Are you a local artist comfortable with large public art projects?
If so, the district has an opportunity for you.
And no, it is not painting trees blue or any other colour.
The newly struck Squamish public art committee has put out a call for artists to submit to the Connecting Neighbourhoods Public Art Project.
“I think what the committee wanted to do was essentially get a project out there that puts public art into a couple different communities… trying to start emphasizing the importance of public art within the built environment, within community,” said Mayor Patricia Heintzman, chairperson of the committee. “We’ve been going for four or five months… and there was a small amount of money put in last year for public art.”
The chosen artist will receive up to $15,000 from the district to cover costs for the entire project, which will include at least two permanent public art installations, each to be located in different Squamish neighbourhoods.
“It could be anything from, ‘I want to paint the cement blocks in every neighbourhood up to this amount,’ or ‘I am going to put three sculptures here,’” Heintzman explained.
The proposed work should reflect the natural environment of the community and the proposed locations, which should be on municipal property, according to Heintzman.
She said the committee plans to add more public art to Squamish in future years.
“There’s a commitment under the art policy that a certain percentage equivalent of our capital budget gets put into public art every year, so the idea is to have an ongoing program so we are continually adding to the aesthetic of our built environment,” Heintzman said.
To submit to this year’s Connecting Neighbourhooods Public Art Project, each artist must submit a brief letter laying out what attracts him or her to the opportunity, an approach to the proposal, interest in the local community and skills. Up to eight images of past work and a curriculum vitae must also be sent. Submissions should be emailed to the district’s Matt Gunn at mgunn@squamish.ca by 5 p.m. on Jan. 15.
The public art selection committee will choose the winning submission after shortlist presentations, and selection will be in February. The chosen work will be installed in the spring. A call for artists will go out Friday at squamish.ca/public-art.
