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Home My WebLink AboutCAO-17-006 - 2017 Artist in Residence Appointment REPORT TO:Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING:February 13, 2017 SUBMITTED BY: Cory Bluhm, Interim Executive Director, Economic Development, 519- 741-2200ext. 7065 PREPARED BY:Emily Robson, Coordinator, Arts/Creative Industries, 519-741-2200 ext. 7392 WARD (S) INVOLVED:All DATE OF REPORT:January 30, 2016 REPORT NO.:CAO-17-006 SUBJECT:2017 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE APPOINTMENT ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: That Julie Sperling be appointed as the 2017 City of Kitchener Artist in Residence as recommended by Public Art Working Group and Arts and Culture Advisory Committee; and further, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute an agreement, satisfactory to the City Solicitor, with Julie Sperling, outlining the obligations of the Artist in Residence appointment. BACKGROUND: Established in 1995 as the first municipal program of its kind, the City of Kitchener Artist in Residence program aims to engage the community in the production of contemporary art that reflects our shared identity and supports the development of local artists. The program delivers on the understanding that meaningful engagement in the arts and growth of the creative sector contributes positively to the dynamism, authenticity, attractiveness and overall competitiveness of the City of Kitchener. Link: Learn more about the City of Kitchener's Artist in Residence program The annual program includes community engagement components such as workshops and events, presentations of work in progress and completed works in city hall galleries or other venues, collaboration with City events, programs and facilities, and participation on Public Art Working Group (PAWG), a subcommittee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC). The Artistin Residence is provided with an honorarium for the year. Make it Kitchener identifies the expansion of the Artist in Residence Program as an action item under “Make is Spark”. Since 2015, the call has been broadened to include artists working in any discipline, a shift developed in close consultation with PAWG and ACAC. Beyond visual arts, proposals can include dance, design, digital and media arts, folk and traditional arts, *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance. 6 - 1 literature and spoken word, music, multidisciplinary works, opera, theatre, musical theatre and performing arts.The program continues to emphasize a high level of community engagement. Activities associated with the Artistin Residence program occur throughout the city over the course of the year. A wide variety of individuals are engaged during the program—from those encountering artwork and the artist at community events, to those interested in workshops on artistic practice. REPORT: The annual call for proposals wasadvertised in the summer of 2016. Twelve proposals were submitted by the competition close in October 2016.Members PAWG assessed the entries based on: Applicant’s status asa regional artist working at a professional level Balance of professional practice development, collaboration and some form of meaningful exchange with the community Demonstrated artistic excellence in the artist’s practice Strength /professionalism of submission Feasibility Community engagement strategy PAWG reached consensus at their November 14, 2016 meeting, selecting Julie Sperling as the recommended 2017 City of Kitchener Artist in Residence. Julie Sperling is a mosaicist who sees herself as camped out at the intersection of art, environment, science, and policy. She believes that artistshold important roles as advocates, activists, and change-makers. Since 2014, she has been creating an ongoing series of mosaics with a focus on environmentalsustainability. As an artist who uses a majority of foraged and reclaimed materials (geologic, natural, industrial, urban, and more), her work has a strong connection to place. Through Julie Sperling’s residency project (Appendix A), the community will be encouraged to consider environmental issues and take concrete action. Using a series of small mosaics created as conversation starters, Julie will engage citizensin a dialogue about the environment. She finds mosaics serve as powerful communication tools, as their highly textural and material nature invites close exploration and contemplation. Additionally, Julie will invite residents to create a personal mosaic symbolizing one concrete positive action they are committing to take to benefit the environment. Her project offers the potential to culminate in a collaborative creation expressing our community’s commitment to environmental change. 6 - 2 ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The $10,000artist fee and $2,500 allocation for expenses are supported by Arts/Creative Industry budgets. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. COLLABORATE – An important component of the Artist inResidence program is the requirement for meaningful public engagement. City staff works with the artist to identify interesting opportunities for public engagement and develop creative programming to suit these opportunities. Julie Sperling will engage with the community through the creation of mosaics. Engaging advisorycommittees: In addition to consulting on the Artist in Residence call for proposals, PAWG serves as the selection committee for the position, as a subcommittee of ACAC. A PAWG motion that ACACsupport the selection of Julie Sperling as the 2017City of Kitchener Artist in Residence was considered and supported by ACAC on November 15, 2016. