MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2026
TO: ALDO E. SCHINDLER, CITY MANAGER
FROM: CHAD W. CLANTON, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION SUBJECT: OLD TOWN ART WALK PLANTER BOX PUBLIC ART PROJECT SUMMARY:
At their September 16, 2026, meeting, the Public Art Commission recommended forwarding the design for a planter box public art project to be completed in association with the 2026 Old Town Art Walk, to the City Council for final approval.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend the City Council approve the design submission received from the Orange County School of the Arts for painting a planter box during the Old Town Art Walk on October 17, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of completing the planter box will be $1,500 payable to the Orange County School of the Arts. The 2026-27 Public Arts Fund budget includes sufficient available funding to cover this expenditure.
CORRELATION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN:
This public art project is in accordance with Goal A of the Tustin Strategic Plan to enhance the vibrancy and quality of life in all neighborhoods and areas of the community.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 31 planter boxes in Old Town Tustin were painted with a variety of images, most of which were commissioned by the Public Art Commission. In 2025, two planter boxes originally painted in 2016 and showing significant signs of wear were repainted via a collaboration with the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA). Under the direction of Paige Oden, a Tustin-based artist who is the Visual Arts Conservatory Director, OCSA students designed and painted both boxes as a feature of the 2025 Art Walk.
AGENDA REPORT
Agenda Item _______
Reviewed:
City Manager _______
Finance Director _______
Docusign Envelope ID: 72B76046-105B-80D3-826D-CBCDBA0BDED3 Docusign Envelope ID: CF445303-8811-8714-8222-2AB1087B6FB7 6 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C172253-F15B-8759-8129-667623A19BB1 City Council Agenda Report
Old Town Art Walk Planter Box Public Art Project
October 6, 2026
Earlier this year, staff became aware of three remaining unpainted planter boxes in Old Town Tustin in front of El Camino Pet Grooming. Based on the success of the partnership with OCSA in 2025, the Commission included a Planter Box Art Project on their updated Public Art Priority List in June 2026, with the intention of completing one of these unpainted boxes during the 2026 Old Town Art Walk. Staff reached out to Ms. Oden to confirm her interest and the collaborative details of the project. The attached design was created by her eighthgrade students, who will also implement the design on the planter box adjacent to the Public Art Commission booth during the Art Walk. As per the City of Tustin Public Art Policy, this design is being forwarded to City Council with a recommendation for final approval. _____________________
Chad W. Clanton
Director, Parks and Recreation Services
Attachment:
1. Planter Box Design
Docusign Envelope ID: 72B76046-105B-80D3-826D-CBCDBA0BDED3 Docusign Envelope ID: CF445303-8811-8714-8222-2AB1087B6FB7 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C172253-F15B-8759-8129-667623A19BB1 Planter Box Design
“Walking Our Dogs in Old Town”
Docusign Envelope ID: 72B76046-105B-80D3-826D-CBCDBA0BDED3 Docusign Envelope ID: CF445303-8811-8714-8222-2AB1087B6FB7 Docusign Envelope ID: 6C172253-F15B-8759-8129-667623A19BB1