The Town of Banff is investigating whether laws should be considered that would mandate developers to either help pay or contribute to public art.
Randall McKay, manager of planning and development, said staff are still in the very early stages of exploring various options to help fund public art.
“We’re exploring ideas and mechanisms around that concept as we speak as part of the land use bylaw review, but we haven’t finalized anything,” he said.
“The idea is to promote public art because we believe there’s a significant value to public art. We believe there’s opportunities to look at this and to find ways to help fund public art.”
One option that is being looked at is a separate standalone percentage fee or contribution based on either the cost of construction or the size of a project.
Another option being explored is to make public art a specific requirement of a development permit application through the Banff Design Guidelines.
As well, it could potentially be done through projects under the proposed new merit-based review system for commercial use development allotments.
Requiring public art as part of the development process is not a new concept, with many towns and cities in North America taking different approaches to help enrich their communities through art.
In Vancouver, for example, private-sector re-zonings greater than 100,000 sq. ft. are required to contribute a fee per buildable foot to a public art process approved by the City.
Other towns have proposed laws that would mandate that developers put art in their buildings.
“We‘re going to look at different options across the country and in the United States, but we may also have to come up with our own,” said McKay.
According to Banff’s 2010 municipal service review, the Town of Banff will continue with the installation of public art, but will seek new ways to increase funding.
However, council wants to examine the municipality’s place in public art programming with reference to the many other providers in the community.
Banff has a group that commissions art installations, known as The Banff Community Art Committee. It’s a standing committee of council, with a vision to “enrich Banff through public art”.
Currently, there is a balance of $60,814 in the public art reserve. Council has traditionally contributed $10,000 per year to this reserve fund.
Susan Webb, the Town’s recreation projects planner who is involved with the committee, said this reserve accumulates for several years before an amount is adequate enough to commission public art.
“The committee is putting together a three-year plan for public art. It’s basically looking at what we want to do with our current budget,” she said.
“Council is keen for the committee to find alternative revenue, as it is with everyone.”
The Banff Community Art Committee has been responsible for several art displays, including four sculptures of Mistahiya; Sleeping Buffalo; and Thunderbird and Eagle by Stewart Steinhauer in 2001 ($30,000).
Ravens by Eric Robertson was installed in 2005 for $45,0000, and the most recent addition to Banff’s collection is the sculptural installation Mountain Camp, by Susan Detwiler.
Mountain Camp consists of five cast bronze sculptures representing an historic campsite. It costs $41,000, half of which was paid for through a grant.
McKay said, in his opinion, the aesthetics of a community are extremely important and public art can play an important role in improving the overall appeal of any town or city.
“Public art, directly and indirectly, helps to shape the quality of life for residents, enhance community identity and visitor experience, and provides a form of expression that reflects a community’s spirit, whether it be a monument, mural, sculpture, stained glass or artistic performance, incorporated as part of the environment,” he said.
