ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
Art in Public Places Strategy
The City of Orillia Art in Public Places Strategic Plan will be presented to Council on April 17, 2023, by Cobalt Connects (Cobalt). Cobalt is a non-profit arts service organization that works throughout Ontario to spur innovative events, programs, public art projects and facilities that advance the creative industries and cultural sector.
The Strategic Plan is meant to provide the City and community with a roadmap for the funding, development and installation of public art that reflect the needs and stories of Orillia.
Key City planning processes, such as the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan, Streets for All: Streetscape Improvement Master Plan and the City of Orillia Tourism Strategic Action Plan, call for public art to play a larger role in placemaking to enhance the quality of life of residents and support economic development. Grounded by these plans along with research into best practices and local voices, the Plan will help identify suitable locations, funding strategies and partnerships that support a vibrant public art program and link public art planning to future development across the city.
Visit orillia.ca/council for a link to the Council agenda.
The Art in Public Places Committee
The City of Orillia adopted its first Art in Public Places Policy 1.12.6.1 in 2010 to recognize and promote the value of arts and culture through the integration of artwork into public views. The objective of the policy is to establish a standard and transparent process for the acquisition, consultation, selection, site selection, maintenance, deaccession, monitoring and evaluation of purchased and/or donated works of art for display in public places.
In 2018, City Council passed a resolution authorizing the Orillia Museum of Art & History to manage the City’s public art program under the direction of the Manager of Culture and an Art in Public Places Committee.
The Committee advises Council on donations and public calls for artwork originating with Council, the Committee, City staff or members at large. This page is dedicated to the work they are involved in. To stay informed, sign-up for page updates.
The Public Art Tour
Use the arrows to the left and right to scroll through the site descriptions.
City of Orillia Map of Public Art
Public Art Proposals
Do you have a public art project you would like to bring to life? We encourage you to contact staff before completing our Public Art Proposal Checklist to ensure we have all of the necessary information to assess your proposal.
Allie Bradford, Culture Coordinator
Ph: 705-330-6479; Email: abradford@orillia.ca
Public Art projects are subject to the City of Orillia’s Art in Public Places Policy 1.12.6.1. and require a written proposal prior to being forwarded to Council for approval.
The Stack Gallery
In 2018, City Council passed a resolution authorizing the Orillia Museum of Art & History to manage the City’s public art program under the direction of the Manager of Culture and an Art in Public Places Committee.
The Committee manages the Stack Gallery at the Orillia Recreation Centre, leads new calls for works of art, advises on proposed donations, and reviews proposals for public art from the community year-round.
Details on the committee, its application processes and projects are below. You can sign-up to receive direct emails as updates become available.
On now at the Stack Gallery:
Click on the image below to learn more.
Coming up at the Stack Gallery:
Within the Orillia Recreation Centre, the City of Orillia has a gallery wall for rotating exhibits curated by the Art in Public Places Committee. The theme for the upcoming exhibit is ‘Inclusion’, and challenges artists to consider what this term means to them through an artistic and creative lens. The notion of “inclusion” is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. Through this upcoming exhibit, both the Art in Public Places Committee and the Inclusive Orillia Committee invite artists to think critically about what it means to be inclusive as individuals and in the community. Artists looking to be featured in the gallery are invited to interpret this theme, either through new or existing original works of art.
The call is open to those who work or reside in the City of Orillia, Chippewas of Rama First Nation, or the Townships of Oro-Medonte, Severn, or Ramara. The deadline for submissions is May 10, 2024 by 12pm (noon). The exhibit will run from June to December 2024. Click here to apply.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
- The Stack Gallery is an area located within the lobby of the new ORC next to the reception desk. It includes a 25’ rail system and 10’ ceilings suitable for two-dimensional artwork.
- Artists can interpret the theme through any subject matter that resonates with meaning for the artist provided it is suitable for display in a public space.
- Collaborations of two or more artists are welcome.
- Artwork must be original to the artist(s).
- Sizes are not restricted.
- Multi-medium will be accepted provided it can be hung, it does not extend more than 2 inches from the wall, and any sound or video does not require external power (outlets are not provided)
(The Stack Gallery exhibit ‘Teenage Zeitgeist’)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Submissions must include the following:
- Name of Artist(s)
- Contact information: address, phone number and email.
- Brief bio of participating artist(s)
- Artist(s) statement related to the piece and its interpretation of the theme
- Description of artwork: title, date, medium, size (h, w, d), weight (lbs), value, other considerations such as audio/video
- 3 images of the work (wide shot of the front, close up of the front and side) or video file
All submission materials become the property of the City of Orillia and will not be returned.
DEADLINE
The deadline for submissions is noon Friday May 10, 2024.
TERMS
- Artists selected will be required to enter into a loan agreement with the City of Orillia.
- Selected artwork must be ready to hang upon arrival utilizing the existing system. Please use two D-ring hooks (or comparable mechanism) sufficient to hold the weight of your piece. Work will be hung by City staff.
- The City of Orillia reserves the right to remove any work at anytime subject to Policy 1.12.6.1 and will notify the artist upon removal.
- There are no fees for exhibiting work in the gallery.
- Pieces may be priced for sale but must remain a part of the exhibit until the closing date. Should an artist sell their work, a 10% fee will be applied that goes into an Art in Public Places account and is put towards future public art projects throughout the City.
- Artists must obtain their own insurance for their displayed artwork at their own expense or sign a waiver freeing the City of Orillia from Liability in case of accidental loss, theft, damage, or vandalism.
- Artwork will be exhibited in the Orillia Recreation Centre for approximately six months from hanging the exhibit.
- An opening reception may be organized by the City of Orillia.
- In the event all submissions cannot be accommodated, applications may be considered for future exhibitions.
NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
Submissions will be juried by a panel of peers. Only selected applicants will be contacted.
For more information, please contact Allie Bradford, Culture Coordinator, City of Orillia or Steph Dunn, Chair of the Stack Gallery Sub-Committee
Subject: Orillia Recreation Centre Stack Exhibit “Inclusion”
Email: abradford@orillia.ca Phone:705-325-4530
Email: stephdunnmusic@gmail.com Phone: 705-238-7553
Click on our Public Art Map to start your tour of the City’s Public Art Collection.
About:
The City of Orillia adopted its first Art in Public Places Policy 1.12.6.1 in 2010 to recognize and promote the value of arts and culture through the integration of artwork into public views. The objective of the policy is to establish a standard and transparent for the acquisition, consultation, selection, site selection, maintenance, deaccession, monitoring and evaluation of purchased and/or donated works of art for display in public places.
In 2018, City Council passed a resolution authorizing the Orillia Museum of Art & History to manage the City’s public art program under the direction of the Manager of Culture and an Art in Public Places Committee.
The Committee advises Council on donations and public calls for artwork originating with Council, the Committee, City staff or members at large.
Committee Members:
Catherine Phillips, Chair
● Ruth Watt
● Valerie Powell
● Catherine Allman
● Mary Jo Pollak
● Anna Van Maris
● Stephen Davids
● Ninette Gyorody, OMAH staff support
● Jacqueline Surette, City of Orillia staff support