Photo by Whitehorse Star
Al Cushing
Another voice joins the praise for city art policy
Coun. Dan Boyd’s suggestion that city council should review its policy for allocating funding to purchase artwork for new city buildings is attracting more attention.
Coun. Dan Boyd’s suggestion that city council should review its policy for allocating funding to purchase artwork for new city buildings is attracting more attention.
Al Cushing of the Yukon Arts Centre said in an interview Thursday afternoon the city should just leave well enough alone.
Every major city in the country allocates funding for artwork in the construction budget for new municipal buildings, said the centre’s chief executive officer.
While Whitehorse’s policy dictates one per cent of the total cost be set aside for art, Cushing pointed out, Yellowknife’s policy calls for 1.5 per cent.
Vancouver’s policy calls for one per cent, he said.
Cushing said the policy is particularly à propos for Whitehorse because of its unique and thriving arts and culture community.
Last month’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival attracted 150 artists from around the world to Whitehorse, he pointed out.
“From the point of view of the arts centre, to put this policy in place was brilliant,” Cushing said.
“It put us in line with the other cities and it makes Whitehorse a beautiful place to live.”
Case in point, Cushing suggested, is Daphne Mennell’s spectacular rearing horse crafted from metal that sits next to Two Mile Hill, in front of the city’s Public Safety Building.
Boyd brought forward a motion at Monday’s council meeting requesting council revisit the art allocation policy.
He wasn’t recommending it be changed, but simply revisited.
With the city embarking on the first phase of its building consolidation project at an estimated cost of $46 million, perhaps it’s worth a second look, he suggested.
As Boyd pointed out in an interview with the Star, if $35 million of the project budget is for construction of the building, the city would be compelled to set aside $350,000 for art.
The building, he noted, will essentially be a large garage for big trucks, loaders and the like, and will be used almost exclusively by city staff, not the general public.
The councillor’s motion did prompt a couple of letters to the Star published Wednesday. They suggested the policy should be left alone. One letter was from Joyce Majiski, a local visual artist of note.
Boyd’s motion to revisit the policy will be voted on Monday. Boyd was on city council when the policy was adopted in 2000.
An allotment of $350,000 would be slightly higher than one per cent of the $33 million the city currently collects in property taxes in a year.
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Comments (9)
Up 6 Down 0
Joe on Jul 27, 2016 at 7:58 pm
Anyone who puts his name up in big letters and puts his title beside it is pompous and, in reality, a big joke.
Up 11 Down 0
Nile on Jul 26, 2016 at 9:56 am
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/calgary-mayor-hates-awful-new-public-art-installation-a-large-blue-circle-that-cost-the-city-471000
This is what we could get. Review the policy.
Up 6 Down 3
Josey Wales on Jul 26, 2016 at 12:09 am
north_of_60....the 11th thumbs up is from moi.
Brilliant piece of posting, please keep it up.
Up 36 Down 2
north_of_60 on Jul 25, 2016 at 2:22 pm
Periodically reviewing policies for non-essential spending is being fiscally prudent. The Mayor and some Councilors wouldn't understand that. Too many Councilors seem to think they only represent those who share their progressive liberal 'tax-and-spend' views and who voted for them. Thanks to Dan Boyd for being one of the few Councilors who actually represents the concerns of all taxpayers.
It's ludicrous to have an arts budget as a percent of building cost. There should be a fixed annual amount budgeted for purchasing and displaying local art.
Many COW buildings are not open to the public and don't need public funded art. If the employees want art, then their union can fund it.
Of course artists want more money, and therefore are less than objective in their arts expenditure opinions. Joyce Majiski does not live in Whitehorse, and does not pay the city taxes that go to arts purchases.
How about some public input on selecting art for display? Case in point is the junk-yard horse, although it does represent the Mayor & Council's foolish ideas on recycling, so perhaps it's appropriate besides being ugly.
Up 5 Down 28
CJ on Jul 25, 2016 at 12:56 pm
A percentage of the cost is the fairest way to budget. It ensures that the cost keeps up with inflation. So I don't get the argument that it's too much because construction costs have gone up. So what? And nobody else's costs have?
It's an odd thing for Dan Boyd to fixate on. Who was complaining about it in the first place? It just gives artists a chance to tax our goodwill with their speechifying.
One percent is apparently standard, and we do have some very good artists here who deserve the attention. It's bread and roses, my friends. You can't brag about how inspiring the Yukon is creatively, and then starve the creators.
Up 24 Down 1
Josey Wales on Jul 24, 2016 at 5:12 pm
That photo is very revealing for those looking.
His name in huge font the size of his head...
His illustrious title in font a wee bit smaller...
The name of the YAC...in the weeiest font of all?
How absolutely predictable the arrogance and pretentiousness coming from the "arts".
Let the defunding begin....as if in this leftist utopia.
Charge for wall space, we pay to shop downtown...meters for free wall space, tickets/fines for those who do not comply.
Up 24 Down 9
ProScience Greenie on Jul 23, 2016 at 2:50 pm
How about zero percent for arts. Just give various artist some free wall / floor space to promote their work.
It would also be nice to see the arts and culture industry start curbing their CO2 output. It is rather large.
Up 28 Down 13
June Jackson on Jul 22, 2016 at 11:23 pm
Why does the City need a permanent art collection? Why do we need 'art' anywhere? Let the College promote art by offering a free rotation of locals artists work to be displayed for x amount of time. The artist name and phone number could be attached should anyone want to purchase the item. Wouldn't cost the City anything, would be fresh art every so often, and artists would be displayed.
CoW council spends money like a drunken sailor.. how come I can't seem to get my hands on any of it?
Up 24 Down 11
Wolfe on Jul 22, 2016 at 6:33 pm
I for one kinda support Dan's idea to revisit the policy.
I feel that 1% on a big budget project is high.
Perhaps a solution would be to put a cap on the the total expenditure.
For example 1% to a maximum of $250,000 would seem fair. I am sure this
is something that both the arts community and the tax payers would be in agreement of.