Introduction:
From
giant blue orbs to community patchwork murals, the City of Calgary is claiming
to embrace Public Art. One modality
that has been marginalized is the ever-popular movement of Street art. City officials, worried about condoning
illegal graffiti have created a polarity of art or crime, which has created a
backlash against legitimate urban artists. These artists who choose the streets
as their galleries are unwelcome in Calgary as there is little recource for
them to get legal public canvasses.
We are hoping to re open the conversation of what constitutes
appropriate publc street art and come to a more balanced perspective. Thus the need for a panel discussion,
with experts that have insight into this complex issue:
“New Page” Fresh Perspectives
on Street Art in Calgary, Challenges and Sucesses in other North American
Cities and what we can learn moving forward.
Background:
Calgary, like so many other large North American
Cities, has spent millions on illegal graffiti cleanup at the expense of the
public. In an attempt to control
the situation, Calgary Police and Bylaw serves have implemented a "graffiti
free" mandate and an unconstitutional bylaw that discriminates on one
particular style of art. This has done very little to curb youth graffiti, but
it has created a backlash against all street art. In the current political climate in Calgary there is very
little access to wall space, funding, displays, youth mentorship and community revitalization
for legitimate artists that work in this medium. "New Page" is not interested in advocating for
illegal taggers and graffiti artists, but for street artists that want to work
with the City of Calgary and Private businesses to create inspirational
murals. Good street art brings
color, vibrancy and diversity to he community and encourages youth to express
themselves in a constructive way.
Proposal:
I want to host a panel discussion at the Stanford
Lecture hall at ACAD in the spring of 2014.
I
want to open up the dialogue about the positive merit of Street Art, and it's
place in Calgary, and address important questions such as:
""What happened during the Shaw Millennium
pilot project?''
"Hoe does Zero Tolerance of graffiti impact
both legal and illegal graffiti?
"Does the city of Calgary see legal street
art as a legitimate contemporary art form?
" How do we respect the city we live in and give
street artists a venue to paint?"
"How have other North American Cities found
success with legal street art projects?"
I have selected a panel of experts who can offer
insight and experiences on this subject who include:
Dawn has an MFA in theater and has worked extensively with marginalized groups, allowing people who have little voice
the opportunity to express themselves through the arts. She has experience and insight into Calgary's Arts programming and the challenges
the City Public Arts department faces while working with bylaw and police when
advocating for Street Art projects.
Kirsty Trinier: Past Director of Edmonton
Public Art
Kristy
Trinier is a contemporary artist, cultural director, writer and researcher
based in Edmonton, Canada. She is a Curator at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
While working as the Public Art Director in Edmonton, she set up a successful
legal wall system, which is still operational today.
Adam Melnyk: Author Visual
Orgasm, The Early Years of Canadian Graffiti
Adam
Melnyk is a successful writer and historian for graffiti art in Western
Calgary. He understands the roots
of Street Art in Calgary and the issues this movement has faced over the last
15 years. He can help demonstrate
to the public the difference between well-organized legal productions and
vandalism.
Druh Farrell: Alderwoman, Ward 7
Druh
Farrell has commissioned a street art style mural by Daniel Kirk on the side of
her headquarters in Kensington. As
an Alderwoman she understands the communities perspective, and her ward is one
of the more progressive areas in Calgary in terms of embracing legal street
Art.
*******: Street Artist
********* has
painted in Calgary, all over Canada and Europe. He was part of Fairstyles crew and did projects in
Kensington and with the Mustard Seed.
Format:
A panel discussion with five keynote speakers,
hosted by ACAD, taking place April 25 @ 7pm. Each speaker will have twenty minutes or less to do a power-point
presentation on their area of expertise.
Jeanne Ironside will moderate the discussion. It will be followed by a question and answer period lasting
30 minutes. There will be a
reception in the main mall following the panel discussion.
Benefits:
This panel discussion will help further the
development of a constructive street art mandate for the city of Calgary's
public art program. It may lead to
revisions on Bylaw, which respects all forms on self- expression in appropriate
contexts. It will give voice to
the positive merits of legal street art, and will give the supporters of this
art form a chance to interact and strengthen their position. Ultimately it will
lead to a more balanced perspective on the issue within the community, as both
sides of the argument will have a voice.
