Officials behind Calgary's public art program want to ease the rules that force them to erect art pieces in out-of-reach city facilities rather than in more ideal sites.
The city and provincial formulas for funding public art have made Calgary unable to feature most public art anywhere except the site of a new construction project or infrastructure upgrade.
The system led to the wall of leaping trout that came with the Glenmore Trail-Elbow Drive interchange, and a $221,000 steel installation called "bearing" behind a chain-link fence at the fire department's northeast maintenance facility.
"We have a number of premier locations which would be ideal for public art, and yet there's no capital construction associated with those particular sites."
"As we look at a map of the City of Calgary, we have a number of premier locations which would be ideal for public art," said Charles Burgess of the city's public art board.
"And yet there's no capital construction associated with those particular sites."
Calgary's policy is to commit one per cent of construction expenditures to public art. A rule tied to provincial grants -- which fund most city projects, including the fire department's maintenance site -- mean the money can't be used off-site.
In fact, the city spends only one-tenth of a per cent of its capital budget on public art because it doesn't want to install public art at new interchanges and other out-of-the-way sites.
Beth Gignac, the city's arts and culture manager, said the municipality and province are trying to loosen those restrictions
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Public+officials+want+more+flexibility+Calgary+locations/3950203/story.html#ixzz18ISCOQ2z
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Public+officials+want+more+flexibility+Calgary+locations/3950203/story.html#ixzz18IS5mzS2
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