Niagara Falls adds to its art collection
Niagara Falls has added three new pieces to its public art collection.
The work, acquired through the city’s public art policy and now under custody of the recreation and culture department, includes two paintings by Linda Zichichi and Lawrence Rudolph, and a black and white photo by Al Hillman.
Hillman says he was “honoured” that his photo of the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on an overcast day will now be part of the city’s permanent collection. The veteran photographer has been photographing Niagara for several years.
“I was surprised to be asked,” he says. “I think that it’s just different from the standard shot you see of the Rainbow Bridge, and it is different in a funny way.”
All of the city’s acquired art is temporarily or permanently installed within public buildings, on public lands or outdoors. Perhaps the best-known piece is artist Derek Costello’s stainless steel sculpture The Water Molecule, commissioned by the city in 1967 to celebrate the country’s centennial. It’s currently on display at the public downtown park on the corner of Queen Street and Erie Avenue.
Created in 2002, the city’s public art policy aims to enhance the community through art while supporting “effective urban planning, economic development and cultural tourism opportunities.” Once acquired, the city owns the work “free and clear, without any limitations placed upon its use.”
Choosing the art is the responsibility of the Public Art Advisory Task Force, which includes members from the local art scene, the Niagara Falls Art Gallery, the Niagara Falls Library, and other local institutions.
All art is donated to the city. Niagara Falls Museums curator Suzanne Moase, the city liaison for the task force, says about 80 pieces have been acquired over the years. The three newest pieces are currently stored in staff offices while a permanent location is being decided.
There is no quota for how much art is acquired every year.
“We really don’t know how many applications we’re going to get each year,” she says. “I might not hear anything for six months, and then all of a sudden I might get six people that have contacted us to say they’d like us to consider a piece of public art.”
All of the city’s public art collection, and their locations, can be seen through the city’s public art database at niagarafalls.ca.