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Home My WebLink AboutCAO-15-006 - 2014 Artist in Residence Commission Staff Report TTY HN NER CA Office www.kitchener to REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: March 9, 2015 SUBMITTED BY: Rod Regier, Executive Director, Economic Dev., 519-741-2200 x 7506 PREPARED BY: Silvia DiDonato, Manager, Arts/Culture, 519-741-2200 x 7392 WARD (S) INVOLVED: All Ward(s) DATE OF REPORT: February 3, 2015 REPORT NO.: CAO-15-006 SUBJECT: 2014 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: That the commissioning and installation of art work by the City's 2014 Artist in Residence, Dwight Storring be approved; and further, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the Artist in Residence 2014 Commission Agreement with Dwight Storring in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor, such agreement encompassing the terms set out in this report CAO-15-006 BACKGROUND: Since 1995, the Artist in Residence has customarily developed a proposal for a commissioned art work to be added to the City's `Artist in Residence Collection.' link: II rin moire l�o t �1h City o Kitcheineirs Artist in If` ci r r n , i k . These art works have been installed in the public areas of city hall and in various city-owned facilities such as community centres. The works reflect the creative work done by the artist during his or her term of appointment. The majority are two-dimensional works of painting, photography or prints. There are a few sculptural works as well. The commissions are funded from the Public Arts Trust Fund established by the Lions Club of Kitchener and are permanent assets of the City of Kitchener. As part of the annual program, the appointee serves for a year as a member of the Public Art Working Group (PAWG). Each year, the artist submits a commission proposal to PAWG for review. Dwight Storring was appointed by Council to be the 2014 Artist in Residence (Report CAO-14-007). His year-long program was titled `Neighbourhood Voices'. REPORT: The richness of life in Kitchener has made our city an ideal place for Dwight Storring's `Neighbourhood Voices' residency project to unfold. The network of community centres, active neighbourhood associations, cultural diversity, deep commitment to social service initiatives, *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 7 - 1 and legacy of innovation and a growing digital sector provided Storring with a fertile ecosystem to create his collaborative documentary project. As Artist in Residence 2014, Storring had the opportunity to work with fellow citizens to see our city through new eyes, to give voice to our daily lives and to share our stories across the community and beyond. It has demonstrated that art is an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Storring visited all 14 community centres and engaged with staff and citizens about their neighbourhoods during his residency. The legacy of `Neighbourhood Voices' is a collection of personal video stories of Kitchener citizens. It reflects how the everyday lives of people ripple out across the community to create the narrative we live each day. The process of story sharing has been as essential to the artistic integrity of Storring's project as story gathering. With this in mind, for his commissioned work, Storring proposes a travelling, interactive exhibition of portraits and video stories collected and crafted during his residency that would tour community centres and other city facilities such as libraries and workplaces. This mobile exhibition will include an interactive stand and signage for use by the community to explore. It will bring the art to the people in a familiar setting with a familiar, easy to use interface. Additionally, the mobile exhibit takes the stories back to the community centres where they were gathered, which emphasizes the integral role played by everyday people in making the ongoing story of the city. Visitors will see themselves mirrored in the stories and be encouraged to share their own experiences, particularly in the setting (i.e. community centres) where they engage with the artwork. Community Services staff was consulted during the development of Storring's proposal to ensure the needs and concerns of the community centres and their users would be met. The Public Art Working Group supported the acquisition of this commissioned work at its meeting held on February 9, 2015. PAWG's motion with amendment as follows: "That 2014 Artist in Residence Dwight Storring's commission proposal for the legacy of "Neighbourhood Voices"be accepted, consisting of a publicly accessible, travelling, interactive exhibit of portraits and video stories, and further, that opportunities for the exhibit to visit sites in addition to Community Centres, including the Auditorium, the Market, Library branches and schools be explored." ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Quality of Life: The Artist-in-Residence program nurtures a sense of pride and community by using art and artistic production as means of exploring and celebrating the community's identity. It also contributes to community vitality by offering creative and interesting opportunities to express themselves. Development: Creative people live in creative communities, and the Artist in Residence program is a direct reflection of this. From supporting local artists as important contributors to *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 7 - 2 an economic sector, to creating an attractive and interesting place, the Artist in Residence program acknowledges artists as important contributors to both the economy and place making. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The commission fee is $5,000, funded by the Public Arts Trust Fund. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. COLLABORATE — The Artist in Residence program requires the artist to offer a program with meaningful opportunities for community engagement. In 2014, Storring engaged citizens from across the city through community centres by collecting their stories and weaving them into a moving video presentation. In addition, this commission will visit each of the City's community centres for a minimum of one month. PAWG and ACAC provide oversight of the Artist in Residence program. This report will be available to the public on the City's internet site as part of the standing committee agenda. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 7 - 3 Artist in Residence Commission Proposal - 2014 II:)uroj ri �,,,„ ��. 111��,��a�6ig I°mbouurl°moos Voices Artist III°) viiigi--mt Stoirriiing neighbourhood ICES interactive i i 9 C 1 i Y R i III Neighbourhood Voices is a collection of personal video stories of Kitchener citizens intended to reflect how the everyday lives of people ripple out across the community to create the narrative we live each day. The process of story sharing is as essential to the artistic integrity of the project as story gathering. With that in mind, I'm proposing a traveling, interactive exhibition of portraits and video stories from Neighbourhood Voices that would tour community centres and other city facilities such as libraries and workplaces. Traditional art galleries can be intimidating, uncomfortable or simply inconvenient places for ordinary folks. However this mobile exhibition would bring the art to the people in a familiar setting with a familiar, easy to use interface. Taking the stories back to the community emphasises the integral role played by everyday people in making the ongoing story of the city. Visitors will see themselves mirrored in the stories and be encouraged to share their own experiences, particularly in the setting (i.e. community centres)where they engage with the artwork. 7 - 4 The exhibition would be a one-piece, self contained installation with the following design attributes: • A large graphic panel (approximately 40 x 30 inches) showing the portraits of the storytellers against a city map. The portraits would act as a guide to the interactive piece of the exhibit and the map would highlight the community centres and the areas they serve. • An interactive screen where visitors would select and view individual video stories. The screen would take design cues from the graphic panel, helping viewers make a connection between the stories, the community centres and the city. • The screen would be an electronic tablet such as an Apple Pad. It would be housed in a secure, tamper-proof case and include all cabling. It would plug into a standard electrical outlet and not be connected to the internet or play other applications. • Sound would be provided through headphones. • The interactive piece would be produced as an e-book for use on the tablet and would act as an archival record of the Neighbourhood Voices project. The e-book could also be distributed through the City of Kitchener website as a free download. • It would come with installation instructions, not require exceptional computer skills to set up and as much as possible, be a plug-and-play solution. • The exhibition footprint would be roughly 4 feet wide by 3 feet deep and a height of approximately 6 feet. Total Commission cost including production and artist's and fees: $5,000 7 - 5