CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

March 10, 1969

Page 5688

S. 1457 -- INTRODUCTION OF FEDERAL FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE ACT OF 1969

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and Senators HART, JAVITS, MAGNUSON, MCCARTHY, and YARBOROUGH, I introduce, for appropriate reference, a bill to foster high standards of architectural excellence in the design and decoration of Federal public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia, and to provide for a program for the acquisition and preservation of works of art for such buildings, and for other purposes, to be known as the Federal Fine Arts and Architecture Act of 1969.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD following my remarks.

The VICE PRESIDENT. The bill will be received and appropriately referred; and, without objection, the bill will be printed in the RECORD.

(See exhibit 1.)

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, the bill I am introducing today is identical to S. 1582 of the 90th Congress and to H.R. 2790 already introduced by Congressman REUSS, of Wisconsin.

At a time when we are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of architectural design on the urban environment, it is most appropriate that the Federal Government should take steps to insure that all Federal buildings reflect the finest examples of American fine arts and architecture.

Too often Federal buildings outside the District of Columbia are unimaginative, mediocre structures which have been built to last, but not to add esthetic beauty to their surroundings. Too often they bear little relation to their sites or to architectural styles around them. Frequently the works of art in these buildings have been added as afterthoughts and not as integral parts of the total design.

Unfortunately, many Federal buildings throughout the United States stand as monuments to bad taste for generations to come, when they should be examples of what is best in contemporary American art and architecture.

The proposed Federal Fine Arts and Architecture Act of 1969 seeks to upgrade the quality and design of Federal buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia and to provide for the acquisition of suitable works of art for these buildings by establishing a public advisory panel on architectural services in the General Services Administration. At least 12 distinguished architects from private life, including landscape architects and city planners; at least six representatives from allied fields, including painters, mural artists, sculptors, specialists in the decorative arts and crafts, and interior designers; and Federal representatives would be included on the panel. The Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service of GSA would act as Chairman.

This provision would give statutory recognition to the GSA Executive order, revised on August 17, 1965, which established a public advisory panel on architectural services and whose membership is substantially the same as that proposed in this bill.

In appointing public members to the panel, the Administrator of GSA shall choose from nominations submitted to him by the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mr. President, the proposed Architectural Advisory Board would have four main functions.

It would make recommendations to the GSA Administrator and the Postmaster General on criteria for public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia and on the choice of artists for works of art to be used in these buildings.

It would be authorized to review GSA design standards, guides and procedures. It would advise the Administrator and the Postmaster General on the selection of architects and artists, and it would review and advise them with respect to the acceptability of architectural designs or works of art for individual projects.

Finally, this bill would authorize the GSA Administrator and the Postmaster General to spend an amount equal to 1 percent of the total amount appropriated for the preceding fiscal year for the design and construction of public buildings outside the District of Columbia in order to acquire and maintain suitable works of art for these buildings.

Mr. President, by improving the quality of art and architecture of Federal buildings all over the United States, I believe this bill would enhance the environment of many of our towns and cities to reflect the dignity, vitality, and strength of the Nation.

I am hopeful that we may have early enactment of this bill.

The bill (S. 1457) to foster high standards of architectural excellence in the design and decoration of Federal public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia, and to provide a program for the acquisition and preservation of works of art for such buildings, and for other purposes, to be known as the Federal Fine Arts and Architecture Act, introduced by Mr. MUSKIE (for himself and other Senators), was received, read twice by its title, referred to the Committee on Public Works, and ordered to be printed in the RECORD.

EXHIBIT 1

S. 1457

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is hereby declared to be the purpose of this Act to provide

(1) for the maintenance of high standards of architectural design and art for public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia; and

(2) a program for the acquisition and preservation of suitable works of art for public buildings and post offices outside the District of Columbia.

SEC. 2. For the purposes of this Act(a) The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of General Services.

(b) The term "public building" shall have the same meaning as !s provided in section 13(1) of the Public Buildings Act of 1959.

