Vice Chair Duderian presented a proposal to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States with a community-driven public-art initiative that would invite murals and installations across Costa Mesa and use public voting and geotagging to highlight selected pieces.

Duderian suggested two categories (murals/2-D work and sculpture/installation), public voting possibly geofenced to Costa Mesa, and the idea of cash prizes to attract participation. He raised $10,000 as an illustrative prize figure but emphasized the idea was flexible and that private sponsorship would likely be sought. He said the project could culminate near preexisting July 3 festivities and be framed as a community-centered arts contribution to the broader nation-wide commemoration.

Commissioners and staff discussed practical constraints: staff noted limited budget and calendar constraints, the master-plan process and the December/January meeting schedule, and cautioned about the workload required for a city-led large competition. Possible mitigations included recruiting a community partner (Duderian mentioned Bridal Costa Mesa as an interested party), securing private sponsors, and limiting the scope to murals to fit the time frame.

No formal motion or city appropriation was requested or made. Duderian asked for volunteers to discuss next steps; Commissioner Ford and the vice chair agreed to convene with staff for planning and to report back with refined options.