If you're the Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO), it can also get you some Connect 4-esque artwork to spice up your workplace.
On December 12, county commissioners approved a motion to spend up to $460,050 on a public art installation outside BSO's headquarters. The budget proposal, which includes design, engineering, fabrication, electrical components, permitting, and installation of the art, was passed on consent by commissioners (meaning it was approved without discussion). The money appears to be coming from BSO's general fund.
"The artwork entitled 'Both And' is expressive of a diverse community celebrating qualities we have in common while embracing that which also makes us unique, and that these distinctions can exist together as a beautiful social tapestry reflecting the BSO’s involvement and participation in the community and essential public safety support services," says Phillip Dunlap, director of the county's cultural division.
A rendering of "Both And" features three 14-foot-high abstract sculptures that lead to the entrance of BSO's Fort Lauderdale complex. The pieces, which are set to be crafted from stainless steel and coated steel frames, appear to be perforated with irregularly shaped holes of various sizes and colors, including hues of green and yellow, with "accent lighting for night-time interest."
Although Broward's code of ordinance states that the county "shall seek to maximize the utilization" of local artists, the county is contracting with Iowa-based RDG Planning & Design and artist Matt Niebuhr, also from Iowa.
From Des Moines, RDG recently undertook other public art projects in Fort Worth, Texas, Huntington Beach, California, and Huntsville, Alabama. According to its website, RDG's work is known for "dynamic synthesis of art and architecture" and "its ability to connect site-specific narratives with function and purpose."
Niebuhr, a designer with a "deep background in architecture," was competitively selected through Broward County's established Public Art & Design program by a five-member panel composed of artists, art industry professionals, and BSO staff, who reviewed more than 55 applicants, Dunlap says.
The panel's recommendation was then reviewed and confirmed by the Public Art & Design Committee and the Broward County Cultural Council, before approval by county commissioners this month.
Dunlap says that of the more than 55 applicants, ten were Florida-based, including five from Miami, two from Fort Lauderdale, two from the Tampa Bay area, and one from Key West.
When asked by New Times what the project reflects about the community, Dunlap says that according to Niebuhr, the piece symbolizes BSO's "commitment to community safety."
The Broward County Cultural Division says the abstract sculpture project "represents the unity of varied origins and life experiences."
Broward County Cultural Division concept art
The artwork is tied to the construction of the new, multimillion-dollar Broward Sheriff's Office Training Center, a more than 80,000-square-foot facility set to house a 250-seat auditorium, indoor shooting ranges, and a memorial for the Parkland high school shooting. Sheriff Gregory Tony recently told his staff the facility will also be equipped with a sauna, an ice bath, and a physical therapy station. Public art was required as part of the project construction.
The sheriff's office is shelling out big money on the art installation as compared to past projects to adorn BSO headquarters.
In 2013, a group of Weston middle schoolers created a 7-foot-by-4-foot mosaic mural for BSO's lobby. The presumably commission-free artwork featured a colorful scene of animals in the Everglades, embedded with symbols representing Florida's 12 public universities: owls for Florida Atlantic University, alligators for the University of Florida, and a panther for Florida International University.
