Building a Public Art Program for Chatham-Kent
Overview
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent recently implemented its first-ever Public Art Policy, which will lay the groundwork for a new Public Art Program. You can review the policy and related documents in the menu on the right.
Public Art works best when it is specifically for and about its community - so we need your help to design a Public Art Program that suits us to a T!
Read on to learn more about Public Art, check out our informative video gallery, and have your say via the survey below. Then, check out the Ideas tab, where you can share your public art memories and brainstorm public art ideas for Chatham-Kent.
Interested in proposing a public artwork for your community? Use the form in the Documents panel at the right, or download it here:
https://www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/30864/widgets/125564/documents/127819
Public Art 101
What is public art?
You may have heard the term public art and wondered...just what does that mean? Public art refers to artwork that is installed in a public space, and is therefore visually and physically accessible to the public.
Why is public art important?
Public Art defines spaces, creates landmarks, and builds upon the meaningful connections between people and their environment. Public Art may interpret the natural or human history of a site; connect new populations to historic buildings and older communities; unite neighbourhoods by expressing shared experiences and aspirations; or simply beautify existing spaces. Through the creative vision of artists, public spaces become gathering places, creating a sense of civic pride and engagement.
Check out this video for some inspiring examples of Public Art!
Documents
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Public Art Policy (adopted Nov 21, 2022).pdf (180 KB) (pdf)
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Info Report to Council, May 30, 2022: Update on Public Art Policy (76.4 KB) (pdf)
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Public Art Policy Appendix A.pdf (68.4 KB) (pdf)
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Public Art Policy Appendix B.pdf (175 KB) (pdf)
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Report to Council November 2022 - Public Art Policy and Public Art Reserve.docx (43.1 KB) (docx)
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Preliminary Public Art Plan - Community Submissions.pdf (744 KB) (pdf)
Video Library
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Visual artist Helen Marriage stages astonishing, large-scale public art events that expand the boundaries of what's possible. In this visual tour of her work, she tells the story of three cities she transformed into playgrounds of the imagination -- picture London with a giant mechanical elephant marching through it -- and shows what happens when people stop to marvel and experience a moment together.
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Every human has a deep longing for home and a sense of place. But home is not where many people think it is, because home is a feeling – not a location. David has over 25 years of experience in place making. Best known as the creator of the Walking School Bus and the 7 Day Makeover, he is a passionate designer, artist, author, communicator, and social inventor. David is also a founder and director of Creative Communities International, an organization dedicated to creating great public spaces. Nothing gives David greater joy than working with communities to breathe new life into dead public spaces and dead shopping streets. According to PPS in New York, David is “one of the world’s most inventive thinkers on creating vibrant public spaces.”
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Have you ever wondered about the public art you see around town? Do you know how to find the meaning of outdoor sculptures and paintings? Join an adorable six-year-old host on a journey to discover monumental public artworks throughout San Francisco. Public art is all around us, but sometimes we don't even notice it! Get some insight about the famed Bow and Arrow by the bay by artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen, and Ruth Asawa's bay-framing fountain sculpture across the street. Then grab your hiking boots and head for the woods to see Andy Goldsworthy's all-natural installations in The Presidio. Learn how to read these public artworks and many more, brought to you by the cutest curator in town.
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LeAp's Public Art Program is designed to empower middle school students to speak out on social issues in their communities through the creation and public exhibition of art in NYC parks. Students meet world-renowned Guest Artists such as Christo and Chuck Close, and ultimately create their own beautiful and highly meaningful artworks that address important community issues---using a school lunchroom table as a canvas for the project. The final art tables are installed in 10 parks citywide and comprise the largest student exhibition in the history of NYC parks, and the first to span five boroughs. (credit: Forecast Public Art)
