How the city’s public art goes from a creative idea into an artistic reality for all to enjoy — or at least ponder.
By Moira Dann
Unity Wall Mural (Nah’Tsa’Maht), artists/mentors Butch Dick and Darlene Gait and First Nations youth artists. PHOTO: JEFFREY BOSDET.
Unity Wall Mural (Nah’Tsa’Maht), artists/mentors Butch Dick and Darlene Gait and First Nations youth artists. PHOTO: JEFFREY BOSDET.So if you have a brilliant idea for some public art you’d like to see, or create, or have grace a public space in your neighbourhood, where do you start?
Search out the Public Art Opportunities page on the City of Victoria website victoria.ca.
Here you’ll find relevant links to public art policy documents (bit of a snore to read, but essential), an inventory of Victoria’s public art, current public art opportunities and calls to artists (with guidelines for specific projects), as well as a contact link to the decision-making Art in Public Places committee.
The committee is made up of five members appointed by council who have “experience and/or be trained in aspects of visual art. A minimum of two committee members must be visual artists.”
Read More: The Divisiveness of Public Art in Victoria
Projects are ultimately green-lighted by the Art in Public Places Selection Panel, composed of an APP committee member, an architect, an urban design professional and two representatives from the community.
Get yourself on the artist contact list by sending your name to culture@victoria.ca and keep yourself in the loop about the city’s artistic initiatives.
This article is from the May/June 2018 issue of YAM.