WATCH: Vancouver city council is being asked to approve a location for a pricey piece of interactive art. Elaine Yong reports.
Art isn’t easy. Neither is voting on it if you’re a politician.
“It is subjective. Not everyone likes a certain piece, and sometimes the pieces that are controversial end up being more loved later on. It’s a hard call, but I think we have some great public art all around our city that people really enjoy,” says Vancouver Park Board Chair John Coupar.
The Vancouver Park Board will be voting on May 25 whether to approve the installation of a piece of art called “Home and Away.” At $450,000, it would be an interactive sculpture at Empire Fields. Hearkening back to the decades where the field was home to concerts and big-time sporting events, the exhibit would have usable bleachers “and may include a playful slide exit back into the park,” according to the report prepared by city staff.
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“It’s got a lot of interesting parts to it,” says Coupar, who says the project was approved by the city using their Public Art Program and capital plan.
“Originally it wasn’t under the jurisdiction of the park board, our role here is just to approve the actual location of it within the park,” he says.
It’s part of a multi-year master plan for Hastings Park, as the city aims to revitalize it and make it “a park and public gathering space for both the local community and residents across the city and the region.”
Coupar says he understands the concerns that come with taxpayer dollars being spent on public art. But he says he’s always been in support of public art and thinks most projects eventually prove their value to citizens.
“Generally, it’s a small part of the overall budget, but I think over time people come to really appreciate it.”
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