City Council has supported a recommendation from the Arts, Creative & Cultural Innovations Advisory Committee to contribute $5,000 to the Downtown Penticton Association’s 200-block Main Street breezeway mural project. This funding will ensure local artists receive fair payment for their work.
The breezeway project involves beautifying the passageway with a collection of murals, giving it a welcoming, family- and tourist-friendly look.
In a presentation to the ACCI Committee during its latest meeting on Sept. 18, DPA Executive Director Lynn Allin said the 11 murals could feature the works of separate artists. These will be printed on vinyl anti-graffiti wraps, which will be printed at cost thanks to Jafa Signs.
The project has received a Tweed Collective grant of $10,000. However, the DPA needed an additional $5,000 to cover the artist payments. The advisory committee recommended to City Council that they contribute the funds, which was approved Oct. 6.
Although advisory committee members do not have the authority to allocate funding, they do have the power to make a recommendation to City Council.
During the committee meeting, members at large inquired about a possible theme for the artwork, lighting in the breezeway to increase the safety and security of the area, whether an open call for local artists would take place, the type of artwork being sought, about the project timeline, and other considerations. Members specified that the murals should give preference to local artists and indigenous representation.
The committee recommended that City Council support the DPA’s ask of $5,000 towards the breezeway project. City Council approved the request on Tuesday, Oct. 6, during its regular council meeting.
The DPA is now working with the Penticton Arts Council to send out a call for artists, aiming for a grand reveal in November. The vinyl murals must be installed before the weather dips below -7 C, which affects the adhesive.
The Arts, Creative & Cultural Innovations Committee meets monthly, providing feedback and opinions on issues to be decided upon by City Council. Due to the pandemic, recent meetings have been held over Zoom, generally taking 1.5 hours.
The committee consists of nine voting members, all of whom have an interest or experience in arts and culture. They provide advice and guidance on public art if needed, research and develop arts and culture activities, recommend actions that increase collaboration and communication between arts and cultural groups, and recommend actions and education or marketing initiatives which promote increased public awareness and participation in arts and culture.
If you are interested in learning more about applying to become a committee member, visit our Committees page. To read more updates from behind the scenes, go to Committees Updates.