HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 17, 2023For information related to accessibility requirements please contact:
Committee Coordinator
T: 905.420.4611
Email: clerks@pickering.ca
Agenda
Cultural Advisory Committee
January 17, 2023
7:00 pm
Main Committee Meeting Room/Hybrid
Members of the public may observe the meeting proceedings by accessing the
livestream.
1.Welcome and Call to Order J. St. Amant
2.Review and Approval of Agenda J. St. Amant
3.Disclosure of Interest J. St. Amant
4.Cultural Advisory Committee Training
4.1 CS 21-22 – Cultural Advisory Committee Terms of
Reference
4.2 2023 Cultural Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule
4.3 Cultural Strategic Plan May2014 – review and status
update
4.4 Public Art Policy & Public Art Sub Committee – review
CAC’s role
J.St. Amant
J.St. Amant
J.St. Amant
J.St. Amant
5.Delegations
6.General Business
6.1 Form the Public Art Committee
•Select three Cultural Advisory Committee members
•Recommendation to be made for the four resident non-
Cultural Advisory Committee members
6.2 Discussion – Draft 2023 Work Plan and 2022
Achievements
6.3 CHDRC Murals for Endorsement
•Malik Mural for Endorsement
•Zuna Mural for Endorsement
J.St. Amant
J.St. Amant
L. Cabral
Agenda January 17, 2023
Cultural Advisory Committee
Page 2 of 2
For information related to accessibility requirements please contact:
Committee Coordinator
T: 905.420.4611
Email: clerks@pickering.ca
6.4 Shortlist for PMV Sculpture
6.5 Museum Deaccession for Endorsement
L. Cabral
A. Gallagher
7. Correspondence
8. Other Business
9. Next Meeting – February 21, 2023
10. Adjournment
Terms of Reference – Cultural Advisory Committee
1.0 Mandate
The Cultural Advisory Committee (CAC) will identify and coordinate opportunities
for stakeholder and community engagement and provide community input on
matters relating to the provision of cultural services, including the Pickering
Museum Village. The CAC will assist City staff with the development, consultation,
and implementation of the Cultural Strategic Plan.
2.0 Goals, Objectives and Responsibilities
The City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan, approved by Council on June 16,
2014 as per resolution #247/14, sets a vision for the place of arts, culture and
heritage in the City and identifies strategic directions for policy, investment,
partnerships and programs for the next 10 years. The CAC will work towards
building on the success of the 2014 plan, with a focus on assisting City
staff/consultants on an updated Cultural Strategic Plan that aligns with current
cultural and museum trends.
Pickering’s Cultural Strategic Plan sets out six strategic directions:
1.Broaden and deepen City leadership and investment;
2.Build a strong and collaborative cultural sector;
3.Strengthen culture-led economic development;
4.Conserve and promote history and heritage;
5.Celebrate and support diversity and inclusion; and
6.Culture opportunities for the creation, education and enjoyment of the arts.
Committee responsibilities include:
a)Assist and advise staff on the implementation of the Cultural Strategic Plan;
b)Assist and advise staff on the development and review of policy relating to
cultural development;
c)Assist and advise staff on matters concerning the strategic planning,
development and evaluation for cultural development in the municipality;
d)Advocate for culture and promote community-wide cultural initiatives;
e)Provide consultation, research and report findings and make
recommendations as necessary on matters of culture within the City of
Pickering;
f)Encourage and promote effective communication between community
cultural groups, individuals and the City;
g)Advise and develop working relationships with owners of businesses,
Business Improvement Areas (BIA) and Chamber of Commerce;
h)Review and recommend actions based on the Pickering Museum Village’s
operating plan;
i)Review and recommend actions based on the Public Art Policy;
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j)Advocate and promote the value and benefit of cultural activities for all; and
k)Report annually to Council.
The CAC will not be responsible for the following:
1.Program delivery;
2.Budget approval;
3.Day-to-day operations of City-owned facilities; and
4.Administrative matters including direction given to staff.
3.0 Composition
The Committee shall have a membership of not more than 10 Citizen
Appointments selected from the public. Members from the public must reside in
Pickering and represent a broad range of interests and experience in the cultural
sector. Examples of committee member experience may include: creator of an
artistic work, designer, professional artist or cultural business owner, graphic
designer, architect, landscape designer, performing arts professionals, musicians,
festival or event planners, professionals and contributors to the heritage field,
professionals from historical and heritage fields of study.
City Staff from the Community Services Department will also make up the
Committee.
The term of this committee is two years.
4.0 Member Qualifications
Qualifications include the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to contribute
effectively to the Committee’s objectives. Membership will be sought on the basis
of broad interest, understanding and commitment to cultural development in the
municipality, in addition to specific expertise and interest related to Culture.
5.0 Meeting Schedule
The Cultural Advisory Committee meets on the third Tuesday of the month.
Established meeting dates and times shall not be changed unless circumstances
warrant special consideration. Meetings will not be held in the months of July,
August or December unless determined by the Committee that a meeting is
necessary to meet the mandate or work plan of the Committee.
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Cultural Advisory Committee
2023 Meeting Schedule
Date Time Platform
Tuesday, January 17 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, February 21 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, March 21 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, April 18 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, May 16 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, June 20 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, September 19 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, October 17 7:00 pm Hybrid
Tuesday, November 21 7:00 pm Hybrid
Important Contact Information:
Jesse St. Amant
Coordinator, Cultural Services and Staff Liaison to the Cultural Advisory Committee
905.420.4660 ext. 3607
jstamant@pickering.ca
Desirée Roopchand
Clerk, Community Services Department and Administrator to the Cultural Advisory
Committee
905.420.4660 ext 1847 | 1.866.683.2760
droopchand@pickering.ca
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Cultural
Strategic
Plan
Final Report ● June 2014
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- 5 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Contents
Executive Summary 3
1 Introduction 5
1.1 Why Cultural Planning? 7
1.2 A Made-in-Pickering Cultural Plan 9
1.3 Definitions 11
1.3.1 Culture 11
1.3.2 Cultural Planning 11
1.3.3 Cultural Resources 12
1.3.4 Cultural Mapping 12
1.3.5 Arts 12
1.3.6 Heritage 13
1.3.7 Ethno-culture 13
2 The Value of Culture 14
2.1 Impact on Community Character 15
2.2 Impact on Social Capital 17
3 Summary of Research Findings and Public Input 18
3.1 Background 20
3.1.1 Pickering’s Geography 20
3.1.2 Pickering’s History 21
3.1.3 Pickering’s Demographics 21
3.1.4 Pickering’s Economy 21
3.1.5 Pickering’s Natural, Cultural and Recreational Assets 22
3.1.6 Pickering’s Cultural Organizations 24
3.2 Public Input 25
3.2.1 Community Telephone Survey 25
3.2.2 Stakeholder Group Survey 26
3.2.3 Interviews: Council Members 28
3.2.4 Interviews: Senior Managers 28
3.2.5 Committee of Council Questionnaires 29
3.2.6 Focus Group: Youth 29
3.2.7 Focus Group: Seniors 30 1 - 6 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
2
4 Vision and Strategic Directions 31
4.1 Vision 32
4.2 Strategic Directions 33
4.2.1 Strategic Direction 1: Broaden and Deepen City Leadership and Investment 34
4.2.2 Strategic Direction 2: Build a Strong and Collaborative Cultural Sector 35
4.2.3 Strategic Direction 3: Strengthen Culture-led Economic Development 36
4.2.4 Strategic Direction 4: Conserve and Promote History and Heritage 37
4.2.5 Strategic Direction 5: Celebrate and Support Diversity and Inclusion 38
4.2.6 Strategic Direction 6: Cultivate Opportunities for the Creation, Education,
and Enjoyment of the Arts 39
5 How to Use These Strategic Directions: Integrating Planning for Culture
in City Decision-Making 40
Appendix A: Members of the City of Pickering Staff Committee 54
Appendix B: Members of the Community Stakeholders Committee 55
Appendix C: List of Organizations that Completed the Survey 56
Appendix D: Participants in Visioning and Strategy Session 59
Over the past 22 years, Young Singers “ has worked with over 800 talented young
children, enriching their lives through the
power of music. They have also acquired
an appreciation for the arts, and developed
life skills which will serve them in their future
as upstanding and caring leaders of our
community. ”
Contributed by the Young Singers - 7 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Cultural Strategic Plan establishes a vision for the place of arts, culture and heritage in the City
and strategic directions for policy, investment, and City programs in the next few years. Cultural
planning is intended to help the City retain its unique heritage and culture while keeping pace with the
demands of the 21st century and globalization. It is also part of the City’s Journey to Sustainability,
intended to balance the needs of the environment, the economy, and the social community and
achieve sustainable growth.
The research conducted for this plan was wide-ranging and highly detailed. Pickering staff first
gathered background information from statistics, historical documents, and other sources to help
define Pickering’s cultural make-up, as well as its cultural and heritage assets. The City also
canvassed opinion from the community through a telephone survey of Pickering residents; online
surveys for community organizations; interviews with members of Council and senior City managers;
and focus group sessions with youth and seniors.
The findings (which are summarized in this report and presented in more detail in a separate report
titled A Cultural Map of Pickering) revealed a wide array of cultural attractions and opportunities,
a high level of cultural diversity, and strong commitment from organizations and individuals to the
cultural life of the City. However, the research also identified gaps in support for arts, culture and
heritage, some fragmentation of the City’s cultural sector, a need to connect culture and economic
development, and barriers preventing the City’s arts, culture and heritage from reaching its full
potential.
City staff drew on these findings in a final visioning session and used them to identify six
Strategic Directions.
1. Broaden and deepen city leadership and investment
2. Build a strong and collaborative cultural sector
3. Strengthen culture-led economic development
4. Conserve and promote history and heritage
5. Celebrate and support diversity and inclusion
6. Cultivate opportunities for the creation, education and enjoyment of the arts
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
4
For each Strategic Direction, the City has identified concrete actions that the City can undertake to
support and promote culture, arts and heritage. These include:
• creating new staff positions related to Culture
• forming a Cultural Advisory Committee
• developing educational programs for youth focused on local heritage
• expanding the Central Library to provide additional meeting space
• completing a Tourism Strategy
• establishing a Visitors’ Centre at the Pickering Museum Village
• creating a Cultural Roundtable with representation from diverse communities
• using art to enhance public spaces
• addressing the need for a new performing arts or multi-purpose cultural facility
Leading hikes of interested students or“ adults into the [Altona] Forest to study plants,
animals or natural features such as ponds,
is extremely enjoyable, especially when
seeing the enthusiasm and appreciation of
the environment of young people who will be
stewards of our environment in the future. ”
Contributed by a member of the Altona
Forest Stewardship Committee - 9 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
5
1 Introduction
The City of Pickering has embarked on a Journey to
Sustainability to integrate the needs of the environment, the
economy, and the social community and achieve sustainable
growth. The City boasts unique and irreplaceable built and
natural heritage; a thriving economy with a strong cluster of
energy, environmental and engineering businesses; and a
diverse community with a passion for multiculturalism, arts,
heritage, and our environment.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
6
Pickering has developed this Cultural Strategic Plan to answer the following questions:
• How can the City of Pickering retain its unique heritage and culture while keeping pace with
the demands of the 21st century and globalization?
• How can the City of Pickering ensure that sustainability (environmental, social and economic)
remains at the forefront of the City’s agenda, considered in a integrated, holistic way and held
paramount in decision making, not an afterthought?
Arts, culture, and heritage define a community and create a sense of place and belonging. These
cultural resources send a clear message to the world about the community – its values, beliefs, and
customs. The creation of Pickering’s Cultural Strategic Plan involved:
• mapping the City’s cultural resources
• collecting input from residents and valued partners to define cultural opportunities, priorities,
and identity
• developing a comprehensive, strategic approach to achieve the City’s vision for culture
Pickering’s place in Canada as a “ cultural centre will be measured by its
ability to promote artistic expression.
We can achieve cultural prominence
through the funding of public places
where artistic performance can occur. ”
Contributed by a member of
Pine Ridge Secondary School
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
1.1 Why Cultural Planning?
Cultural planning, which is believed to have emerged first in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, is the
strategic and integral use of cultural resources in holistic community development.1 Economists
and urban planners know that culture provides vitality to a community and has important economic
and social spinoffs. A culturally vibrant community attracts artists, innovative thinkers, and educated
citizens, and contributes to urban renewal, economic regeneration, and environmental improvements.
Cultural planning spread to Australia in the 1990s.2 Government officials there understood that civic
departments could no longer work in silos, but need to adopt a common vision to ensure sustainable
growth and development.
More recently, cultural planning has spread to North American communities. With the decline of heavy
industry and the rise of the “creative economy,” decision makers understand the value of a culturally
vibrant community to attract the creative class, sustain the economy, and protect the environment.3 A
new model for economic and social development has emerged, and culture is its central driving force.
Decision makers realize that culture is at the heart of any community, not just a fringe activity.
The Canadian and Ontario governments have endorsed municipal cultural planning and provided
resources to municipalities to support cultural planning processes, as outlined on the website of the
Ontario Ministry of Culture in 20084:
1 Sirayi, Mzo, “Cultural Planning and Urban Renewal in South Africa,” Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, vol. 47,
no. 4 (Winter 2008): 333-45.
2 Baeker, Greg. “Municipal Cultural Planning: Combating ‘The Geography of Nowhere,’ ” Municipal World, 2005.
3 Wilenius, Markku, “Cultural Competence in the Business World: A Finnish Perspective,” Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 27,
no. 4 (July-August 2006): 43-50.
4 The original document was posted in 2008, but is no longer available on the website of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism,
Culture and Sport. - 12 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
8
Municipal Cultural Planning creates a place where people want to live, work, and visit and
where students can return to find work. Municipal Cultural Planning contributes to:
a. Economic Development (Tourism, Downtown Revitalization, Creative Jobs)
b. Cultural Vibrancy
c. Community Safety
d. Enriching and Engaging Children and Youth
e. Citizen Engagement
f. Population Growth/Retention
g. Sustainable Placemaking
h. Walkable Communities
Pickering has a wealth of cultural resources. It is time to map those resources, craft a clear identity
for this community, and develop a plan that identifies strategies that will foster our community
development.
“ Many people today are feeling disconnected
and looking for their spiritual or cultural
connections to help connect them to like-
minded people, but [this] often further
disconnects them from other groups. As we
create silos, we only see our perspective and
lose sight of our commonalities. Culture defines
people, communities, and neighbourhoods
through creative expression, traditions, and
specific viewpoints… Girls Rights Week is an opportunity to showcase activities
that encourage the development and understanding of each of the rights. Having
the right to resist gender stereotypes, take pride in success, appreciate my body,
have confidence in myself and be safe in the world, have the right to prepare for
interesting work and economic independence. ”
Contributed by Girls Incorporated of Durham - 13 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
1.2 A Made-in-Pickering Cultural Plan
The City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan builds upon existing municipal plans and drew on the
cooperation of all departments.
The foundation of the City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan was community consultation and public
input. The overwhelming research in the field of cultural planning indicates that cultural planning is
best pursued with a “bottom-up” strategy; a process developed “with the people, not for them.”5
Great care was taken to incorporate consultation with all levels of municipal government and staff,
community stakeholders, and community residents. The information was gathered through various
methods.
• Online surveys were used for community cultural organizations, businesses, and individuals.
• A telephone survey was used to collect ideas from a random sample of Pickering residents.
• Interviews were used to gain insight from all members of Council, the Chief Administrative
Officer, and all department heads.
• Focus group sessions were conducted with youth and seniors in Pickering.
• Regular meetings were conducted with a Community Stakeholders Committee, the
members of which represented the heritage, arts, ethno-cultural, business, education, and
environment sectors in Pickering.
This comprehensive approach has helped ensure that the City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan is
inclusive and reflects the community’s ideas and values.
5 Sirayi, Mzo, op. cit. - 14 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
The planning process began in fall 2007 and was spearheaded by a team of staff that reflected the
entire organization. See Appendix A for members of the City of Pickering Staff Committee. Regular
consultation was sought from a Community Stakeholders Committee throughout the process. See
Appendix B for the list of Community Stakeholders Committee. See Appendix C for those who
participated in the survey.
Finally, on July 27, 2012, a Cultural Strategic Plan Visioning Session took place at the Pickering
Museum. The session involved 16 City of Pickering staff members from across a range of
departments, all of whom were involved in the cultural planning process. See Appendix D for a list of
participants. The purpose of the session was to consider the results of the community consultation
and use these insights to develop Strategic Directions to guide the Cultural Strategic Plan. Dr.
Greg Baeker, Director of Cultural Development at Millier Dickinson Blais, facilitated the session and
prepared a summary report.
The four-hour session generated rich and insightful discussion. It began with a review of the work
completed to date in the cultural planning process by Marisa Carpino, Manager of Culture and
Recreation. Dr. Baeker outlined core concepts and tools in municipal cultural planning.
Following the presentation, participants were divided into smaller groups to generate ideas related to
the following questions.
1. What did the community consultations tell us about what we are doing well in culture in
Pickering? What are our strengths?
2. What did those consultations suggest we are not doing or not doing as well as we could?
3. What key words have emerged from our research that must form part of a vision statement to
guide the Cultural Strategic Plan?
4. What “big ideas” or strategies have been put forward to advance this vision?
5. What are some signs that we are moving in the right direction?
The results of this discussion are described in the section on “Vision and Strategic Directions.”
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
1.3 Definitions
1.3.1 Culture
Culture is defined as “the values, attitudes and behaviours shared by a people.”6 It includes
customs, beliefs, language, way of life and traditions that serve to distinguish a community. Culture
enables members of the same community to interact and communicate with each other.
Culture is a resource that can be leveraged to fuel human and community development. It is no
longer considered as a product that should be subsidized, but a community resource in which to
invest.7
1.3.2 Cultural Planning
Cultural planning is “the strategic and integrated planning and use of cultural resources in
community development.”8 It involves identifying a community’s cultural resources, through
community consultation, and leveraging those resources to support economic and community
development to help a community achieve its civic goals.
Cultural planning supports sustainable communities, because communities with a shared and valued
culture retain existing residents and businesses, while attracting new residents, new businesses,
skilled workers, innovative thinkers, and tourists.
6 Hoffman, Richard C., “The strategic planning process and performance relationship: does culture matter?” Journal of Business
Strategies, vol. 24, no. 1 (Spring 2007): 27-49.
7 Cultural Planning Toolkit, Creativecity.ca: A partnership between 2010 Legacies Now and Creative City Network of Canada, 2008.
8 Municipal Cultural Planning website: http://www.ontariomcp.ca/what-is-mcp/ - 16 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
1.3.3 Cultural Resources
Cultural resources are “all those things that together define a community’s unique identity
and sense of place.”9 They may be tangible, such as natural environment, heritage assets, and
institutions (landscapes, historic buildings, museums, libraries, organizations), or intangible (stories,
values, beliefs, customs, identities).10
1.3.4 Cultural Mapping
Cultural mapping is the foundation for municipal cultural planning. It is defined as “a systematic
approach to identifying, recording, classifying and analyzing a community’s cultural
resources.” There are two kinds of cultural mapping:
• Mapping tangible resources: identifying and recording physical (or tangible) cultural resources
across a range of categories
• Mapping intangible resources: identifying and exploring the stories and traditions that help
define a community’s unique identity and sense of place
1.3.5 Arts
The arts represent only a single facet of culture. Art is the process of human creation or invention
of an original idea with aesthetic content.11 The arts include visual arts, performance arts, media
arts, dramatic arts, and related disciplines.
9 Baeker, Greg. “Municipal Cultural Planning,” see above.
10 Municipal Cultural Planning website: http://www.ontariomcp.ca/what-is-mcp/
11 Arts, Heritage and Culture Master Plan. Region of Waterloo and Goldsmith Borgal and Company Ltd. and NetGain Partners Inc., 12 October 2002. - 17 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
1.3.6 Heritage
Heritage includes both tangible and intangible elements of the natural and cultural past. Tangible
assets include buildings, cemeteries, monuments, artifacts, specimens, collections, archaeological
sites, cultural landscapes, and sacred spaces. Intangible aspects include beliefs, ideas, customs,
traditions, languages, and religions.12
1.3.7 Ethno-culture
Every person belongs to one or more ethnic groups and each identifies with some cultural heritage
shared with others from similar national, religious, or language backgrounds. The term ethnocultural
refers to an ethnic identity supported by cultural practice, tradition, and institutions. Canada’s
population includes a wide variety of ethnocultural groups among people of indigenous Northern,
Central, and South American backgrounds and those who have originally come (or whose forebears
came) from African, Asian, or European countries.13
12 Arts, Heritage and Culture Master Plan. Region of Waterloo.
13 Glossary of Access and Equity Terms, City of Toronto Task Force on Community Access and Equity (1998-1999).
Torontoartscouncil.org. - 18 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
14
2 The Value of Culture 2 The Value of Culture
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
15
2.1 Impact on Community Character
Over the past few decades, societal shifts have led to a new appreciation of the value of community
and culture. These shifts include increased mobility and immigration, free trade, non-traditional
families, workplace transitions, and new technologies. As the traditional ways of connecting with
others are changing, people look for opportunities to feel a sense of belonging in their communities.
Arts and cultural activities provide these opportunities for people to connect with the “community of
humanity.”14 These opportunities also allow people to share their experiences, recognize common
cultural values as well as cultural differences, and reflect on the past.
Culture contributes to the quality of life and reflects the “health” of a community.15 It helps create a
strong sense of identity and belonging in a community.
Each community has its own unique, “authentic” identity. The goal is to identify and reinforce the
authentic identity of Pickering through the cultural planning process. The process must identify
community relationships, shared memories, and a sense of place.16
Cultural planning can support citizens who want to give back to their community. A 2008 study by Hills
Strategies Research Inc., funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Department of Canadian
Heritage, and the Ontario Arts Council, found that those who participated in cultural activity were
more likely than non-participants to volunteer, donate, do a favour for a neighbour, and have a sense
of belonging to Canada.
14 Milner, Jennifer, “Arts Impact: Helping Us Determine Who We Are,” Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, Summer 2002.
15 Culture: Passion That Inspires Us. Cultural Policy of the City of Gatineau, 2003.
16 Sirayi, Mzo, see above. - 20 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
16
Culture is important for youth as well. Through the arts and culture sector, youth find ways to belong
and to express themselves. This is especially important for youth who feel isolated or marginalized,
but it is true of all young people. And as some of these young people become professionals in the
cultural sector, they give back to their communities.
Crafting a clear cultural identity and attracting those who share in that vision to our community will
increase community capacity and community development in Pickering – both key components of
a sustainable community. Our cultural identity will be reflected in the City beyond our people; in our
streetscapes, street plans, public spaces, historic sites and buildings. It is what makes it distinct from
any other place on earth.
“ There is a very broad base of capable volunteers across a broad range of
heritage and cultural groups that would willingly volunteer their efforts to enable
growth in this sector, but investment in the basic infrastructure is a necessary
starting point. The timing is right in that there have never been more people with
the right skills and right energy to support such an endeavour. Such a plan would
be welcome by educators, arts and culture advocates and industry, but it needs
leadership from the City to get started. ”
Contributed by the Pickering Gas & Steam Club
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
2.2 Impact on Social Capital
The World Bank distinguishes four basic forms of capital:
• natural capital, consisting of a locality’s endowment of natural resources
• constructed capital, which is generated by human beings and includes infrastructure, capital
goods, financial capital, and trade capital
• human capital, which is determined by the levels of nutrition, health, and education of the
population
• social capital, defined by the networks, norms, and social trust in a community that facilitate
cooperation for mutual benefit
Some studies consider that the last two forms of capital are responsible for most of the economic
development of nations since the late 20th century and assert that they represent the keys to
technological progress, competitiveness, sustained growth, good government, and stable democracy.
Research on the social impact of the cultural sector remains in the early stages of development.
Many studies have tended to focus on the economic significance of the arts (for example, in boosting
tourism and creating jobs). More recently, however, studies in Canada and elsewhere have shown
that a strong cultural sector adds to the development of a community that has lower crime rates,
greater tolerance for diversity, and higher levels of civic engagement.17
17 See, for example, Jones, Ken, Tony Lea, Tim Jones and Sue Harvey. Beyond Anecdotal Evidence: The Spillover Effects of Investments
in Cultural Facilities. Centre for Commercial Activity, Ryerson University, Toronto, 2003. - 22 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
18
3 Summary of Research
Findings and Public Input
The research conducted for this plan was wide-ranging
and highly detailed. In order to keep this Cultural Plan as
concise and accessible as possible, we have summarized
the findings here; the full results are available in a separate
document. Interested readers are encouraged to consult this
document to appreciate the wealth of information, insight,
and passion of all those who contributed to the Plan. A
few of those insights and comments have been selected
and highlighted in this plan, to show how it reflects the
community consultation process.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
19
Pickering staff first gathered background information from statistics, historical documents, and other
sources to help define Pickering’s cultural make-up, as well as its cultural and heritage assets.
The research also included canvassing opinion from the community through a telephone survey of
Pickering residents; online surveys for community organizations; interviews with members of Council
and senior City managers; and focus group sessions with youth and seniors.
A strong and positive volunteer sector “ breeds success and sustainability from
within… I don’t think anything says more
than the value of the volunteer in-kind
donation that supported this museum’s
operation in 2009… $585,000 dollars of
time is not insignificant… 305 volunteers
believe this facility is worth investing in,
and we could not receive the awards, the
accolades, or offer the public programs
without those volunteers and their
commitment. ”
Contributed by volunteers from
Pickering Museum Village
Woodworking was a major activity in 19th-century rural society. The Woodwrights
have completed 53 on-site projects since inception in 2007. This doesn’t include
the many hours involved in constructing the new Woodwrights shop. These are
outstanding accomplishments from a small group of volunteers. The quality of our
work has been noted by all those who remember “how it was like.” ”
Contributed by the Woodwrights’ Guild
“
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
3.1 Background
3.1.1 Pickering’s Geography
Pickering’s environmental heritage includes the waterfront on Lake Ontario, the nationally renowned
Rouge Park, and the provincially significant Oak Ridges Moraine. Within its boundaries are 79 parks
and four conservation areas. These areas support recreational opportunities such as paddling along
the shores of Frenchman’s Bay, walking the West Duffins Trail and Seaton Trail systems, cycling
the Waterfront Trail, hiking through Altona Forest, and swimming in Ontario’s largest outdoor pool at
Petticoat Creek Conservation Area.