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer,CAO 6 - 3 CAO-17-006 2017 Artist in Residence Appointment Appendix A: Julie Sperling Proposal 2 pages 6 - 4 Julie Sperling Ã ÅClimate in pieces: From art to actionÆ City of Kitchener Artist in Residence Proposal I propose to engage the community in a dialogue about climate change action using a series of mosaics, each depicting one practical solution that individuals can take to help make Kitchener more climate-friendly and resilient. Residents will have the opportunity to create a small modular mosaic symbolizing their commitment to take one action to reduce their climate impact. These community-made pieces will then be used to create a large mosaic representing our cityÈs intent to act on climate change. I have been creating climate change mosaics for three years, and have found that mosaic is a powerful medium for communicating about climate change. This is owing, in large part, to the diversity of materials I employ, with each one carefully chosen to convey a particular idea or message. For instance, I have used pieces of coal to explore the harmful effects of black carbon, degraded seashells to illustrate ocean acidification, and layers of graffiti paint to speak to the complex dialogue surrounding climate change. Moreover, mosaic is an ideal medium through which to communicate about this subject because of the parallels that exist between the art form and climate change. Not only are both slow, gradual processes, but each one also depends on the power of the collective. Individual pieces of stone and glass come together to create something bigger, and individual actions add up to make a difference in the fight against climate change. While I would welcome the opportunity to advance my studio practice by continuing to hone my ability to create mosaics that have a direct connection to environmental advocacy and action, I strongly believe that the next important step for me as an activist artist is to engage more meaningfully with the community. I have always intended for my climate change mosaics to have a community connection, where they can spur conversation and action. My solo exhibition at TorontoÈs Evergreen Brick Works was one such effort, but I believe the City of Kitchener Artist in Residence program would be a more direct line to community engagement and would be an opportunity to effect more positive change through my art. I also believe that this project is timely and well suited to the Kitchener community. At the national scale, there is a renewed sense of urgency and commitment with respect to climate change, while at the local level, Kitchener has always been at the forefront of environmental issues, with many strong organizations advocating for change. Exploring climate change through art offers the chance to talk about many local issues and initiatives, such as light rail, local food, and stormwater management. The proposed project would unfold in three stages: (1) the creation of mosaics to serve as conversation starters, (2) community engagement, and (3) the creation of a Kitchener climate action mosaic. My proposed project would begin with the creation of four mosaics focused on the following climate solutions: energy, transportation, food, and natural stormwater 6 - 5 management. Time permitting, a fifth mosaic about water conservation and the water- energy nexus would be added. For the community engagement portion, I would seek to partner with environmental organizations and others to engage residents in a dialogue about climate change. My aim would be to connect with the public at various festivals, events, and workshops, where I would hope to inspire them, using my art as a touchstone, to commit to taking at least one action to reduce their climate impact and/or increase their climate resilience. To symbolize this commitment, residents would be invited to create a small modular mosaic (pieces of stone, glass, and other materials embedded in coloured mortar), which would later be incorporated into a larger work showing the cityÈs collective commitment to climate action. Each category of action (energy, transportation, food, stormwater) would be visually distinct, differentiated by the colour of the mortar and/or the colour, type, and/or shape of the materials. As much as possible, the materials used will be foraged / sourced locally, to emphasize the connection to community and place. Finally, the community-fabricated modular mosaics would be incorporated into a large mosaic showing Kitchener residentsÈ commitment to climate action, which would then be shown, along with the conversation-starter mosaics, in a final exhibition. I maintain an active blog and have a strong social media presence, which I would leverage throughout the residency to document my process and communicate with the public. May (start) Studio work and outreach to potential community partners begins Jul (start) Preparation begins for modular mosaics Jul (mid) Four mosaics completed to serve as conversation starters; community engagement begins Oct (start) Work begins on Kitchener climate action mosaic (design, materials preparation) Nov (start) Community engagement ends Nov (end) Kitchener climate action mosaic complete Dec (start) Final exhibition opens 6 - 6