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public art by Ilona Beiks Transforming Space into Place A l s o , take n o t e o f N o r t h Dwight Atkinson's Yet Another Way to know thot Petro-Chemico/s ond their Byproducts ore intrinsic to Modern life is I ublic art has b e e n part of the N o r t h V a n c o u v e r c o m m u n i t y since the early 1960s w h e n a series of t o t e m poles w e r e c a r v e d by artist K e n M a y o and e r e c t e d in C a t e s Park a n d Lynn C a n y o n Park. In t h e years that f o l l o w e d , a p p r o x i m a t e l y 33 pieces have b e e n p l a c e d in public places t h r o u g h o u t t h e C i t y and District of N o r t h Vancouver. H o w e v e r , t h e s e pieces w e r e installed w i t h o u t v i r t u e of a policy, guidelines, o r funding m e c h a n i s m . T h e r o l e of public art goes b e y o n d aesthetics. It n o t only invests a space w i t h " p l a c e m a k i n g " qualities and c u l t u r e , it has t h e capacity t o i n t e r p r e t t h e h i s t o r i c , social, c u l t u r a l , a n d n a r r a t i v e nuances that e x i s t in a functional urban environment. ;£ £ j£ 20 Successful public art p r o g r a m s e n h a n c e t h e quality o f o u r lives, e x p r e s s local values, and b r i n g r e c o g n i t i o n t o t h e c o m m u n i t y . It t r a n s f o r m s space i n t o place. O n e of t h e m o s t successful p r o grams in N o r t h A m e r i c a exists virtually o n o u r d o o r s t e p . T h e C i t y o f Seattle has a c o l l e c t i o n of o v e r 1,600 V a n c o u v e r ' s n e w e s t public art p i e c e -- a bus s h e l t e r e n h a n c e m e n t at the P e t r o - C a n a d a Station near 13th S t r e e t and L o n s d a l e . C r e a t e d by D w i g h t A t k i n s o n w i t h help f r o m Ian W a t s o n , it is e n t i t l e d Yet A n o t h e r W a y t o k n o w that P e t r o - C h e m i c a l s and t h e i r B y - P r o d u c t s are intrinsic t o M o d e r n life. A t k i n s o n , an a r c h i t e c t , b r o a d c a s t e r , s t a n d - u p c o m i c , and p r o fessional artist, is eager f o r p e o p l e t o take m o r e than a passing glance at his s c u l p t u r e : he h o p e s they take t h e t i m e t o c o n s c i o u s l y l o o k at it. A t k i n s o n d e s c r i b e s his piece: " T h i s subtle sculpture is m a d e f r o m layered metal panels fastened t o the back of the bus shelter. P r o v i d i n g b o t h an abstract and a literal c o m p o s i t i o n , it f o r m s a quiet b a c k d r o p w h i l e facing an active urban i n t e r s e c t i o n . P e t r o C a n a d a . the s p o n s o r , had s t r i c t r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r the w o r k including r o b u s t n e s s , simple m a i n t e n a n c e , and a t h e m a t i c relation t o P e t r o c h e m i c a l . T h e p r o j e c t r e s p o n d s by presenting an a b s t r a c t i o n of engineering diagrams and h i s t o r i c imagery. T h e panels, m a d e f r o m interwo- located at 13th and Lonsdale in North Vancouver. For a list of public art and locations, call the North Shore Arts Commission at 980-3559. Artist's rendering newest FANS Awards X ¡111 in ti 11 an (or urtht from inn/ disiiplhie ctwardl of North Vancouver's Dwight public art piece by Atkinson w o r k s that are r e c o g n i z e d f o r t h e i r d e p t h , b r e a d t h , and diversity. M a n y a b u s l o a d o f art s t u d e n t s and a r t l o v e r s have c r o s s e d t h e line just t o v i e w Seattle's public art. T h e a r t w o r k c u r r e n t l y l o c a t e d in N o r t h V a n c o u v e r ' s public spaces is a t e s t a m e n t t o t h e foresight of past c o u n c i l s w h o believed in the benefit of art, and it p r o v i d e s a s t r o n g basis f o r d e v e l o p i n g public a r t policy. W i t h this in m i n d , take a c l o s e l o o k at the public spaces y o u m o v e t h r o u g h . V i s i t existing public a r t w o r k s like N o r m a n Tait's Grizzly Bear ven a l u m i n u m s h e e t s , m e s h , and r o d s are e t c h e d w i t h p h o t o s and t e x t . T h e s e images d e s c r i b e the s o u r c e s of and m o d e r n uses f o r c r u d e o i l . Together, t h e s e e l e m e n t s will delight the eye a n d have a different i m p a c t f r o m v a r y i n g distances: A u t o m o b i l e passengers w i l l see a t r a n s l u c e n t a b s t r a c t i o n of f o r m . W a l k e r s will sense a m o r e d e t a i l e d pass of t e x t and d i a g r a m . W a i t i n g f o r t h e bus, citiz e n s have t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o c l o s e l y study t h e panels. T h e t e x t and p h o t o s e n h a n c e t h e p o i n t of the w o r k a n d w i l l e n t e r t a i n t h o s e willing t o invest t i m e t o read a b o u t the s u b j e c t . T h e divine is in t h e details." Public art can be a c o n t r o v e r s i a l issue, as A t k i n s o n n o t e s . " A c h i e v i n g a balance b e t w e e n political c o r r e c t ness, accessibility, a n d c u l t u r a l a d v a n c e m e n t is a s u p r e m e challenge." But t h e r e w a r d s are w e l l w o r t h the challenge. a 1999 FANS Award Criteria: Candidates Must... · Be a living resident of the North Shore. · Have a substantial and nationally recognized body of work in any discipline. Nominations Procedure: · Contact the North Shore Arts Commission for a nomination form, at 980-3559. · Deadline for nominations is May 14, 1999. Coming out of the Village at C a p i l a n o M a l l , T o m O s b o r n e ' s Sailor's at W a t e r f r o n t Park. G e r a l d G l a d s t o n e ' s Fish Forms Upstream Rushing Memorial at t h e Seabus e n t r a n c e , a n d G r e g K a w c z n s k i ' s W h o Got the Umbrella in P a n o r a m a Park. W h a t d o e s it say a b o u t y o u r c o m m u n i t y as a p e o p l e and place?