Pickering’s 231.59 square kilometres of land and waterways are situated within five watersheds:
Petticoat Creek, Frenchman’s Bay, Duffins Creek, Carruthers Creek, and Lynde Creek. Watershed
plans have been or are in the process of being completed for each of these areas.
The urban part of Pickering is focused on the “Downtown”, which we now refer to as the “City Centre”.
The City Centre includes the Pickering Civic Precinct (City Hall, Main Central Library, Esplanade Park
and the Pickering Recreation Complex), and Pickering Town Centre (a large regional shopping centre
with more than 200 stores and services), as well as office buildings and a bridge to the Pickering
GO Station. Approximately 5,000 people live in the City Centre today, and 5,000 people are currently
employed here.
Pickering’s rural area occupies about two-thirds (15,200 hectares) of Pickering’s land mass. In 1996,
Pickering’s rural residents made up approximately 6% of Pickering’s population, mostly in rural
hamlets, rural clusters, and country residential settlement areas.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
3.1.2 Pickering’s History
The first people to live in Pickering settled there approximately 4,000 years ago. By the mid-
17th century, the Huron were driven away by the Five Nations Iroquois, who established villages
throughout the area. By the late 1600s, French explorers made their way into the area and
established trade and missionaries. English settlers followed, fought against the French settlers, and
defeated them, which ultimately led to the acquisition of Pickering Township by England in 1785.
The Township of Pickering was settled by farmers, most of them from Great Britain or Ireland, starting
in the 18th century. In addition to a settlement focused on the harbour at Frenchman’s Creek, there
were hamlets scattered throughout the rural area, many of which have survived to this day (such as
Brougham, Cherrywood, and Whitevale). The harbour declined in importance in the 19th century, but
the growth of the City of Toronto led to a rise in the number of summer cottages in the Pickering area.
New suburban communities were built, starting in the 1960s. By the 1990s, in response to concerns
about environmental impacts and the loss of farmland, the City began a Journey to Sustainability to
chart a new course for the City.
3.1.3 Pickering’s Demographics
At the end of 2013, the City of Pickering had a population of approximately 95,000. Between 2006
and 2011, Pickering’s population increased by 1%. Pickering is planned to grow to approximately
225,000 people by 2031. Of this number, 61,000 people (about 25%) are expected to live in the
Seaton Community by 2031. The Seaton Community is nearing the end of the planning stage.
Two important trends are evident: the population is aging and is becoming more ethnically diverse.
The majority of Pickering’s population is between the ages of 45 and 59. More than 35% of
Pickering’s population is made up of a visible minority and more than 24% (statistic 21,240/87,920
working numbers) of the population speaks a language other than English or French. Pickering’s
largest visible minority is Black Canadians with Caribbean origins, followed closely by residents from
South Asia.
3.1.4 Pickering’s Economy
Pickering is a leading centre for energy in Ontario. Its core business sectors include companies in
Energy, Environment, and Engineering (known as the EN3 Cluster). It is home to Ontario Power
Generation (OPG), the City’s largest employer and one of the largest electricity producers in North
America, as well as Eco-Tec, Siemens/Trench Canada Ltd. and Intellimeter. Other important
industries and sectors include advanced manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and
consulting.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
3.1.5 Pickering’s Natural, Cultural and
Recreational Assets
Pickering has a range of natural, recreational, heritage, arts, and cultural attractions for residents and
visitors that include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Frenchman’s Bay is a shallow coastal lagoon on the Lake Ontario shoreline, protected by a
barrier beach that is well used by residents and visitors for walking, boating and fishing.
• Waterfront Trail is a scenic haven for cycling, in-line skating, and leisurely strolls.
• Altona Forest is an environmentally significant area that provides essential habitat for many
plants and animals and is used for hiking, bird watching, wildlife photography, and educational
interpretative walks.
• The Seaton Trail is located along the West Duffins Creek and follows historic hunting and fishing
routes on the creek. The trail passes heritage buildings from Pickering’s pioneer days, such as the
grist mill at Whitevale.
• Petticoat Creek Conservation Area on the shores of Lake Ontario offers spectacular views of
the coastal bluffs, and opportunities to see wildlife and enjoy picnics and walks in a 70-hectare
park. The 35-year-old swimming pool, one of Petticoat Creek's main attractions, was recently
reconstructed as a new aquatic entertainment facility. The new facility includes a 3,200 square
metre wading pool, a 750 person capacity swimming area, and a splash pad with interactive water
features.
• Greenwood Conservation Area on Duffins Creek is managed by the Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority and open to the public for hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and bird
watching.
• Claremont Field Centre is located on the banks of the Duffins Creek East and Mitchell Creek and
is on the Trans Canada Trail. The Centre is managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority. Outdoor education programs are offered for school, Scouts, Guides, and other groups.
• Diana Princess of Wales Park is a well-used park adjacent the City Centre that offers a ball
hockey rink, basketball court, mini soccer pitch, skateboard park, soccer/football field, tot
equipment, and volley ball court.
• Millennium Square is a large public square at the southern tip of Liverpool Road, on the shores
of Lake Ontario. From the Square visitors can access the Waterfront Trail system, or picnic at the
adjacent Beachfront Park. Events such as concerts are often held here in summer.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
• Beachfront Park, south of Hydro Marsh, offers an elevated beachfront boardwalk, beautiful views
across Lake Ontario, generous seating and picnicking areas. In addition to the beach, children can
enjoy the recently constructed splash pad play area, modern accessible play structures, swings,
and beach volleyball.
• Alex Robertson Park is home to the popular art installation "Homeplace” and the newly created
Butterfly Garden. Alex Robertson Park includes hiking and running trails and is popular with
cricketers, dog walkers, cyclists, and hikers on the Waterfront Trail.
• Homeplace, located on the north side of Alex Robertson Park, is a structural design by Canadian
artist, Dorsey James, which was installed in 2001. The different designs of the structure symbolize
a variety of periods, cultures, and beliefs. The most recognizable is the hydro pole arrangement
atop the hill. The poles grow in height toward the centre, acknowledging individual growth as well
as the growth, evolution, and prosperity of the community.
• Nautical Village is a community of residences, shops, services and marinas anchored by a core
of live/work units, located at the base of Liverpool Road. Nestled between the edge of Lake
Ontario and the western shores of Frenchman’s Bay, Nautical Village offers a waterfront lifestyle
including recreational opportunities for boating, paddling, fishing and cruising, all supported by
specialty shops, full service restaurants and cafes.
• Frenchman’s Bay Marina was established on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Frenchman's
Bay during the summer of 1972. The Marina serves several hundred boating customers.
• Wind Turbine: This 117-metre turbine (measured from the ground to the highest blade tip) can
produce enough emission-free energy to supply the annual electricity needs of about 600 average
Ontario homes.
• Pickering Museum Village is located on the banks of Duffins Creek in historic Greenwood. The
largest living history museum in the Durham Region, this award-winning site has 20 restored
heritage buildings dating from as far back as 1810, including a blacksmith and woodworking shop,
a general store, a schoolhouse, houses, barns, and places of worship. Tours at PMV re-create the
daily life of Pickering Township’s settlers from the early pioneer days onward.
• Whitevale Heritage Conservation District contains more than 50 buildings dating from the 19th
century, which are listed on a heritage inventory. The district is located on West Duffins Creek and
retains traces of its past as an important rural centre and mill site.
• Heritage Properties listed on Pickering’s Cultural Directory range from Victorian schoolhouses to
unique modernist properties to historic cemeteries.
• Pickering Town Centre Farmers’ Market was started in 2011, and was designed to be a
comprehensive community event to feature local farmers and food producers, support local food
banks, and showcase local artisans, craft workers, and musicians. - 28 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
• Pickering Recreation Complex, a nationally accredited fitness centre in the heart of Pickering,
offers world-class training to athletes such as Olympian Perdita Felicien. The Complex celebrated
its 30th anniversary in 2013. It offers more than a quarter-of-a-million square feet of facility space
and top-of-the-line cardio and fitness equipment, twin ice pads, and programs for all ages and
abilities, including fitness, aquatics, tennis, squash, and racquetball.
• Durham West Arts Centre in the Pickering Recreation Complex showcases local, national, and
international talents, ranging from visual to performing arts.
• Pickering Public Library: Pickering has one central public library and three branches. A Central
Library Expansion and Renovation Study was completed with stakeholder and community input in
2012. The Library’s current Strategic Plan is moving services away from a more traditional model
of providing physical materials to providing access to technology and training to produce creative
and intellectual products.
• Shopping and Dining: The Pickering Town Centre offers more than 200 stores, restaurants, and
services. Pickering is also home to a SmartCentre, The Shops at Pickering Ridge, and Brookdale
Centre, the Pickering Markets, and many stand-alone shops and restaurants.
3.1.6 Pickering’s Cultural Organizations
Pickering’s Culture & Recreation Department offers thousands of programs each year, promoted
through the City of Pickering Leisure Guide. Programs include culinary arts, visual arts, performing
arts, language, and heritage programs (offered by the Pickering Museum Village). The Department
coordinates many free events, including Theatre in the Park, Waterfront Concert Series, Treble in the
Park, Heritage Day, Artfest, Spirit Walk, Steam Up & Opening, The Settler Trail, and Christmas in the
Village.
The stakeholder survey completed for this plan identified 79 other cultural organizations in Pickering,
listed in Appendix C. These include schools, places of worship, ethnocultural groups, businesses
focused on the arts, recreational organizations, and environmental groups. The diversity of Pickering’s
cultural fabric and the commitment of its volunteer sector are evident in the list and in the responses
to the survey.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
3.2 Public Input
3.2.1 Community Telephone Survey
In January and February 2010, a household telephone survey of Pickering residents was conducted
by the firm of Monteith Brown Planning Consultants; 450 households participated, making the findings
statistically significant.18
Participation in cultural activities: The most popular activity was singing or playing music (33%),
followed by painting, drawing, crafts, sculpture, pottery, or other visual arts (27%), and multi-
cultural activities (19%). The top two activities can generally be undertaken in an unstructured and
unscheduled manner, which is becoming increasingly important as people have less free time.
Place of participation: Most people participated in cultural activities in the City of Pickering,
but some went outside the City to participate in multicultural activities (45%); acting or theatrical
performance (36%); and heritage activities, such as classes or workshops at a museum or historic
site (35%). If respondents participated more often outside Pickering, they were asked to provide
reasons. The top three responses were: facility/program not available in the area (29% of those
participating outside Pickering); connected to the other community/used to live there (18%); and
special events/variety (16%).
Most popular events: The top three most-attended facilities, events, or performances were:
community events (e.g., Canada Day, Santa Claus Parade, RibFest, etc.) (65%); a musical
performance, such as a concert or opera (57%); and a dance performance, such as a recital (54%).
18 These 450 households represent approximately 1,400 Pickering residents. Although this accounts for only 1.5% of the City’s
population, statistical modelling proves that this is a significant figure and it would take thousands more completed surveys to
improve survey confidence (and only marginally at that). The survey response level is similar to those frequently used to report on
regional or provincial research polls. In statistical terms, this represents a confidence interval of ±4.6% (that is, the survey provides
for an accuracy of ±4.6%, 19 times out of 20). - 30 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Gaps: When asked about events that they would like to see in Pickering that are not currently
offered, respondents most often suggested musical performances, theatre, art exhibits and galleries,
educational programs, and ethnic or multicultural festivals and events.
Awareness: The most common ways in which people learn about cultural offerings are newspapers
(42% of all households); mail outs (21%); e-mail (13%); newsletter/magazines (12%); and bulletin
boards/posters/flyers (12%). Households with children were more likely to feel that their household
is generally aware of the heritage, arts, and culture opportunities that are available in Pickering than
households without children.
Barriers to participation: The most common reason given for not participating as often as they
would like was lack of personal time (59%), followed by health problems or disability (16%) and lack
of desired facilities or programs (8%).
Spending on culture: Respondents were asked how much money their entire household spends on
heritage, arts, and culture in a typical month. This spending includes subscriptions, tickets, donations,
program fees, and materials, but excludes movies. We learned that 54% of respondents spent $0–
$50 per month, followed by 15% each for those that spend $50–$99 per month and $100–$199 per
month. Only 8% of households spent more than $200 per month on heritage, arts, and culture.
Spending priorities for the City: The facility type thought to be most in need of additional public
spending was parkland for festivals and special events (66%), followed by a performing arts centre
for theatrical and musical performances (55%), museum or heritage sites (43%), rehearsal spaces for
dance, theatre or music (43%), art galleries and exhibition space (31%), and art studios for creating
visual arts, crafts, and other works (31%).
3.2.2 Stakeholder Group Survey
Between January and March 2010, the City contacted cultural groups and community organizations
and asked them to complete a survey about their activities. A total of 79 organizations completed the
surveys. Of those organizations completing the survey, 22% were incorporated not-for-profit, followed
by not incorporated not-for-profit (19%), other (16%), for profit (15%), school/educational institution
(15%), government (9%), and church/place of worship (4%).
The most common primary discipline of the organizations represented by respondents was
cultural heritage (39%), followed by community events (37%) and other (34%), such as education,
ethnocultural groups, photography, and environment.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
27
Participation trends: Of the sample that provided feedback, 44 respondents (67%) reported an
increase in their organization’s participation, attendance, and membership over the past five years,
25% saw no change, and 8% experienced decreases.
Cultural assets: 39 organizations (49%) reported owning or managing significant collections or other
physical heritage, arts and culture resources, from buildings to costumes to musical instruments to
archival materials.
Funding: 23 organizations (29%) stated that they had received government funding from federal,
provincial, and/or municipal sources in 2009. The total amount of funding received by the 23
organizations was $50,615,876, for an average of $2,200,690 per organization.
Need for City support: 48% of the 62 respondents that provided feedback regarding this question
stated that their organization required additional support from the City of Pickering relative to heritage,
arts, and culture, including:
• Promotion and increased awareness
• Facility upgrades/expansion
• Financial assistance/lower fees
• More cultural staff at the City
• Partnership for marketing and sponsorship
• Grants
• Expanded programming
• Long-term planning
Challenges: Respondents were provided a list of 8 options and asked to select the 3 greatest
challenges facing their organization relative to heritage, arts, and culture. Lack of community
awareness and promotion (56% of all organizations) was the primary challenge, followed by shortage
of facility space (42%), level of funding (40%), and staff or volunteer resources (36%).
I propose to establish a big enough place in which Jewish, Christians, Muslims,“ Hindus, Sikhs may be allowed to one day teach in order to offer their heritage,
arts, and culture events and participated by community and City officials who
would like to participate. ”
Contributed by a member of the Muslim Youth & Community Centre
for Pickering/Durham - 32 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
3.2.3 Interviews: Council Members
In May and June 2011, interviews were conducted with members of Pickering Council.
Pickering’s strengths: When asked to identify the strengths of Pickering’s current cultural
community, the most common response was Pickering’s diversity.
Gaps: Many members of council felt that a gap in the current delivery of cultural services and facilities
was Art Facilities (performing arts, visual arts, art studios, meeting spaces, etc.). Pickering’s city
centre was identified as the ideal location for an Arts Centre and so a strategic use of municipal and
provincial lands in the city centre must be considered.
Priorities: All members of Council felt that culture should be a high priority for the City of Pickering,
but recognize that it is not, as is evident in current budgets, facilities, and staff allocations. Many feel
that active recreation holds a greater priority than the arts, culture, and heritage. But members are
not sure that is where the community is headed – as diversity continues to grow, cultural services will
become increasingly important.
3.2.4 Interviews: Senior Managers
In May and June 2011, interviews were conducted with seven senior management staff members with
the City.
Pickering’s strengths: The diversity of its people was once again recognized as a strength of
Pickering’s cultural community. Staff also recognize and value the engagement of our residents and
community organizations as a major strength.
Gaps: Many staff felt that the development and support of the arts was a critical gap and opportunity
for the City of Pickering to address in this plan. Dedicated space is needed for proper artifact storage,
archives, and visual and performing arts programs and services.
Challenges: Staff wanted to see more engagement of cultural community members, better
development and promotion of Pickering’s natural heritage (trail maps, sites), better historical
connections, ways to overcome the urban and rural split within the community, and more funding for
artistic placemaking in the municipality.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
3.2.5 Committee of Council Questionnaires
In June 2011, Pickering staff invited committees of Council to participate in a questionnaire related
to the cultural plan. The committees included Heritage Pickering, Pickering Museum Village Advisory
Committee, and the Accessibility Advisory Committee. Four completed surveys were returned to staff.
Pickering’s strengths: Respondents indicated that Pickering’s diverse community, parks, waterfront,
museum, and library are all invaluable.
Gaps: Respondents suggest that more be done to promote and support these pillars of the
community. This includes better access to the waterfront, more programs at the Recreation Centre,
increased park safety, and development of the arts through an arts centre, better collaboration and
communication among like-minded groups (i.e., Heritage Pickering, Pickering Museum Village,
Pickering Historical Society, the Central Library) and the creation of an economic plan to support
tourism. One respondent also recommended increased support and funding for Pickering heritage so
that a specific staff member is responsible for heritage matters.
Challenges: Respondents suggested that the Cultural Plan should address the need to include
northern Pickering in activities that take place in the city centre and the waterfront; to include advisory
committee participation in the planning of cultural services; and to assign a coordinator who can
facilitate cultural development. Also, housing developments should be designed to support residents
through their lifespan and not segregate seniors, but integrate them in the community.
3.2.6 Focus Group: Youth
In September 2011, youth from Pickering Activity Council for teens (PAC4Teens) and Pickering’s
youth programs were invited to participate in a focus group session led by Pickering staff.
Preferred activities: Many youth reported participating in the following cultural activities during their
free time: dancing, drawing, painting, playing music, writing, visiting historic sites, and attending
multicultural events. Youth most often participated in these cultural activities at home, at a friend’s
house, at a City facility and to a lesser extent, at school.
Awareness: Many youth reported becoming aware of cultural programs and services through their
friends, schools, parents, leisure guide, and newspapers. They also recommend that the City promote
programs and services to them through schools, Facebook, and Twitter.
Gaps: When asked what cultural activities they think should be offered, the responses included
dances (for kids older than pre-teens), breakdancing, ballroom dancing, and a new facility for art
classes.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
30
3.2.7 Focus Group: Seniors
In June 2012, seniors from the South Pickering Seniors Executive Committee were invited to
participate in a focus group session led by Pickering staff.
Preferred activities: The seniors reported the following cultural activities as important to them: crafts,
heritage activities that include Scottish and Irish events (Robbie Burns Supper and St. Patrick’s Day
Celebration), Pickering Concert Band performances, dancing, playing music, computer courses
(which include assistance with photos), graphics, honour library (where books are available to borrow
without the need to sign them out), and theatrical performances.
Restrictions: Seniors Club Executive members did not feel particularly restricted from participating
in cultural activities. They feel that they have the support and resources to offer their membership
cultural activities of interest. They also appreciate the programs the City of Pickering offers and are
often invited by other agencies to attend specific activities or events.
Gaps: When asked what City of Pickering programs could be offered to seniors but currently are not,
the following programs were listed: line dancing (club led), Zumba, Tai Chi, clog dancing, art classes,
and a pole walking club (inside during winter). When asked what cultural facilities should be offered to
seniors, the response was a theatre in Pickering featuring an accessible location, with weekday and
weekend matinee show times. The membership also wanted a dance hall that would be accessible
and large enough for big events.
“I have been involved with the Pickering Museum Village as staff and volunteer
for 20 years. It always surprises me that at each event there, I run into someone
who is attending the site for the first time, and “never knew” that Pickering had
a museum; has lived in Pickering for years and paid taxes to help support the
museum (unknowingly) and has now discovered what a wonderful, enjoyable,
educational experience the museum is! … This must happen in other cultural
groups also. Are we missing an opportunity for communication or promotion here?
Contributed by a member of Bloomers & Britches Heritage
Gardeners, Pickering Museum Village
”
- 35 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
31
4 Vision and Strategic
Directions
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
32
4.1 Vision
Staff considered all of the information collected through the cultural planning process and have
identified the following vision statement: Pickering will collaborate with the community to celebrate
our cultural diversity, heritage and the arts; to sustain our natural environment; to foster a creative
economy; and to strengthen our vibrant neighbourhoods.
A community that offers opportunities “ to live, work and engage makes for
an ideal destination for many families
and a strong heritage, arts and culture
sector plays a key role in achieving that
balance. ”
Contributed by Durham College - 37 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
33
4.2 Strategic Directions
From the visioning session and the discussions that followed, six Strategic Directions were proposed
for the Cultural Plan.
1. Broaden and deepen city leadership and investment
2. Build a strong and collaborative cultural sector
3. Strengthen culture-led economic development
4. Conserve and promote history and heritage
5. Celebrate and support diversity and inclusion
6. Cultivate opportunities for the creation, education and enjoyment of the arts
For each Strategic Direction, there are recommended actions (not listed in any order of priority).
An image: a cheerful streetscape inducing people to“ smile, bringing them together, making them feel part of
the community, people sitting on park benches enjoying
each other’s company, concerts in the park, children
playing unstructured games. Wishes: parks & public
gardens, gathering places, bicycle trails, theatres,
upgraded outdoor sports facilities. ”
Contributed by a member of the Pickering
Horticultural Society - 38 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
4.2.1 Strategic Direction 1: Broaden and Deepen
City Leadership and Investment
4.2.1.1 Where we are now
During the public consultation phase and interviews with Pickering Council members and municipal
staff, we heard that Pickering’s unique advantages in the area of leadership and investment include:
• the active engagement of Culture and Recreation staff, with strong networks and connections
in the community
• increasing understanding on the part of Council and senior management about the importance
of culture
• a strong belief in community engagement and transparent decision-making (evident in the
recently launched Virtual Town Hall meetings)
We also heard that there is a need to broaden and deepen the City’s role and commitment to cultural
planning and cultural development.
4.2.1.2 Recommended actions
• Expand communications efforts related to cultural resources and opportunities.
• Increase the City’s role in supporting and facilitating networking and collaboration among
cultural groups.
• Form a Cultural Advisory Committee made up of staff, Council, and community representation
that champions the implementation of the Cultural Plan.
• Increase investment in cultural development.
• Appoint a dedicated cultural staff position with the following responsibilities:
• serve as a champion for the implementation of the Cultural Strategic Plan
• play a community development and capacity-building role within the cultural sector in
Pickering
• support ongoing cultural planning and the integration of culture across departments (the
focus of this position would not be on the delivery of cultural programs or services)
• Ensure the Cultural Strategic Plan is well integrated into the City’s five Corporate Priorities.
• Identify leading practices (in Canada and abroad) in cultural planning.
• Establish a cross-departmental Culture Team to build the capacity of the City to “adopt a
cultural lens” and support the implementation of the Cultural Strategic Plan.
• Identify a strategy to address transportation issues that occur at venues hosting major events,
and consider transportation in the selection and design of new venues.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
35
4.2.2 Strategic Direction 2: Build a Strong and
Collaborative Cultural Sector
4.2.2.1 Where we are now
The cultural mapping project completed by the City revealed a large and diverse range of cultural
organizations and activities in the community (see, for example, the list of organizations that
participated in our survey, provided in Appendix C).
However, the survey indicated that some of these organizations are working in isolation from others.
Among the barriers preventing the cultural sector from reaching its potential, organizations cited
problems such as “lack of cohesion” and “the need for more information sharing.”
In other words, the cultural sector in Pickering tends to be fragmented. Combating this fragmentation
through stronger networking and collaboration helps strengthen individual organizations and the
sector as a whole. The Visioning Session also identified a range of specific needs including those
related to new or expanded cultural spaces and facilities.
4.2.2.2 Recommended actions
• Convene networking and peer-to-peer learning events for a cross-section of the cultural sector.
• Address a need for more small venues to support cultural activities (e.g., for exhibitions and
performances).
• Engage cultural groups in the development of strategies that stimulate and cultivate resident
cultural engagement between north and south Pickering.
• Develop and implement a “module” on culture and heritage that could be easily delivered in the
school system.
• Expand the Central Library to include community and cultural meeting spaces – ensure the
library is seen as one of the City’s strongest cultural assets.
As Spanish-speaking immigrants, we share a common“ language, culture, food, music and the challenge
to learn a new language and integrate into our new
homeland: Canada. ”
Contributed by the Hispanic-Canadian
Alliance of Ontario
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
4.2.3 Strategic Direction 3: Strengthen Culture-led
Economic Development
4.2.3.1 Where we are now
Research and reports produced to date for the Cultural Strategic Plan acknowledge the important
role played by creativity and culture in strengthening the local economy. However, there is still a lack
of broad community understanding of the economic importance of culture, and the need for concrete
strategies and actions to leverage these opportunities.
For example, in our survey of Council committees, we heard that there needs to be a connection
between economic development, heritage and culture, and not such a singular focus on business
development. Integrating all three can help the City sell a lifestyle to newcomers and new business.
4.2.3.2 Recommended actions
• Shift the mindset in the community toward thinking about culture as an asset; change the
thought process from culture as an expense to culture as an investment.
• Establish tourism as a corporate priority (with a strong emphasis on cultural tourism).
• Examine the opportunity to leverage cultural festivals to define a strong cultural brand for
Pickering and increase its reputation as a significant cultural destination.
• Ensure a strong focus in the Cultural Strategic Plan on the needs of commercial cultural
activities and enterprises.
• Integrate cultural and economic planning related to growing the creative economy and
increasing the number of creative cultural industries in Pickering.
• Examine opportunities to engage the private sector and encourage corporate sponsorships
that will maximize resources/investment for cultural initiatives.
• Sustain and promote Pickering’s online Cultural Directory as a means of celebrating and
increasing the profile of Pickering’s cultural assets.
• Create and introduce online user-friendly tools such as a Community Events Application and
Community Media Guide to encourage community organizations, residents, and corporate
partners to take the lead in the provision of cultural initiatives.
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City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
4.2.4 Strategic Direction 4: Conserve and Promote
History and Heritage
4.2.4.1 Where we are now
Pickering has a rich and diverse history and heritage that is not sufficiently supported or promoted.
For example, we heard of many first-time visitors to the Pickering Museum Village who had not
previously heard about it, and were astonished at the quality of the experience available there. And
more than 80% of the respondents in the household survey agreed that more should be done to
publicize and promote heritage, arts and culture activities in Pickering. Respondents also felt that the
City, cultural groups, and private businesses all have a role to play in promoting culture and heritage.
The vision of history and heritage in the community must be a broad and inclusive one – one that
includes early history (and settlement) in addition to more recent developments (including the arrival
and rich cultural traditions of diverse communities).
4.2.4.2 Recommended actions
• Develop programs and facilities to house and conserve archival collections.
