There are plenty of beautiful urban spaces in Victoria, but the block of Johnson Street behind the Odeon Theatre isn’t one of them.
That’s why the Johnson Street Parkade will be the site of the city’s next piece — or pieces — of public art, said Jon Tupper, chairman of the Art in Public Places Committee and director of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
“If you look at the primary objectives of public art, beautification is one of them,” Tupper said. “That block of Johnson, it needs something. So we thought, maybe we would designate a spot for a particular piece and see how artists respond.”
Making city parkades more welcoming was also identified as a priority during consultations last spring, as part of a strategy to encourage their use. Coun. Pam Madoff said Victoria council supported the project because of the many goals it would help fulfill.
“I think it’s one of those initiatives where it covers a number of areas,” Madoff said. “Art can play a role beyond beautification and art for art’s sake. It can help create a sense of security in a neighbourhood.”
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.
