Halifax will be getting a new piece of public art. We just don’t know what it will be or who will make it.
The Public Art Competition was kicked off yesterday by the Planning and Design Centre. The non-profit group is commissioning a new work of art to be displayed at the front of the Trillium, a development being built on South Park Street near Spring Garden Road.
“Competitions are really a fabulous way to attract emerging and established artists. And this competition encourages cross-discipline design teams both locally, regionally and internationally,” said co-ordinator Rachel Derrah.
The project is being endorsed by the city, which has made public art a higher priority in its HRMbyDesign plan. The developer of the Trillium site, W. M. Fares Group, is also supporting the project and will host the 12-foot-in-diameter space for the art piece.
“I think it’s something that we can give back to the art community in Halifax,” said Wadih Fares, president of W.M. Fares Group.
“It is a national and international competition. I have to admit, though, I would love to see a local artist win it.”
The first stage of the contest calls on artists to submit conceptualizations of their pieces.
Three semi-finalists will be selected and receive $1,000. The second stage involves advancing and refining the pitches. Then a panel of judges will pick a winner, who will receive $5,000 and have their art piece commissioned.
Artists can enter the contest pdcentre.ca/publicart. Packages must be postmarked by March 27. The winning piece is set to be unveiled in the summer of 2010.
