Last year the District of Lantzville got its first taste of public art and now it’s coming back for seconds.
For the second straight year Lantzville is seeking submissions for a new art piece in the village core. Artists have until Sept. 13 to send in their proposals, with the district offering to cover 100 per cent of project costs up to $5,000.
Lantzville economic development officer Andrew Hutchison said last year was the first time the district put a call out for public art. He said revitalizing the village core is a priority for Lantzville, and public art can help achieve that goal.
In the end Snaw-naw-as artist Grace Edwards was chosen to paint a mural on the Lantzville Plaza retaining wall at 7217 Lantzville Rd. Hutchison said the project was well-received by both Lantzville and neighbouring Snaw-naw-as First Nation.
“I think council recognized the response and how the community came in to take ownership of the project,” he said. “So we had a bit of funding left over from that project last year, there was a spot in the downtown core, it’s commonly identified as sort of an eyesore, and council saw an opportunity for some art there.”
That “eyesore” is a three-by-three-metre patch of land in front of Seaview Plaza at 7221 Lantzville Rd. Hutchison said there were originally plans last year for a second mural to be painted on the retaining wall at Seaview Plaza but the property owner changed their mind.
The call for submissions says proposals will be judged on strength of concept, esthetics, creativity, artist experience and ability, timeline and budget feasibility, durability and ease of maintenance and location suitability. Furthermore, preference may be given to proposals that involve local artists or community collaboration, celebrate the community’s history or culture, include in-kind materials or labour, foster reconciliation or sharing of Indigenous culture and complement the character of the downtown.
“A big concern for our businesses is bringing more people down into the village core…” Hutchison said. “We’re recently completing our downtown improvements that have been going in this year and we see these small beautification projects as a way to complement that, bring more people into the downtown, encourage traffic to our businesses and add some vibrancy and quality of life to Lantzville.”
The call for submissions, including submission guidelines, can be viewed here. Submissions or questions about submissions can be sent to ahutchison@lantzville.ca.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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