• Strengthen the promotion of local history assets.
• Establish a Visitors’ Centre at the Pickering Museum Village.
• Leverage opportunities to connect culture and heritage programming with the new Rouge Park.
• Develop strategies to highlight and celebrate Pickering’s heritage properties that include
additional or improved signage to identify arts, cultural, and heritage designations and public
properties.
• Allocate funds to acquire and preserve heritage properties.
• Establish a First Nations Interpretive Centre in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
• Continue to operate the Doors Open program.
- 42 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
38
4.2.5 Strategic Direction 5: Celebrate and Support
Diversity and Inclusion
4.2.5.1 Where we are now
Over and over again in our research, we heard that cultural diversity represents one of the
community’s greatest strengths and opportunities. Our Community Profile found that approximately
35% of Pickering’s population belongs to a visible minority.
Greater efforts must be made to engage diverse communities in determining their cultural needs. The
City (working in partnership with community groups) must move to address these needs. An inclusive
approach to cultural planning and development must also address the needs of youth and seniors in
the community.
4.2.5.2 Recommended actions
• Ensure representation from diverse communities on the proposed Cultural Roundtable.
• Actively engage these communities in defining cultural interests, needs, and opportunities.
• Work closely with the school system to increase understanding of, and appreciate for, the
importance of local culture and heritage among youth.
• Develop cross-culture programming by connecting heritage, historic and arts businesses/
organizations.
• Support programming in cultural centres through Marketing and Event guidelines for
community engagement
Creating with power is more than just learning how to use “
the tools. The students learn about themselves through the
expression of their own ideas and the telling of their own
stories. They also learn patience, empathy for others and
how to focus. Our youth today have become accustomed
to instant gratification…. Taking one’s time to achieve a
finer final product results in higher marks and positive
recognition. This same patience, when shown in the home,
also produces rewards... Ultimately, the youth begins to feel better
about himself or herself, which results in better citizenry for our community. ”
Contributed by a local sculptor - 43 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
4.2.6 Strategic Direction 6: Cultivate Opportunities
for the Creation, Education, and Enjoyment of
the Arts
4.2.6.1 Where we are now
Pickering has a dynamic and energized arts community that includes performance, fabric, visual and
media arts. Many of the artists in the City participated in our public consultation program, offering
insights and suggestions.
However, the household survey identified a need for more cultural opportunities: more than half of
respondents were only “somewhat satisfied” or were not satisfied with the available opportunities in
Pickering. In particular, teens were the least satisfied with the cultural opportunities.
We also asked about gaps in the current array of cultural offerings. The top five identified gaps were
concerts and musical performances; theatre and plays; art exhibits; educational programs; and ethnic
or multicultural festivals and events.
Existing organizations and individuals need municipal, community, and corporate support to sustain
and showcase their activities and educate the next generation of artists. Support is also needed to
develop the next generation of artists, artisans, and audiences. The City needs policies, partnerships,
and programs that support the artists of Pickering and leverage their art for the enjoyment and
education of others. Such strategies could help organizations such as the PineRidge Arts Council
whose volunteers operated the SilverStone Gallery for 3 years until it closed in 2013 due to a lack of
funding and available space.
4.2.6.2 Recommended actions
• Develop and implement a public art policy, program, and funding formula.
• Use art to enhance public spaces, particularly within the City Centre.
• Assign a 1% contribution to public art from the capital budgets of applicable new or renovated
facility and park projects.
• Establish Public Art Reserve Fund. Public art is considered to include, but is not limited to,
sculpture, fountains, architectural components, special lighting or landscaping and murals.
• Ensure that the City plays a leadership role in addressing the need for a new performing
arts or multi-purpose cultural facility preferably in the City Centre (this must become a City
responsibility and priority rather than being driven by the community).
• Develop connections with local colleges and universities to foster arts education.
- 44 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
40
5 How to use the Strategic
Directions: Integrating
Planning for Culture in City
Decision-Making
5 How to use the Strategic
Directions: Integrating
Planning for Culture in City
Decision-Making
- 45 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
41
A defining feature of municipal cultural planning is integrating culture and cultural resources across
many aspects of municipal planning and decision-making. At a fundamental level, this requires asking
three questions:
1. How can cultural resources contribute to addressing broader municipal goals and priorities
(e.g., economic diversification, retaining youth, growing cultural tourism, etc.)?
2. How do local planning decisions affect cultural resources (e.g., what is the impact of new
developments on existing and valued natural or cultural heritage resources)?
3. How can cultural resources enhance the quality of place, form and function of the built
environment and the public realm (e.g., through commissioned public art, strong urban design
guidelines, interpretive materials related to local history, cultural programming in public spaces,
etc.)?
The Municipal Cultural Plan will help build the capacity of staff to integrate culture into ongoing
planning by:
• Establishing a set of shared definitions and assumptions to support cross-departmental
planning
• Supporting more informed planning through sustained cultural mapping of cultural resources
When I visited Chicago, I was so impressed by the“ power of the physical space to inspire. Everywhere
I went in the downtown area, I saw images that
provoked and engaged me… There was a sense
that this environment could make you better,
more creative.... not just yourself but the whole
community together. This type of vision takes
strong leadership to get community alignment…
I hope that the Cultural Strategic Plan can provide
this vision. As a community leader, I would do
whatever I could to support such vision. ”
Contributed by a member of the Pickering
Public Library - 46 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
The following Strategic Directions chart provides more details on the proposed actions within this
10 year plan:
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Expand City Development Current Budget Short Number of people
communications
efforts related to Culture & Recreation
(existing) attending cultural
events cultural resources
and opportunities Investment in
Pickering
Cultural awareness
in local businesses
Form a Cultural Culture & Recreation City Clerk Short Establishment
Advisory section and of the Cultural
1.
Broaden
and deepen
City
leadership
and
Committee
made up of
staff, Council,
and community
representation
that
champions the
implementation of
the Cultural Plan
Establish a cross-
departmental
Culture & Recreation
Council for
resources
(approval of
positions)
Staff Time Short
Advisory Committee
with monthly
meetings
Established
committee mandate
and terms of
reference
Establishment of
the Culture Team
investment “Culture Team”
to build the
capacity of the
Supervisor, Cultural
Services as lead of the
with regular staff
meetings
City to “adopt “Culture Team”
a cultural lens”
and support the
implementation
of the Cultural
Strategic Plan
Increase City Development Current Budget Short Completion of
investment
in cultural
development Culture & Recreation
($30,000
additional)
Financial Impact
Report
Library Consultant
Report required Development of a
Financial Incentives
Report
Development Cultural Services Current Budget Medium Completion of
of City Tourism ($100,000 Corporate Tourism
Program City Development additional) Strategy
- 47 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Increase the Library Meeting Space Short Host meetings with
City’s role in
supporting and
networking
Staff Time each cultural sector
throughout the year
cultural groups
within the
community
Maintain
and promote
comprehensive
cultural calendar of
events
1.
Broaden
and deepen
City
leadership
and
Appoint a
dedicated cultural
staff person
Culture & Recreation Current Budget
(existing)
Short Position of
Supervisor, Cultural
Services was
established in
early 2013 and is a
dedicated resource
to the City’s cultural
affairs
investment Monitor ongoing
workload to assess (cont’d) need for additional
staff resources in
the long term
Ensure the All Departments Staff Time Short Reports to
Cultural Strategic Council regarding
Plan is well
integrated Lead is Culture &
Recreation
integration of five
Corporate Priorities
into the City’s
five Corporate
Priorities
Identify leading Culture & Recreation Staff Time Short Updates to the
practices in
cultural planning
City’s Cultural Plan
in Canada and
abroad
Identify a strategy Engineering & Public Staff Time Medium Development and
to address Works implementation of
transportation
issues at venues Culture & Recreation
strategy; reduction
in the number of
that host major complaints
events. Consider
transportation in
City Development
the selection and Corporate Services
design of new
venues 43 - 48 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Convene Library Staff Time Short Number of
networking and meetings peer-to-peer
learning events Number of for a cross-
section of the participants
cultural sector
Address a
need for more
Culture & Recreation Staff Time Medium Inventory of
cultural spaces in venues to
support cultural
activities (e.g., for
exhibitions and
Library Pickering (City and
private), including
restaurants
2. performances) Develop a
Build a communications
program strong and
collaborative Develop and Culture & Recreation Staff Time Medium Development and
cultural implement a
“module” on
use of module
sector culture and
heritage that
could be easily
delivered in the
school system
Engage cultural
groups in the
Culture & Recreation Current Budget
(existing)
Medium Research and
development of
development strategies
of strategies
that encourage
resident cultural
engagement
between north
and south
Pickering
Expand the Council Capital Budget Medium / Library expansion
Central Library Long
to include
community and
cultural meeting
Library Amount of new
meeting space as
well as meetings spaces scheduled in new
space
- 49 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Examine the City Development Staff Time Medium Increase
opportunity to
leverage cultural
festivals to
Culture & Recreation Current Budget
(existing)
participation in
City events by
10% define a strong
cultural brand
for Pickering
and increase
its reputation
as a significant
Increase number
of existing and
new vendors/
participants
cultural
destination Measure feedback
though participant
satisfaction
3.
Strengthen
culture-led
Integrate cultural
and economic
planning related
to growing the
creative economy
and increasing
City Development
Culture & Recreation
(as resource)
Staff Time Medium Identify existing
business with
Durham Region
Business
Information
economic
development
the number of
creative cultural
industries in
Pickering
Track business
openings in
Pickering and
achieve 10%
increase in
creative cultural
industries
Examine Culture & Recreation Staff Time Medium Completion
opportunities
to engage the
private sector
and encourage
of Corporate
Sponsorship
Package/Program
corporate
sponsorships
that will maximize
resources/
investment for
cultural initiatives
Increased
sponsorship
revenue and
number of
sponsors by 20%
- 50 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Create and Culture & Recreation Staff Time Short Applications
introduce online
user-friendly completed and
launched on tools such as website a Community
Events
Application &
Community
Media Guide
Number of
applications
to encourage returned
community
organizations,
residents and
corporate
partners to take
the lead in the
provision of
cultural initiatives 3.
Strengthen
culture-led
economic
development
(cont’d)
Sustain and
promote
Pickering’s online
Cultural Directory
as a means
of celebrating
and increasing
the profile of
Pickering’s
Culture & Recreation Staff Time Short Track number of
website visits,
number of listings,
economic impact
of cultural events
cultural assets
& cultural
community
organizations
Establish tourism
as a corporate
Culture & Recreation Current Budget
($65.000
Long Implementation of
Corporate Tourism
priority (with a City Development dedicated to Strategy
strong emphasis
on cultural
(as resource) additional staff
resources)
tourism)
- 51 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
47
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
3.
Strengthen
culture-led
economic
development
(cont’d)
Ensure a
strong focus
in the Cultural
Strategic Plan
on the needs
of commercial
cultural activities
and enterprises
City Development Staff Time
(existing)
Long Measure the
number of new
businesses and
level of investment
We recognize that in order for art and culture “ to survive and prosper, we need a healthy
community where everyone feels at home
and that’s exactly what our members have, a
sense of belonging. ”
Contributed by the Indo-Canadian
Cultural Association of Durham
- 52 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Strengthen the Culture & Recreation Current Budget Short Increase of the
promotion of local
history assets Library
($12,000
additional for
following: number
of website visits
signage) (PMV & PADA)
Related Advisory
Committees Staff Time Number of
attendees
Number of
heritage events
Number of
questions
submitted to
Library relating
to historical
documents
Improve signage
for heritage 4. Conserve districts
and promote
history and
heritage
Leverage
opportunities to
connect culture
and heritage
programming
Engineering & Public
Works
Staff Time Long Number of
programs
and events in
Rouge Park
of cultural and
with the new natural heritage
Rouge National
Park
significance
Develop City Development Staff Time Medium Completion of
strategies to
highlight and
celebrate Heritage Pickering Current Budget
(existing)
Council-adopted
program strategies
Pickering’s
heritage
properties
that include
additional or
improved signage
to identify
arts, cultural,
and heritage
designations and
public properties
- 53 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Develop funds City Development Reserve Fund Long Council-adopted
to acquire and
preserve heritage
(new) program to
establish reserve
properties fund
Establish a
Visitors’ Centre
Culture & Recreation Capital Budget Medium /
Long
Opening of
Visitors’ Centre
at the Pickering
Museum Village
Develop Culture & Recreation Capital Budget Medium Opening of
4. Conserve programs
and facilities Library
facilities (Library &
Visitor Centre) and promote
history and
heritage
(cont’d)
to house and
conserve archival
collections
Establish a
First Nations
Heritage Pickering
(as a resource)
Culture & Recreation Capital Budget Long Opening of
Interpretive Centre
Interpretive Heritage Pickering (as part of the
Centre and Museums’ Visitors
archive room, Pickering Village Centre) and
with appropriate Museum Advisory number of artifacts
partners Committee (as displayed
resource)
Continue to
operate the
Heritage Pickering Staff Time Short Host Doors Open
Event
Doors Open Current Budget program (existing)
- 54 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
50
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Ensure Council Staff Time Short Promote advisory
representation
from diverse
committee
appointment
communities on opportunities
the proposed
Cultural Advisory
to the general
public but also
Committee to the full range
of Pickering’s
community cultural
organizations
5. Celebrate
Actively
engage diverse
communities in
Culture & Recreation Staff Time Medium Incorporate into
the Advisory
Committee Terms and support
diversity and
inclusion
defining cultural
interests, needs,
and opportunities
of Reference
Conduct data
analysis & prepare
report
Work closely Culture & Recreation Staff Time Medium Develop, promote
with the and offer school
school system
to increase
presentations and
develop website
understanding of content that
and appreciation
for the
educate youth
importance of
local culture and
heritage among
youth
“Albert Camus said, “Without culture, and
the relative freedom it implies, society, even
when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any
authentic creation is a gift to the future.” And
John F. Kennedy said, “If art is to nourish the
roots of our culture, society must set the artist
free to follow his vision wherever it takes him
[or her].” ”
Contributed by the Backwoods Players - 55 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Develop Culture & Recreation Staff Time Medium Support Cultural
cross-culture sector initiatives
programming Library and relationships
by connecting developed in
heritage,
historic and arts
City Development stakeholders
group meetings
businesses/
organizations Encourage
partnerships by
promotion of
opportunities to
cultural sector
5. Celebrate
and support
diversity and
inclusion
(cont’d)
Support
programming
in cultural
centres through
Culture & Recreation
Library
Staff Time
Current budget
(existing)
Medium
groups through
Cultural Directory
eBlasts
Development of a
community event
resource
Marketing and
Event guidelines
Tracking of
related events and
for community participation rates
engagement
Development
of City outreach
program for
community
engagement
similar to
Destination
Pickering
- 56 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Develop and City Development Capital Budget Medium Adoption of
implement a
public art policy, Council
policy/programs
to include a program, and contribution funding formula of 1% of all
major municipal
buildings and
parks projects
be dedicated to
public art and
will encourage
the private sector
through planning
and site plan
approvals to do
6. the same
Cultivate Number of art
installations opportunities
for the Catalogue
development creation,
education Establish Public Culture & Recreation Reserve Fund Medium Establish Public
and Art Reserve
Fund Council
(new) Art Reserve Fund
to be used to enjoyment of
the arts
purchase and/or
commission public
art for display in
public spaces
Develop
connections with
City Development Staff Time Long Development of
courses/seminars/
local colleges/ information
universities sessions
to foster arts
education
Encourage
public art in
City Development Staff Time Short Private
contribution to
appropriate public art in new
private
developments
development
projects within
within the City identified areas
- 57 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Strategic
Direction Action Responsibility Resources Timeline Measurement
Guidelines
Use art to City Development Staff Time Medium Established Public
enhance existing
public spaces,
particularly within Engineering & Public
Works
Art Policy and
Program
6. the City Centre The total number
of public art
Cultivate
opportunities
for the
commissions
by the City and
the total value of
those public art
commissions
creation,
education
and
enjoyment
of the arts
(cont’d)
Ensure the
City plays a
leadership role in
addressing the
need for a new
performing arts
or multi-purpose
cultural facility in
the City Centre
City Development
Culture & Recreation
Current Budget
($30,000
additional)
Short Complete
Business Case for
an Arts Centre in
Pickering
- 58 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
54
Appendix A: Members of
the City of Pickering Staff
Committee
Marisa Carpino – Director, Culture & Recreation
Kathy Williams – Director of Public Services, Pickering Public Library
Catherine Rose – Chief Planner
Darrell Selsky – Manager, Capital Projects & Infrastructure
Kim Thompson – Manager, By-law Enforcement Services
Tanya Ryce – Supervisor, Cultural Services
Arnold Mostert – Senior Coordinator, Landscape & Parks Development
Catherine Hodge – Coordinator, Economic Development
Michelle Pearce & Jesse St. Amant – Coordinator, Environmental Awareness
Chantal Whitaker – Coordinator, Sustainability
Melissa Markham – Principal Planner, Development Review
Ashley Yearwood – Planner II
Even in this age of multiculturalism, the heritage of Pickering must include the fact“ of the churches’ foundational presence in Pickering and its binding together of the
community. ”
Contributed by a member of Dunbarton-Fairport United Church - 59 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
55
Appendix B: Members
of the Community
Stakeholders Committee
Cathy Grant – Chief Executive Officer, Pickering Public Library
Cathy Schnippering & Mary Cook – PineRidge Arts Council
Pamela Fusselli – formerly of Heritage Pickering
John Sabean – Pickering Historical Society
Kathy McKay – Ajax/Pickering Board of Trade
Laura Drake – Pickering Museum Village Advisory Committee
Pat Dunnill – formerly of the Pickering Museum Village Foundation
Shashi Bhatia – Indo-Canadian Cultural Association of Durham
Without the maintenance of our history, we are a “ community without a past. It is critical for Pickering
to ensure the further development of the Museum
and the maintenance of the significant heritage
homes, landscapes, cemeteries, archaeological
sites and artefacts, stories and descriptions of who
we were and what made us as a community. ”
Contributed by a member of
Heritage Pickering
- 60 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Appendix C: List of
Organizations that
Completed the Survey
Altona Forest Stewardship Committee
Artists and Poets Ltd.
Backwoods Players
Bayview Heights Public School
Bloomers & Britches Heritage Gardeners, Pickering Museum Village
Canadian Multicultural Forum
Canadian Progress Club - Durham South
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority
City of Pickering - Culture & Recreation
City of Pickering - Engineering & Public Works
City of Pickering - Municipal Operations
City of Pickering - Operations & Facilities
Claremont District and Community Association
Community Development Council Durham
Conseil Scolaire District Catholique Centre Sud - French Catholic School Board
D. James Sculptor
Dalebrook Neighbourhood Association
Dunbarton High School
Dunbarton-Fairport United Church
Durham College
Durham Mountain Biking Association
Durham Radio Inc.
Durham Region Branch Ontario Genealogical Society
Durham West Arts Centre Foundation
Entertainment Unlimited
Fusion Art
Ganadatsetiagon Public School
Girls Incorporated of Durham
Glengrove Public School
Great Walls of Art
- 61 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Heritage Pickering
Hispanic-Canadian Alliance of Ontario
Hurst Communications
Indo-Canadian Cultural Association of Durham
Jehovah’s Witnesses
L’Amicale du Centre Communautaire Francophone de Durham(ACCFD)
Legend Music Enterprises Corp.
Managhan Design Solutions Inc.
Mary Cook Photography
Muse on Design
Muslim Youth & Community Centre for Pickering/Durham (MYCC)
one twin design
PAC 4 Teens
Pickering Ajax Italian Social Club
Pickering Community Concert Band
Pickering Gas & Steam Club
Pickering Horticultural Society
Pickering Italian Senior Association
Pickering Museum Village
Pickering Museum Village Advisory Committee
Pickering Museum Village Singers
Pickering Potters Studio
Pickering Public Library
Pine Ridge Arts Council
Pine Ridge Secondary School
PMV Woodwrights Guild
RAI Architect Inc.
Rosebank Road Public School
Rouge Valley Chapter IODE
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Sir John A. Macdonald Public School
St. Isaac Jogues Parish - Roman Catholic Church
St. John Ambulance
St. Monica Catholic School
St. Nedela Macedonian Orthodox Church
Sunshine Publishing
The Arms of Jesus Children’s Mission Inc.
The Conservation Foundation of Greater Toronto
The County Town Singers
The Driftwood Theatre Group
The Woodwright’s Guild
- 62 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
58
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto Scottish Country Dance Association
UOIT - University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Vaughan Willard Public School
Vintage Victuals
Westcreek Public School
Young Singers
Zahra’s School of Middle Eastern Dance
“ Working out of Pickering since I began over 15 years ago, I have seen the effect
technology has had on musicians’ ability to stay in the town they love with their
families and still have the opportunity to have a global impact with their work.
Just 15 years ago, there were no MP3 downloads, and largely no websites, so
networking was really difficult with a small budget… The advent of new tools
has made global marketing more affordable and in many cases possible where
it was almost impossible back then… With these advances, artists who are
world-class, and often come from towns just like Pickering, no longer have to
relocate to larger cities to have their music be made and heard, and that’s a
relief, because I never wanted to do that. ”
Contributed by a member of Artists and Poets Ltd. - 63 -
City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan 2014
Appendix D: Participants
in Visioning and Strategy
Session June 27, 2012
Dr. Greg Baeker – Director, Cultural Development – Miller Dickinson Blais - Speaker
Tony Prevedel – Chief Administrative Officer
Tom Melymuk – Director, City Development
Everett Buntsma – Director, Community Services
Neil Carrol – Director, Planning & Development
Bill Douglas – Fire Chief
Debbie Shields – City Clerk
Kathy Williams – Director of Public Services
Steve Reynolds – Department Head, Culture & Recreation
Jen Parent - Division Head, Human Resources
Stan Karwowski – Treasurer
Marisa Carpino – Director, Culture & Recreation
Catherine Rose – Chief Planner
Chantal Whitaker – Coordinator, Sustainability
Katrina Pyke – Coordinator, Museum Operations
Jody Morris – Supervisor, Facility Programs
Ashley Yearwood – Planner II
- 64 -
~C~of-
p](KERJNG
Procedure Title: Public Art Policy
Policy ·
Policy Number
CUL 130
Reference Date Originated (m/d/y)
November 25, 2019
Date Revised (m/d/y) Pages
Report #CS 36 -19
Resolution# 167/19
Approval: Chief Ad
Policy Objective
21
Point of Contact
The City of Pickering is a vibrant community, rich in diversity, heritage, environment and the arts.
· As the City continues to grow and intensify, public art will play an integral role in creating an
inviting and livable City .
This Policy establishes the framework for a sustainable Public Art Program that will deliver public
art throughout the City that will :
• create attractiveness;
• promote community identity;
• reflect diversity and community landscape ;
• celebrate heritage;
• create a sense of place and attract interest;
• provide amusement, reflection and intrigue to a community, and ,
• be selected through an objective and professional public art selection process that has a
commitment to artistic merit.
The Public Art Policy and supporting Public Art Program will enhance the public realm,
demonstrate the City's support for the arts and culture sector, and provide economic benefits .
. Index
01 Definitions
02 Guiding Documents & Policy Context
03 Policy Statement
04 Purpose and Objectives
05 Administration
06 City Representation - 65 -
07 Selection Process
08 Acquisition
09 Selection Considerations
10 Site Selection
11 Collections Management
12 Maintenance & Conservation
13 Insurance
14 Storage
15 Agreements & Installation
16 Deaccession & Disposal
17 Copyright and Intellectual Property
18 Artist Remuneration
19 Community Engagement & Awareness
20 Pickering Public Art Interactive Map
21 Public Art Development by the Private Sector
22 Funding
01 Definitions
01.01 Accession -the act of recording and processing artwork to the City's Public Art
Collection.
01.02 Acquisition -obtaining ownership of public art through purchase, commission, donation,
gift or bequest.
01.03 Archiving -the act of long-term storage and preservation of public art in a location owned
by the City of Pickering. Archiving of public art may include storage and preservation of
the original art piece, or a photographic/digital record of the original art piece.
01.04 Artist -the designer/creator of an artistic work and can include, but is not limited to, a
professional artist, graphic designer, collaborative team, architect, or landscape designer.
01.05 Borrowed -refers to an artistic work that is borrowed by the City, through a loan
agreement, for a defined period of time from a lender who owns and retains ownership of
the artistic work.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 2 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 66 -
01.06 Call to Artists -a request for proposal that outlines the scope of the Public Art that the
City wishes to acquire. The Call to Artists will outline aspects such as project theme,
timeline, compensation, and location.
01.07 Commissioning -the act of requesting and paying an artist to design and create a
specific piece of art.
01.08 Community Art-artistic work created collaboratively between an artist and an identified
community. Community members actively participate in the creation of the artistic work.
The artistic process is of equal importance to the artistic product.
01.09 Community-Based Public Art-created as a result of a collaborative process between
community members; which may or may not include the use of a professional, practicing
artist, engaged in a collective method of art making.
01.10 Conservation -the maintenance and preservation of works of art and their protection
from future damage and deterioration.
01.11 Copyright-the exclusive legal right to produce or reproduce, publish, print, sell, or
distribute the matter and form of something or any substantial part thereof, such as
literary, musical, or artistic works (e.g., drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures).
01.12 Creative Place-Making -a practice where people are inspired collectively and
collaboratively to reimagine, reinvent, and shape public spaces to maximize the shared
value, as the heart of the community.
01.13 Deaccession -the act of permanently removing, relocating to another jurisdiction, or
disposal of artwork from the City's Public Art Collection.
01.14 Intellectual Property -the legal right to ideas, inventions and creations in the industrial,
scientific, literary and artistic fields.
01.15 Moral Rights -the artist has the right to the integrity of the work and the right, where
reasonable in the circumstances, to be associated with the work as its author by name or
under a pseudonym and the right to remain anonymous. Moral rights are non-transferable
and endure even after copyright has been assigned.
01.16 Municipally Owned Public Space -includes but is not limited to parks, road allowances,
tunnels, boulevards, streets, courtyards, squares and bridges, as well as building
exteriors, foyers, concourses, and significant interior public areas of municipal buildings.
01.17 Permanent Public Art-an original artwork which is situated at a particular site for longer
than one year.
01.18 Public Art -art developed and designed by a professional artist that is displayed on
municipally-owned public space. Public art may include, but is not limited to:
• sculptures;
• murals;
• memorials or monuments;
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 3 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 67 -
• fountains or water features that contribute aesthetically to their surroundings (not
splash pads);
• hard and soft landscaping components; which are not a mere extension of the
landscape/architecture;
• architectural components, specialized lighting; and
• Community art projects related to neighbourhood beautification.
