Council approves public art plan
By Tim Kalinowski on March 26, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com City council approved a 2021 Public Art Work Plan which will spend $863,000 this year to finish works in progress, and which will fund three new major public art projects.According to City of Lethbridge community arts and culture manager Jillian Bracken, the new projects, which have not yet gone to tender, will cost about $500,000 of that $863,000 figure. These include $150,000 budgeted for beautification of the exterior of The Post building downtown, $150,000 for several public art works in Legacy Park, and $200,000 for Indigenous commemoration in the community, including a planned multi-storey mural on the side of the new Transit Park N Ride structure downtown.
The funding for these projects, and other public art works, was set aside four years ago during the previous CIP cycle, and is based on a policy adopted by city council to provide the equivalent of one per cent of the total cost of the CIP capital budget for public art — which works out to about $1.6 million altogether.
Both Councillors Joe Mauro and Blaine Hyggen expressed their concerns during Tuesday’s city council meeting about the amounts intended for disbursement in 2021 given the economic situation of the city, and in light of ongoing concerns about COVID-19.
“Has there been any discussion about delaying, not cancelling, some of these future projects in light of COVID, and finding out what those numbers are coming back in?” Hyggen asked Bracken.
“I think through COVID we’ve learned the importance of public art as something that was safe during the pandemic,” Bracken responded.
“There were opportunities for people to engage with art because a lot of our pieces are outside. And opportunities for artists to continue working when a lot of other opportunities outside of public art disappear.
“I think we haven’t considered slowing down because we have seen the public benefit of continuing public art during a pandemic — both in terms of the access to pieces that will continue when a lot of other public galleries were shut down and continue to be shut down, and also opportunities to continue to support local artists when a lot of other opportunities just evaporated.”
Mauro challenged Bracken’s statement about people being more engaged about public art during the pandemic.
“Can you maybe share some of the local data that you have on that statement that you made?” he asked. “Because I think I heard you say that people will engage in and interact, or whatever they do, with public art. How do you know that?”
“I would have to say it is based on anecdotal evidence,” admitted Bracken.
“I am thinking specifically of my experience installing the construction fencing exhibition at Henderson in the midst of the pandemic last November, and the time we spent seeing people stop and engage with that in a time when there was not a lot else to do.”
Bracken gave other examples where she had personally seen such public engagement with the art, including at the launch of City’s mural pilot project last year.
Hyggen and Mauro remained unconvinced.
While acknowledging the value of art in general, Hyggen felt this was too much money to spend on public art at this time.
“Just in the situation, and the current pandemic that we’re in — understanding all of these projects are funded by the taxpayer, I am just concerned going forward that we haven’t done more delaying, if you will. As I see it art is a luxury, of course, and it is not a need,” he said.
Mauro went one step further and introduced a motion to postpone any proposed public art projects which have not yet gone to tender because they are still in the proposal phase until at least Nov. 1 or later after the next municipal elections.
“It (the money) hasn’t been committed,” Mauro stated.
“We’re not taking it away from the arts. I am not saying the art community and the arts are not valued. But this is something that is for the following year, and beyond. So why deal with it now? Why don’t we just let the rest of this year go by?”
Coun. Jeffrey Carlson had a different perspective.
“I look at this as a bit of a stimulus package,” he stated.
“We know we have been trying to find ways to keep people working, active and engaged in our community. I think the public art committee is part of that. I know some people don’t consider artists part of the economy. I certainly do.”
Coun. Belinda Crowson added the arts employed 300 people full time in the community according to 2012 statistics, and that number had certainly increased in the past eight years.
She felt a healthy arts community was part of a diversified economy.
In the end most on council sided with Crowson and Carlson, voting 5-4 against Mauro’s postponement motion.
Council then approved the Public Art Work Plan as presented by Bracken by a vote of 7-2. Follow @TimKalHerald on Twitter 4
-3
