HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-09-062 - Artist-in-Residence Program Appointments - 2010 and 2011REPORT
REPORT TO:
Community Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
October 26, 2009
SUBMITTED BY:
Mark Hildebrand, Director, Community Programs and
Services
PREPARED BY:
Cheryl York, Arts/Culture Co-ordinator Ext 3381
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT: October 19, 2009
REPORT NO.: CSD-09-062
SUBJECT:
Artist-in-Residence Program Appointments for 2010, 2011
RECOMMENDATION:
That Stefan Rose be appointed as the City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence for 2010; and
further,
That Sean Puckett be appointed as the City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence for 2011, as
recommended by the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and the Public Art Working
Group.
BACKGROUND:
Kitchener’s artist-in-residence (AIR) program at City Hall has been an acknowledged innovation
in the region’s visual arts community since 1995. Working with the Arts and Culture Co-
ordinator, the Public Art Working Group is responsible for:
(a) Recommending the selection of artists for the Public Art Program, the Rotunda
Gallery Program, and the Artist-in-Residence Program
(b) Advice and consultation regarding the public art policy (I-816 Financial)
(c) Advice and consultation regarding public art program development, guidelines, plans
and policies
(d) Advice and consultation regarding the development of public art partnerships with
other organizations
(e) Advocacy for the importance of municipal public art.
In 2008, the program’s thirteenth year, the artist-in-residence program was modified to operate
in the absence of a City Hall studio space. The 2008 program focused on digital art work
produced in the artist’s own studio as an interim measure while the program was reviewed.
With the review continuing into 2009, a call for proposals was not issued for a 2009
appointment. At the review’s conclusion, the Public Art Working Group approved a program
mandate largely unchanged from the original, the difference being that the offer of a City Hall
studio space for the artist was removed.
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REPORT:
Fourteen artists responded to the call for applications for the 2010 program. On October 15,
2009, the Public Art Working Group met to review the submissions and select an artist. Criteria
for selection were:
Demonstrated artistic excellence in the artist’s practice;
Strength/professionalism of the submission;
Relationship of the artist’s proposed workshops and programming to this diverse community;
and
Proposed program’s potential to build meaningful exchange between artists and citizens.
The Public Art Working Group selected two artists whose proposals were of equal merit and
included Stefan Rose “Grand River, Grand Conversations” and Sean Puckett “A Portrait of
Kitchener”. The group felt that the selection of two artists could be accommodated if the artists
were assigned appointments in successive years.
“Grand River: Grand Conversations”
Stefan Rose has designed a program of photography, poetry and video to explore the effects of
landscape and geography on people’s community-building experiences. These composite
exhibitions would be showcased in a number of locations including the Rotunda Gallery, and
inside Grand River Transit buses in conjunction with Earth Day. The bus exhibits would be also
interpreted as a booklet for distribution at library branches, and as a PDF file for distribution
through the internet. In addition, a video of the Grand River would be created for exhibition on
the Berlin Tower. Throughout the program, the artist would organize artist talks, engage in
conversation with residents about their experiences with the river, and conduct two photo
critique sessions for the public.
The environment has become an area of great interest for the community, and the Public Art
Working Group wishes to recommend this opportunity to develop a collaboration between the
arts and the environment.
“A Portrait of Kitchener”
Sean Puckett’s proposal focuses on portraiture. The artist says: “There are thousands of faces
in the city, faces of all ages, genders, expressions and ethnic heritage. This diversity is one of
our greatest strengths. My proposal…seeks to document this diversity by creating a
photographic record of at least a thousand residents of our city.” Photos would be taken with the
consent of participants at selected city events and locations such as festivals, the Market, and
parks throughout the year. This work culminates in portable exhibitions and a dedicated, publicly
accessible website which the artist would maintain for five years. Other components of the
program include four photo workshops open to the public. The proposal has a high degree of
community involvement.
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The City will celebrate its 100 birthday in 2012. The Public Art Working Group recommends that
the artist-in-residence project in 2011 be a stepping stone to celebration and awareness of the
centennial. The project could culminate with a series of exhibitions in January 2012 to help launch
the centennial.
The Public Art Working Group’s selections were endorsed by the Arts and Culture Advisory
Committee on October 20, 2009.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Arts/Culture operating budget supports the artist-in-residence program at $7,500 annually.
CONCLUSION:
Both of these professional artists are based in our community, produce work of excellent quality,
and have presented proposals with high degrees of community involvement. The artist-in-
residence program looks forward in the next two years to re-establishing its long-standing
reputation for excellence and innovation.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Pauline Houston, General Manager Community Services
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