01.19 Public Art Committee -is responsible for working with Community Services staff to
provide advice and expertise; build public awareness and support for public art; and,
identify eligible Public Art Jury members, when required.
01.20 Public Art Jury -is a group of residents, professionals and staff selected who evaluate
artist proposals in accordance with the Artist Evaluation Criteria and Acquisition Criteria.
The Public Art Jury is responsible to narrow down selections for acquisition.
01.21 Professional Artist-a person who is critically recognized as an artist, they possess skill,
training and/or experience in an artistic discipline, is active in and committed to their art
practice, and has a history of public presentation.
01.22 Public Space -space available for use by the public that includes, but it is not limited to,
parks, boulevards, trail systems, open spaces, waterways, roads, bridges, gateways,
streetscapes, civic squares, interior and exterior public areas associated with buildings, or
structures owned, operated, occupied or used by or for the City.
01.23 Restoration -the repair or renovation of artworks that have sustained injury or decay to
something approaching their original undamaged appearance.
01.24 Signage -any medium used to convey information by way of words, pictures, graphics,
emblems or symbols, or any device used for the purpose of providing direction or
information, identification, advertisement business promotion or the promotion of a product
activity, service, or idea.
01.25 Transitory Public Art -an original artwork that are temporary, which could include a
variety of mediums and can incorporate experimental public art projects.
02 Guiding Documents & Policy Context
02.01 The City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan (2014) sets a vision for arts, culture and
heritage in the City; and, identifies strategic directions for policy and programs. One of the
Plan's strategic directions is to cultivate opportunities for the creation, education and
enjoyment of the arts, including:
• developing and implementing a Public Art Policy, program, and funding formula;
• using art to enhance public spaces, particularly within the City Centre;
• assigning a one percent contribution to public art from the capital budgets of applicable
new or renovated facility and park projects; and,
• establishing a Public Art Reserve Fund.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 4.of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 68 -
02.02 The City of Pickering Official Plan acknowledges that the quality of the built environment
can be enhanced by promoting the integration of art in public places. Specifically, the
Official Plan:
• promotes art in publicly-accessible and visible locations such as parks, prominent
street corners, plazas and on buildings;
• encourages public art in a broad range of media, themes and formats in order to
engage the observer, foster civic identity and promote social interaction; and,
• considers integrating public art in the early stages of the design and planning of
developments.
02.03 The City Centre Urban Design Guidelines encourage permanent and transitory/temporary
artworks to promote a sense of identity for the City Centre.
02.04 The Seaton Sustainable Place-Making Guidelines recognize that public art should be
highly visible and serve as accents to the community by encouraging public art to be
located at community core gateways.
03 Policy Statement
03.01 The City of Pickering is committed to and supportive of the benefits of public art and
recognizes that art in public spaces is a valuable asset that enhances the social/cultural,
built heritage and natural environments. Through public art, we beautify our environment;
engage the community in Creative Place-Making; and, celebrate our values, stories,
culture, heritage, and diversity while defining our unique identity. Public Art enhances
quality of life for citizens and visitors; and, strengthens community pride, tourism and
economic growth. The commission and acquisition of Public Art is exempt from the City's
Purchasing Policy and must therefore be conducted in accordance with the processes
outlined in this Policy.
04 Purpose and Objectives
04.01 The purpose of the Public Art Policy is to:
i. Establish, for the City, a standardized and transparent process for the selection,
acquisition, maintenance and deaccession of Public Art; and,
ii. Provide, for the City, a sustainable funding model for the management of Public Art.
04.02 The framework for a Public Art Program established in this Policy is intended to provide a
standardized and transparent structure for these processes to include:
• long-term planning;
• establishing a funding framework;
• creating an administrative structure;
• identifying opportunities for public art;
• initiating completions and a selection process;
• implementing and/or assisting with public art projects; and,
• ongoing maintenance, management, deaccession and disposal of the public art
collection.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 5 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 69 -
04.03 The Public Art Policy applies to temporary and permanent installations, including
community art. The City may authorize public art that it does not own, to be placed on
municipally owned public space through an agreement between the City and the owner of
public art.
The City will not purchase or display art that:
• violates any City policy;
• conveys a negative message that might be deemed prejudicial;
• promotes alcohol and other addictive substances;
• presents demeaning or derogatory portrayals of individuals or groups or contains
anything, which in light of generally prevailing community standards, is likely to cause
deep or widespread offence; or,
• is in direct competition with City of Pickering services, programs or initiatives.
05 Administration
05.01 The Public Art Policy and Program will be administered by City of Pickering Community
Services staff in collaboration with City Development staff, the Public Art Committee, the
Public Art Jury, and the Council of the City of Pickering.
05.02 Any member involved in the administration of the Public Art Policy and Program shall
declare a conflict of interest, pecuniary or otherwise, and remove themselves in all cases
from a juried selection process or any decision regarding the acquisition of public art in
which they are involved either directly or indirectly.
06 City Representation
06.01 Council
The Council of the City of Pickering is responsible to:
• approve and uphold the Public Art Policy and any amendments;
• approve annual Public Art funding and expenditures in the Capital and Current
Budget; and,
• act as an advocate for art in Public Spaces, and Private Developments in the City.
06.02 Chief Administrative Officer
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to:
• approve and uphold the Public Art policy, along with any amendments;
• approve any changes to the Public Art policy, as needed;
• act as an advocate for Public Art in Public Spaces, and private developments; and,
• support Public Art budget through the budget process.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 6 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 70 -
06.03 Director, Community Services
Director Community Services to:
• uphold the Public Art Policy, along with any amendments;
• recommend any changes to the Public Art Policy, as needed; and,
• recommend the Public Art budget annually via the Community Services Department
Capital and/or Current Budget.
06.04 Community Services Staff
The Community Services Department has the primary responsibility for administering the
Public Art Policy and Program, and will work in cooperation with all other City departments
to ensure its appropriate implementation. The City Development and Engineering
Services Departments have a supporting role in implementing the Public Art Policy and
Program.
Community Services Department staff are responsible to:
• oversee and implement the management, development, monitoring and evaluation of
the Public Art Policy and Program;
• manage the Public Art collection including acquisitions, maintenance, conservation,
research, interpretation and deaccessions;
• develop standards and procedures to ensure consistent implementation of the Public
Art Policy and Program,
• identify, approve appointments and establish the Public Art Committee;
• work with the Public Art Committee to identify Public Art priorities, locations and
initiatives (i.e. Public Art Work Plan);
• facilitate regular Public Art Committee meetings, circulating information, providing
guidance and arrange for the recording of minutes;
• facilitate Public Art Jury meetings, circulating information, providing guidance and
arrange for the recording of minutes, as may be required;
• develop "call to artists" and coordinate the selection process;
• establish artist selection processes,-manage artist contracts, and compensation;
• liaise with selected artists to oversee installation and develop agreements;
• develop promotional and marketing initiatives to community Public Art activities;
• establish, maintain and promote the Public Art public inventory;
• identify, prepare, and incorporate amendments to the Public Art Policy and Program
that do not have a financial impact, with approval from the CAO;
• advise Council, staff and residents on the Public Art Policy and related initiatives;
• develop the Public Art budget through the City's annual budget process; and,
investigate Federal, Provincial, or other sources of funding to promote and support
the development of Public Art in the City.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 7 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 71 -
06.05 City Development Department
City Development staff to:
• work with Community Services Department staff to identify appropriate locations for
public art;
• ensure public art is considered in the planning of new communities, development of
·community design guidelines, and design of corporate and community facilities; and,
• encourage and secure public art through the review and approval of development
applications.
06.06 Engineering Services Department
Engineering Services staff to:
• work with Community Services and City Development staff to ensure the safe and
proper installation of public art on City owned property;
• incorporate public art into parks, landscaping, and streetscapes; and,
• ensure site lines are maintained in locating and positioning of public art on City
owned and private property.
06.07 An inter-department Public Art planning team will be established to work in conjunction
with the Public Art Committee for selection of artistic works and ongoing long-term Public
Art planning, including site selection, restorations, conservation and maintenance. This
planning team will include staff representatives from:
• Community Services;
• City Development; and,
• Engineering Services.
06.08 The Interdepartmental Public Art Planning team may also be comprised of the following,
as appropriate:
• City of Pickering Library staff;
• City of Pickering Heritage Planner; and,
• Representatives (e.g. department heads) from other City of Pickering departments
that may be impacted by the location of a public art project.
07 Selection Process
07.01 Public Art Committee
The Public Art Committee will be a standing sub-committee of the City's Cultural Advisory
Committee. The Public Art Committee shall be comprised of seven members from the
community selected by the Cultural Advisory Committee. Three members will be from the
Cultural Advisory Committee itself. The other four members will not be members of the
Cultural Advisory Committee, but will have professional experience related to at least one
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 8 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 72 -
of the following disciplines; urban planning or development, landscape architecture,
architecture, visual, literary or performing arts, art history, art administration or education,
curation, visual arts consulting, civil engineering, art review/writing, or heritage research
and planning. All members of the Public Art Committee shall be residents of Pickering
and will demonstrate a significant knowledge of arts and culture.
The Public Art Committee will:
i. Advise on the implementation of the Public Art Policy through the Cultural Advisory
Committee.
ii. Review proposed project scope and terms of reference for each new Public Art
project.
iii. Evaluate and select artwork, under $25,000 in value, in accordance with the Artist
Evaluation Criteria in Section 7.3 and Acquisition Criteria in Section 6.0 of this
Policy.
iv. Ensure application of established procedures and guidelines for each selection
process.
v. Advise and promote communication and outreach of this Policy to the community.
vi. Advise on the development and implementation of selection, acquisition,
maintenance, and deaccession of artistic works to which this Policy applies.
vii. Advise and recommend to the City, through the Cultural Advisory Committee, on
proposed gifts, donations and bequests to the City in accordance with established
guidelines.
viii. Review the results of the Public Art Jury, and put forward a recommendation to
acquire for endorsement of the Cultural Advisory Committee to acquire the proposal
with the best marks, or put forward for community consultation.
The Committee will be subject to City policies to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all
participants in the process and to ensure their recommendations are without bias.
Specifically, the City will not purchase or display art that:
• violates any City policy;
• conveys a negative message that might be deemed prejudicial;
• promotes alcohol and other addictive substances;
• presents demeaning or derogatory portrayals of individuals or groups or contains
anything, which in light of generally prevailing community standards, is likely to cause
deep or widespread offence; and,
• is in direct competition with City of Pickering services, programs or initiatives.
All decisions made by the Public Art Committee shall be endorsed by the Cultural Advisory
Committee.
07.02 Public Art Jury
A Public Art Jury must be established for each acquisition of $25,000 and over in value,
and may also be established for works of a lesser amount at the discretion of the Public
Art Committee. The Public Art Jury will be organized on a case by case, and project by
project basis.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 9 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 73 -
The Public Art Jury will evaluate artist proposals in accordance with the Artist Evaluation
Criteria in Section 07.03 and Acquisition Criteria in Section 06.04 of this Policy. The Public
Art Jury is responsible to narrow down selections for acquisition and present the three top-
ranked proposals to the Public Art Committee, for final recommendation to the Cultural
Advisory Committee. Dependant on the impact the public art will have on the community,
the three top-ranked proposals may be presented for community consultation.
While the ultimate objective of the Public Art Jury is to reach an unanimous decision,
members may be divided in their evaluations and as such, a Public Art Jury will consist of
uneven numbers to enable a majority vote.
The composition, duration and terms of reference for any Public Art Jury will be dependent
on the nature of the Public Art project. Appointees to a Public Art Jury may consist of:
• Three City staff which may include representatives (e.g. department heads, Heritage
Planner, Library) from other City of Pickering departments, as appropriate, that may
be impacted by the location, or subject matter of a Public Art project.
• Three resident members from the Public Art Committee.
• Two professional artists that are not residents of the City of Pickering.
• One professional architect that is not a resident of the City of Pickering.
In certain circumstances, members of a Public Art Jury with external expertise (e.g.
professional architect or professional artist) may be compensated for their time on the
Public Art Jury.
07.03 Artist Evaluation Criteria
When evaluating specific artwork proposals, the Public Art Jury will consider the vision,
mandate and objectives of the Public Art Program and the specific aims in the project
brief. The Public Art Jury (as per section 07.02) will also consider the artist's:
• artistic excellence of previous work;
• ability to achieve the highest quality of contemporary artistic excellence and
innovation;
• professional qualifications and relevant working experience as related to the public
art project brief;
• ability to manage a project and experience working with a design team, project team
and/or community group, as appropriate;
• potential to comprehend, access and interpret relevant technical requirements; and,
• interest in and understanding of the public art opportunity and the context.
07.04 Exhibitions
The City of Pickering will host exhibitions of art in community facilities by:
• professional artists whose work is relevant to the community;
• Pickering artists, or artists whose work is Pickering based;
• artists that are members of a Pickering-based arts organization; and,
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 10 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 74 -
• City staff or their immediate family members.
The City of Pickering will create and facilitate opportunities for local businesses to display
public art and/or undertake temporary art exhibitions.
The content of art exhibitions is at the discretion of Community Services staff and must be
suitable for viewing by all ages.
07.05 Artist in Residence
The City of Pickering will provide opportunities for an Artist in Residence program,
provided that:
• funding exists through a grant or approved budget;
• the residency is of mutual benefit to the City and the Artist(s);
• a portion of the works created will remain in the City Collection; and,
• artists are properly compensated for their work, space and accommodation.
An Artist in Residence will work in partnership with the City and interested external
organizations, and agencies.
08 Acquisition
The City may acquire works of art through purchase, commissioning, donation, or creation
of community arts projects. All works to be purchased, commissioned or donated will be
subject to the terms and conditions of the Public Art Policy and incorporated into the Public
Art Inventory.
08.01 Purchase or Commission of Art
The process for purchasing and commissioning art will be fair and transparent and will be
in accordance with the City's Purchasing Policy.
Depending on the nature of the artwork, it may be secured through:
• The issuance of an Open Call. This type of competition is the preferred method which
sees a "Call to Artists" developed and issued. A "Call to Artists" can be geared
towards local, provincial, national and/or international artists, and/or art collectives and
includes specific guidelines, criteria and eligibility based upon each Public Art Initiative
identified by Cultural Services staff. A RFQ may be used to pre-qualify artists for
general or specific public art projects. When an open call public art competition results
in two equally weighted proposals, consideration will be given to the local/Canadian
submission.
• Request for Proposal (RFP) competition occurs when a select group of artists and/or
collectives are invited to submit a proposal for consideration towards a specific Public
Art initiative. The applicants must adhere to the guidelines and criteria established by
the City of Pickering.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 11 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 75 -
• Direct Invitation/Commission or Purchase (Single/Sole-Source) occurs when a single
artist is identified to complete a Public Art project, or when and existing piece of Public
Art is purchased. In the instance of the purchase of an existing piece of art, an
appraiser or outside expert maybe called in to determine authenticity.
For large commissions in public spaces, the Public Art Committee may choose to provide
the three top-ranked Public Art Jury selections for Community comment prior to finalizing
the selection process.
08.02 Donations
On occasion, the City may be offered donated works of art in the form of a bequest or a
gift. When public art is acquired through donation, in accordance with the criteria
established in the Income Tax Act (Canada), the City of Pickering may issue a tax receipt
to the donor. The donor is responsible for meeting Government of Canada criteria to
receive an income tax credit for the artwork. Independent appraisal costs will be the
responsibility of the donor.
Donated art must follow the City's Financial Control Policy FIN-030 and be subject to an
evaluation process based on the City's donation criteria outlined below:
• information about the artwork including photographs of the artwork (if existing) or
illustrations (if proposed);
• maintenance and conservation plan, including the condition of the work and any
repairs needed;
• site installation requirements of the artwork;
• projected budget for installation and ongoing maintenance of the artwork;
• legal proof of the donor's authority to donate the work; and,
• where appropriate an appraiser or outside expert maybe called in to determine
authenticity or value.
All donations of existing artworks will be subject to a review process by Community
Services staff in collaboration with the Public Art Committee. All donations should be
unencumbered, free and clear of conditions and restriction imposed by the donors.
Donations will be evaluated against the selection criteria in 07.01 and 07.03. The City is
not required to accept donations of Public Art that are offered.
Donated art will also include a funding donation for the transfer, installation, maintenance,
conservation, restoration of the work being donated, the amount of which will be
negotiated as part of the acceptance agreement. Additionally, City staff are responsible
for conducting a feasibility analysis, which outlines aspects such as the benefits of the
acquisition, and short and long term costs.
The individuals or organizations proposing to donate artwork will be notified of the City's
decision to accept or decline the donation. If accepted, the individual and/or organization
shall acknowledge that donated art cannot be returned. Accepted donations of public art
will be documented, a release form signed by both the City and the donor, and the artwork
insured at time of acquisition. Any documents pertaining to ownership of the donation
must be transferred to the City and filed by City staff accordingly. Once accepted, the
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 12 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 76 -
donation may be stored, exhibited, loaned, deaccessioned or disposed of at the discretion
of the City.
Donation of funding from the public or private sector for the City's Public Art program will
be added to the Public Art Reserve Fund.
08.03 Transitory/Temporary Public Art
The City may secure on a temporary basis, through loan or lease, works of public art for
display in public spaces. All artworks to be displayed in public spaces will be evaluated in
accordance with the Artist Evaluation Criteria in Section 07.03 and Acquisition Criteria in
Section 08 of this Policy.
Temporary installations of artwork will be documented, and included in the City's inventory
of public art exhibitions; listing the dates of display, and a project/artist statement.
08.04 Community Art Projects
The Cultural Services Section will receive applications for community art projects; which
may include requests for funding of up to $10,000 for any individual project. The Cultural
Services Section will determine whether a community art project should proceed and/or be
funded. The goal of these community art projects is to create artwork that is accessible to
a large public, not simply because it has been placed in a public space or because of its
content, but through the engagement of community members in defining and shaping their
environment. Community Art projects must include use of amateur and/or professional
practicing artists, and gain the support of the Public Art Committee, and Cultural Advisory
Committee. Community murals and tree carvings are examples of community art projects.
08.05 Public Art Exclusions
Examples of Public Art excluded under the scope of this policy are:
i. directional elements such as super graphics, signage or colour coding, except
where these elements are an integral part of the original work of art or public art
project;
ii. art objects which are mass-produced of standard design such as playground
equipment or statuary objects;
iii. landscape architecture and landscape gardening, except where these elements are
in integral part of the original work of art, or are the result of collaboration among
design professional including at least one artist; and,
iv. easily moveable artworks such as paintings, drawings, models and .books.
09 Selection Considerations
Artwork being considered for acquisition regardless of the acquisition method should take
into account the following:
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 13 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 77 -
Community Relevance and Impact
• Suitability for display in a public space
• Reflects the City's heritage, and/or history, culture and diversity, and/or natural
elements and landscapes
• Builds appreciation for public art
Overall Quality and Authenticity
• Originality of design
• Intrigues viewers and stimulates imagination
• Artist reputation, demonstrated and related experience
• Condition of the artwork
Location
• Site suitability
• Response to or complements the-location's uses and users
Economic Value
• Short and long term costs
• Tourism potential
Installation Maintenance &Conservation
• City's ability to accommodate installation requirements
• City's ability to safely display, maintain and conserve the work
. • Long-term maintenance cost
• Longevity of the artwork
• Environmental impact
Submission
• Compliance with guidelines outline in the Public Art Policy and accompanying "Call
to Artist"
• Quality of the approach/work plan and methodology
• Ability to meet budgetary estimates and timelines.
10 Site Selection
The selection of sites for public art shall be made by City staff with staff considering
comments and or suggestions from the Public Art Committee and the Cultural Advisory
Committee, using the following criteria:
• potential visibility of public art;
• distribution of projects across the City;
• implementation potential;
• public benefit;
• geographic justification;
• quality, scale and character of the public art are suitable for the location and
audience;
• environmental conditions, site servicing and safety; and,
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 14 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 78 -
• does not interfere with existing or proposed artwork, buildings or structures in
vicinity.
Public art may be installed in the following areas, as required and as pieces become
available:
• public areas in municipally owned facilities, community centres and libraries
(interior and exterior spaces); and,
• Parks and Public Spaces. ·
For the installation of public art, the City, in consultation with the Public Art Committee,
may also identify key priority areas such as the waterfront, City Centre and transit
corridors; and/or key themes such as culture, heritage, agriculture and environment.
10.01 On Lands Owned by the City of Pickering
Installation of public art is encouraged in public spaces and parks owned by the City of
Pickering; and in public areas of City of Pickering owned office buildings, community
centres, and libraries.
Proposals for public art installations by the private sector or other public agencies on
infrastructure (e.g. roads, bridges, buildings, etc.) or land owned by the City of Pickering
that were not commissioned through the Public Art Program must adhere to the City of
Pickering Public Art Policy and all other relevant City policies, by-laws, standards, and
procedures.
Proponents of public art proposals are required to pre-consult with Community Services
staff, City Development staff and Public Art Committee; and, to present to the Council of
the City of Pickering. Proponents will also be subject to entering into a license agreement
with the City of Pickering regarding matters such as maintenance and the continued use
of public property.
10.02 On Lands Owned by Other Levels of Government and Public Agencies
10.02.1 Consultation with the City of Pickering
Public agencies that propose public art as part of a redevelopment or new
development, are required to pre-consult with Community Services staff, City
Development staff, and the Public Art Committee; and to present to the Council
of the City of Pickering.
10.02.2 On Lands Owned by the Region of Durham
Installations of public art initiated or approved by the City of Pickering on
infrastructure (e.g. roads, bridges, buildings, etc.) owned by the Region of
Durham will be subject to entering into an agreement with the Region of
Durham.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 15 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 79 -
10.03 On Private Lands
The City actively encourages the private sector to include public art in development
projects to elevate and improve the public realm. Proponents of public art proposals are
required to pre-consult with Community Services staff, City Development staff, and the
Public Art Committee; and, to present to the Council of the City of Pickering. Direction on
options for private sector contributions to public art are provided in Section 21 of this
Policy.
11 Collections Management
11.01 The City has the authority to determine the length of time a work of public art will be
displayed in Public Spaces. The City shall consult, where possible, on the restoration or
removal of public art, but shall retain the right to restore, relocate, or archive a work of
public art without the artist's and/or donor's consent.
11.02 Accessioning/Registry/Inventory:
• The City shall document all works in the Public Art Collection and maintain a
registry/inventory of the Public Art Collection; which shall be made available to the
public.
• Temporary public art shall not be registered into the Public Art Collection and shall
not be part of the maintenance and conservation program. ·
• Temporary works will be added into the Inventory of Public Art Exhibitions.
Temporary exhibitions will be photographed and documented (artist/project
statement).
12 Maintenance & Conservation
12.01 It is the responsibility of the City to maintain all permanent works of art within the Public
Art Collection in accordance with the approved maintenance plan and/or conservation
plan required for each piece.
12.02 All public art submissions must include a detailed manual from the artist outlining the
maintenance and/or conservation plan. The plans will include, but are not be limited to: a
maintenance dossier; shop drawings; manufacturers' lists; key contacts, including the
artist; maintenance and/or conservation specifications; and, budgets.
12.03 City staff will monitor the existing inventory for maintenance requirements. The City may
choose to retain a qualified professional to undertake the inspection, if deemed necessary.
13 Insurance
13.01 All artistic works owned by the City through purchase, commission and/or donation are the
property of the City of Pickering and are insured under the City's Insurance Policy.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 16 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 80 -
13.02 For all Borrowed Public Art, the Artist will submit proof, satisfactory to the City, of
insurance coverage for the artistic work, and a waiver freeing the City from liability in case
of accidental loss, theft, damage or vandalism. In addition, the Artist will submit a
complete list of displayed artistic work(s); which will include the title(s), dimensions,
medium/media and appraised value(s).
14 Storage
14.01 When storage of Public Art, whethe·r short-term or long-term, is required, the City will
ensure that such storage meets appropriate museum standards. Whenever possible,
existing City and community resources will be used for the storage and management of
the City's Owned Public Art.
15 Agreements & Installation
15.01 The Artist will enter into a written agreement with the City of Pickering following the
approval of the acquisition of the public art. This agreement will address the Artist's
obligations, which include, but are not limited to:
• Materials
• Time lines
• Installation
• Maintenance and/or conservation plans
• Warranty
• Copyright, Intellectual Property and Moral Rights
• Payments to sub-contractors
15.02 The Artist is generally responsible for the installation of all artworks that the City has
acquired. All contractual requirements with the Artist(s) will be overseen by the City and
identified, in advance, through the agreement of purchase, commission or donation. The
condition of all acquired art works will be reported upon receipt, and any problems found
will be referred to the artist for resolution .
. 15.03 The City has the authority to determine the length of time a work of public art will be
displayed in Public Spaces. The City shall consult, where possible, on the restoration or
removal of public art, but shall retain the right to restore, relocate, or archive a work of
. public art without the a.rtist's and/or donor's consent.
16 Deaccession & Disposal
16.01 The City may deaccession and/or dispose of Public Art when necessary. All reasonable
efforts will first be made to resolve problems or re-site the Public Art, in consultation with
the Artist and/or donor, where appropriate. Public art may be deaccessioned and/or
disposed of under any of the following situations:
• endangerment of public safety;
• excessive repair or maintenance;
• irreparable damage;
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 17 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 81 -
• inaccessibility;
• site redevelopment;
• art is no longer relevant ;
• works that endanger public safety;
• possibility of upgrading through exchange;
• no appropriate location for exhibition of work;
• copies, forgery or reproductions lacking authe·nticity or archival value;
• the public art is no longer relevant to the City's Public Art Collection, or
• the public art is discovered to have been stolen, or was offered to the City for
acquisition using fraudulent means.
16.02 The City of Pickering will be responsible for preparing a report providing the justification for
recommending deaccessioning of the artwork for the Public Art Committee, to be
endorsed by the Cultural Advisory Committee and received as correspondence by
Council, as appropriate.
16.03 In the event of accidental loss, theft or vandalism, the City retains the right to determine
whether replacement or deaccessioning of the artwork is appropriate.
16.04 No artistic work will be deaccessioned and disposed of without consultation with the Public
Art Committee. Recommendations to the Public Art Committee regarding the need for a
method of deaccession will be made by Cultural Services Staff. The deaccessioned art
may be moved, sold, returned to the artist or destroyed, with any monies received through
the sale of the artwork being placed in the Public Art Reserve Fund.
