City insists ‘we have to get that right’ on public art program
Divisive policy could be in for shakeup as council looks to better engage the public
It’s been a lighting rod issue for taxpayer watchdogs and critics, and councillors say the city needs to get its public art policy right this time around.
Council voted last September to put the public art program on hold pending a review. And thanks to a proposal going to a council committee on Wednesday, Calgarians could see major changes to the hotbutton policy.
Proposed changes include shaking up where public art projects get installed in Calgary, better engagement and consultation with Calgarians and Indigenous groups, and a shift toward using local artists instead of outsourcing projects.
“The location and the selection process are very important and we have to get that right ... (public art) can be many different places that allow people to interact with it in different areas,” Coun. Shane Keating said.
While he is all for public engagement and revamping the policy, Keating said he would vote against it if there wasn’t a “definite, solid plan” on how that engagement should go forward.
Coun. Sean Chu, a frequent critic of the program, agreed with Keating, saying engagement doesn’t mean the public gets a decisive say in the program.
Both councillors said they want to see public art installations decided through open competitions, allowing local and international artists to submit designs, with the final say on what gets built and where coming down to public voting.
“If the artist goes international, we can say ‘hey, look, we helped them because they won a competition in our city first,’ ” Chu said, adding he would like to see submissions come from all age groups and skill levels of artists.
“Could you imagine a five-yearold kid designing something for (Canada Olympic Park)? Could you imagine that? That would go international.”
Perhaps the most notable change to the policy would be how the city uses one per cent of capital funds for major infrastructure projects, which is dedicated to the public art spending.
The new proposal recommends pooling the funds and spending on art installations across the city, rather than mandating the money be used for an art installation where the project is being built.
That particular aspect of the policy has caused some public backlash in recent years, especially around Travelling Light (a.k.a. the Giant Blue Ring), and Bowfort Towers (a.k.a. the shish kebab).
Chu said the proposed changes are an improvement over the current program, but he is still wary of spending taxpayer money on public art when Calgarians are still struggling “to put food on the table.”
“My dream is halt this whole thing until the economy gets better . . . it’s just common sense,” he said. “If you don’t have money, tighten your bloody belt.”