This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment – EXTRA
By John Swartz
As promised, this extra arts column has information about some items there wasn’t room for in the regular weekly column. I know, it’s the internet, there’s plenty of room – on the web page, however reading endurance however is another matter.
The first is for artists. The City of Orillia and the Art in Public places Committee (managed by the Orillia Museum of Art and History) has a notice for submissions in what they call the biggest public art project in the City’s history.
The City received a grant of to $331,700, part of which is to pay for development of a master plan for public art, and part to pay for creating public art. Cobalt Connects has been retained by the City to help with the master plan. They are from Hamilton and are engaged in several public art projects and managing venues and festivals.
Where the funding comes from is not known because the funder wants to make an announcement. I think it’s safe to say it’s unlikely the Ontario government; they aren’t exactly known for supporting happiness and art; I’m guessing it’s a federal program.
The project is to create permanent art to be installed in 7 spaces around the City. One of those is a special case and has separate submission criteria. All locations are along Orillia’s trail system at points where they intersect roads.
Six of the locations are:
Site 1- Wilson Point Trail Intersection – An entry point to the City from Severn Township where Orillia’s trail system connects to the Uhthoff Trail. It has an artist fee of up to $10,000 designated.
Site 2 – Fittons Road Trail Intersection ; artist fee of up to o $35,000 designated.
Site 3 – Orillia Recreation Centre; artist fee of up to $45,000 designated.
Site 4 – Stormwater Pond at Rotary Place; here three pieces are being commissioned, one for each pond trailhead; artist fee of up to o $30,000 total designated.
Site 5 – James Street Trail Intersection – An entry point to the City from the Township of Oro-Medonte; artist fee of up to $20,000 designated.
Site 6 – Atherley Road Trail Intersection – An entry point to the City from
Ramara Township and Rama First Nation; artist fee of up to $25,000 designated.
The total budget for all pieces, including the 7th one, is $276,000, so approximately $100,000 of that will go toward materials, bases for the art and interpretive signs.
The 7th site is the back wall of the water filtration plant next to Couchiching Beach Park. This obviously will face the lake. Mural Artists are targeted with this project. This one has up to $6,500 scheduled for the artist fee and a total budget of $15,000.
Submission details for the first 6 items can be found here and the proposal deadline is September 19, the mural details can be found here and the proposal deadline is September 26.
Mary Rose Bursary
The Orillia Fine Arts Association has awarded bursaries to students of the three high schools who are taking post-secondary education in fine arts since 2017.
One of the ways they raise money for the bursaries is with the annual Mary Rose Yard Sale. This year it’s September 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 154 Nottawasaga Street. Mary was an architect, artist and member of OFAA. She passed in 2017 and had accumulated a lot of art supplies, which were the stock of the first yard sale.
Last spring bursaries were awarded to Megan Taylor of Twin Lakes Secondary School, Mya McGee of Patrick Fogarty, and Viktoria Peden-Henry of Orillia Secondary School.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied)