17 Copyright and Intellectual Property
17 .01 Artwork acquired for the Public Art Collection shall become the property of the City of
Pickering except those artworks subject to the parameters for Temporary Public Art as
outlined in Section 08.03.
17.02 The City will respect the artist's right of authorship and the integrity of the public art.
17.03 Copyright of the artwork shall remain with the Artist unless the City has acquired the
copyright in full from the Artist or has an agreement in writing for limited usage.
17.04 Except in very rare circumstances, the Artist(s) shall own all Intellectual Property in the
work developed. Following best practice in North American Public Art Programs, they will
not be asked to waive their Artist Moral Rights or assign their copyrights. Artist(s) will be
asked to provide a royalty-free non-commercial license to the City of Pickering for images
of their work in perpetuity.
17.05 In cases where the artist is not contracted directly to the City, but is a sub-contractor (e.g ..
for integrated artworks or artist on a design team) or for developer-provision of public art,
the City shall stipulate that the contract must include terms related to intellectual property
rights, ownership, and maintenance obligations, as appropriate.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 18 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 82 -
18 Artist Remuneration
18.01 Artists shall be fairly compensated for their time and work. Compensation shall be
determined on a case by case basis.
18.02 Artist Contract Terms -In creating standard agreements with artists, it is important to note
artist moral rights and to take into consideration practices in the arts sector, which differ
from other professional service providers or suppliers. When the City of Pickering
contracts an artist for a commission, the artist agreement will include, but not be limited to
the following:
• scope of work (may be design services only; or design, fabricate and/or install);
• City's and artist's obligations, appropriately apportioning risk and responsibility;
• timelines;
• ownership, maintenance, and conservation obligations;
• intellectual Property, Copyright, and Artist Moral Rights;
• artist recognition;
• warranty and insurance (as appropriate); and,
• payment schedule.
19 Community Engagement & Awareness
19.01 The City will be responsible for ensuring there is an opportunity for community input and
involvement in public art and expanding the level of knowledge of the City's Public Art
Collection in the community.
19.02 City staff will be responsible for ensuring the community is aware of any public art
installations or deaccessioning in public spaces. When appropriate, the community will be
asked to comment on the selection of a commissioned work or official unveilings will be
undertaken in order to allow residents to take part in celebrating new additions fo the
Public Art Collection.
20 Pickering Public Art Interactive Map
20.01 The City of Pickering shall develop and maintain an interactive online public map that
identifies the location of public art pieces and provides a photograph and information, such
as a description of the public art piece, installation date and artist name. If available, the
City will also include information from the artist including web links, artist biography, artist
statement and video footage of the artist discussing their work.
20.02 This information will also be held within the Public Art Inventory; which will be maintained
by the Community Services Department.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 19 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 83 -
21 Public Art Development by the Private Sector
21.01 The City actively encourages private sector applicants to include public art in development
projects through the Site Plan application process. The provision of public art will be
secured through a Site Plan Control Agreement that will be registered against the title of
the lands.
21.02 Options for private sector contributions to public art are:
• On-site Contribution: This is where the applicant incorporates the public art within the
development limits. In addition to the requirements outlined in Section 10.03 of this
Policy, the design, commissioning and installation of the public art piece will be at the
sole cost of the owner, and subject to approval by the City. Ongoing maintenance,
repair or replacement of the public art piece will be at the sole cost of the owner.
• Off-site Contribution: This is where the applicant provides public art on municipal
property. In addition to the requirements outlined in Section 10.01 of this Policy, the
design, commissioning and installation of the public art piece will be at the sole cost
of the private sector proponent, and subject to approval by the City. The ongoing ·
maintenance, repair or replacement of the public art piece will be at the sole cost and
responsibility of the City.
• Partnership with business/agency.
22 Funding
22.01 Funding to support this policy will be provided through the establishment of a Public Art
Reserve Fund, as recommended in The City of Pickering Cultural Strategic Plan (2014).
22.02 Starting in 2021, it is recommended that Council provide financial support in the amount of
$100,000 to implement the Public Art Policy. In 2022, it is recommended that the financial
support increase by $25,000 for a total of $125,000. The financial contribution should be
increased by $25,000 every year until the funding model is reviewed.
22.03 The Public Art Reserve Fund will be used to cover the costs of the management,
additional insurance costs, administration and promotion of public art in the City and the
purchase, maintenance, conservation, restoration, archiving, and deaccession of the
Public Art Collection.
22.04 Up to a minimum of 75% of all funds collected must be used for the design, fabrication
installation and documentation of Public Art or Community Art projects chosen through an
objective jurying selection process.
22.05 Funds ranging up to 25% will be apportioned to the governance and administration of the
selection process, collection, inventory, staffing, legal requirements, deaccession of artistic
works, and overall policy review.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 20 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 84 -
22.06 Any operating funding required for the ongoing operation of specific pieces of public art
must be funded from the Public Arts Reserve Fund and approved by Council on a case by
case basis.
Please refer to all associated Procedures and Standard Operating Procedures, if applicable, for
detailed processes regarding this Policy.
Policy Title: Public Art Policy Page 21 of 21
Policy Number: CUL 130 - 85 -
Memo
To: Cultural Advisory Committee
January 11, 2023
From: Jesse St. Amant
Staff Liaison to the Cultural Advisory Committee
Copy: Director, Community Services
Division Head, Culture and Community Programming
Acting Supervisor, Cultural Services
Acting Curator
Subject: Cultural Advisory Committee
- 2023 Draft Work Plan & 2022 Year End Report
File: A-1410-008
Work Plans and Year End Reports for Advisory Committees have been requested to be reviewed
by Council no later than May 2023. To adhere to that request, I would like to submit to the Cultural
Advisory Committee (CAC) for review a draft work plan to be further discussed and developed by
the committee as a whole at our next meeting. This will include a review of last years’
achievements.
The annual report to council includes the annual work plan and previous year’s accomplishments.
It will be submitted in the form of a memo which is presented on a Council agenda under
Correspondence. A CAC member representative may choose to delegate at Council on Tuesday
May 23, 2023 at 7:00 pm to present the committees 2023 Work Plan. I as the Staff Liaison will
also be in attendance to answer any questions that may arise at that meeting.
Year End Reports / Work Plans and Policy ADM 040
The policy directs Citizen Advisory Committees to prepare an annual work plan and report to
Council reviewing their goals, objectives and successes in relation to the years’ previous work
plan, and should include a delegation to Council. The substance of the report shall be prepared by
the Advisory Committee members, with administrative assistance and policy advice given by City
staff. The Staff Liaison to the committee is to review the goals and objectives of the Advisory
Committee and ensure that its work plan is realistic and up to date.
For Discussion by the Committee:
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January 11, 2023 Page 2 of 3
Cultural Advisory Committee – Draft 2023 Work Plan & 2022 Year End Report
Draft 2023 Work Plan
The Cultural Services Unit has a number of projects and initiatives planned for 2023 that will be
presented to the Cultural Advisory Committee for consultation which include, but are not limited to;
Public art murals created by Malik McKoy and Zuna Amir at Chestnut Hill Developments
Recreation Complex, funded through the Commemorate Canada program.
A new permanent public artwork at Pickering Museum Village, funded by the Government
of Canada and Healthy Communities Foundation of Canada
The construction of the new Pickering Heritage & Community Centre at the Pickering
Museum Village, funded in part by the Government of Canada.
New exhibit development at Pickering Museum Village
Community banner displays
Updated Public Art Policy
The Cultural Services Unit also has ongoing annual planning which will be presented to the
Cultural Advisory Committee for consultation:
Public Art Plan
Pickering Museum Village Annual Operating Plan and Deaccession Lists
Pickering Events Plan
Community Tourism Plan
Work of the CAC also includes:
Consult on public art and form a Public Art Sub-committee to review and consult on public
art submission, including the submission of a terms of reference.
Provide feedback to staff on the development of community engagement initiatives related
to culture, and provide feedback on existing cultural programs.
Act as cultural champions, and look for opportunities through community engagement
initiatives that focus on celebrating, and highlighting cultural assets, or that bring heritage
recognition, and education to the forefront.
Connect community partners to the culture team, to deliver on goals listed in the Cultural
Strategic Plan.
Provide feedback to staff on the development of entrepreneurial and economic
development initiatives related to culture, and provide feedback on existing programs .
Report to Council Annually through the committee’s workplan.
For Review:
Year End Report 2022
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January 11, 2023 Page 3 of 3
Cultural Advisory Committee – Draft 2023 Work Plan & 2022 Year End Report
In 2022, three committee meetings where held prior to the fall municipal election. T he committee
continued to contribute to the goals of the City’s Cultural Plan in the following ways:
Reviewed and provided endorsement of the following public art projects; Artists Dani
Crosby’s 175th Anniversary of Greenwood Blacksmith Shop piece at the Pickering Museum
Village; Artists, Zuna Amir and Malik McKoy, two murals that commemorate COVID-19 at
the Chestnut Hill Development Recreation Complex; Artist, Meegan Lim, whom created two
temporary murals “Anne and Maud Experience” at the Central Library & Pickering Museum
Village; and endorsed the top three selected designs of the Esplanade Park, Public Art
Project, Phase 2 that would continue to the next steps in development in 2023.
Provided recommendations on community and temporary public art programs including the
piano project, and acted as public art judges for the annual community banner program.
Reviewed, made recommendations and provide feedback to the standing agenda items
regarding the Pickering Museum Village (PMV) programs including Celebrate Pickering’s
Black History, Anne and Maud Experience, and PMV partnership tourism routs.
Provided recommendations and comments for the My Main Street – Community
Accelerator Grant Application.
Received and made recommendations based on a resident presentation in regards to
Welcoming the Jewish Community in Pickering.
Reviewed and discussed the final goals and actions listed in the Cultural Strategic Plan
2014.
Participated in annual update to Council.
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Memo
To: Cultural Advisory Committee
January 10, 2023
From: Lucas Cabral
Public Art Coordinator
Copy: Acting Supervisor, Cultural Services
Subject: - Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex – Public Art Installations
- Artwork and installation endorsement
Background:
Malik McKoy and Zuna Amir have been retained to engage the community and collect feedback
from the residents and local first responders in order to create an artwork aimed at celebrating
frontline workers and emergency responders.
This project is funded by the Commemorate Canada – Reopening Fund. Funds from this grant
must be spent by March 2023.
The mural project and artists were reviewed and endorsed by the Cultural Advisory Committee on
September 22, 2022
McKoy is an emerging, local artist with extensive experience in producing images to be digitally
printed as murals. McKoy’s artistic style that combines 3D modelling and digital drawing, and his
connection to the community, make him uniquely positioned for this community-based project.
Amir is an emerging, local artist with extensive experience in producing murals and digital
graphics. Amir’s artistic style and connection to the community make her uniquely positioned for
this community-based project
The work has been secured through Direct Invitation as identified per 08.02 of the Public Art
Policy (CUL 130).
About the Artworks:
They Matter by Malik McKoy
This piece shows an appreciation for the risks taken on by first responders and frontline workers during the
pandemic, which, in contrast, enabled the rest of us to spend time safely at home.
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January 10, 2023 Page 2 of 3
Cultural Advisory Committee – CHDRC Mural Project
This composition is a depiction of a dreamlike domestic scene. The soft focus represents the comfort and
convenience being at home that frontline workers and first responders made possible.
A figure is seen in front of a tv or monitor. Three flexing arms are revealed as the figure swipes away the
previous image of a rainbow and a blue sky. The arms in the tv represent those that work in essential
services and reference the iconic Rosie the Riveter imagery that aimed at boosting morale amongst
workers in factories during WW2. The supportive engagement of “liking” or “loving” is seen to be performed
by the figure, which symbolizes both our distance from and appreciation for the work of those on the
frontline.
The work speaks to the stark contrast between comfort and sacrifice. Many of us had the privilege of
staying home and practicing self-care, while others continued to work on the frontlines during the pandemic
in order to minimize risk for their community members.
The image also acknowledges the overrepresentation of marginalized people in essential services during
the pandemic communities by using skin tones of deeper pigmentation for the arms revealed in the tv.
Community Complex by Zuna Amir
“Community Complex” is a celebration of frontline workers. During difficult and typical times frontline
workers have supported communities and encouraged unity. This design emphasizes a few frontline
workers, out of many, immersed in a landscape of elements suggesting growth and strength all around
them.
Symbolism such flora highlight the personal growth individuals have accomplished in the midst of hard
times, whereas the birds indicate the perseverance of many small local businesses. The centre of the
artwork holds a planet which is significant for the growth of the digital age and its power to keep not only
individuals connected but keep work running. The usage of various different patterns and designs
throughout the work signifies the simultaneous happenings around us and all the activities that were made
possible through the people at the frontline.
The mural further integrated the community of Pickering and Chestnut Hills Developments Recreation
Complex through design choices that individuals had a say in such as colour scheme, the artistic style and
the character style. Overall, the work aims to bring a positive and optimistic note to the neighbourhood.
Installation:
The artwork will be printed on vinyl banners and installed as murals at Chestnut Hill Developments
Recreation Complex. The artworks will consist of the following:
Exterior: Zuna Amir’s artwork “Community Complex” will be printed 10 feet tall by 80 feet
wide and installed on an external wall of the building, facing Valley Farm Road. One
didactic panel will be installed on the exterior of the building, at ground-level underneath the
mural and another at the main entrance.
Interior: Malik McKoy’s resulting artwork will be printed 7.5 feet tall by 7 feet wide, to be
installed inside of CHDRC, on the south wall of the front desk, leading to the staff parking
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January 10, 2023 Page 3 of 3
Cultural Advisory Committee – CHDRC Mural Project
lot, across from the art and ceramic studio. Didactic panels will be installed next to the
artwork after the installation.
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Memo
To: Cultural Advisory Committee January 10, 2023
From: Lucas Cabral
Public Art Coordinator
Copy: Acting Supervisor, Cultural Services
Subject: - Millpond Meadow Public Sculpture Opportunity – Expressions of Interest
- Endorsement of shortlisted artists
Background:
The city was successful in its pursuit of funding for a permanent public sculpture for Millpond
Meadow at Pickering Museum Village. This project is fully funded by the Legacy Fund and
Community Foundations of Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.
The total budget for the sculpture is $80,000.
The City issued a call for Expressions of Interest from Canadian artists with the intention of
receiving submissions that consider the natural beauty and vibrancy of the meadow and
surrounding area and celebrate the history of the City of Pickering.
Shortlisted artists would be invited to present a detailed proposal.
The call opened October 7 and closed November 7. The City received 24 submissions.
A jury was formed for phase one of the competition. The jury reviewed and scored the proposals
and met on January 9, 2023 to discuss their scores and determine a shortlist of artists.
The jury was unanimous in their decision of the three shortlisted artists.
1. Bluff Studios (Sarah Fuller and Sean Procyk)
2. Michael Belmore and D’Andrea Bowie
3. Kyle Thornley
Rationale:
These three submissions received the highest scores of all submissions.
Bluff Studios:
The jury was excited by the interactive nature of their work and their interest in exploring
the natural landscape. The jury feels like the work is something that people would engage
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with and spend time with. Bluff Studios is interested in site-specificity and intends for deep
community engagement to be a part of their process.
Michael Belmore + D’Andrea Bowie:
The jury is excited that two local artists with strong resumes and a high-quality proposal
came forward.
The jury is Interested in the joint perspectives of these two artists. Belmore is Anishinaabe
and Bowie comes from a settler background with farming history. These are two
perspectives the museum aims to reflect and both are a part of the history of the site.
Blending of these two cultural viewpoints is exactly what the museum is doing right now.
The jury is interested in their use of natural materials and seamless integration into the
landscape.
Kyle Thornley:
As a contemporary blacksmith, this artist blends together two foundational elements of the
site: blacksmithing and nature. The jury is interested in the artist’s approach to enhancing
ordinary objects to add whimsy and increase interest. It was agreed that the work would be
engaging for kids and adults.
In the event that these artists are unavailable to participate in Phase 2 of the competition, the jury
selected two alternative submissions:
1. Gordon Reeve
The work encourages gathering, would complement the community space being created in
Millpond Meadow. The work is activated by people’s participation and has good presence
without being dominating of the landscape.
2. Lily Otasevic
The work is fun and playful. Its interactivity aligns with programming goals at the museum. The
work draws the community in to touch and encourages play and exploration.
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 1
Call to Artists: City of Pickering Public Art
Pickering Museum Village
Millpond Meadow
2 - 3 Letter of Approach / Artist Statement
4 - 7 Curriculum Vitae & Biographies
8- 17 Documentation
18-19 References
Contents
Sean Procyk
seanprocyk.ca
t. 403 431 0441
e. seanprocyk@gmail.com
Attention: Lucas Cabral
Coordinator, Public Art
lcabral@pickering.ca
Bluff Studio
bluffstudios.wordpress.com
Sarah Fuller
sarahefuller.com
t.403 763 9302
e. sarah@sarahefuller.com
Project Team
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 2
LETTER OF APPROACH / ARTIST STATEMENT
As artists, we have a strong belief in creating
environmentally sensitive works that can help
illuminate ecosystems and non-human inhabitants.
Previously, our project “Stitch Creek” was one of three
proposals shortlisted for the City of Missississauga’s
Public Art Project along Cooksville Creek. Our project
responded to the natural waterways and trails that
weave themselves through the urban environment
and highlighted Cooksville Creek’s persistent
presence in the City of Mississauga.
Another one of our recent public art proposals, Fossil
Observatory, was shortlisted for the City of Ottawa’s
Public Art Call for the Monahan Wetlands. The site
was a rehabilitated wetland, which the City invested
in to mitigate stormwater runoff, to reclaim habitat
for native species and to provide a green space for
neighboring communities. Our proposal was an
interactive concrete and metal sculpture that
functioned as both a memorial displaying fossils from
Ottawa’s archeological past, as well as a bird blind
through which to observe avian wildlife. We proposed
fabricating this work through a series of public fossil
casting workshops, so that the community had a hand
in the work’s creation.
As individual artists, we have pursued public projects
and art works - both temporary and permanent. Sean
Procyk is an architect, installation artist and
playground designer. His destination play spaces have
Bluff Studio has over 10 years of experience
conceptualizing, managing and executing innovative
site-responsive public art works. Our mandate is to
cultivate vibrant, engaging and equitable public
projects that foster healthy communities and
strengthen the urban fabric. We are excited by the
opportunity to participate in the Millpond Meadow
Public Art Call because it presents the opportunity to
develop a work in response to the Pickering Museum
Village and surrounding community. We are
particularly intrigued by the Atlantic Salmon
re-introduction program on site and the site’s
connection to the Greenwood Blacksmith Shop
history. We would like to use these narratives as a
foundation for a public artwork that speaks to
intertwining histories, communities and ecosystems .
The core of our creative practice focuses on engaging
with local communities to generate site-responsive
artworks. Previous community workshops we have
presented include a miniature world building
workshop in 2020 and a Timber framing workshop in
2019. In 2015, we collaborated on the artist-run
residency title Common Opulence compromised of a
small pop-up artist village off the grid that
incorporated a series of smaller, artist-led workshops
including. Some of the activities included an artist’s
forge workshop utilizing a low-tech smithy built
onsite, a workshop on timber frame construction,
communal gardening and preparation of shared food
using plants, mushrooms and other ingredients
harvested locally. All of these workshops focus on
public engagement and collaboration as integral
aspects of creation. Throughout the development of a
project at the Millpond Meadow, we intend to engage
with the immediate community through one or more
public art programming initiatives that may take the
form of research consultations and creative
workshops.
Artist’s Forge Workshop, 2015
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 3
LETTER OF APPROACH / ARTIST STATEMENT
Creek to Lake Ontario. Ancient geological processes
are still evident in the land seen in the nearby Oak
Ridge Moraine and the prehistoric shores of Lake
Iroquois. Paying attention to these encounters and
histories makes one more aware of the existence of
disturbance-based ecologies in which many species
live together without harmony or conquest.
Coexistence is a fundamental characteristic to living
in Pickering and would be an underlying theme
driving our thinking for this public art project. We
imagine developing a work that tells a story of a
changing landscape through the lens of its
inhabitants, both human and non human.
been installed across North America. A noteworthy
project includes the Town of Banff’s North Recreation
Grounds Natural Playscape, which won the
Landscape Alberta Award of Excellence in 2019. His
most recent custom playground commission was the
$600,000 Dermott District Park Playground in
Edmonton, Alberta. For this project Sean developed
play structures in response to archival imagery and
narratives surrounding an historic flood of 1915 and
the City’s mandate to preserve the river valley park
system through natural forms of play.
Sarah Fuller has a long history working in
site-responsive artworks with a research-based
methodology and is particularly interested in the
Pickering ecosystem from her previous work on the
Canada 150 Project titled “Illuminations: Human/
Nature”. Commissioned by Banff Centre for Arts and
Creativity, the project was made in collaboration
with Moment Factory (Montreal, QC) and presented
in two distinct sites in Banff National Park and Rouge
Urban National Park. As lead artist on the $2.5 million
project, she was responsible for weaving together a
multiplicity of narratives gleaned from each site and
the project received an Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Connected Immersion - Digital
Overlay Experience from the 2019 THEA Awards. One
of the narratives illuminated at the Rouge Park site
was the story of the Atlantic Salmon re-introduction
to Lake Ontario.
The landscapes making up the Pickering and the
surrounding region are simultaneously natural and
social. These sites are particularly active: humans and
animals carve out trails, urban development
encroaches on long-established wildlife corridors,
and water flows from the escarpment, down Duffins
Illuminations : Human/Nature, 2017.
Sarah Fuller & Sean Procyk (Bluff Studio)
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 4
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 5
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 6
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 7
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 8
Stitch Creek
Budget: $125,000
Competition Shortlist, Presented 2018.
The stitch is an act of mending and repair. This
projects takes the idea of the river as a running
stitch as a point of departure. For our visual
inspiration we have drawn on the threaded or
laced running stitch. The stitch becomes a
reflection on the effects of human disruption in the
land, while also pointing to the efforts to mend the
landscape through reclamation of wetlands and
urban design.
Stitch Creek proposes a mending action at super
human scale, bringing what is generally a small or
intimate action- the stitch- to a gargantuan scale.
Visitors will be able to interact with the sculpture
by traversing its pathway through the landscape.
River stones line the meandering river- like thread
which is subsequently pinned to the landscape via
curved metal tubing. This action represents the
gesture of bringing two parts together to make a
whole.
Team:
Bluff Studio
City of Mississauga
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 9
Fossil Observatory
Budget: $125,000
Competitition Shortlist, Presented 2020.
Fossil Observatory is an interactive concrete
sculpture that stands as a timeless monument to
Ottawa’s archaeological legacy. Formal elements
of the work take inspiration from the spiral mollusk
fossil and beluga whale vertebrae, both of which
have been unearthed in the Ottawa Valley. The
sculpture’s modular precast forms contain layers
of surface impressions and deposited fossil
imprints creating a textural narrative of the region’s
geologic past, collective present and imagined
future.
Team:
Bluff Studio
City of Ottawa
Project Reference:
Allison O’Connor (Public Art Officer, CIty of Ottawa)
E: allison.oconnor@ottawa.ca
DATE11/16/20
DRAWN BYsp
PROJECT
KANATA SOUTH LINK -MONAHAN WETLANDSCOMPLEX
A0.14
(e) thebluffstudio@gmail.com(p) 403-431-0441
GENERAL NOTES
- Drawings contained within this document are for conceptual proposes only and should not be used for construction.- Designs contained within this document are copyright of Bluff Studio.- This document is formatted to be printed at 17” x 11”.
APPLICABLE CODES AND REGULATIONS
- National Building Code of Canada (2015)- CAN/CSA - A23 “Concrete Design Standards”- CAN/CSA -Z614-2014 “Children’s play spaces and equipment”
CLIENT
PHASE
SCHEMATIC DESIGN -FINAL REVIEW
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 10
Previous Projects
International Peace Garden
Playspace
Budget: $320,000
Completed: Currently in production
The International Peace Garden worked with HTFC
Planning and Design to develop a naturalize play space
for their UNESCO World Heritage site addition. Sean
worked with HTFC planning to develop custom
structures that combine landscaping with play, while
also taking inspiration from local wildlife.
Team:
Sean Procyk (Concept & Detail Designer / Installer)
HTFC Planning (Landscape Architect)
International Peace Garden (Client)
Shelmerdine (Landscape Construction)
Bockstael (Project Manager)
Project Reference:
Victor Martin (Project Manager, Bockstael)
E: vmartin@bockstael.com
Shannon Loewen (Landscape Architect)
E: sloewen@htfc.ca
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 11
Previous Projects
Lyfeboat prototype
Budget: $10,000
Completed: July 2022
Lyfeboat prototype takes shape as a floating platform for
experimentally propagating hardwood and softwood trees.
In Lyfeboat prototype, tree cuttings are planted in a central
growth area that floats in the waters of Lake Ontario, with a
canopy structure overhead that evokes greenhouse
architecture and traps solar heat.
Informed by histories of land and water management
surrounding the Lake, legacies of settler-colonialism,
innovations by off-grid communities, and realities of
ecological resilience and adaptation, Lyfeboat prototype
serves as a sculptural intervention and a platform for
community engagement with ecology.
Team:
Sean Procyk (Artist)
Blackwood Gallery UTM (Curatorial Team)
City of Mississauga (Exhibition Host)
Project Reference:
Fraser McCallum (Project Coordinator, Blackwood Gallery)
E: fraser.mccallum@utoronto.ca
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 12
succession
Budget: $20,000
Completed: 2018
Succession is a permanent public artwork installed on
MacLean’s Park Trail in Manitwaning, Ontario. It explores
forest regeneration in light of the notion that there is
more living biomass in a dead tree than in a living tree.
Deadwood becomes habitat for insects, plants, fungus
and animals before it is broken down into soil. The work
considers how practices of logging have changed forest
succession. The removal trees means the removal of
micro-habitat. This work reclaims old-growth timbers
and returns them to a tracked of land that was logged
during the 1800’s. The timbers will permanently reside in
this forest allowing organisms to benefit from the
valuable lignin and cellulose substrate making up the
wood.
Team:
Sean Procyk (Artist)
4elements Living Arts (Curatorial team)
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 13
North York Women’s Shelter
Playground
Budget: $100,000
Completed: October 2020
The play space for the North York Women’s Shelter
was a design collaboration with Mean Studio.
