Latest news with #publicart
National Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Design trends: A new push for public art
A thought-provoking new sculpture by British artist Ryan Gander — The Cat, the Clock and the Rock — was unveiled on April 29 in the pedestrian walkway between Toronto's Simcoe and St. Patrick streets, near OCAD University. It's an eye-catching piece, a four-foot stainless-steel clock leaning against a rock modelled after one of the oldest rock samples on Earth, with a life-sized cat curled up in its shadow. But it's the artwork's backstory that reveals a side of Toronto's Percent for Public Art Program that often isn't talked about. Article content Article content The sculpture sits between three new towers in the Artists' Alley condo project. The piece was funded by the condos' developer, Lanterra, a participant in the City of Toronto's voluntary Percent for Public Art Program, a 40-year-old arrangement in which participating developers reserve one percent of a project's gross construction cost to fund a public artwork, either on the site itself or nearby, in exchange for concessions like additional storeys or an increase in building density. In the case of Artists' Alley, both of those were granted in exchange for community benefits that included the sculpture; a 6,000-square-foot community space to be operated by the City; a publicly accessible open space; and a monetary contribution to new affordable housing units in the area, according to a spokesperson in the City's Media Relations department. Article content Some artist mentorship is encouraged in the program's guidelines, but these components have generally been limited to interactions between the commissioned artist and a single mentee, often an artist local to the area where a piece will be installed. For example, developer Concord Adex facilitated several one-on-one mentorships at its Concord CityPlace and Concord Park Place communities with local artists, led by their public art consultant. Mentees learned about public art commissioning and delivery through hands-on experience and coaching. Article content Article content 'With OCAD right next door, we really wanted to create an opportunity for art students to get involved, to learn from this incredible international artist, and to see first-hand what goes into making a piece of art like this happen,' says Lanterra chairman and co-founder Mark Mandelbaum. Article content Lanterra's first installation, in 2007, was a roly-poly bronze sculpture by the controversial American artist Tom Otterness titled Immigrant Family at Yonge Street and Lakeshore Boulevard. Article content This time, working closely with OCAD U, Lanterra funded a mentorship bursary and supported the creation of a new minor in public art at the school. In 2022, six upper-year students and alumni were selected to participate in a week-long paid intensive with Gander titled 'A Melted Snowman,' which explored public space and artistic intervention around the OCAD U campus. Article content 'I still think about the work that I made for that workshop. It informs what I'm doing now,' says Abby Kettner, one of the OCAD U students involved. It culminated in the group creation of a piece — a magic eight ball containing a die with all of the students' works depicted titled Oscillation and Tension Between the Natural and the Conventional — that Gander gifted to OCAD U's permanent collection.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Interactive art installation of vintage-inspired telephones in Edmonton nominated for global award
Born out of a time when it was almost impossible to reach out and touch someone, an Edmonton art installation appears to be calling out to those on the global stage. 'Play it by Ear,' an interactive art installation by Calgary artists Caitlind Brown and Wayne Garrett, has been nominated as one of the top 100 public art projects by CODAworx, a public art industry group. The installation consists of 13 pastel coloured, vintage-inspired telephones strewn throughout Butler Memorial Park, in a gritty part of Edmonton just west of its downtown. Connected like an intercom, picking up one telephone causes another to ring on the other side of the park. 'It's actually an invitation for strangers to talk to each other,' Brown said in a recent interview. If they answer, people can strike up a conversation. If they don't, they can leave a voice mail. People have left more than 5,000 messages, which Garrett said range from dead air to loving words of encouragement. 'It's just a bit of everything, and it kind of reflects the dynamic of the park,' he said. The planning started a few years ago, with a visit to the park. Brown said they noticed the park was next to a bus station, which got them thinking about connections and missed connections. They also saw many people using the space. 'There are literally people who maybe don't have anywhere else to go, who end up using this park as a living room,' she said. 'And so, a telephone seemed like the kind of perfect homey addition.' On top of that, they saw an old Alberta Government Telephones office nearby. 'My grandma was a telephone operator in Edmonton in the 1950s, and she worked at an Alberta Government Telephones building,' Brown added. 'And that's part of why we were like, 'Oh, this might be the right fit for this park.'' Renee Williams, executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said the organization was immediately on board when it heard the 'fun and playful' pitch. 'It was the idea of a means to create connection with one another,' she said. 'And so I just thought, 'What a unique and interactive public art element to be added here.'' Working with the arts council, each phone cradle was cast out of steel and modelled after rotary phones of yesteryear, adding to a playful and intergenerational nostalgia. Where the dial usually sits, there's a smaller piece of art based on homey photographs sent in by the public. The exhibit was installed in 2023 and has been well-received by park patrons, Garrett said. 'We were going around just taking a look at the phones to check on how things are doing and make sure everything was functioning,' he said. 'And some residents who use the park a lot went out of their way to tell us how the phones work.' The installation is up against entries from 14 countries in the CODAworx competition. Brown said the recognition is nice, but at the end of the day what matters is the impact the art has on people. 'Play it by Ear' is meant to be intergenerational, she said, so people of different ages can connect. 'We've come to the park at times where there have been those connections with a person who appears to be a senior talking to someone else,' she said. 'Those have been the most gratifying moments.'
CBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Edmonton public art installation among 100 projects up for global award
Social Sharing Born out of a time when it was almost impossible to reach out and touch someone, an Edmonton art installation appears to be calling out to those on the global stage. "Play it by Ear," an interactive art installation by Calgary artists Caitlind Brown and Wayne Garrett, has been nominated as one of the top 100 public art projects by CODAworx, a public art industry group. The installation consists of 13 pastel coloured, vintage-inspired telephones strewn throughout Butler Memorial Park, in a gritty part of Edmonton just west of its downtown centre. Connected like an intercom, picking up one telephone causes another to ring on the other side of the park. "It's actually an invitation for strangers to talk to each other," Brown said in a recent interview. If they answer, people can strike up a conversation. If they don't, they can leave a voice mail. People have left more than 5,000 messages, which Garrett said range from dead air to loving words of encouragement. "It's just a bit of everything, and it kind of reflects the dynamic of the park," he said. The planning started a few years ago, with a visit to the park. Brown said they noticed the park was next to a bus station, which got them thinking about connections and missed connections. They also saw many people using the space. "There are literally people who maybe don't have anywhere else to go, who end up using this park as a living room," she said. "And so, a telephone seemed like the kind of perfect homey addition." On top of that, they saw an old Alberta Government Telephones office nearby. "My grandma was a telephone operator in Edmonton in the 1950s, and she worked at an Alberta Government Telephones building," Brown added. "And that's part of why we were like, 'Oh, this might be the right fit for this park."' Renee Williams, executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said the organization was immediately on board when it heard the "fun and playful" pitch. "It was the idea of a means to create connection with one another," she said. "And so I just thought, 'What a unique and interactive public art element to be added here."' Working with the arts council, each phone cradle was cast out of steel and modelled after rotary phones of yesteryear, adding to a playful and intergenerational nostalgia. Where the dial usually sits, there's a smaller piece of art based on homey photographs sent in by the public. The exhibit was installed in 2023 and has been well-received by park patrons, Garrett said. "We were going around just taking a look at the phones to check on how things are doing and make sure everything was functioning," he said. "And some residents who use the park a lot went out of their way to tell us how the phones work." The installation is up against entries from 14 countries in the CODAworx competition. Brown said the recognition is nice, but at the end of the day what matters is the impact the art has on people. "Play it by Ear" is meant to be intergenerational, she said, so people of different ages can connect. "We've come to the park at times where there have been those connections with a person who appears to be a senior talking to someone else," she said. "Those have been the most gratifying moments."
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
How a Montreal highway doubles as a public art gallery
Nine muralists were commissioned to create a public art gallery under the Metropolitan highway in a bid to revitalize the Saint-Michel neighbourhood.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Talk to each other': Edmonton public art installation by Calgary artists up for global award
The "Play it by Ear" art installation is seen in Butler Memorial Park in Edmonton on Friday, July 4, 2025. Each pair of telephones is connected by looping landlines. Park visitors can pick up any telephone, and a matching phone will ring elsewhere in the park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Born out of a time when it was almost impossible to reach out and touch someone, an Edmonton art installation appears to be calling out to those on the global stage. 'Play it by Ear,' an interactive art installation by Calgary artists Caitlind Brown and Wayne Garrett, has been nominated as one of the top 100 public art projects by CODAworx, a public art industry group. The installation consists of 13 pastel coloured, vintage-inspired telephones strewn throughout Butler Memorial Park, in a gritty part of Edmonton just west of its downtown. Connected like an intercom, picking up one telephone causes another to ring on the other side of the park. 'It's actually an invitation for strangers to talk to each other,' Brown said in a recent interview. If they answer, people can strike up a conversation. If they don't, they can leave a voice mail. People have left more than 5,000 messages, which Garrett said range from dead air to loving words of encouragement. 'It's just a bit of everything, and it kind of reflects the dynamic of the park,' he said. Missed connections The planning started a few years ago, with a visit to the park. Brown said they noticed the park was next to a bus station, which got them thinking about connections and missed connections. They also saw many people using the space. 'There are literally people who maybe don't have anywhere else to go, who end up using this park as a living room,' she said. 'And so, a telephone seemed like the kind of perfect homey addition.' On top of that, they saw an old Alberta Government Telephones office nearby. 'My grandma was a telephone operator in Edmonton in the 1950s, and she worked at an Alberta Government Telephones building,' Brown added. 'And that's part of why we were like, 'Oh, this might be the right fit for this park.'' Renee Williams, executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said the organization was immediately on board when it heard the 'fun and playful' pitch. 'It was the idea of a means to create connection with one another,' she said. 'And so I just thought, 'What a unique and interactive public art element to be added here.'' Working with the arts council, each phone cradle was cast out of steel and modelled after rotary phones of yesteryear, adding to a playful and intergenerational nostalgia. Where the dial usually sits, there's a smaller piece of art based on homey photographs sent in by the public. The exhibit was installed in 2023 and has been well-received by park patrons, Garrett said. 'We were going around just taking a look at the phones to check on how things are doing and make sure everything was functioning,' he said. 'And some residents who use the park a lot went out of their way to tell us how the phones work.' The installation is up against entries from 14 countries in the CODAworx competition. Brown said the recognition is nice, but at the end of the day what matters is the impact the art has on people. 'Play it by Ear' is meant to be intergenerational, she said, so people of different ages can connect. 'We've come to the park at times where there have been those connections with a person who appears to be a senior talking to someone else,' she said. 'Those have been the most gratifying moments.' --Aaron Sousa This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.
