Richmond, British Columbia Public Art Program

Richmond, British

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Type: Policy

Status: Established in 1996

Source File: http://www.richmond.ca/culture/publicart/policy.htm

Description:

Public Art in Richmond
In early 1996, the "Public Art Program for Richmond" was initiated. Under the leadership of the Community Arts Council of Richmond, with representation from the Richmond Art Gallery Association, development, design, business, and arts communities, and the public, a "Public Arts Steering Committee" was formed. This Committee had a City staff support team from the Cultural Centre, Development Applications, Physical Design, Public Works, Civic Properties, Economic Development, and Social Planning.

The establishment of a "Public Art Program" began the process of increasing community awareness, understanding, and acceptance of public art as an important component of the City's environment. The Public Art Program enables community participation in the building of public space, greater public access to ideas generated by contemporary art, and citizens to take pride in public cultural expressions.

Definition of Public Art
Public art is defined as artwork in the public realm, which is accessible to the public and possesses aesthetic qualities.

The artwork may be permanent, semi-permanent, functional, or temporary, and includes all forms of art conceived in any medium, material, performance, media, or combination thereof, including but not limited to: civic infrastructure and furnishings, sculpture, landscape, painting, drawings, parades and kinetic works.

Public realm includes the places and things, such as building facades, parks, public open spaces, and streets, that provide for unrestricted physical or visual access to the general public.

Program Goal
To promote and facilitate the integration of public art throughout Richmond which expresses the ideas of artists and the community.

Specifically, the Program aims to:

• Provide a strategy and process for advancing the realization of public art in the community through the establishment and implementation of necessary policies, procedures, and actions.
• Be the catalyst for introducing and supporting public art in Richmond.
• Provide leadership in public art planning, and its integration in the development of Richmond's public realm by the City of Richmond, the private sector, and various public interests and agencies.
• Increase public understanding, awareness, and enjoyment of the arts in everyday life.
• Provide a forum for discussion on ideas and values that promote a sense of civic pride and community identity.
• Increase opportunity for the community and artists to participate in the design of the public realm.

Key Public Art Policies
Richmond Public Art Commission
1. To establish the "Richmond Public Art Commission", as a Council appointed advisory Committee, to advise on all aspects of public art policy, planning, education, and promotion, including the allocation of funds from designated City sources.

Public Art Initiatives for Civic (Capital Works) Projects
2. To incorporate public art, at the planning stages, into the development or renovation of civic infrastructure, buildings, parks, and bridges, and to encourage the collaboration between the Commission, City staff, artists, engineers, design professionals, and the community to enrich such projects.

Public Art Initiatives for the Private Sector
3. To encourage the private sector to support the integration of public artworks in the community (eg. through donation, sponsorship, partnership, and funding), and the collaboration of artists, the community, and design professionals in the design of that art.

Public Art Initiatives for the Community
4. To provide opportunities for artists and the public to express their individual and collective ideas through public art as a means to support the arts, build community pride, enhance local character, and strengthen Richmond's identity

Public Art Program Monitoring and Evaluation
5. To monitor and review the Public Art Program initiatives with regard to City Capital Works Projects, Private Development, and the Community for annual report back to Council.

Implementation Actions
The Public Art Program Implementation Actions identifies the initiatives, partnerships, and resources to achieve the Public Art Program's goal and key policies. The Implementation Actions lists priority actions for the first three years, after which a program evaluation will be prepared and presented to City Council.

1. Richmond Public Art Commission

1.1 City to establish Richmond Public Art Commission (Commission) as a committee appointed by Council.

1.2 City and Community Arts Council of Richmond to each appoint members to the Commission.

1.3 City to appoint an additional staff person to assist the Commission in the management of the Richmond Public Art Program.

1.4 Commission to adopt a code of conduct for public art competitions, guidelines for accepting gifts of art, and deaccession guidelines.

1.5 Commission to direct an inventory of existing public art in Richmond.

1.6 Commission to work with City staff in directing the establishment and operations of City funds necessary to support the objectives and policies of the Public Arts Program.

1.7 Commission to identify criteria and mechanisms to be applied in the determination of appropriate locations and siting characteristics for the installation of public art, and to identify key target areas for encouraging the installation of public art in the short term (two to five years).

1.8 Commission to present an annual report to City Council and the Community Arts Council of Richmond on the Richmond Public Arts Program.

2. Public Art Initiatives for Civic (Capital Works) Projects

2.1 City to commit an amount of funds equivalent to 1% of its annual Capital Works Budget over a three year period to the planning, design, and development of public art as an integral part of its capital projects, and to establish a Public Art Reserve in which to hold these funds until such a time as their use is directed by the Commission.

2.2 Commission to prepare an annual Public Art Program Plan, in consultation with City staff, as part of the City's annual Capital Works Plan and budget, and through this plan to strive to achieve a broad range of public arts projects within the first two year term of the Commission.

2.3 City to identify and prioritize specific areas within Richmond and types of Capital Works Projects for the introduction of public art over the short term (2 to 5 years).

2.4 City to ensure that public art, developed as part of Richmond's capital works projects, and the environs of that art is maintained in a manner which will allow for continued public access to and enjoyment of these artworks in appropriate settings.

3. Public Art Initiatives for the Private Sector

3.1 City to establish a Public Art Reserve for the purposes of receiving private funding donations for public art.

3.2 City and Commission to encourage voluntary private sector financial donations to the Public Art Reserve and gifts of art to the City through the development review process.

3.3 City to ensure that public art and revenues from public art be directed to provide the greatest benefit to the community (e.g. appropriate locations and siting characteristics).

4. Public Art Initiatives for the Community

4.1 City to establish a Public Art Reserve to hold funds for community public art projects, education, and awareness programs.

4.2 Commission to utilize the Public Art Reserve as a catalyst to match funds from other public and private funding sources for community and artist initiated art proposals.

4.3 Commission to investigate alternative ways and means for the public to participate in the provision of community-based public art projects.

4.4 Commission to initiate at least one community initiated public art project per year in a park, and/or a neighbourhood, and to ensure that such projects represent a range and variety of public art proposals over the years.

4.5 Commission to initiate at least one artist initiated public art project per year in a park, and/or neighbourhood, and that such projects represent a range and variety of public art proposals over the years.

4.6 Commission to initiate a community public art education and information program to raise awareness, opportunities, and experience using public art as a community building tool aimed at building community pride, neighbourliness, and a stronger sense of ownership.

5. Public Art Program Monitoring and Evaluation

5.1 Commission with the City to annually review the Public Art Program goals, policies, procedures, and administrative resources, and recommend changes as required.

5.2 Commission with the City to monitor the Public Art Program for the first three years, after which further changes may be recommended for City Council consideration (e.g. formula or criteria to guide private sector contributions for public art; review of the Public Art Program staffing and administrative resources; etc.