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Johnson Street Parkade public art project


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#1 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 07:10 AM

The city is inviting artists to submit expressions of interest to enter a juried competition for a new piece that will enhance the space. The artwork can be located inside the building, such as in elevators and stairwells, or on the facade of the parkade.

City staff will host a tour of the parkade for interested artists Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. The visit will be recorded and posted online.

Artists who are residents of Canada are eligible.

The budget for the work is $125,000. Victoria’s annual budget for public art is $135,000, with about $10,000 reserved each year for repairs on existing works, Tupper said.

Victoria has one of the strongest public-art policies in Canada, he said. The city hosts about three-quarters of the public art in the core municipalities, despite fewer commissions in recent years.

 

More information is available at victoria.ca/publicart.

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.7QjkKaXx.dpuf

 

Rob Randall, what do you think about this?  I'm all in favour, but I'm interested in what you think, from an artists's perspective.  What would you propose?  Maybe you will be considering entering?

 

 


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#2 concorde

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 07:25 AM

Glad to see the city has a top priority to spend 125k


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#3 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 07:30 AM

Glad to see the city has a top priority to spend 125k

 

You know, on a budget of $200M, I don't want to live in a city that spends 100% of it on staff salaries and social services.  Public art lasts for a long time, the cost over time is very minimal.

 

I'm strongly in favour.  And that article made a lot of sense, killing two birds with one stone, making the street nicer and helping make the parkade more attractive.  Now, I think they ought to have limited it to something on the facade, but who knows, maybe someone will come forward with an internal feature that amazes everyone.


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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#4 Nparker

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:15 AM

I am strongly in favour of publically funded art projects (within fiscal reason), but inside a parking garage? Is this really going to make the parking experience more pleasurable? Much of the public will never see it (I rarely have any reason to go into public parkades). Would $125,000 not be better spent reducing parking rates? Increasing security? Cleaning and other maintenance? I see someone already posted these same comments on the T-C article. Art INSIDE the parkade just doesn't seem like the best value for the money expended.


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#5 D.L.

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:27 AM

Hopefully it turns out better than the short-lived coloured squares with floor numbers on the outside of the building installation. I never understood whether that was meant to be practical or artistic.



#6 Baro

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:31 AM

Just cover the parkade in exclamation marks.


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#7 dasmo

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 10:54 AM

Certainly an external treatment would be a good thing. Draw people through the alley... I might propose something being an artist myself...

#8 concorde

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 12:03 PM

I am all for public art, but I agree with NParker, the best place for that is not inside a parkade.  For $125,000 it better be once nice beautiful piece of artwork, not like the piece of trash left behind in front of the Save on Foods Arena.  Ooops, I guess that is "art".  Also for $125,000 I expect it to blow the socks off everyone.

 

I also think maybe there needs to be partial public/corporate sponsorship of public art.  No I am not offering given the City's track record.



#9 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 12:09 PM

 

I also think maybe there needs to be partial public/corporate sponsorship of public art.  No I am not offering given the City's track record.

 

Good idea.  Here are some examples.

 

02_Randys_Donuts_640.jpg.jpg

 

 

 

cokecans_2b.jpg


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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#10 dasmo

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 12:11 PM

Definitely the doughnut...
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#11 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 12:15 PM

Definitely the doughnut...

 

I was thinking the pop/soup can would be better.  Then you get a yearly rights from the sponsor.  Coke takes it for 5 years, but then Campbell Soup bids higher the next term.  Easy to change it.

 

With donuts, you have limited sponsors.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#12 dasmo

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 12:38 PM

Tim's is just around the corner though!

#13 Mike K.

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 01:29 PM

Why do we need an installation? Why not have an ever changing art wall instead? Grant $10k every year and give an artist free reign. This design by committee nonsense has yielded incredibly lame and kitschy art.
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#14 sebberry

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Posted 23 December 2014 - 05:50 PM

I'm sure some local high school art classes would jump at the chance to put together some art projects for the city. 


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#15 Rob Randall

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Posted 24 December 2014 - 12:27 AM

 

More information is available at victoria.ca/publicart.

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.7QjkKaXx.dpuf

 

Rob Randall, what do you think about this?  I'm all in favour, but I'm interested in what you think, from an artists's perspective.  What would you propose?  Maybe you will be considering entering?

