Creating extraordinary experiences through the arts
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Inspired Cities exhibition focuses on Vaughan’s new downtown
The urban heartbeat of any iconic city pulsates strongest through its vibrant urban core. Place making – a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of spaces for people that promotes health, happiness and well-being – is the focus of the City of Vaughan’s new downtown – the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC).
In keeping with the transformational vision for the VMC, artists from Vaughan and the Greater Toronto Area were invited to interpret the theme of Inspired Cities and submit original two-dimensional artwork for juried exhibition that defines and celebrates the heart and identity of metropolitan cities. Of the 161 submissions, 19 works were selected by a total of 12 artists – six from Vaughan – and are now featured ‘on the slate’ at Vaughan City Hall until April 18. Artists depicted a symbolic vocabulary of expression that incorporates iconic urban elements of architecture, art, culture and human experience.
Public art will play a dynamic role in creating a special identity, landmarks and destinations in the VMC. It will be a key contributor to creating a sense of place, and supports Vaughan Council’s strategic priority to build a dynamic city centre with a rich cultural base that attracts creative and knowledge-based industries.
As part of this, a Cultural Framework and Public Art Plan was initiated in 2014 to provide strategic direction, objectives, actions and priorities to guide the development of a wide range of cultural resources, activities and forms of public art. This process will be city-wide with a concentrated focus on the VMC. The plan will be a key driver in the creative economy and advance economic development in the VMC.
QUOTE
“We want to create a place where people connect with its very essence. Sensory based planning engages all of our senses – leading with the beautiful and creating fulfilling and meaningful experiences. The spaces between the buildings are as important as the buildings themselves, nurturing the spirit of the surroundings. The City of Vaughan has an exciting and vibrant arts community which enhances and enriches our culture. Congratulations to the artists selected to be featured in the Inspired Cities exhibition – your work reflects the passion you have for creating identity and culture in the places you live. Public art will be an important element of the VMC’s public realm, adding culture, beauty and interest to streetscapes.
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
QUICK FACTS
- Artists in the Greater Toronto Area were called to submit original artwork in two-dimenentional media by Dec. 19, 2015.
- Decisions were made by a jury panel and cash awards were given for Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show and the People’s Choice.
- In September 2014, the City of Vaughan retained The Planning Partnership, with Jane Perdue and Millier Dickinson Blais, to complete the Cultural Framework and Public Art Plan for the VMC and a City-Wide Public Art Study. The study is expected to be completed in the winter of 2016.
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