1,935.00 Homage to Ballona Creek: $ 2,450.00 Moving Pictures (Zoetropes): $ 6,560.00 Annual Maintenance Costs: $ 14,145.00 RLA HOURLY RATES (GOOD FY ’26-’27 THROUGH FY ’30 – ’31) Conservator: $ 160 per hour Technician: $ 100 per hour Administrative: $ 80 per hour • Materials are billed at cost plus 7%. • Fuel surcharge is included in the per maintenance rate. • Parking will be billed at cost if not provided by the client.
Los Angeles Studio: PO Box 480069 • Los Angeles, CA 90048 Miami Studio: 852 NW 71st Street • Miami, FL 33150 323.377.8425 • 305.573.7011 http://rlaconservation.com 5 Thank you for the opportunity to care for your collection. Please contact us with any questions. Prepared By: Nelson Hallonquist, Director of Operations Christina Varvi, President & Chief Conservator EXCLUSIONS AND CAVEATS • This price is valid through June 30, 2031 from the date of the proposal. • No work will be performed until a mutually acceptable schedule for work and payment is agreed upon. • Costs are NOT based on Davis Bacon, Service Contract Act or any other legally mandated prevailing wage rates beyond minimum wage. If prevailing wage compliance is required, we reserve the right to modify our proposal accordingly. • We require clear access to the worksite in an uninterrupted schedule during daytime work hours, Monday through Friday, unless other arrangements are made. • We will require access to water and electricity within 100 feet of the work site. • We will require access to free parking for at least one vehicle in close proximity to the worksite. • We will require access to bathrooms at the worksite. • Non-toxic trash will be deposited into dumpsters provided by client unless otherwise arranged. • This price does not include any special insurance, permits, licenses, or bonds. • Notwithstanding anything in the proposal/agreement to the contrary, any material or equipment prices provided herein are only applicable to work performed in the next 90 days. After this period, material and equipment prices will be subject to further increases due to any shortages, unavailability or increases in market pricing from any cause whatsoever except to the extent caused by RLA. If, during the performance of the proposal/agreement, any material or equipment price increases, the price shall be increased by an amount necessary to cover such price increases. Where the delivery of material or equipment is delayed, through no fault of RLA, RLA shall not be responsible for any additional costs or damages associated with such delays. • RLA shall not be considered in default because of any failure to perform the above scope of work under its terms if the failure arises from causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of RLA. Examples of these causes are (1) acts of God or of the public enemy, (2) acts of the Government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, (3) fires, (4) floods, (5) epidemics, (6) quarantine restrictions, (7) strikes, (8) freight embargoes, (9) earthquakes, and (10) unusually severe weather. In each instance, if RLA determines that any failure to perform would result from one or more of the causes above, the delivery schedule shall be revised.