Frequently Asked Questions
This page answers the questions most often asked about the Public Art Program and its activities.
- What is the Public Art Program?
- What is the purpose of the Public Art Program?
- What is the role of the Public Art Committee?
- How does the public "plug in" to the Public Art Program?
- How are City projects chosen?
- How do artists find out about project opportunities?
- How are artists selected?
- How does the private sector participate?
- Can citizens donate art work for public places?
- Who pays for maintenance?
- How is the Program administered?
- What are the origins of the Public Art Program?
- How do I see some public art?
- Contact us
1. What is the Public Art Program?
The program is a planning framework which encompasses a variety of activities-public- and private-sector artist commissions, community art initiatives, and citizen donations of art work. The program is pro-active in three areas:
- The Civic Public Art Program develops public art at new or existing City buildings, utility works, parks, and other public spaces.
- The Private Development Program develops artwork in public areas of major private developments. Private-sector rezonings greater than 100,000 ft2 are required to contribute $1.81 (2009 rate) per buildable (FSR) foot to a public art process approved by the City. This funding mechanism is similar in intent to "percent for art" programs in other cities.
2. What is the purpose of the Public Art Program?
The program aims to commission art that expresses the spirit, values, visions, and poetry of place that collectively define Vancouver. Artists working at new private developments may try to connect new development and populations to historic buildings and older communities. Artists commissioned to work at City-owned buildings, parks, and utilities may create work based on traditional civic values, or may try to humanize hard-edged urban infrastructure. And artists working with communities may put their design skills, aesthetic sense, and intuitive connection to place, at the service of neighbourhoods, working on projects that build community pride, cohesion, and identity. The Public Art Program encourages art-making of many kinds and at many levels, from single-artist commissions to artist collaborations with engineers, planners or others, examples of which identify great public spaces in cities worldwide.
3. What is the role of the Public Art Committee?
The Public Art Committee consists of nine volunteers appointed by City Council to give public oversight and direction to the Public Art Program. Members includes at least two artists and five other art professionals, an architect, a landscape architect, a developer, and a citizen at large. The committee does not select art work, but provides public oversight of the process and panels that do. It advises City Council and Park Board on public art issues, and acts as an advisory interface between elected officials, staff, artists, and the public. Meetings are open to the public, and the City Clerk can advise on meeting schedules and on appointments to the committee.
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4. How does the public "plug in" to the Public Art Program?
The public accesses the program in three principal areas:
- Direct public participation in art selection is offered through public meetings which advise the participating community on the project and on the artist opportunity. Residents routinely sit on selection panels and have direct roles in choosing artists.
- Public input, review, and oversight is provided through the City Council-appointed, nine-member Public Art Committee. The Committee advises Park Board, City Council, civic staff, developers, and others on program implementation, and on public art matters in general. Appointees sit for two years and may be re-appointed once.
- The program is accountable to the public through City Council, which provides funds for civic projects and requires private-sector participation through major developments. City Council and Park Board approve all funds or projects for civic sites.
5. How are City projects chosen?
City staff identify potential projects for discussion with the Public Art Committee. Projects recommended by staff and by the committee are presented to City Council for consideration. Only City Council can authorize funding to specific projects.
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6. How do artists find out about project opportunities?
The Public Art Mailing List sends free e-mail notices of new projects to subscribers. See details on how to subscribe. These notices are also poosted on the Artist Opportunities page. Some larger projects-City and private sector-are advertised in the press. Private-sector opportunities are open to all, and some are by invitation.
7. How are artists selected?
Artists for City projects are generally selected through open competitions in which artist submissions are reviewed by a selection panel. Selection panels usually consist of the project architect, engineer, or planner; at least one artist; and representatives of the neighbouring community-the intent being to balance expert and more general points of view. Selection panels may recommend a short-list of artists to prepare detailed models, from which a final selection is made. Panels usually have three to five voting members, but others may act as technical advisors to the selection, offering their expert knowledge of planning, engineering, safety, site, or community issues.
8. How does the private sector participate?
Private-sector rezonings greater than 100,000 ft2 are required to contribute $1.81 (2009 rate) per buildable (FSR) foot to a public art process approved by the City.
Public art consultants hired by the developer prepare a public art plan for review by the public art committee. The committee reviews the art sites, budget allocations, and artist selection procedures before passing its recommendations back to staff and the developer. The City does not generally collect private-sector public art funds, which are retained and expended by the developer.
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9. Can citizens donate art work for public places?
Under specified conditions, yes. But separate public reviews-first by staff and second by independent selection panel-determine whether the donation is accepted. Rather than offer existing or preconceived work, donors are encouraged to collaborate with Parks or City staff to define an artist project that serves existing civic priorities. Such projects typically offer imaginative, high-profile opportunities for artists and their sponsors, and usually achieve broad public support and acceptance by elected officials more easily than over-the-transom proposals.
For these reasons, donations of existing or preconceived art work have, since the mid-1980s, more often been refused than accepted.
10. Who pays for maintenance?
Maintenance costs are covered by funds placed in the City Public Art Maintenance Reserve. Sponsors of work installed on civic lands donate from 10% to 20% of the art project budget to the reserve. This applies to projects initiated by the City, by private developers, or donors.
11. How is the Program administered?
The Public Art Program is coordinated through Cultural Services in partnership with personnel in the City Clerk’s, Engineering, Parks, Planning, Housing, Legal Services, and Permits divisions.
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12. What are the origins of the Public Art Program?
In 1986, City Council appointed an advisory group of citizens to work with City staff and prepare guidelines for art donations to civic sites. Many art works then being offered as donations were legacies from Expo 86, an international transportation exposition held that year. As the advisory group gained experience, it took an increasingly pro-active approach and, in 1990, recommended a comprehensive public art program for the public and private sectors.
In 1988, Vancouver Park Board adopted the advisory group’s recommended procedures for accepting gifts of art intended for outdoor sites under the Board's jurisdiction. City Council adopted these procedures in 1990 and also instituted A Public Art Program for Civic and Private Development. City Council appointed a nine-member Public Art Committee in 1991.
13. How do I see some public art?
The City is now documenting its public art, both old and new. While that process is far from complete, a Public Art Registry is available online. Hard-copy records and photos exist, in varying detail, on approximately 350 (mainly historic) works installed at public sites in Vancouver. The hard-copy records may be viewed by researchers at the City’s Cultural Services Deparment, on written request.
14. Contact us
For additional information or to receive occasional updates, join our mailing list, e-mail us at publicart@vancouver.ca, or contact the Public Art staff.
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