SEC. 3. (1) The Public Advisory Panel on Architectural Services is hereby established in the General Services Administration. The Administrator shall appoint to the Panel at least twelve distinguished architects from among persons in private life professionally engaged in architecture, landscape architecture, or city planning, and at least six distinguished representatives of the fields of art allied to architecture, including painting (two members, of whom one shall be experienced in mural decoration), sculpture (two members, of whom one shall be experienced in sculpture related to the architectural environment), the decorative arts and crafts (one member), and interior design (one member), and such appropriate representatives of the Federal Government as the Administrator may desire to serve ex officio. The Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration, shall be chairman of the Panel.

(2) The Administrator shall appoint the public members of the Panel from nominations submitted to him from time to time by the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who shall recommend at least three persons for each position in a professional field for which a public member is to be appointed. The Chairman of the Endowment, in preparing lists of nominees, shall call upon the National Council on the Arts and the Endowment's advisory panels covering the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, the decorative arts and crafts, and interior design, for advice and assistance, and shall give due consideration to any nominations submitted to the Endowment by established national organizations in the respective professional fields of art and architecture.

(3) Each public member of the Panel shall serve for a term expiring in one of the first three years succeeding the year in which he is appointed, as designated by the Administrator at the time of appointment, subject to the limitation that not more than one painter and one sculptor may have a term scheduled to expire in the same calendar year. No public member of the Panel shall be eligible for reappointment for a term beginning less than two years after the expiration of his third consecutive term.

(4) Each public member of the Panel shall receive compensation at the rate of $50 per diem for each day on which he is engaged in the performance of his duties as such, and shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by him in the performance of such duties.

(5) In order to insure that Federal public buildings, outside of the District of Columbia, and buildings leased to the United States for use by the Post Office Department, outside of the District of Columbia, may be enhanced by beauty, dignity, economy, utility, and suitable works of art, the Panel shall have the following functions:

(a) Develop and make recommendations to the Administrator and to the Postmaster General as to criteria for the evaluation and selection of, and contractual relationships with, architects for public buildings, and post office buildings, and with artists for work of art related to the total design concept of such buildings.

(b) Review General Services Administration design standards, criteria, guides, and procedures and recommend to the Administrator and to the Postmaster General any necessary or desirable changes to further the objectives and purposes of this Act.

(c) Advise the Administrator and the Postmaster General in the selection of architects for the design of nationally significant buildings designated by the Administrator or by the Postmaster General, and of distinguished artists recommended by the architect of such building or by the Panel to work with the architect at the early planning stages.

(d) Review and advise the Administrator or the Postmaster General with respect to the acceptability of architectural design or works of art proposed by individual projects designated by the Administrator or by the Postmaster General.

(6) Meetings of the Panel shall be at the call of the Chairman or by request of three or more public members. The Panel shall maintain such records as are necessary and render such reports and submit such recommendations as may be requested by the Administrator or the Postmaster General or otherwise considered by the Panel as necessary to discharge its responsibilities under this Act. With the approval of the Administrator or the Postmaster General specified functions of the Panel may be performed by sub-panels designated by the Administrator or by the Chairman of the Panel.

SEC. 4. The Administrator and the Postmaster General are authorized to acquire and maintain works of art for public buildings or for post offices, respectively, outside the District of Columbia. In addition to any amounts otherwise authorized, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for this purpose in each fiscal fiscal year, to remain available until expended, an amount equal to 1 per centum of the total amount appropriated for the preceding fiscal year for the design and construction of public buildings outside the District of Columbia. The Postmaster General shall endeavor to secure a similar level and quality of works of arts for buildings, outside the District of Columbia, leased to the United States for use by the Post Office Department.

SEC. 5. The Panel shall provide recommendations to the Administrator and to the Postmaster General concerning the artists and works of art under section 4. The Panel may, where appropriate, recommend to the Administrator and to the Postmaster General, respectively, the holding of competitions for the selection of artists and of designs or models of works of art.