Together we developed an inclusive and
imaginative play environment that supported a
range of abilities and play styles. This project had
no deficiencies upon CSA playground safety
compliance inspection, which is an
Team:
North York Women’s Shelter
Mean Studio
LGA Architectural Partners
SMP Engineering
Project Reference:
Mohini Datta-Ray (Director, North York Women’s Shelter)
E: mohini@nyws.ca
Crystal Waddel (Director, Mean Studio)
E: cw.meanstudio@gmail.com
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 14
Refugio
Budget: $20,000
Completed: 2018
A ‘Refugio’ is an alpine hut built to function as a
place for human retreat within the mountain
environment. The Refugio exhibition is about
isolated mountain environments, islands and
endemic habitats. It focuses on the ways in which
alpine regions and individual mountains become
islands of habitat within broader ecosystems, and
in turn, how this intersects with human
constructed ideas of the sublime, refuge and
survival.
In the mid-19th century, the early photographic
pioneer Louis Daguerre developed a two-stage
theater that presented meticulously painted
landscapes for audience entertainment.
Frequently, the landscapes shown were idealized
alpine environments. In Refugio, I used the
diorama architecture as a way to weave together
narratives of two seemingly different ecosystems
with video and sound.
Team:
Sarah Fuller, Niall Donaghy, Lindsey Fuller
University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB.
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 15
Illuminations:Human/Nature
Budget: $2,500,000
Completed: 2017
“Illuminations: Human/Nature” investigated the
implications of human relationship to place and the
natural world. Extensive research with community
members within the Banff and Scarborough regions
inspired a site-specific immersive artwork that brought
together groups of people to learn and reflect on their
connection to place.
Interactive tools were developed as the means for
participants to explore sites in Banff National Park and
Rouge Urban National Park. Visitors to the event worked
together in small groups using specifics tools including
interactive lamps, two portable projectors and a
portable speaker enclosed within a backpack. Wireless
technology was triggered by the lamp at each zone,
allowing the tools to illuminate the landscape to tell a
story. The final fire tale scene brought together all the
groups and tools as a means to emphasize the
underlying themes of collectivity, multiple layers of
narrative within the landscape and environmental
stewardship.
Team: Sarah Fuller & Moment Factory, Banff Centre
Banff/Scarborough (Rouge Urban National Park)
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 16
And perhaps in me someone
still hears the living sound of
wood
Budget: $3,000
Completed 2017
TIn the 19th century the old growth white pine
trees of the Ottawa valley were logged extensively
and shuttled down river for export. Driven by the
British Navy’s demand for lumber, the wholesale
extraction the wholesale extraction and shipment
of ancient trees across the Atlantic Ocean created
a void in the landscape that has yet to recover.
At the bottom of the Ottawa River lie old growth
trees from the19th century, sunken relics of the
giants that once stood on its banks. I approached
professional woodworker Oliver Drake to create
two pinhole cameras made from salvaged old
growth pine timber from the river. I then used
these cameras to document the landscape
surrounding Ottawa as well as
Temagami.
Team: Sarah Fuller
Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON.
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 17
The Homecoming
Budget: $22,500
Completed 2013
The town of Bear Creek is situated 12 km outside of
Dawson City and was the former company town for
Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation (YCGC). It has
been abandoned since the mid-1960s when the price
of gold dropped and the company shut down. Families
were evicted from the town as the resut of its closure
and many of the YCGC residential buildings were
transported to Dawson City.
In The Homecoming, I integrated five YCGC buildings
into their former sites via large-scale photographic
prints on linen. The prints were manipulated using
theatre techniques once used by Daguerre in his 19th
century Diorama Theatre which created the illusion that
the lights were on in each of the houses. This created a
sense of home in the structures, as well as a visual play
on memory, ghosts and history. In tandem with the
installation at Bear Creek, five signs were placed around
Dawson City in front of the buildings where they
currently stand today. Each sign contained a short
history
Team: Sarah Fuller
Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, Dawson City, YT.
Previous Projects
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MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 18
For Sean Procyk:
See attached letter of reference from Victor Martin, Assistant Superintendent, Bockstael.
For Sarah Fuller:
Susan Kennard, M.A.
Manager, Heritage Programs | Gestionnaire, programmes du patrimoine Banff Field Unit | Unité de gestion Banff
Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
101 Mountain Avenue
Box 900, Banff, Alberta Canada T1L 1K2
(e) Susan.Kennard@pc.gc.ca
(p) 403-762-1461
For Bluff Studio Team:
Peta Rake, Independent Curator
(e) petarake@gmail.com
(p) + 67-0-457-289-783
References
- 115 -
MILLPOND MEADOW - CITY OF PICKERING 19
200-100 Paquin Rd, Winnipeg, MB R2J 3V4
O: 204.233.7135 | info@bockstael.com
October 17, 2022
To whom it may concern,
I am writing this letter to verify Sean Procyk’s involvement as a subcontractor in our International Peace
Garden project, which was completed on July 28th, 2022. I was Bockstael’s Project Manager on this job
and worked closely with Sean. Sean’s scope of work was to design and build a series of custom natural
playground features in compliance with CSA-Z614-2020.
Overall, we had a positive experience with Sean and his team. He personally oversaw all aspects of the
project, from design, project management and installation of the play equipment and a pedestrian
bridge. Our landscape sub-contractor, who subcontracted Sean, struggled with coordination and
communication on this job. Sean was proactive and gave us direct updates regarding the status of
manufacturing and delivery. Regardless of numerous supply chain delays, his project management
efforts kept his scope of work on track. In the end he was able to deliver 5 intricate custom play features
within a 6-month timeline.
I highly recommend Sean as a qualified individual to oversee any complex playground project.
Best regards,
Victor Martin, BTech (Const Mgmt), GSC, RSE, NCSO, CM-Lean, LEED AP BD+C | Assistant
Superintendent
D: 204.806.2609 | O: 204.233.7135 | vmartin@bockstael.com
200 – 100 Paquin Road | Winnipeg | Manitoba | R2J 3V4
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November 4, 2022
Call to Artists:
Pickering Public Art
Submitted by Michael Belmore & D’Andrea Bowie
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Dear Jury Members,
We are pleased to respond to the Call for Artists: Pickering Public Art at the Millpond
Meadow, Pickering Museum Village.
As a collaborative team, both Michael Belmore and D’Andrea Bowie have worked on
multiple, well received public art projects with each other and in collaboration with others. We
were initially drawn to the project as we currently reside on an acreage in the Whitchurch-
Stouffville Highlands. We are keenly aware that the surrounding land is in transition as urban
development replace working farms. The pandemic had people connecting with nature and
looking for outdoor space, we relied on and shared the conservation systems across the GTA to
keep body and mind in working order. In a post pandemic world, we are in a state of becoming,
creating new relationships with each other and our environment. Providing communities with
opportunities to enjoy forests and greenspace nurtures the concept of reciprocity and is a simple
solution towards building ecological stability for future generations as once people start to care
about the environment, they will act to protect it.
We express our relationship with nature from distinct yet complimentary positions,
Michael as an Anishinaabe person and D’Andrea from a farming settler background. We both
take inspiration from vernacular cultures, when rhythms of the day were dependent on the
conditions of the land, weather, and proper management in order to secure sustenance and a
long-term livelihood for present and future generations. Both of our art practices create a visual
language that models this entanglement; that decenters the human, fosters notions of
stewardship, offers long-term thinking, and proposes collaboration as a way forward. By
engaging with traditional sculptural materials such as clay, stone, and metal, in untraditional
ways, we bring forward new associations with sculpture and the land it is made from. In what
ways might process reflect a mutual exchange based on deep listening and respect? Continuing
an ongoing conversation between material and process, sculptural work will be created that is led
by the characteristics and qualities of each element.
In creating works, we endeavor to be fluid and responsive to place. We are interested in
addressing the history and scale of the site and look forward to developing a proposal for the
Millpond Meadows. We have experience in working on large projects and know first-hand the
complexity in the creation of public art. We have a history of producing high-quality works of
public art, on time and within budget.
Thank you for your time in considering our statement of interest,
Michael Belmore and D’Andrea Bowie
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Education
• OCAD, AOCA 1994
• University of Ottawa, MFA
2019
Professional Affiliations
• Royal Canadian Academy
of Arts
Publications
Before and After the Horizon:
Anishinaabe Artists of the
Great Lakes, curated by David
W. Penney and Gerald
McMaster, 2013, National
Museum of the American
Indian – George Gustav Heye
Centre, Smithsonian Institution,
New York, NY
Shapeshifting: Transformations
in Native American Art, curated
by Karen Kramer Russell, 2012,
Peabody Essex Museum,
Salam, MA
Presentations
M. Belmore, "Language of
Land" Presentation
AABAAKWAD 2020 NIRIN, 22nd
Biennale of Sydney, Australia,
March 2020
M. Belmore, "The Persistence
of Things" Anishinaabewin 7
Pakwis Baa-Niimi Conference,
Sudbury, March 2015
M. Belmore‚ "Is Business a Dirty
Word?", Creating a Living: Your
Art, Your Business Conference,
Thunder Bay Art Gallery,
Thunder Bay, June 2015
Michael Belmore
AOCA, MFA, RCA
12859 Kennedy Road, Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON, L4A 4A9
705.457.6673
michaelbelmore@gmail.com
Michael's artistic practice investigates how we think and act
upon relations between people, land, and community. As
an Anishinaabe from Lac Saul First Nation, Michael is an
established artist both within the First Nations community
and the broader art world.
Practicing for over 25 years, Michael is an internationally recognized artist and is
represented in the permanent collections of various institutions including the National
Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the National Museum of the
American Indian – Smithsonian Institute. Michael is a member of Unsettled Ground
Artists Inc and is currently involved in the creation of a multi-year public art project for
four light rail stations as part of Phase 2 of Ottawa Light Rail.
RELEVANT PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Landmarks2017 was a Canada 150 Fund Signature Projects. Funded by the
Government of Canada. Major Partners included; Partners in Art, Parks Canada, and
TDBank. Landmarks2017 involved 100 art projects, 12 leading art projects, 16
universities 20 national parks, and historic sites. As one of the lead artists, Michael
worked with three national parks, and several settler and First Nations communities. A
large component of this project comprised of outreach to First Nations students at
both the university and elementary levels.
The Nigig Visiting Artist Residency, hosted by the Indigenous Visual Culture Program at
OCAD University, was a program that provided Michael an opportunity to visit OCAD
University for 3 weeks to focus on a short-term project and explore, in a collaborative
environment, issues impacting his work. This offered an opportunity to engage and
interact with students and faculty in the capacity of mentorship, critique, lecture, and a
public workshop/demonstration. The Nigig Visiting Artist Residency supports the
dynamism located in Indigenous contemporary art practice and is a tremendous
educational opportunity for the artist and students.
MISHI, The History of Indigenous Peoples (HIP) Network, is based at York University
and housed in the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, and the Ojibwe Cultural
Foundation (OCF), located on Manitoulin Island, hosted a Manitoulin Island Summer
Historical Institute (MISHI), in 2017. MISHI is an annual event in Anishinaabe history
that brings together students, teachers, knowledge-holders, and other researchers for
a week-long summer institute on Manitoulin Island.
www.michaelbelmore.com
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Public Art Commissions
2022 Gathering, Nogojiwanong—the Place at the Foot of the Rapids, Peterborough, ON
2020 A Gathering, Concord Adex Investments Limited, North York, ON
2018 Terroir, Canadian Chancery, Paris, France
2018 Ebb & Flow, Concord Adex Investments Limited, North York, ON
2017 Coalescence, Landmarks2017/Reperes2017, Cape Merry - Prince of Wales Fort National
Historical Site, Riding Mountain National Park, Grasslands National Park
2015 Replenishment, Kagawong River, Kagawong, ON
2014 Inhalation, Sentier Art3, Sainte-Therese, QC
2014 Echo, Joel Weeks Park, City of Toronto, Toronto, ON
2007 Colony, Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph, ON
2004 Digital Stream, University of Western Ontario, London, ON
2001 Esker, Kawartha Rotary Sculpture Project, Peterborough, ON
2000 Fireline, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, ON
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023 TBA, Tom Tomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, ON
2022 Ninaaseg, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Saugatuck, MI
2020 (Bel)more, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
2020 Cascade, Toronto Sculpture Garden – Nuit Blanche 2020
2018 Somewhere Between Two States of Matter, Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba,
Brandon, MB
2018 thunder sky turbulent water, Central Art Garage, Ottawa, ON
2017 Aashagan, Ojibway Cultural Foundation, M’Chigeeng, ON
2017 mskwi = blood, Karsh-Masson Gallery, Ottawa, ON
2016 fenda, Nogueira da Silva Museum, Braga, Portugal
2015 Michael Belmore, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technologies Project Space Gallery,
Melbourne, Australia
2013 Toil, Woodstock Art Gallery, Woodstock, ON
2010 Overland, Karsh-Masson Gallery, Ottawa, ON
2009 Embankment, Station Gallery, Whitby, ON
2006 Downstream, Forest City Gallery, London, ON
2005 Stream, Rails End Gallery, Haliburton, ON
2002 Vantage Point, Sacred Circle Gallery of American Indian Art, Seattle, WA
2001 fly by wire, AKA Artist Run Centre/Tribe, Saskatoon, SK
1996 Reformation, Garnet Press Gallery, Toronto, ON
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 Triennale Banlieue, Maison des Arts de Laval, Laval, QC
2021 Watershed, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
2020 offering, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, ON
2019 Ways of Being,: Yhonnie Scarce & Michael Belmore, Museum London, London, ON
2019 Echoing the Land, Indigenous Art Centre, Crown-Indigenous Relations and
Northern Affairs Canada, Gatineau, QC
2019 Michael Belmore-Édifice, Axenéo7, Gatineau, QC
2018 Sense of Sight, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS
2018 Confluences and Tributaries, Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON
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Selected Group Exhibitions
2017 Landmarks2017/Reperes2017, Canada’s National Parks – Wapusk, The Forks, Riding
Mountain, Grasslands
2017 Every. Now. Then: Reframing Nationhood, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
2017 Amerika, Kunsthalle Schlieren, Gaswerkstrasse, Zürich, Switzerland
2017 Landfall and Departure: Prologue, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo, BC
2015 Into the Woods: Two Icons Revisited, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
2015 Rocks, Stones and Dust, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Toronto, ON
2015 N2N: Widening the Narrrows, Orillia Museum of Art & History, Orillia, ON
2015 Eco-Indian, Wanuskewin, Saskatoon, SK
2014 Land, Art, Horizons, North American Native Museum, Zurich, Switzerland.
2014 Reading the Talk, R.S. McLaughlin Fnd. Gallery, Oshawa, ON
2014 The Bonnie Blink Project, Centennial Museum, Sheguiandah, ON
2013 Before and After the Horizon: Anishinaabe Artists of the Great Lakes, National Museum
of the American Indian – George Gustav Heye Centre, Smithsonian Institution,
New York, NY, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
2012 Shapeshifting: Transformations in Native American Art, Peabody Essex Museum,
Salem, MA
2012 Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
2011 Oh Canada!... beyond trees and water, Elaine L. Jacob Gallery, Wayne State University,
Detroit, MI
2011 Close Encounters: The Next 500 Years, International Exhibition of Contemporary
Indigenous Art, 109 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, MB
2010 HIDE: Skin as Material and Metaphor, National Museum of the American Indian – George
Gustav Heye Centre, Smithsonian Institution, New York, NY
2009 Homeland Security, Render, Waterloo, ON
2009 Nogajiwanong: Land, Stories, Community, Peterborough Art Gallery, Peterborough, ON
2008 Scout’s Honour, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB, Urban
Shaman Gallery, Winnipeg, MB, Museum London, London, ON, Museum of
Contemporary Native Art, Institute of the American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM
2007 Terra Incognita, Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph, ON
2005 Cornerstone, Gallery 101, Ottawa, ON
2004 The Three Rivers...wild waters, sacred places, Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, YK, Robert
McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON, Maltwood Art Museum & Gallery, University of Victoria,
BC, Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, BC, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, ON,
Whyte Museum & Gallery, Banff, AB
2004 Dreaming Earth & Sky, Odd Gallery, Dawson City, YK
2003 Light Conditions, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, ON
2003 The Political is Personal: A First Nations Perspective, Lieutenant Governor's Suite,
Queens Park, Toronto, ON
2002 Gridlock, York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON
2001 Hilando Fino, Aspace, Toronto, ON
2001 Pool, York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON
2000 Beaver Tales, Oakville Galleries, Oakville, ON
1997 staking Land claims, Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, AB
1994 Naked State - a selected view of Toronto art, The Power Plant, Toronto, ON
- 121 -
D’Andrea Bowie
12859 Kennedy Road, Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON L4A 4A9
416.550.2049
d.andrea@me.com
EDUCATION
2021-present York University, MFA Visual Arts, Expected May 2023
2011-2017 BFA, OCADU, Sculpture and Installation, Toronto
EXHIBITIONS
2022 Papier Contemporary Art Fair, group exhibition, Central Art Garage, Montréal, Québec
2022 Conveyance, group exhibition, Central Art Garage, Ottawa, Ontario
2022 With And For, Special Projects Gallery, York University, Toronto, Ontario
2022 Gaining Ground, group exhibition, Fusion Clay and Glass, London, Ontario
2021 Art Toronto, group exhibition, Central Art Garage, Toronto, Ontario
2020 Exoteric Design, group exhibition, Design TO 2020, JJ Studio, Toronto, Ontario
2020 Affordance, solo exhibition, Central Art Garage, Ottawa, Ontario
2019 Affordance, solo exhibition, Station Gallery, Whitby, Ontario
2018 Get Noticed, Red Head Gallery, Juried new artist show, Toronto, Ontario
2018 22nd Juried Grad Exhibition, Sculptors Society of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
2017 moving islands are restless, The Theatre Center, Toronto, Ontario (solo BFA thesis exhibition)
2015 The Elastic Effect, curated group show, Toronto, Ontario
2015 Repair Centre, Wychwood Barns, Toronto, Ontario (A Repair Story, artist talk)
2015 Festival of the Body, OCADU Toronto, Ontario
2014 The Artist Project, selected artist for Installation Zone, Toronto, Ontario
2013 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, exhibiting artist, Toronto, Ontario
2013 playing House making Home, Aurora Cultural Center, Aurora, Ontario
- 122 -
OTHER RELATED WORK
2017-present Assistant to Michael Belmore, duties include rock carving and logistics for public art projects
such as Landmarks2017
2019-2020 Art instructor at Visual Arts Centre of Clarington
2017 Teacher Assistant to April Hickox for OCADU Living Lab Gibraltar Point Residency, including
running a pit firing workshop, Toronto Island
2015 Commission for installation of ceramic sculptures for Byblos Restaurant, Miami, South Beach
2013-2014 Assistant to Adrienne Alison, War of 1812 Monument for Parliament Hill and General Curry
Monument
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Summer 2019 D’Andrea Bowie: Affordance by Olexander Wlasenko
July 31, 2013 Playing house at the Aurora Cultural Centre by Chris Simon
AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
2022 SSHRC, Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarship
2022 Ontario Graduate Scholarship (offered)
2021 York University Graduate Fellowship
2021 Susan Crocker and John Hunkin Award
2018 Artcast Award at Sculptor Society of Canada Juried Grad show
2017 Project 31 Sculpture/Installation Award
2017 Samuel Lazar Kagan Award
2017 Nominated for the BMO 1st Art! Competition
2017 Shortlisted First Capital Realty Public Art Competition
2016 Shortlisted First Capital Realty Public Art Competition
2016 Sully Corth Memorial Fund Sculpture Scholarship
- 123 -
References
Karen Mills
Public Art Management
mills.karen@gmail.com
Wendy Trusler
Public Art Facilitator
Arts, Culture and Heritage Division
Community Services Department
City of Peterborough
wtrusler@peterborough.ca
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Gathering by Michael Belmore
Nogojiwanong—the Place at the Foot of the Rapids on the territories of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabe
Peoples. The Nogojiwanong Project is a major capital collaboration undertaken in the spirit of kinship with
local First Nations, Indigenous Peoples and the City of Peterborough in recognition of the 200th anniversary
of Treaty No. 20. The site-specic public artwork consists of three carved and tted rocks sourced from within
Treaty No. 20. The boulders overlook the Otonabee River at the south end of Millennium Park at
Nogojiwanong. The artwork location acknowledges these ancestral lands and the thousands of years the
Michi Saagiig navigated this route between their winter camps and traditional shing grounds at the mouth
of the Ganaraska River on Lake Ontario.
Oversight of this project was provided by a steering committee comprised of representatives from Alderville
First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation,
the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, the Niijkiwendidaa Anishnabekwag Services Circle and City sta .
The work recognizes the three communities: the Mississaugas of Rice Lake (Hiawatha), Mud Lake (Curve Lake)
and Balsam Lake (Scugog Island). Carved into the surfaces of the granite, the six totems that signed the
original Treaty No. 20. These gathered stones sit slightly apart, within these crevices, copper leaf surfaces
create a sense of re that change over time.
Location Peterborough, Ontario
Size 1m x 1.6m x 1.4m
Material granite, copper leaf
Date 2022
Budget $120,000
Design Michael Belmore
Client Nogojiwanong—the Place at the Foot of the Rapids, City of Peterborough
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Location 3 National Parks: Cape Mary, Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site (MB), Riding Mountain National
Park (MB), and Grasslands National Park (SK)
Size Various
Material copper leaf, stone
Date 2017-18 - The project was on schedule and on budget right up to when the railway washed out between
Churchill and Winnipeg... this delayed the project by over a year, the project had to be revamped and reduced
in scope but was able to be completed the following year without going over budget.
Budget $200,000 Budget did not change from commission to implementation
Design Michael Belmore
Client Landmarks2017 was a Canada 150 Fund Signature Projects. Funded by the Government of Canada.
Coalescence marks a series of meeting points between water and land, both existing and ancient.
Beginning as a whole in Churchill, MB, the sculpture disperses into three parts located in Cape
Merry, Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site(MB), Riding Mountain National Park (MB) and
Grasslands National Park (SK). These collections of stones have moved and settled on the land
parallelling histories of migration, displacement, erasure, and the resilient ties of communities that
connect across space. Carved and lined with copper, they seemingly radiate heat – as the years
pass, the glow of the copper fades and turn green, the stones settle and take their place among
those who have travelled before them.
Coalescence by Michael Belmore
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Location National Gallery of Canada
Size 2.4m x 3m x 0.4m
Material copper, steel
Date 2015
Budget $96,000 This work was created for exhibition
and was acquired by the institution
Design Michael Belmore
Client Collection of the National Gallery of Canada
Water is like blood, part of a circulatory or vascular system, a cycle that flows outwards, eventually finding its way back. Carrying with it nutrients or
resources that allow for the creation of life. There is this island we call continent, there is an island of the Anishinaabe (Manitoulin), there is an island
of the Lenape (Manhattan), from these points water flows, now and in the past, trade routes, bringing wealth, bleeding resources, offering life and
taking life. Copper is indigenous to many parts of North America and mountains have been literally moved in order to satisfy our industrial needs,
yet it is a metal that lacks the connotations of preciousness, compared to gold and silver. As a pure element, copper was chosen to correlate to the
purity of the landscape, yet it is malleable and readily takes an impression, whether from a calculated or an incautious hammer-blow.
Lost Bridal Veil is an honouring work. Blood flows from the center, flowing outwards, flowing freely, she is the vessel that carries us through life.
Manhattan, like Manitoulin, like the Americas is our island, a wealth of energy, offering sustenance, feeding prosperity, ambition, concern, nurturing
all that which is possible. Not unlike the river systems which we all travel, our experiences mimic the flow of water, sometimes trickling in our
collective conscience like a small creek from a glacial melt and sometimes rushing like a torrential waterfall created by spring runoff. Lost Bridal Veil
speaks to such a cascade, that fall, that moment then things move forward in a dramatic way. In many ways we all bleed, whether urban or rural,
we feel loss and sense the totality of our spilt blood.
Lost Bridal Veil by Michael Belmore
- 127 -
Location Kagawong, Ontario
Size Various
Material Granite
Date 2015
Budget $60,000 Budget does not include in-kind; mateials,
transportation, installation, studio rental
Design Michael Belmore
Client Manitoulin Streams, 4Elements, Billings Township
Replenishment is a series of stone sculptures created specically for a community on Manitoulin Island. The work is comprised of three carved stones situated in
the mouth of the Kagawong River. Thanks to the generous support of the local Billing Township, 4elements Living Arts (a local grass roots arts organization) and
Manitoulin Streams (an organization that is focused on large scale, community-based e orts to rehabilitate aquatic ecosystems), along with the assistance of local
construction companies, Replenishment was positioned in a place that is for the most part is o limits. As part of Manitoulin Streams 2015 project to rehabilitate a
high priority site on the Kagawong River the sculptures where able be integrated into the river system. The art and the water rehabilitation owed seamlessly
together as one.
Manitoulin Island means spirit island (mnido mnising) in the Anishinaabe language. The island is a sacred place for the native Anishinaabe people who were the
Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi. The history of our relationship to this island is a complex one. We were driven from the island by the Haudenosaunee in what was
known as the Beaver Wars around 1650 and eventually returned following the War of 1812. In 1836 the British Crown ceded much of the island to my people, seeing
it as a good place to put us. Later in 1862, seeing the island now as a better place for white settlers the government opened up the land by creating a new treaty.
Today, the island has many communities (Anishinaabe and otherwise) whose boundaries overlap and intersect in interesting and complex ways.
This complexity is also mirrored in the water. The sh that benet the most from this rehabilitation project are the introduced species of sh, which are seen as to be
more economically viable and are consequently supported generously. Replenishment honours the cycle of life, the laying of eggs (a pattern of beads, polished and
rough, ones and zeros, spelling out its title in binary code), the death of the spawning parent and the renewal of the young that continue the circle. The stones are
pneumonic devices, story telling rocks that speaks not only of natural cycles but also of our history and our past.
Replenishment by Michael Belmore
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A pond is at once a place of beauty and tragedy. In a world teeming with life, creatures of all shapes, sizes and texture, compete for resources.
They consume so that they may thrive and reproduce, as this requires space, someone is always on top of someone. When contemplating
a mutual history of sharing land, a narrative earthenware ceramic mural was presented depicting a mythical story based on two
type of frogs that inhabit the Toronto Islands. Themes of land struggle, ownership and occupation lay at the root of my investigation.
Location Private Collection
Size 1.22m x 2.4m x 0.1m
Material earthenware ceramic and galze
Date 2017
Budget Created for exhibition
Design D’Andrea Bowie
Client Collection of artist
Moving Islands are Restless by D’Andrea Bowie
- 129 -
Forgotten Island by D’Andrea Bowie
Studying myth theory has taught me the importance of story, that we need them to help shape
and explain a world view. However, a long, knotted history of colonization, abuse of land and
people has made me question how we got here. Is nature beautifully cruel or necessarily so?
