New Westminster may consider ways of jazzing up the space outside of city council chambers to create a more welcoming vibe.
On Monday, council approved a motion by to have arts services staff report back to council with options to re-imagine the space and walls outside council chambers to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment. Coun. Mary Trentadue put forward the motion.
“The city has been doing a lot of work in the last couple of years about becoming a more inclusive and welcoming organization and building,” she said. “I believe that every action we take makes a difference for others.”
Trentadue’s motion states that reconciliation, inclusion and engagement is a high priority of the city as New West works toward creating a welcoming, including and accepting community that promotes a deep understanding and respect for all cultures. It also notes that council approved a motion in January 2020 calling for ways in which the city can be more welcoming and inclusive, specifically related to civic facilities, city hall and council meetings.
Trentadue said the intention of her motion is to have art services report back with creative options for projects that will re-envision the city council foyer, in a way that will better represent the community and residents.
Trentadue said the development of an artist roster was one of the initiatives that inspired her motion regarding re-imaging the space outside council chambers.
“I think there are many more opportunities for art and artists in our community, and we should see that at city hall,” she said. “I also understand that work is underway at city hall to refresh and perhaps modernize some of our spaces and walls.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote said it could be a “really exciting project” for the space outside his office in city hall.
“I think it’s consistent with how we want to create an open and welcoming space both here at council meetings but also for everyone coming to visit council chambers. … Obviously there have been people gathering for council meetings, but before COVID we had elementary schools coming to do tours and visits,” he said. “I think what we want to do is create that open and welcoming space and a place where everyone feels they are included.”
Arts on the agenda
At Monday’s meeting, council also received reports about other arts initiatives that are in the works.
The city has put out a call to artists to develop an “artist roster” that allows the city to identify up to 20 pre-qualified artists and arts teams of diverse backgrounds, practices and stages of their careers, who would be considered for public art projects of less than $25,000. The concept is that having a roster of artists in place would streamline the selection process and would allow the city to be more responsive to opportunities for temporary works, artist residencies and other initiatives.
In addition, the city has issued an expression of interest for artist-initiated public art projects.
“Shortlisted artists will be invited to prepare a concept proposal to animate the urban landscape,” said a staff report. “Artists will be encouraged to explore outdoors spaces such as parks and plazas, as well as common urban spaces such as sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes. The call also includes a series of questions that are designed to support reflection on the impact of the pandemic.”
Also on the arts front, council has approved the establishment of an arts advisory committee, which will replace the arts commission and the public art advisory committee. Some of the committee’s roles will be to provide advice and support regarding the implementation of the arts strategy, the theatre strategy and the public art policy.
Trentadue thanked all of the members of the arts commission and the public arts advisory committee for their efforts.
“These two committees have been working independently of each other and are on the verge of merging,” she said. “We had lots of discussions about how this would work for one committee going forward. I just wanted to acknowledge those conversations and the work the committee members put in in forming this new committee, but also all of the work that was done prior to that.”
Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus
Email [email protected]
