Public art program a first in Ontario

Posted By Marlene Bergsma, Standard Staff

Friday, Feb. 1, 2008

Property owners who think art could improve their neighbourhood are being invited to participate in a new program that will see five new pieces of art grace front yards.

A workshop scheduled for Friday will launch the Niagara Public Art Program, which will pair five artists with five property owners.

“It’s very exciting and it’s about time we had these kinds of opportunities available to us locally,” said Elizabeth Chitty, an interdisciplinary artist who will be at the workshop to find out more.

“I have a longstanding interest in public art, but there have never been any local opportunities,” Chitty said. The amount of money being made available – $25,000 – is modest, but it helps, Chitty said.

Under the program, a property owner would contribute, or find sponsorships for, at least $5,000. That money would be matched to a maximum of $5,000 by Niagara Region’s Smarter Niagara Incentives Fund, said Terri Donia, a regional planner who is co-ordinating the new artsVest Public Art program.

Not only is the program the first of its kind in Ontario, it may even be the first of its kind in Canada, Donia said. The money is only available to properties in Community Improvement Plan areas in seven Niagara municipalities because it’s meant to improve troubled neighbourhoods, Donia said.

“This is hopefully to revitalize some of our core areas,” Donia said. “Public art shows people are interested in their communities. It makes things prettier.

“Public art can inspire people and take them out of their reverie,” she said. “It captures the imagination.”

It’s up to property owners to check with their municipal governments to make sure they can install the art in the intended spot, Donia said. The artworks could be sculptures, murals or functional items such as bicycle racks, fountains or lighting, she said. They must be durable, accessible to the public and maintenance-free.

Artists will submit their proposals, which will be reviewed by a panel of artists and members of the Region’s culture committee, she said.

Property owners must submit their applications online (www.regional.niagara.on.ca) at 9 a.m. March 12. The first five submissions that meet the criteria will be awarded the funds, Donia said.