City of Calgary wants input on direction of public art program

Whether you love it or hate it, Calgary’s public art program has been a topic of heated discussion over the past few years.

From Travelling Light (AKA The Big Blue Ring) to Convergence to Bowfort Towers, there have been a number of pieces that have struck up debates about the city’s public art program.

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Now the city is asking the public for input as they move forward with plans to transition the city-run program to an external organization.

A release from the City of Calgary states that Calgarians who would like to participate in an online survey can do so from now until June 30.

There will also be online sessions hosted on June 16, 17, and 18 for those who would like to dive a little deeper into the future of public artwork in the city.

“Calgarians are very passionate about art and continuing to make Calgary an inviting and vibrant place to live and visit,” said Jennifer Thompson, acting manager of Arts and Culture at The City of Calgary, in the release.

“It’s important we understand the expectations and priorities of Calgarians when it comes to this new direction for public art in our city.”

Input collected through the survey and at the online sessions will help to create procurement processes for finding the best external organization to take over the program.

The city will be accepting proposals from prospective organizations as early as this fall, and a final decision will likely be made by the end of 2020.