 

 

A few years ago I tried coming up with a sculpture for the Bastion Square competition. The eventual winner was the tulip canoe there now. I consider myself a talented artist if I do say so myself but sculpture was a challenge I couldn't meet and I couldn't come up with a cohesive design.

 

There are so many things to consider: viabilty (can this actually be built with the budgetary constraints). That's one thing that put a wrench into my Bastion Square idea--I wanted to use a lot of fabricated Cor-Ten steel and that would have swallowed most of the budget. So you have to think, is it practical to build. You also have to think about liability issues. Is someone going to get drunk and injure themselves on it.Will it be a graffiti magnet. How durable is it. Is it so wild that it will get vetoed by the negative Nellies and other busybodies.

 

Anyway, it's a great idea, the actual cost is minimal and it would ad some interest in a place that apparently, some people refuse to enter it. The ugliness of parkades is a constand battle.

 

I won't enter it but I know there are some amazing artists that are capable of making works that will stick in your mind for a long time.

 

I'm sure some local high school art classes would jump at the chance to put together some art projects for the city. 

 

Eh, I guess that would be OK but frankly, looking at high school art is like watching Pee Wee hockey. At some point you say, OK enough already with the amateur hour; bring on the pros.


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#16 concorde

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Posted 24 December 2014 - 09:27 AM

A few years ago I tried coming up with a sculpture for the Bastion Square competition. The eventual winner was the tulip canoe there now. I consider myself a talented artist if I do say so myself but sculpture was a challenge I couldn't meet and I couldn't come up with a cohesive design.

 

There are so many things to consider: viabilty (can this actually be built with the budgetary constraints). That's one thing that put a wrench into my Bastion Square idea--I wanted to use a lot of fabricated Cor-Ten steel and that would have swallowed most of the budget. So you have to think, is it practical to build. You also have to think about liability issues. Is someone going to get drunk and injure themselves on it.Will it be a graffiti magnet. How durable is it. Is it so wild that it will get vetoed by the negative Nellies and other busybodies.

 

Anyway, it's a great idea, the actual cost is minimal and it would ad some interest in a place that apparently, some people refuse to enter it. The ugliness of parkades is a constand battle.

 

I won't enter it but I know there are some amazing artists that are capable of making works that will stick in your mind for a long time.

 

 

Eh, I guess that would be OK but frankly, looking at high school art is like watching Pee Wee hockey. At some point you say, OK enough already with the amateur hour; bring on the pros.

tell some of these "pros" they left their garbage behind like in front of the Save on Foods arena.  What is the fine for littering again?

 

I'm sure some local high school art classes would jump at the chance to put together some art projects for the city. 

thats actually a good idea.  maybe let schools all over the CRD compete for say a $10k prize.  Maybe art students in colleges as well



#17 dasmo

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Posted 24 December 2014 - 12:56 PM

I think the pro did OK at SOFA. He does aim to challenge and create provocative works not necessarily aesthetic ones....should a war piece be beautiful? My criticism would only be its scale. I think it would work better larger...

#18 Mike K.

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Posted 24 December 2014 - 01:27 PM

True, the scale is laughably small for such a large open space.

 

Ah well.


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#19 gumgum

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Posted 24 December 2014 - 02:21 PM

A few years ago I tried coming up with a sculpture for the Bastion Square competition. The eventual winner was the tulip canoe there now. I consider myself a talented artist if I do say so myself but sculpture was a challenge I couldn't meet and I couldn't come up with a cohesive design.

 

There are so many things to consider: viabilty (can this actually be built with the budgetary constraints). That's one thing that put a wrench into my Bastion Square idea--I wanted to use a lot of fabricated Cor-Ten steel and that would have swallowed most of the budget. So you have to think, is it practical to build. You also have to think about liability issues. Is someone going to get drunk and injure themselves on it.Will it be a graffiti magnet. How durable is it. Is it so wild that it will get vetoed by the negative Nellies and other busybodies.


 

Illarion Gallant is the artist behind the installation in Bastion Square. (He is also the man behind the flowers at the the yyj) I've had a chance to visit his workshop; it is quite the elaborate operation that must have involved a significant investment to get off the ground. He still needs to hire outside help from professionals such as engineers on top of this to ensure safely requirements have been met.

 

I've spoken with another well known installation artist that told me these projects rarely make any money for the artist. It's mostly a means to make one's mark.



#20 concorde

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Posted 24 December 2014 - 02:59 PM

those flowers at YYJ are another public eyesore



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