Downtown art project set to take off

Brandon’s downtown is set to become a little bit livelier over the next year with the start of the Downtown Outdoor Art Installation Program.

The $30,000 program will have artists pitch and create a variety of works for the city’s downtown, and will open for applications as early as next month.

“What’s good for downtown is good for the entire city, and it’s something really positive,” Brandon Downtown BIZ executive director Emmy Sanderson said. “We’re excited about that.”

Sanderson and City of Brandon housing and wellness co-ordinator Amanda Dupuis presented the final plan for the project to city council on Monday evening.

Artists who are given a green light and have the OK from a property owner will be able to create art that helps showcase the neighbourhood in a positive light.

“We really want it to be something that brings the community together and reflects that diverse cultural heritage,” Dupuis said in a followup interview Tuesday. “Definitely something fun, maybe lighthearted, something people can engage with, you know, meaningful, thoughtful.”

She said there’s no set style for the project, and it will be open to interpretation for the artists.

Sanderson said Tuesday that there are already people coming downtown to look at and take pictures of existing murals, and once the project gets going, there will be even more of that.

While there is plenty of space for more murals, she added, the project is also open for other kinds of artwork. The larger goal of the project is to get more people downtown.

“Having beautification and art projects in a neighbourhood is a big part of revitalization efforts and creating a positive, beautiful space where people like to be,” Sanderson said.

The aim of the project is to boost traffic, making the neighbourhood a nicer and safer place to be.

“What serves the downtown is people and foot traffic coming down here, coming into the businesses, walking on the sidewalks, attending events. The more beautiful your space is, the more attractive it is for people to come down here,” she said.

“This is one piece of that puzzle to create a vibrant neighbourhood.”

During Monday’s meeting, Ward 5 Coun. Greg Hildebrand suggested once the art has been set up, a map could be made so people can walk around and see all the different installations.

Sanderson said that’s a good idea, noting there is already a map showing the location of the current art, and once the next ones are finished, they could be added online.

A task force of five to 10 members will be set up to manage funds and select applications to move forward. The group will also arrange some spots for the art to go.

Applications to be part of the task force, which will be representative of the downtown’s diverse community, are set to open Monday and run for two weeks, Sanderson said.

Once it opens, you can apply for the task force on the BIZ’s website.

Applications for artists will open as early as August, Dupuis said, and details like what the project will look like, the location and a quote will be part of it.

The project was given $30,000 to use for the upcoming year. Dupuis said that will hopefully be enough for four to six installations per year, noting some of the money will be used for administration.

“I feel like it was really important to me when we created the program that we would have a real community-building element to it,” Dupuis said. “We’re really looking forward to partnering with the artists in town, the property owners, the business people that run the businesses.”

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett described the program as “excellent,” and said the city is looking forward to it starting up.

The coverage area for the project is more than 30 city blocks, stretching from First to 18th streets. The placement of the art also needs to be visible for the public to see.

The project is for only one year, but Sanderson said she’s hopeful it will be extended for multiple years afterward.

» alambert@brandonsun.com