I desire to grab a hold of one of the gnarly roots poking out among the beaches, dive into the
undergrowth and follow the twisted artery to discover its origins. Stories have to start somewhere.
Ideologies too. While detangling, my own myth began to take shape. On the Toronto islands there
are two types of frogs, an American Bullfrog, and a Northern Leopard frog and borrowing on the
universality of frogs in myth they have become lead roles. Through the relief the narration begins.
It is a world that one may recognize however, seen with the imaginary creatures through out
the installation I aspire to speak to the notion that the things we perceive are supported by all
that we don’t.
The final sculpture in the series, a tall, gnarly, swamp-like drawing may recall the interior twists
and turns of intestines or perhaps the circulatory system, make an attempt to trace the
complicated knot and one may begin contemplating the notion of untangling.
Location Private Collection
Size 2m x 0.9m x 0.9m
Material steel, twine, foam coat, paint
Date 2015
Budget Created for exhibition
Design D’Andrea Bowie
Client Collection of artist - 130 -
While I was creating these works, I had been spending a lot of time paddling on lakes and ponds and found myself staring beneath the water trying to understand
the instinctual tug towards the unknown. What was I trying to see? Pattern recognition, something familiar? It made me think about the unconscious and underlying
structures, things we see are always supported by things we don’t. By animating what we think of as ‘nature’ I aim to create a new sense of awareness, a necessary
act of decentering the human experience that reorders the world around us and our priorities. Similar to the Delphic oracle whom sat in her cave on a bronze three
legged stool muttering prophesy, Containers for Consciousness herald the post human condition we find our selves in.
Location Private Collection
Size 20cm x 60cm x 28cm
Material bronze, wood
Date 2016
Budget Created for exhibition
Design D’Andrea Bowie
Client Collection of artist
Containers for Consciousness by D’Andrea Bowie
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 1
Kyle Thornley Expression of Interest Millpond Meadow Public Art
It is with real pleasure that I submit my expression of interest to provide distinctive art for the Millpond
Meadow Public Art Project. The vision of the organizing team aligns clearly with my goals as an artist
– contextually relevant and integrated public art that draws inspiration for creative expression from
the unique natural setting and history to promote meaningful, innovative, diverse and vital
connections within the community.
As an artist blacksmith, working in all forms of metals, I am always grateful for and excited by the
opportunity to create art in the public realm with the hope of inviting every visitor to find some aspect
of their own experience reflected back to them and/or to act as a catalyst towards critical thought. I
will look forward to exploring the Pickering demographics, the diverse ecosystem, the Pickering
Museum Village, and the history of the area. For several of my public art projects, I have successfully
utilized a survey data gathering process and I will be excited to get input from this community on their
collective vision for the use of the space and their public art preferences and priorities. As the
committee clearly understands, this input is so important to underpin a creative design concept
rooted in relationship, context, and history.
My interest and artistic inspiration for this project runs deep. Like many in these particularly
challenging times, I find myself searching for the creative spirit and continued confidence that art can
provide hope, that beauty can rouse courage. This Pickering Museum Village project offers such an
opportunity. I am an avid naturalist and express this passion and conviction through much of my art.
With a strong conceptual understanding of how natural elements respond to their en vironment, a
significant goal with my work is to inspire thought and commitment towards a sustainable future.
Similar to the goals of the Pickering Museum Village as a community hub, through my art I hope to
generate optimism, education, encouragement to take an interest, to feel empathy, and to care –
‘those who care are those who preserve’. The diverse ecosystem of Duffin’s Creek and the
Conservation Area along with the historic mill will provide a fertile bed of motif possibilities. Even the
link to the Greenwood Blacksmith Shop is a fitting association with my own contemporary
blacksmithing art practice.
As part of my conceptual approach, I work to see things in a new way, perhaps re -imagining something
familiar and transforming it, connecting stories and vision to an aesthet ic image in an original way. If
my design choices and techniques can make the expression of a concept more holistic and accessible, I
feel that to be progressive. If the approach inspires us to see ourselves and our world with a broader
perspective, I believe that to be innovative. Ultimately, the hope for the process is headed towards a
public art piece that will mean something to the people, that will act as a bridge to connect all
segments of the community, and to encourage feelings of hope and well-being. Additionally, my
designs are very cognizant of the need for accessibility, durability, and safety.
I respectfully highlight key points in my qualifications that demonstrate both my proficiencies and my
potential to make a strong, artistic statement related to the goals of the Millpond Meadow Public Art
Project:
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 2
• Proven experience working with a full range of projects; meeting complex structural requirements
including rigorous design specifications and full understanding of and adherence to safety
standards.
• Proficiency with complex client/contractor/committee communications and collaboration to
conceptualize, fabricate and deliver accurate and impactful work on time and within budget.
• The art practice of blacksmithing connecting naturally with the history of the area as well as the
metal medium itself – all varieties of metals inherently resilient and enduring with the finishes
providing limitless creative opportunities for colour, texture, and radiance.
• The application of placemaking fundamentals underpinning the design decisions, including the
abilities, sensibilities and capacity to:
o ensure the collective vision is intentional, people-centric and holistic;
o leverage the unique potential and natural context of th is rich ecosystem towards an
integrated, expressive design;
o activate the space creating interest and interactive engagement through storytelling,
relationship, and connection to the natural environment, adding unexpected added value
to the visitor’s experience;
o ensure the art connects the people to their place – non-threatening, inviting art that brings
pleasure and optimism.
Thank you for this opportunity. I will be tremendously excited to share my ideas fo r an authentic,
dynamic, kinesthetic design that will boost community pride, add whimsy and delight, stimulate
reflection, and celebrate the natural beauty and the history of Pickering. The goals of this meaningful
public art project seep optimism at its core. I am confident they will further the belief in art and its
power for greater connectivity and for hope.
I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Kyle Thornley
Metal Mind Forge
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 3
Kyle Thornley - Artist Blacksmith
Metal Mind Forge
PO Box 9014 Revelstoke BC VOE 3K0 250.683.2493 metalmindforge@gmail.com
www.metalmindforge.com
Kyle Thornley is an Artist Blacksmith, originally from Ontario and now settled in
Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. For the last 17 years, Kyle has been creating
art with metals through commissioned pieces, architectural metalwork,
exhibitions, and public art.
Kyle began his career in structural steel and fabrication until his creative drive led
him to the scrap bin and the joy of re-purposing materials. All through the
generous mentoring of master blacksmiths, endless experimentation, tool-making,
restoration of old forges and power hammers, Kyle has been compelled by the
practice of blacksmithing - the technical and physical demands, the artistic and
utilitarian impact, the link to deep, historical roots, and the integrity of the media
itself. The ironic suppleness and delicacy of the metal are matched by its strength
and durability, rendering any design possible while providing robust, lasting
beauty.
Kyle takes his role seriously in the preservation of blacksmithing as a cultural art form and informs his practice as
much as possible through professional growth opportunities and contemporary specializations. With the
knowledge that the fundamental tools and techniques trace back to the Iron Age and that the historic role of
blacksmithing was integral to Canadian communities makes contemporary forged metal design a powerful art
practice.
Kyle believes that art has the potential to make us more present and engaged in our world. Art in public places
can be the bridge that connects all segments of the community – to validate particular histories and traditions,
to establish a collective identity and to give expression to diverse experiences and aspirations.
Kyle’s family provides significant motivation and inspiration for his work as an artist. His role as partner and
father helps broaden his perspectives, teaches him flexibility and adaptability, and reminds him of finding
delight in the moment – all of these deeply aligned with the making of art. Kyle believes that as he becomes a
better parent, father, and community member he also becomes a better artist.
Kyle is deeply committed to and concerned about the health of our natural world and hopes to make a
difference by combining his love of the environment with his art. Ultimately, if his work encourages people to
take a moment, to look at something with a fresh perspective, to care about our world and environmental
stewardship, then his own optimism and creativity are fed.
Besides commitment and passion, Kyle has proven experience working with a full range of projects including
large scale/high budget installations. He is fully capable with complex structural requirements, rigorous design
specifications and strict safety standards. Kyle is proficient with complex client/contractor/committee
communications and collaboration to conceptualize, fabricate and deliver accurate and impactful work on time
and within budget.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 4
Artist Blacksmith Professional Experience
• Establishment of Metal Mind Forge (2009)
• Full time blacksmithing/fabrication - architectural and artistic works, various metals, techniques, and
processes both traditional and contemporary (2005)
• Professional development:
o Collaborative artist-team installation, LUNA Fest (2019)
o Artist Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA) Conference, Utah, USA (2016)
o Collaborative sculpture – Master British Blacksmiths Terry Clarke & Rebecca Knot, Haliburton School of
the Arts, Haliburton, ON (2016)
o Artist Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA) – Harrington, Delaware, USA (2014)
o Internship - John Monteith, Manuka Forge – Cochrane, Alberta – (2013)
o Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association (OABA) tool making training – Master Smiths, Brian Brazeal & Lyle
Wynn (2012)
o Toolmaking – Haliburton School of the Arts, Haliburton, ON (November 2012)
o Mentoring - Master Blacksmith Daniel Markowitz, Wareham Forge (Spring 2011)
o Mentoring - Master Blacksmith David Robertson, The Hammer and Tongs, Cargill, ON (2011)
o Professional Development - Quad State Blacksmithing Conference, Troy, Ohio (2011)
o Can Iron Blacksmithing Conference, Fergus, ON (2011)
• Lead blacksmith/fabricator - Crescent Moon Forge, Victoria, BC (July 2013 – March 2014)
• A, B and C Level Welding and all position stick welding - Selkirk College, Okanagan College, Northern Ontario
Welding School
• British Columbia Institute of Technology (2004)
Recent Public Art/Aw ards/Commissions/Exhibits
• Winner Children of Peace Park Public Art Competition (to be installed spring 2024) $90,000
• Winner Latimer Public Art Competition (to be installed winter 2023) $140,000
• Winner Hamilton Locke St Public Art Competition (to be installed Fall 2023) $70,000
• Winner People’s Choice Award ‘Choosing Hope’ Castlegar Sculpture Walk January 2022
• Winner Red Deer Community Centre Public Art Competition (to be installed January 2023) $68,000
• Finalist Red Deer Emergency Services HQ Public Art $55,800
• Winner Saskatoon Public Art Competition, Saskatoon, SASK (October 2021)
• Winner Survivor Garden Sculpture Competition, Waterloo, ON (to be fall 2022) $60,000 (private funder,
Canada Council and CKCA grant)
• Finalist Niagara Falls Exchange Public Art Competition $90,000
• Finalist Century Street Public Art Competition, Hamilton ON $120,000
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 5
• Finalist City of West Vancouver, Weston Park Public Art Competition
• Winner Penticton Sculpture Exhibition – featured sculpture winner May 2021- May 2023
• Winner Art Alleries Public Art Competition, A Simple Joy – Revelstoke BC September 2020
• Winner Texas Woodlands Art Bench Public Art Competition – Houston, Texas October 2020
• Grant Award Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance – Interpretive Sculpture June 2021
• Grant Award Canada Council for the Arts – Interpretive Sculpture February 2021
• Winner Fire Hydrant Drinking Fountain Public Art Competition – Red Deer AB October 2019
• Finalist Hunter Memorial Public Art Competition – Barrie ON $100,000
• Public Art – “Protection” – Revelstoke City Hall – Revelstoke BC May 2020
• Public Art - Parks Canada – interpretive sculpture for endangered tree May 2020
• Public Art – Featured Artist downtown installation - Luna Fest Revelstoke BC September 2019
• Collaborative Public Art project – various artists Revelstoke – Luna Fest BC September 2019
• Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre Exhibits – November 2018 and March 2019
• Muskoka Festival of the Arts, Bracebridge ON, 2018
• Dockside Festival of the Arts, Gravenhurst ON, 2017
• Kempenfest Arts Festival, Barrie ON, 2017 and 2018
• ARTfest, Port Credit, ON 2017
• Aurora Cultural Centre, Aurora ON Raw Materials (group exhibit) 2017
• Intermittent exhibits - Art First, Revelstoke Art Gallery, BC; Mad and Noisy Gallery, Creemore, ON; The Edge
Gallery, Barrie ON; Marlow Studio, Barrie ON; Silver Bridge Gallery, Bracebridge, ON
• Media
o A Simple Joy film released by Revelstoke Arts and LunaFest https://lunafest.ca/web/art-alleries/ (Scroll to bottom of page to see film)
o Newmarket Today https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/east-gwillimbury-to-install-its-first-permanent-public-artwork-5850634
o Kootenay Business https://kootenaybiz.com/revelstoke/article/bc_artist_is_taking_blacksmithing_to_new_heights
o Revelstoke Review https://www.revelstokereview.com/news/revelstoke-artist-wins-award-for-sculpture-in-
castlegar/?fbclid=IwAR1p2u5UfxGifA6lSfCBDbQit-irFHkUdSF8N7tcSCb1odrgikW9Wa8sEo0
o Saskatoon Star Phoenix https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/five-new-public-artworks-grace-the-streets-of-saskatoon
o Kelowna Now
https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Penticton/New_batch_of_Penticton_waterfront_sculptures_arrive_just_in_time_for_l
ong_weekend/
o Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine https://www.revelstokemountaineer.com/meets-the-artists-behind-revelstokes-art-alleries/
o Nutcracker Notes – Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation Newsletter https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-mHXCN3kM-
8ofviOzSOzTINhHtMM68Wx/view
o BC Local News https://www.bclocalnews.com/entertainment/new-sculpture-installed-in-front-of-revelstoke-city-hall/
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 6
o Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine https://revelstokemountaineer.com/musings-of-a-metal-mind-a-contemporary-blacksmith-in-
revelstoke/
o Hideaways Magazine https://www.hideawaysmagazine.com/timberframe-tour-de-force/
o Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine https://revelstokemountaineer.com/revelstokes-visual-arts-scene-is-taking-off/
o Revelstoke Review https://www.revelstokereview.com/entertainment/hammering-it-out-in-the-big-eddy/
o Our Homes https://www.ourhomes.ca/articles/homes/article/hockey-headquarters-in-massive-timber-frame-estate
o You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLIfa1biUoNdO7vnjqRMpDw
o Instagram https://www.instagram.com/metalmindforge/?hl=en
Related Activities/Affiliations
• CARFAC member
• Ontario Artist Blacksmiths Association (OABA)
• Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA)
• Kootenay Blacksmiths Association (KBA)
• Workshops, demonstrations and presentations of blacksmithing techniques and forging – (various locations
and dates)
• Contributor to OABA newsletter/gallery
• Metal Arts Guild of Canada
References
Mr. Rob Buchanan Media Designer Parks Canada, LunaFest Coordinator Revelstoke
Revelstoke, BC
1 (250) 814-8057 | buchananstudio3@gmail.com
Lead contact for featured sculpture, LunaFest 2019 & commissioned sculpture for Parks Canada 2020
Mr. Alejandro Romero City of Saskatoon, Public Art Consultant
Saskatoon, SASK
1 (306) 657-8671 | alejandro.romero@saskatoon.ca
Lead contact for Public Art installation in Saskatoon 2021
To get a sense of my artistic process, I invite you to watch this short film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQEp3ZzD7M
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 7
Selected Works – Kyle Thornley – Artist Blacksmith
A Simple Joy Art Alleries Public Art | 2020 | 8’ x 36’ | Revelstoke, BC | Copper & Stainless Steel
This tryptic installation captures the whimsical joy of blowing on a dandelion seed. The face and fingers
are riveted copper, the dandelion stalk forged from mild steel and the graceful stainless steel seeds add
vibrant light and contrast. This project is part of Art Alleries – the repurposing of alleyways into
art galleries.
View the making of A Simple Joy here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQEp3ZzD7M
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 8
Ancient Wisdoms 2019 | 12’ x 8’ | Public Art Penticton, BC | Steel & Japanese Brown Patina
This expansive pine cone sculpture captures the significant yet humble structure of this important
element of nature. Conifer pines, with their ancient wisdoms, symbolize the cycles of life and suggest
resilience and optimism. During hardship, their seeds lie protected, the patient cones waiting to unfurl
until conditions are right for new life. The strength of the media reflects the authenticity of the pine
scales in their role as safe protectors of the seeds.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 9
Make a Wish 2021 | 14’ x 2.5’ | Public Art, Saskatoon, SK | Mild Steel & Stainless Steel & Powdercoat Colours
This dynamic sculpture explores the theme of making a wish as a way of considering our stories, our
learnings past, present and future and our inspirations for renewal and possibility. The sculpture
provides an invitation to ‘take a moment’, to reflect, to dream, to enjoy. The colours are thoughtfully
chosen – orange for truth and reconciliation, LGBTQ+ purple, and environmental green.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 10
Endangered White Bark Pine Cone 2020 | 6’ x 3’ | Parks Canada Revelstoke, BC | Mild Steel
This immense sculpture was commissioned by Parks
Canada to further their awareness initiatives and efforts to
conserve the endangered White Bark Pine. Each cone scale
was hand-cut, forged and pieced together. A unique inset
was created to provide a view of the interior holding the
iconic plump, round pine nuts so critical as a food source
for animals as well as rejuvenation of the species.
The article below features this sculpture.
Nutcracker Notes –
Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation Newsletter
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-mHXCN3kM-8ofviOzSOzTINhHtMM68Wx/view
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 11
I Live Because Everything Else Does 12’ x 4’ | Nelson, BC | Steel & Powdercoat Colour | Artistic Merit Award
“I Live Because Everything Else Does” pays homage to our interdependence with the natural world,
inviting people to stop, rest, and reflect on our role in the reciprocity of a collective, healthy life.
This title is based on a verse by Canadian Indigenous author Richard Wagamese. The water lilies
forming the art bench are native to the location of the functional public art sculpture.
Artistic Merit Award at Castlegar Sculpture Walk 2021.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 12
Choosing Hope Winner People’s Choice Award 2022 6’ x 4’ | Castlegar, BC | Copper & Stainless Steel
This striking sculpture encourages the viewer to
think about perspective - “do we see the
dandelion as a weed or a potential wish?” The
iconic blowing of the feathery seeds instills a
whimsical and optimistic invitation to ‘Choose
Hope’.
Winner of the People’s Choice Award 2022 at
Castlegar Sculpture Walk.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 13
Sustenance 8’ x 4’ | Aurora, ON | Mild Steel & Stainless Steel & Copper
This functional artwork involves multiple blacksmithing
techniques to form the intricate features of the gingko
leaves, fine Tig welding for the berries, and copper
manipulations and patinas for the bowl.
Sustenance for the birds, the gingko, and
the art observer.
.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 14
Heart in the Right Place (rendering, sculpture in progress) 9’ x 17’ | Langley, BC | Galvanized Steel
This large-scale sculptural representation of
the iconic ‘heart-hand’ form expresses its
universal message of caring, a message
deliverable without the need for words,
understandable in any language. This
profound statement of care given and care
received is a stirring narrative of mutuality
capturing the theme of ‘connected diversity’.
The inviting hands imply relationship and
inclusivity, available for all to feel welcome;
non-threatening, accessible art that allows
every diverse visitor to find some aspect of
their own experience reflected back to them.
The engaging lens of the open heart
encourages the viewer to contemplate their
own present moment and to look beyond,
made safe and supported by
the surrounding hands.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 15
Holding Hope (rendering) 9’ x 17’ | Children of Peace Park, East Gwillimbury, Ontario | Galvanized Steel
| Galvanized Steel
Holding Hope explores the themes of perseverance,
charity, and possibility while celebrating the rich
history of the original town of Hope. The sculpture
captures the essence of resilience, growth, and
optimism expressed through the symbolism of a
mature dandelion and its seeds, with the distinctive
hand inviting reflection on hard work, equality, and
human connection – all key elements of the
Children of Peace.
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Kyle Thornley Metal Mind Forge Millpond Meadow Public Art 16
Haven (rendering – work in progress) 3’ x 12’ | Locke Street Public Art, Hamilton, Ontario | Stainless Steel
Haven - a safe place that offers
favourable opportunities and
conditions reflecting the Hamilton
neighbourhood hosting the sculpture.
The roosting butterflies inspire
reflection on adaptability,
cooperation, and inclusion, key
elements of this community. The
colours of diversity mirror a
temperature gradient reflecting the
need for warmth to
make flight possible.
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Artist Statement Gordon Reeve, sculptor
The Millpond Meadow project affords the opportunity to create a work of art that draws people to
its site in a highly personal way so that they feel the sculpture connects specifically with them. It is
important to me that, despite imposing scale and form, my sculpture must not dominate the site. I
see it as a lens through which the unique beauty of the surrounding area is revealed and shared. This
is essential to creating in the viewer a sense of ownership and belonging. My work is not an
expression of self but of site. Additionally, I am motivated by history, the movement of pedestrian
and other nearby traffic and especially the quality of both diurnal and seasonal light. My search is for
those unique elements that make the sculpture a welcoming presence for the people who may
experience it.
The dual foundations of my aesthetic, formal beauty and excellent craftsmanship, follow a
creative arc that honours the past but places the sculpture front and centre in our own moment
in time. All of my site-specific sculpture is built as a result of early community engagement and
the jury process. This includes two recent works selected by combined First Nations and settler
juries in open town-hall settings, A Place of Many Grasses 2015, Lenape of the Thames, Ontario and The
Coming Spring 2018, Saskatoon Tribal Council, and the City of Saskatoon. I have placed major works in
dynamic, urban, business and government environments as well as in sacred places, public parks,
horticultural and corporate gardens. Most of my sculptures are architectural in scale, require no
maintenance and, as a consequence of this they find immediate and iconic acceptance in the
community. Over many years I have sought, through my work, t o deepen my own understanding
of the space our species inhabits between earth and sky, some would say, between our place of
origin and our destination. I think of the experiential aspect of each of my sculptures as gateways,
as agents of transition and perhaps transformation.
My principal area of interest has always been Public Art. For thirty-seven years I was Professor
and Head of Sculpture at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg. During this time, I continued
to make sculpture and from 1988-2000 also produced and directed seventeen documentary films
on art, architecture and performance, (see CV) organized annual experimental, unrehearsed
performance of participating groups in large outdoor spaces and created sets for a major ballet
company. My public sculpture uses visual narrative, elegeant form and monumental scale to
facilitate safe viewer interaction and physical engagement.
All of my sculptures are engineer stamped, use 304 or better stainless steel which is 60% recycled
and 100% recyclable, are maintenance free and vandal resistant, and are delivered on time and on
budget. Sunlight animates the sculpture’s surface so that it can be seen at great distance and from
great heights. Clouds, fog and rain mute but do not diminish refle cted silver-light, or varying
tones of green from the surrounding trees and grey/blue from the ever-changing sky. At night,
passing traffic and both ambient and programmed lighting, transform the burnished surfaces.
Such visual mutability is a unique quality of stainless steel.
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Ever Changing Sky 2022, Finalist Brampton Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Stainless steel 18’ h. Filigree open
work dome, 40’ diameter with stained glass elements, Engineer’s stamp. - 149 -
The Coming Spring, 2018, Built, stainless steel, 360 tuned anodized aluminum chimes (the voices of lost children) Spires 49’
and 42’, Arch 27’x 24’. Engineer’s stamp. References a Cree pelt stretcher made of small branches, Victoria Park Saskatoon,
Commissioned by the Saskatoon Tribal Council, Central Urban Metis Federation and the City of Saskatoon, Canada 150.
Commemorates reconciliation and welcomes people of all races/nationalities to Treaty Six Territory. Navajo dancers performed
for the dedication celebration. $204,549 inclusive of HST, 1 year delivery, on time
- 150 -
Niagara Strait, 2019, Built, Niagara Parks Botannical Garden stainless steel, 3 elements 16’x24’x12” separated by varying 7’- 12’
space, programmed LED lights,Engineer’s stamp, Niagara Parks Commission, Niagara Falls, Ontario. References passage beneath t he
walls of the nearby180’deep gorge. An iconic entry gate to the botanical gardens. $256,510, inclusive of HST
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A Place of Many Grasses, 2015, Built, designed 3-acre site, Commemorates Battle of Moraviantown, honouring Tecumseh and all First
Nations. Wisdom, stainless steel sculpture 50’x50’x’18’, Engineer’s stamp, 10 interpretive stainless steel benches, laser -cut text by nine
contemporary First Nations activist leaders, artists, musicians and a young girl, 90’ diameter earthwork mound, 50 varieties of grass honouring
all First Nations, Guswenta sacred path, procession, satellite controlled solar lighting. Commissioned by the Municipality of Chatham Kent. The
site has recently become a place to leave tributes to honour the memory of victims of the residential schools. Valuing the earth as sacred, the
structure touches the earth at just 4 points, 12” in diameter each. $349,930.49 inclusive of HST, delivery, on time
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Agassiz Ice, 2008, Built, Stainless Steel, 3 elements 18’x’15’x’5’, 16’x11’x9’, 3’x 4’x18”12,000 pounds, tapering upward. Suggests tips
of icebergs emerging from the ground, remnants of the last ice -age, floating in pristine Lake Agassiz, the largest lake in geological
history. A cautionary reference to the present warming of the earth. - 153 -
Curriculum Vitae
Gordon M. Reeve, BFA, Cranbrook, 1971 MFA, RISD 1973
Professor, Chair Sculpture, University of Manitoba School of Art 1976 – 2013 (retired)
Areas of teaching - Public Site Specific Sculpture, Sculpture in the Urban Environment
bluemor@msn.com www.stoichoard.com
cell 289 407 2465
Public Art Competitions and Commissions Since 2000
February 2022, Ever Changing Sky, Finalist, Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Memorial
competition
May 2019, Niagara Strait, Built Site Specific, three elements 24’ x 16’x 12” depth, stainless steel,
16,000 lbs. Niagara Botanical Garden/Niagara Parks Commission, Canada 150, see website
June 2018, Coming Spring, Built Site Specific, 27’x49’x’42’, 12,000 lbs. stainless steel and sound
element Saskatoon Tribal Council, Central Urban Metis Federation, the City of Saskatoon, Canada
150 Sculpture welcomes people of all races and nationalities to Treaty Six Territory.
September 2017, A Trembling of Leaves, Finalist St. Albert, Alberta, Mission Street Park Public Art
competition
2016, Windspire, Finalist War Memorial, National Competition, Markham Ontario
80’ x 36’x36’, 15,000 lbs. Spire suspended from buttresses, vibrates in the wind.
