Whether it’s a sculpture, frieze, mural or hanging, a new public artwork will be installed in City Hall to commemorate Red Deer’s centennial.
A call for proposals has been issued to provincial artists by the city’s Culture Department for the new work — which will also be a legacy of the Distinguished Artist Awards, which will be presented in the city in June by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
“It’s one way to commemorate the centennial” and keep a legacy in the city from hosting from the awards presentation, said Wendy Meeres, Red Deer’s culture community development co-ordinator.
The deadline for submissions is Feb. 4 and the artwork must be ready for installation in the first week of June.
The criteria requires creating a piece that celebrates Red Deer’s 100th birthday.
But the winning artist(s) will also have to work with Grade 6 students in the city to create the public art, which can be two or three dimensional and consist of one artwork or several that can be displayed throughout City Hall.
Meeres said Grade 6 students study municipal government.
“The idea is that when they come here they can see something created by students their age.”
There are various locations where the work can be installed — from the large wall over the cashier to smaller spaces near elevators.
Meeres said another possibility is creating a hanging work to replace the fabric birds that now dangle above the main floor space.
“They are a bit tired and old.”
The proposals will be judged by a legacy committee made up of community members with arts backgrounds, a member of the Red Deer Arts Council and city staff.
The total budget for the project, including artist fee, materials and installation, is $10,500.
Half will come from the city’s public art reserve and half will be raised from sponsorships, said Meeres.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com