Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/09/2025

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art commissions. Since 1981, the Sculpture Garden has exhibited more than 80 works of public art. It has provided artists with the opportunity to work exper- imentally in public space, explore issues of scale and materials, and has served as a career platform for many artists receiving their first public commission.This model could be replicated elsewhere in Toronto. In such an arrangement, the City would identify and maintain dedicated exhibition spaces for rotating public art projects, and leverage them as a platform for discovery and innovation, and as a lasting benefit for the community. 1.3 Identify public art opportunities and engage artists as early as possilbleln all projects Throughout our consultations,we asked participants to describe successful public art projects. There was one common factor that almost all participants pointed to as a marker of success namely, identifying opportunities for public art and engaging artists early in capital project development. Too often, public art opportunities are identified late in project development, at a point when the design for a site is already largely confirmed.This is a common issue among all public art programs, and is not unique to Toronto. Engaging artists early allows for artists to be embedded within the design team, and helps to enable greater collaboration and dialogue with project architects, landscape architects, and other partners in the development process. This early-stage collaboration can result in an art work that feels more connected and integrated with its site. Moreover, it can allow for increased consultation and engagement with the local community in the development of the project concept. This action calls for the City to proactively identify public art opportunities in municipal capital works as early as possible in the project planning process. City-led commissions should be timed to allow for artists to leverage their creativity to contribute to the overall vision for a site, and help to shape its func- tional design. Proactive, early engagement of artists will be emphasized as part of any new guidelines for applying the percent for public art policy to municipal capital projects. In addition, private developers will continue to be encouraged to begin planning for public art early in their planning process. 1.4 Champion career-launching platforms for the next generation of public artists There are many artists who are poised and qualified to enter into the field of public art, but struggle to secure their first public commission.The City has taken a leadership role in championing public art and knowledge-building opportunities for emerging artists through the StreetARToronto program and the deliberate mentoring efforts of Nuit Blanche, and can build on these foundations to support other early career public artists. 30 Creativity and Community— Everywhere