Art being installed in Kettering city buildings

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The city of Kettering is close to completing the process of installing about $115,000 worth of art in the Government Center.

Additional art is scheduled to be installed this month and the project is expected to conclude by the spring, according to Shayna McConville, the city’s cultural arts manager.

The city will spend approximately $65,000 from the capital improvement fund and another $50,000 from the general fund to finance the art purchases. Kettering sets aside 1 percent of the previous year’s capital expenditures to commission art, and the one-time expenditure of $57,000 was budgeted to purchase art from the Dayton Visual Arts Center.

Last month, Kettering city leaders decided to commit the $40 million the city received in a belated estate tax distribution to its capital improvement fund.

Mark Schwieterman, Kettering City Manager, said about 25 of the 75 pieces of art have been installed. The remainder of the art will be installed in lobbies, offices and conference rooms in the north and south city buildings on Shroyer Road.

The majority of the art is paintings and photographs, which are produced by local and regional artists. Prices range from $300 to $3,500, Schwieterman said.

“It is really a building for the residents of Kettering, and this is their collection that they can enjoy,” McConville said. “We’re supporting the local economy for these artists, and a lot of these pieces are about Kettering. It’s our legacy.”

In October, a group of Kettering residents questioned the city's decision to use taxpayer money to purchase the art.

Ron Alban, a Kettering resident and member of the former political action committee Citizens for a Better Kettering, said there are higher priorities — road repairs, snow removal, police and fire — than spending money on art.

“I really don’t see any public advantage of spending money on artwork for the benefit of a small number of city employees,” Alban said. “If the city employees want to view artwork for their own enjoyment, they need to spend their own money to purchase artwork, not taxpayer money.”

Alban suggested the city provide an online photo gallery of the art that’s displayed in the Government Center, with details about where it’s located and how much it cost.

McConville said the city could explore the option of posting an online photo gallery. The city is planning to schedule a tour at the end of spring for residents, as well as producing brochures for residents to take self-guided tours, she said.

“It’s available and open to all,” McConville said. “Our public buildings are treasures.”

Schwieterman said the 1 percent from the city’s capital improvement expenditures carries over to the next year if it is not spent on art.

“I certainly understand why people would say, ‘Times are tough. Why are you spending money on art?’” Schwieterman said. “But we do see a benefit of having art throughout the community because it’s a quality of life perspective.”