Newmarket public art policy nears reality
Art builds vibrant communities, consultant says

YorkRegion.com
June 23, 2014
By  Chris Simon

Several town sites could soon get a little artsy.

Council is set to approve a new public art policy for Newmarket, during a meeting next week, which, if adopted, will set guidelines for the display, acquisition and maintenance of art in public facilities throughout the municipality.

It also attempts to define selection criteria.

"This is a very exciting direction we're going in," Regional Councillor John Taylor said.

"Public art can be powerful in a lot of ways. It can enhance the community incredibly, but the one thing that can derail the success is one or two controversial pieces. (Residents) are paying for it; a lot of them have to like it."

The proposed policy names 14 priority sites for the display of art, which includes the Yonge Street and Davis Drive intersection, the downtown core, the Newmarket GO station and Tannery Mall, Riverwalk Commons, Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, Magna Centre, Newmarket Theatre and several parks.

Councillor Maddie Di Muccio says decisions around artistic merit should be left to the experts.

"When it comes to art, it's very much something that should be relegated to those who are involved in it," she said. 

The policy also calls for 1 per cent of the capital budget in all major regional and town public facilities within Newmarket's urban centres to be dedicated toward art.

Significant private development projects would also be expected to participate in the program, by dedicating the equivalent of .5 per cent of the value of construction to public art.    

"There are many ways to define public art and what it can do, but it's really important to have a few clear criteria," consultant Helena Grdadolnik, who helped design the policy, said.

Ultimately, the policy should help build a creative and vibrant community, contribute to economic development by making the town unique, engage residents (including youth) and support local artists, she said. It must also align with current trends and generational shifts, to attract future residents, businesses and tourists, Grdadolnik said.

That can be accomplished through relevant, distinct pieces and displays, art contests, street scape improvement projects and a festival that celebrates the town's historic waterways and trails, among other initiatives, Grdadolnik said.

"It needs to be about place making and making an even greater life here," she said. "Public art can make a big impact on the urban environment."