By Staff
December 8, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Gazette erred – big time – on the original version of this article, we put a price tag on the public art that was just plain wrong – and we apologize for the error. The correct numbers are now in place.
The public art that came in at between $5,000 to $10,000 each for the six wards was officially unveiled last week.
It is worth looking at – some of it is drive by and not that easy to actually see – others you might not get to.
The Gazette is pleased to show you both the art and the artist.
The local artist mural initiative is a new public art program designed to tell local stories using local artists. This year’s program commissioned six small to medium-scale murals throughout the city. These commissions were open exclusively to Burlington, Ont., artists. Free professional development opportunities were offered to assist artists with the application process and project development.
The city’s public art adviser ran a juried competition and the following six people were selected:
• Judy Mayer-Grieve: King Road Underpass, Ward 1
• Claire Hall: Freeman Station, Ward 2
• Teresa Seaton: Amherst Park, Ward 3
• Hannah Sell and Liam Racine: Port Nelson Park, Ward 4
• Tamara Kwapich: Orchard Community Park, Ward 5
• Donna Grandin: Ireland Park, Ward 6
Judy Mayer-Grieve did the mural at the King Road Underpass. There was a time when the King Road was often just a line up of vehicles waiting to cross the rail line. The underpass was a huge improvement – which the mural celebrates.
Clair Hall did the mural on the side of the Freeman Station. While the station is some distance from where it once served Burlington which was then an agricultural community, the restoration of the station is one of the best examples of citizens moving in and taking on a project the city could never manage to make happen.
Teresa Seaton did the art work that is in Amherst Park park next to a community garden. The art has been tempered and will easily withstand the winter weather.
Hannah Sell and Liam Racine did the art work that is located in the small Port Nelson Park where it will be seen by thousands. There was a time when tonnes of timber was shipped from a wharf at the foot of the park.
Tamara Kwapich did the mural in Orchard Community Park; once the location for some of the best apple orchards in the province.
Donna Grandin did the four pieces that are at Ireland Park. Each reflects a different part of the city.
The Gazette was fortunate to be able to watch Teresa Seaton do her art work – she provided a number of pictures that she grouped as “the process”.
One of the stained glass pieces being assembled.
Teresa Seaton at her work bench.
Seaton advises that the “better photo-graphs” were taken by David Galway
“…stop wasting our money on unnecessary things”
People complain when the government spends a dollar on public art.
The Murals are a terrific step in the process of beautifying Burlington.
Great cities invest in their visitor experience in the hope that it increases tourism, makes the town better and generates civic pride.
When I went to Paris last year – I visited the Eiffel Tower & Art museums. Saw the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign in LA and was amazed at the amount of City Art displayed in Chicago.
Perhaps I should have visited those cities’ sewage waste disposal sites and DMV offices instead to see fiscal prudence in action (but I chose not to).
New York City would get a fortune melting down the Statue of Liberty for scrap metal and Mt Rushmore – an excellent source of road gravel.
But maybe I’m too sentimental. I should just be happy to look out my front door each day at the same rusty old Burlington Hydro green box that sits there beside the cracked sidewalk under the burned out street lamp. No money wasted fixing those.
Come on man, did you really just compare these little art pieces with the Eiffel Tower, Hollywood sign, Statue of Liberty, and Mt. Rushmore?
Once I see the millions of tourists flocking to Burlington to see our public art, I’ll eat my words. Until then, I for one would prefer that my tax dollars be spent more wisely.
I mean no disrespect to the artists, all of whom have done a wonderful job, but can City Hall please stop wasting our money on unnecessary things, and focus more on what’s needed to improve the infrastructure and minimize tax hikes? I feel like this city has no leadership right now, nobody to act as a conscience and ask “Hey, is this really the best use of our citizen’s money?” Small art projects costing us $300,000… Where exactly does that fall on the priority scale right now? And looking subjectively at the art pieces, as nice as they are, how can anyone justify spending $50,000 on each of those? Come on City Hall, you can do better!
Editor’s note: The Gazette erred when it ran a piece that said the cost for this public art was $300,000 – it was between $30,000 and $60,000 with the artists getting between five and ten thousand each.
We published a correction and re-ran the story.
I am so pleased to see this public art project come to fruition. We should absolutely celebrate our history and we need to support local artists.
I would appreciate it if the Gazette would give us a little “value added” by better identifying the locations of proposed buildings and other visuals with maps, streets, and other info. Even long-term residents don’t know some of the “insider” terms for specific locations, for example Port Nelson Park. And city maps aren’t much help for anything outside the core. Where are Amherst and Ireland Parks? Identifying locations for the many new residents and prospective new ones would be another way to celebrate the city.
Thanks,