2015 A Place of Many Grasses, Built Honours Tecumseh and all First Nations. Wisdom stainless
sculpture 50’x50’x’18’, Earthwork, mound 90’ diameter, 50 species of grass, sacred path,
procession
2014 Rotary International Centennial Built sculpture, ss Kinetic Winnipeg, Manitoba
2013 Silver Meridian, 20’ x 20’x7’ Built stainless steel, kinetic wind/water feature
2013 Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe, Built Purchase Prize, Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, NB
2011 Imagined Trajectory, Finalist Public Sculpture Mississauga, Sheridan Campus
2006 – 2011 Remediation of the Wilderness Boundary, community plan
2010 - 2011 Katimak, Built Floating Sculpture Gordon Reeve with Graham Leverick, Gold medal for
Engineering,
2009 Fundy Rift, Finalist Irving Oil Commemorative sculpture St. John, NB
2008 Agassiz Ice – Built National Competition, three stainless steel forms, Winnipeg, 18’x12’ 6’
2007 Les Megaferriques NCC, Ottawa, Finalist, Award of Merit
2004 Luna Friesens Corp., Altona MB, Built Stainless Steel, cast glass
2000 Sharon ScreensBuilt SS 3@ 4’x8’ scrims. Computer/light interactive
Documentary Film Series 1988 – 2000
Produced, wrote, directed 17 films Picasso, Bracque, Kandinsky, Rodin, Maillol, Otto Dix, Marcel
Duchamps, Futurists, (Lydia Winston Collection) Vladimir Baranoff - Rossine,
Interviews Carlos Ott, Evelyn Hart, Barbara Hendricks, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo,
Daniel Barenboim, George Pretre, Isaac Stern, Sir Joseph Rotblat KCMG CBE FRS, Anne
D’Harnoncourt, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Sir Roy Strong, Victoria and Albert, London. Ursus
Dix, National Gallery of Canada, Thomas Messer, Director, Guggenheim, NYC, Dina Vierny, Paris
and many other museums, private collections, curators, Location shooting Paris, New York,
Venice, Versailles, Milano, Verona, Grenoble, Montevideo, Bayreuth, Darmstadt, Los Angeles,
Monaco Gran Prix, Munich, Tokyo,
- 154 -
Juried Film Competitions/ Awards
BRONZE APPLE 23rd National Edu. Film and Video Festival Oakland Ca.
RED RIBBON The American Film and Video Festival Chicago, Illinois
FINALIST Certificate of Merit Performance Arts, Worldfest Houston
BRONZE 41st Columbus International Film and Video Festival, Columbus Ohio
SILVER MEDAL 29th Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago
AWARD OF THE MAYOR OF DUBNICA Medzinarodny Festival Slovakia
FINALIST Dancescreen, Frankfurt, Distr. Canada, USA, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Spain, UK
Public Sculpture and Competitions before 2000
1988 Red River Portal, carved granite 2’ x 1’ x 4” model
1987 Prairie Rainstorm, Built Province of Manitoba
1986 Northstar waterfront Kenora, Ontario SS 9’ x 5’
1985 Justice Provincial Courts Built SS, 42’ H 42’, 32,000 lbs.
Fabricated at Outokumpu, Avesta Steel Mill, Avesta, Sweden
Assembly completed at Russell Steel, Winnipeg
1979 Drumlin St. Vital Built Winnipeg Art Gallery interactive site specific, 90’loa hill and slide
1978 Dauphin Screen, Built Provincial Building Dauphin, Mb, 35’ x 6’H
1977 Skywindow, Finalist Winnipeg Centennial Library competition
1974 Ploughshare Built 8’x5’x5’ Stainless Steel,
1974 Essex Continuum – Built moving columns, inlaid pictographs Essex County School Board
1972 Water Wall Built Framingham, Mass. Earth work, long leaf yellow pine beams, 40 @ 8’x16”
x 40’, Fountain, 20’ waterfall, 1500 lb. Bronze fountain
1972 Tower 2 Built Wood, glass 16’x4’x4’1972 Carved marble Carlo Nicoli Studio, Carrara, Italy
1971 Marble Wall Built (white and black marble laminated with cast lead shield inserts)
1971 Pivot wall with foot (white and black marble) Built 2 elements, 2’ x 3’ x 1’
1971 Dictator’s head (peperino) 2’ x 2’ x 4’, Built Winding Form Built- Green/red Onyx 1’x1’x2’
1970 Tower, Cranbrook Academy, Near Milles’ Jonah Pool, Built 12’x12’x18’ (site specific sculp.)
Invited Papers, 2008 International Scientific Conference, Centennial Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo,
Egypt, Invited paper Language of Transition - a consideration of art in public places.
Gordon Reeve website **Click on titles to view images and proposals www.stoichoard.com
Links to Sculpture Videos and Media
Gordon Reeve’s Niagara Strait
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRsrBnBlvxo
Singapore Straits Times Seven International Outdoor Sculptures - recognition
https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/travel/art-in-the-open
The Coming Spring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQya9iIPmjk
A Place of Many Grasses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Gk5MHn704
Justice Winnipeg
https://www.winnipegarchitecture.ca/justice/
Windspire Finalist
https://vimeo.com/202819170
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References for Gordon Reeve
Alejandro Romero BFA MFA Alejandro.romero@saskatoon.ca
Arts and Culture Consultant Recreation and Community Development
City of Saskatoon, Treaty 6 Territory and Homeland of the Metis
Tel. 306 657 8671
Sculpture The Coming Spring
Steve Barnhart sbarnhart@niagaraparks.com
Senior Director, Planning, Environment and Culture
The Niagara Parks Commission
Sculpture Niagara Strait
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
L Y L Y
OTAŠEVIĆ
L Y L Y
LYLY
2
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
For the past fourteen years, I have successfully
completed public art projects of various magnitude
with budgets ranging from $50,000 - $350,000.
I have been enjoying working closely with teams of
architects, interior and landscape designers,
structural engineers, and fabricators with different
specialties. I have also collaborated with
production teams remotely, located overseas. My
projects are the result of collaborations with local
government agencies as well as private commercial
and residential developers.
In some of my projects, I’ve had an active direct
engagement with members of the public in the
form of consultations and / or workshops.
Exchange of ideas with members of the public and
their contributions and feedback helped inform
and shape some of my final designs. I would like to
engage in a similar process in concept
development for the Millpond Meadow.
Having created sculptural art structures that
address various aspects of public art context, I am
excited at the prospect of being given the
opportunity to develop art concept and contribute
an engaging artwork addition to the Millpond
Meadow, Pickering Museum Village.
November 2022
Lilly Otasevic
would like to express my interest in the
public art opportunity at the Millpond Meadow,
Pickering Museum Village. I am a visual artist with
active practise in sculptural expression for the past
nearly three decades. For the past fourteen years
I’ve had a rewarding experience in both
developing public art proposals as well as realizing
them in various magnitudes and social contexts.
I have always considered public and site -specific
art as a unique art phenomenon. Apart from
purely visual and i ntellectual stimuli, there is
frequently a physical engagement aspect that
elevates this category of art to a higher level of
understanding and appreciation. Being exposed
permanently, in the open, without restricted
access to a great number of people of different
cultural, social, educational etc. backgrounds,
public art has a unique advantage over other types
of art. Apart from emotional and intellectual,
physical interaction of viewer with art object
frequently gives them the opportunity to become
an essential part of that art for without this kind of
interaction a specific idea or a message could
remain missed or unclear.
Having this aspect of public art in mind, I have
always worked in a direction of developing a
degree of interactivity in my sculptural work.
Nature has been a continuous presence in my
work. Organic shapes and structures found in
nature inspire me and lead me to develop artwork
that aims to enhance our connection with bio-
scapes and natural habitats of which we are
inseparable parts.
As part of natural diversity , our cultural diversity is
also a focus in my work. I like to employ simple
visual shapes and symbols found in many cultural
backgrounds with aim to promote a universal
understanding, regardless of where people are
coming from.
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
LYLY
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
1 Mobius
Quantum Towers
courtyard, Yonge &
Eglinton, Toronto, Ontario
Mirror-polish stainless steel
2 m X 1.5 m X 1.7 m
Minto Communities
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
2 Crescendo
Burlington, Ontario
Mirror-polish stainless steel
tubes
5 m X 4 m 1.5 m
City of Burlington
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
3 Unity
(Chinese - Canadian
Cultural exchange)
Museum of the City of Zhangjiagang,
Jiangsu, PR China
Fiberglass resin
2 m X 1.5 m X 0.6 m
City of Zhangjiagang
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
4 Break ~ Wave
(award-winning)
Union Station, Toronto, Ontario
(temporary Installation, now in
Nespresso headquarters, Montreal)
Powder-coated aluminum
1.5 m X 1.5 m X 0.5 m (four units)
Design Exchange Design Museum &
NESPRESSO Canada
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
5 Ripple Effect
AquaZul residential complex
Grimsby, Ontario
Glass-bead blasted marine-grade
aluminum
1.83 m X 1.83 m X 1 m
DeSantis Homes
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
6 Fabric of Place Albert McCormick Community Centre, Waterloo, Ontario
INTERACTIVE - Marine-grade aluminum, stainless steel, automotive paint and
varnish, 6 m X 2 m 0.15 m, City of Waterloo
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
7 Wave series - bench (x 2)
Wave series - armchairs
(x 10)
Quantum Towers courtyard,
Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto,
Ontario
Mirror-polish stainless steel tubes
Bench - 1.8 m X 1 m X 0.9 m
Armchairs - 0.8 m X 1 m X 0.9 m
Minto Communities
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
8 Curtain Call
Performing Arts Centre,
St. Catharines, ON
Marine-grade aluminum,
automotive paint, and
varnish
14 m X 4 m X 1.8 m
City of St. Catharines
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
COMPLETED PUBLIC ART
2022 “New Life Weave” - Public sculpture and
urban furniture, Mississauga, ON
2022 “Ripple Effect” - Sculpture, DeSantis Homes,
Grimsby, ON
2019 “Curtain Call” – Public art on the facade of the
Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines
2019 “Fabric of Place” – Part of ION Light Rail Transit
public art projects, Waterloo, Ontario, installation of two
Interactive and five static aluminum / stainless steel art
panels
2017 “Unity” – Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China –
Fiberglass resin sculpture
2017 “Crescendo” - Aldershot Village, Burlington,
Ontario
2016 “Break ~ Wave” – Winner of the Grand
Cru/ation - design competition organized by Design
Exchange Museum and Nespresso Canada, Toronto,
Ontario
2008 “Mobius”, stainless steel, Toronto, Ontario,
Large-scale outdoor sculpture
2008 “Waves” – 10 stainless steel chairs and 2
sculptural benches, Toronto, Ontario.
FINALIST - PUBLIC ART
2022 Niagara Falls Exchange Public Art
Competition, Niagara Falls, ON
2021 Fallen Firefighters Memorial, St. Catharines,
ON (with AR Architects)
2021 Eglinton West BIA public art competition,
Toronto, Ontario
2020 King William St. Beacon and Gate public art,
Hamilton, ON
2019 Public art for Victoria Park, Kingston, ON
2017 Therapeutic Art installations, CAMH Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario
2017 Harvest Table project – Waterloo Park,
Waterloo, ON
2017 “Lucent Observatory” – Public art concept,
ION Light Rapid Transit, Waterloo / Kitchener, ON
2016 Ardrossan Park Public art concept,
Strathcona County, Alberta
2016 “Wormhole” – Public art concept for the
new transit terminal, Cambridge
2012 “Dynamis” – Public art concept, Innisfil
Hydro, Innisfil, ON
2010 Public art competition for Mt. Pleasant
Village art, Brampton, Ontario
2009 “Ringelspiel” (Carousel) – Public art concept,
Kitchener, ON
/ˌːˈː/
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Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
2016 Water – Mixed media on Pergament,
Kraljevo, Serbia
2014 Home – SHA Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2012 Memento Mori – World of Threads Festival,
Sheridan College, Oakville,
2010 Group Exhibition, XEXE Gallery, Toronto
2010 Sculpture Mix XII, Canadian Sculpture Centre,
Toronto
2009 Something for everyone, XEXE Gallery,
Toronto
2007 Index Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2007 Essence of Asia: Eastern Influences in
Western Art, Asian Cultural Center, New
York, NY, USA
education
2015
3D Computer Design, OCAD Continuing Studies
programme, Toronto, Ontario
1987-92
Master of Fine Art - Academy of Fine Arts, Belgrade,
Serbia
1985-87
School of Industrial Design, Belgrade, Serbia
AWARDS
2020 Award by the Ministry of Culture and
Education of the Republic of Serbia
2016 Award by the Design Exchange Museum for
best urban furniture design that incorporates
recycling feature.
1992 Student Award by the Academy of Fine Arts,
Belgrade, Serbia for the innovative approach
in painting.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 There Where “I” Begins…, Photo-based work
and reclaimed brick installations, Gallery
Atrium, Belgrade, Serbia
2013 Re-construct, Reclaimed brick installations,
Canadian Sculpture Centre, Toronto
2010 Lines, Light and Shadows – KWT
Contemporary, Toronto
2008 Portals and Bioscapes - XEXE Gallery,
Toronto, Canada
2006 Bioscapes - Gallery 1313, Toronto
2004 Atomic - Kabat Wrobel Gallery, Toronto,
Canada
2004 FLUX - The Burston Gallery, Toronto
2003 The Burston Gallery, Toronto
Selected group EXHIBITIONS
2018 Wall works, Galerie Pierre Léon, Alliance-
Française, Toronto, Ontario
2018 Toys and Robots, Skopje, FYR Macedonia
2018 Water in the drawings on Pergament
concertina, Museum of Local History,
Budapest, Hungary
2018 Toys and Robots, Museum of Pedagogy,
Belgrade, Serbia
2017 Water in the drawings on Pergament
concertina, Kraljevo, Serbia
2018 Canadian International Public Art Exhibition,
Suzhou, China
2017 “2nd Idiorrhythmic – Chinese / Canadian Art
Exchange” – Zhangjiagang Museum,
Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China
2017 “Who Are You?” – Red Head Gallery,
Toronto, Ontario
- 169 -
Lilly Otasevic | 76 Ferris Rd., TO ON M4B 1G4 416.771.3685 | lillyo.art@gmail.com | lillyotasevic.ca
LYLY
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r
e
n
c
e
s
Kim Selman
Strategic Initiatives Lead
Cobalt Connects
Email: kim@cobaltconnects.ca
Phone: 905-548-0111
Web: www.cobaltconnects.ca
www.burlingtonpublicart.com
www.tisconline.wordpress.com
Kate Hagerman
Acting Director, Community Planning
Region of Waterloo
PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT
AND LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
150 Frederick St., 8th Floor
Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3
KHagerman@regionofwaterloo.ca
ALTERNATIVE:
Judi Michelle Young
President
Sculptors Society of Canada
Phone: 647.435.5858
Email: cansculpt@gmail.com
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PMV Deaccession Proposal – 2022
Memo
To:
Cultural Advisory Committee of the City of Pickering
January 4, 2023
From: Ellen Tayles-Armstrong
Curator, Pickering Museum Village
Subject: Request to Deaccession Artifacts at Pickering Museum Village - 2022 Deaccession List
Dear Cultural Advisory Committee of the City of Pickering,
The Pickering Museum Village artifact collection is comprised of over 10, 000 pieces. The
collection consists of material culture that ranges from Indigenous objects dating to 1400 BCE to
political objects from the 1980s.
In an effort to reflect our community with the most acute care and responsibility the museum
subscribes to accountable collections management standards by engaging with proper
deaccession techniques. We hope to put our available resources, both employee time and
finances, towards the artefacts that best represent Pickering in terms of rarity, provenance,
context and condition.
The attached list is a series of artifacts that the museum deems worthy of deaccession that do not
meet the requirements for museum care. The list describes the particular reasons for each
proposed deaccession considering the artifact’s status, condition, and circumstances.
Attempts were made to stabilise these artifacts or to reconcile these pieces with their
documentation. When an artifact is damaged beyond effective use in a museum setting and is no
longer relevant to the museum and city’s cultural mandates, the work is then considered for
deaccession. Additionally, many of the below artifacts are listed because the item has lost its
historical connection with the community because documentation cannot be attached to the
artifact. The combined poor condition and lack of provenance has led the museum to provide the
attached list.
The museum asks that the Cultural Advisory Committee endorse this list for City Council approval.
Sincerely,
Ellen Tayles-Armstrong – Curator, Pickering Museum Village
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PMV Deaccession Proposal – 2022
Deaccession List
September 2022
Object ID Object Name Condition Photograph Justification
X973.66.34 Furnace Blower Fair – artefact’s fan belt has
detached and parts no
longer work/move.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
X2021.20.75
(“B50”)
Dolley, part Fair –Metal is rusted, parts
are missing
Accession notes it was part of a
dolley used to move
pianos/heavy furniture, but is
missing several parts. Artefact has
been assigned a Found in
Collection number and has no
provenance documentation.
X2021.20.30 Cast Iron Oven Poor – oven is in several
pieces, rusted and too
heavy to reconstruct
Artefact has no accession number
and cannot be attached to any
provenance documentation. Has
been assigned a temporary
Found in Collection number.
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January 4, 2023 Page 3 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
BY 53 / BY 12 Unknown
agriculture
machinery
Poor – artefacts are rusted,
wood is dry and brittle,
pest damage present on
both artefacts
BY = Bone Yard artefacts, which
had been stored outside for
many years and are therefore in
poor condition, and have no
artefact numbers or
documentation attached to them
X2021.20.10 Fence Poles, x5 Fair – large, heavy poles
from fencing salvaged from
[?]. Poles are much larger
than section of fence, are
damaged, rusted and have
paint flaking
Fencing and wooden post to be
kept, but poles exceed section of
salvaged fence and are not
needed. Fence has not been
accessioned and has been
assigned a temporary Found in
Collection number.
X2021.20.45 Bath Tub Poor – chipped paint, very
rusted. Paint and rust
chip/fall away on contact.
Salvaged from old home in
community by Ellen Tayles-
Armstrong (former Conservator),
but has chipped paint and very
rusted. Bathtub was not
accessioned and was assigned a
temporary Found in Collection
number.
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January 4, 2023 Page 4 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X974.503.1 Coroners Jar Unstable – unknown
substance in jar; hazardous,
potentially explosive. See
Disposal Summary Report
attached to deaccession
proposal.
Artefact was donated in the
1970s with a white powder
inside. Powder was unknown
and never tested. Between 1999
– 2013, powder liquefied and
then crystallised. Substance is
most likely picric acid or
arsenic, both unstable,
hazardous chemicals. Picric acid
is explosive and shock sensitive.
2015.3.1AB Lamp Unstable - Ceramic shade
was dropped previously
and shattered.
Conservation treatments
were preformed to put as
many pieces back together
as possible, but shade is
too brittle and adhesives
used to secure fragments
was not effective, pieces
are still loose/falling out
Artefact is unstable, ceramic is
broken and reattached
fragments are loose in shade,
many pieces are missing
leaving gaps in ceramic.
No Number Wagon Unstable - Artefact has
been outside for many
years; wood rot, insect
damage and severe rust.
Wheel shave sunk into the
ground.
Unknown artefact and
provenance, cannot find/link to
any donation records.
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January 4, 2023 Page 5 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X963.1.20 Portland Sleigh Unstable – severe wood
rot, insect damage and
rust. Front box not
attached to base of sled,
and runners have
separated from base.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Poor condition
from being kept outside for
many years.
X963.1.8 Land Roller Unstable – severe wood
rot, insect damage and
rust. Pull bar rotted and
broke in half when being
moved. Rollers are pitted,
cracked and have large
chunks of wood missing.
Doesn’t roll evenly.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Condition is too
poor and unsuitable for
conservation treatment.
X969.2.33 Parasol Contaminated / Hazard:
Rodents have chewed
holes in fabric, here is
staining from urine and
rust. Two ribs of parasol
have broken off and are
missing.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
Artefact is considered a
Hazard due to presence of
rodent urine and droppings.
X969.2.34 Parasol Contaminated / Hazard:
Rodents have chewed large
holes in fabric. There is
staining from urine and
rust.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
Artefact is considered a
Hazard due to presence of
rodent urine and droppings.
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January 4, 2023 Page 6 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X974.232.1 Parasol Contaminated / Hazard:
Rodents have chewed large
holes in fabric. There is
staining from urine and
rust.
Was accessioned with large
rip on one side.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
Artefact is considered a
Hazard due to presence of
rodent urine and droppings.
X974.781.1 Parasol Contaminated / Hazard:
Slight odour of urine from
rodents, and severe
staining from rust and
urine.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
Artefact is considered a
Hazard due to presence of
rodent urine and droppings.
X974.782.1 Parasol Contaminated / Hazard:
Slight odour of urine from
rodents, and severe
staining from rust and
urine.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
Artefact is considered a
Hazard due to presence of
rodent urine and droppings.
X974.782.2 Parasol Contaminated / Hazard:
Slight odour of urine from
rodents, and severe
staining from rust and
urine.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined.
Artefact is considered a
Hazard due to presence of
rodent urine and droppings.
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January 4, 2023 Page 7 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X967.1.608 Cauldron Unstable – corroded
through the metal leaving
holes in bottom and sides
of cauldron, metal flaking
off and handles are bent.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Condition was
noted as poor when
accessioned, and seems to
have further deteriorated.
X960.1.138 Quilt Poor – quilt has large tears
and holes in fabric, many
loose threads and musty
odour.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Accessioned with
tears, but some damage looks
as if rodents may have caused
it.
X2022.6.38 Rug Poor - rug has many large
holes, loose fibers and had
evidence of insect activity
in storage roll.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Accessioned as
‘worn’ but no indication that
tears/damage was this severe
at time of accessioning.
X968.2.17 Rug Poor – rug has many loose
fibres, large holes and
residue stains/clumps from
rodents or insects, or other
unknown sources.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Many loose
fibres, large holes and
possible rodent damage as
some damage looks ‘nibbled
(as noted on accession record)
X974.136.1 Mannequin Poor – extensive damage
to plaster on doll, fingers
missing on both hands.
Metal wires poking
through on hands and legs.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Extensive
damage to the plaster, which
is unstable/crumbling.
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January 4, 2023 Page 8 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
ST1.259.1 Shoe Last Poor – wood is dry and
crumbling from rot, pitted
and cracking from age and
insect damage.
No donor information found,
provenance cannot be
determined. Extensive
damage was noted in 1988
and has deteriorated further.
No # Hook Poor – item is broken at
top of hook, metal is rough
and badly rusted.
No object number on broken
piece, unable to match it to
original artefact. Cannot
determine provenance.
ST2.460.1 Chair Poor – backrest separated
from rest of chair, wood is
splintered and broken.
Severe damage to chair and
no donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
ST2.443.1 Chair Unstable – spindle is
broken and missing, wood
is cracked and splintered
Extensive damage to backrest
and no donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
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January 4, 2023 Page 9 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X965.1.16 Chair Unstable – spindles are
broken off and missing,
wood at insertion points is
cracked and damaged
Extensive damage to backrest
and no donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
X968.1.85 Chair Unstable – wood is dry and
cracking in places, evidence
of rodent damage/gnaw
marks on edges of chair
and legs
Wood is in poor condition
and unsalvageable;
reproductions of this chair
have been made for use.
X960.1.118 Chair Poor – broken stretcher at
bottom of chair, missing.
Damage to wood and paint
finish, and no donor
information available. Cannot
determine provenance.
X969.3.63 Chair Unstable – seat is cracked
on left side where backrest
attaches to seat, making
seat unstable. Rope
rewound previously, slight
damages (possibly
rodents).
Extensive repairs/materials
required to repair seat, and no
donor information available.
Cannot determine
provenance.
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January 4, 2023 Page 10 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
E269 /
X2019.8.1
Rocking Chair Unstable – wooden slats
broken, missing pieces.
Thin and break further
when handled. Legs are
uneven/warped, no longer
rocks evenly.
Damage to wood/chair is
extensive, chair is
unsalvageable without
complete rebuild. Donor
information unavailable,
cannot determine
provenance.
X968.2.12 Chair Poor – seat is cracked
through, previously
repaired. Two of three
spindles on backrest are
splintered.
Would require extensive
repairs to replace/re-stabilize
seat, other very similar chairs
already exist within collection.
X968.1.82 Chair Wood is dry/cracked,
damaged at corners and
edges. Several players of
paint have
chipped/scratched off and
left additional damage to
wood.
Extensive repair and materials
required to re-stabilise and
repair chair, other very similar
chairs already exist within
collection.
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January 4, 2023 Page 11 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
ST2.446.1 Rocking Chair Poor – severe water
damage to wicker backing,
seat missing. Wooden
stretchers on legs are
splintered.
Extensive damage to wicker
and wood, and no donor
information available. Cannot
determine provenance.
ST2.446.2 Chair Poor – backrest broken,
wood is splintered, dry and
cracking. Spindles on
backrest are cracked and
damaged.
Extensive damage to wood on
seat and backrest, and no
donor information available.
Cannot determine
provenance.
X2019.5.1 Chair Poor – backrest broken off
and missing from chair.
Insertion points are cracked
and damaged.
Extensive damage to wood,
and no donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
ST2.453.1 Chair Unstable – backrest is
cracked at base of seat,
loose and separating from
chair. Seat is cracked and
wood is dry, paint is
beginning to flake in these
areas.
Extensive damage to wood,
and no donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
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January 4, 2023 Page 12 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X969.4.62 Stand Fair – fabric is missing,
wood pieces on sides of
table top are loose.
Stand is noted as having been
found in General Store closet
in 2014, possibly
deaccessioned previously.
No donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
ST2.702.1 Stand Unstable – wood detailing
around edge of table top
are loose. Several pieces
missing.
Damage to wood and missing
pieces, stand is noted as
having been found in General
Store closet in 2014, possibly
deaccessioned previously.
No donor information
available. Cannot determine
provenance.
X974.68.49 Rake Poor – handle is split and
cracking, several teeth at
head are broken and
missing
Damage to wood and teeth
are extensive. No donor
information available, cannot
determine provenance.
X2022.6.58 Handle Poor – grips are loose, no
longer stable on handle
frame. Wood is dry, rotted
and stained from water
damage. Missing blade.
Artefact has no accession
number and cannot be
attached to any provenance
documentation. Has been
assigned a temporary Found
in Collection number.
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January 4, 2023 Page 13 of 13
Deaccession Proposal 2022
X968.4.11 Slate Board Unstable – wood frame is
broken, separated at
corners
Artefact has no accession
number and cannot be
attached to any provenance
documentation.
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