The City of Castlegar will apply for a $75,000 grant to create a permanent sculpture commemorating the community’s location at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia rivers.
The application will be through the Columbia Basin Trust’s public art program.
City manager Chris Barlow told council this week that it “seemed like a natural” fit because the city has been enhancing its art installations downtown and has laid claim to the title of Sculpture Capital of Canada, due to its long-running Sculpture Walk program.
Under the program requirements, the application has to come from a municipality, but the city will partner with Sculpture Walk, which would issue a call for local artists and come up with submission requirements. A group of adjudicators would then choose a winner.
The grant is expected to cover both materials and a stipend for the artist.
“We would determine which one we feel is the the most appropriate and then commission that sculpture,” Barlow said. “Depending on the medium, it might take six months to build, it might take a year, two years.”
Where the sculpture will go will be determined by what form it takes, but Barlow said they are looking for something that will last a long time with minimal maintenance.
While the maximum the city can apply for is $75,000, Barlow said there is no guarantee they will receive that amount.
Councillor Sandy Bojechko asked if the money could be spent on multiple works rather than just one. Barlow said it is possible, depending on how much funding they receive and what the response to the call to artists is like.
However, mayor Maria McFaddin said spending a higher amount on a single sculpture would help ensure the result is “distinctly different” than the works in Sculpture Walk and lasts longer.
“Something that’s grand enough to actually be a showpiece,” she said. “I think it might be good to be able to get something in a medium that is a bit more substantial and at a size that’s pretty substantial.”
She added that although the city buys a sculpture every year for its permanent collection, some pieces are out of reach due to their price tags.
Council approved submitting the grant application and authorized staff to work with Sculpture Walk to develop the artist selection process and budget.
