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

Home

2.2 Activate public art through community-focused educational and interpretive programming Throughout the consultation process, we heard from Torontonians who were curious to learn more about the City's public art collection. There is strong community interest in educational and interpretive programming such as artist or curator talks; self-guided and artist-led tours or walks; digital QR codes on art works; and didactic plaques and panels to help uncover the story behind the public art works that are found across the city. Educational and interpretive programming can be developed in partnership with artists, cultural organizations, school boards, private sector partners, tourism operators, and other community partners. There are also opportunities for public programming at sites marked for permanent public art projects in the future. From commissioning to installation, permanent public art projects can often take years,with few opportunities to engage with the surrounding community during this long process. A variety of programs, such as short term art projects, workshops, artist talks or other programming on or around the site could keep the community informed and engaged. 2.3 Create more public art opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities Creating visibility for artists from equity-seeking groups is fundamental to building a collection of public art that is inclusive of Toronto's deep diversity. The City should actively pursue program development strategies to improve diversity and representation among artists selected for public commissions, building on past work. Tactics could include: ®Dedicated competitionfor artists from equity-seeking groups; Targeted outreach strategies to effectively promote public art competition calls to artists who identify as being part of equity-seeking communities, and to arts organizations that serve equity-seeking groups; or "Blind" competitions in which juries view only the artist's concept, not biographical information. 2.4 Engage Indigenous communities to identify sites of significance across Toronto for Indigenous public art projects To plan for future Indigenous public art projects, the City should invite and support Indigenous communities to identify locations for major public art commissions across Toronto,and prioritize these projects for future investment. These locations could consist of sites of cultural significance, including 36 Creativity and Community— Everywhere