CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Painting utility pipes on the sides of buildings and placing creative outdoor furniture in the city’s parks are just two of the suggestions made so far to splash up the city of Charlottetown.
The city’s arts advisory board is combing over ideas that have been submitted from residents and businesses as part of its Imagine Charlottetown project that aims to create more public art in the downtown.
Barb MacLeod, chairwoman of the volunteer board, said Wednesday she is thrilled with how things have gone so far.
“We’ve probably received a little over 50 ideas so far. It has been a great response,’’ MacLeod said.
The project was launched last month while the deadline for submissions is Tuesday, March 31, by 4 p.m.
The board is going to host a sneak peek at the ideas received so far at The Guild on Queen Street on Thursday, March 5, 6-8 p.m. Submissions will be placed on easels. People who decide to drop by for a look with be given a sheet of paper with red dot and asked to place the dots on the submissions they like most.
“It’s great to see how engaged the community is in this initiative,’’ said Coun. Kevin Ramsay, chairman of the city’s economic development, tourism and events management committee. “We encourage people to attend the sneak peek event to check out what has been submitted so far and maybe take some inspiration from those ideas and send their own submissions to the Imagine Charlottetown idea bank.’’
Need to know
Charlottetown’s arts advisory board continues to solicit suggestions from the public and businesses on what kinds of public art they would like to see in the downtown:
- Ideas can be submitted via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email or dropped off at City Hall on Queen Street.
- The mailing address is Attn: Arts advisory board, c/o City of Charlottetown, P.O. Box 98, Charlottetown, P.E.I., C1A 7K2.
- Submissions can be written concepts, art suggestions and include maps, pictures and examples from other locations.
- There is no restriction on ideas, which can range from sculptures and murals to light or sound installations.
- The deadline for submissions is March 31 by 4 p.m.
- By submitting an idea to the idea bank, participants agree to have their submissions made public.
To date, suggestions have ranged from painting murals on the blank sides of buildings to placing sculptures in different areas. Some suggested painting the utility and electrical pipes on the outside of buildings and marry it with an image in the background.
“We’re looking to turn (these things) into something really funky. It’s just a matter of looking at things in a bit of a different way.’’
People would also like to see creative outdoor furniture placed in the city’s heritage parks, perhaps a little seating area where friends could meet for coffee that includes a table they can rest their coffee cups on.
As for street corners, someone suggested creating a sculpture of an iconic P.E.I. animal such as a fox and having various artists around the city add their own little touch to it.
“The more ideas we get the more stimulated we are to come up with a solution that’s actually doable. It doesn’t matter how grand the idea is, is what I’m trying to say.’’
This is only the first phase of the project. The board will deal with the obvious funding issue later and, of course, no one is going to go painting anything on the side of a building without the building owner’s authorization.
As for public spaces, the city’s planning department would have to be consulted.
MacLeod said she also plans on reaching out to the City of Montreal, where this kind of public art is common, and get input on how to go about things and what organizations she should be talking to at the local level.
“It’s not that our city isn’t beautiful, because it is. But, there are some really neat things, artistically going on in public art.’’
