Deadline: 21-Feb-22
The Wellington City Council is calling for curators and artists to propose public art projects. Public art activities play an important role in distinguishing Wellington as a sophisticated, tolerant, dynamic city with creativity at its heart.
Funding Information
- The average amount awarded to public art projects is approximately $10,000, although levels of investment vary.
- Well-focused projects are often less than $10,000 and funding is also considered at a more substantial level, sometimes allowing for a larger scale or for lengthier periods of engagement.
- You should discuss your proposed project and level of funding with an Arts Advisor before submitting your application.
Project Criteria
- Projects must:
- take place within the Wellington ratepaying area
- not have started before an application for funding
- is assessed.
- Eligible projects include:
- site-specific arts activities that take place in public spaces, including:
- artists contributing to the thinking and design of public places and spaces
- art concepts and/or artworks and/or design features integrated into urban design developments (including buildings, streets and parks)
- artists working in and with communities in public spaces
- art processes and artworks in the public sphere that may be variously described as sculpture, murals, street-art, performance, new-genre public art, relational aesthetics and/or installations
- conference/symposium/lecture series
- gifts/donations
- site-specific arts activities that take place in public spaces, including:
Outcomes
The Council’s Public Art Policy outlines eight desired outcomes for public art activity, which form the basis for the approval and prioritisation of public art activities in Wellington City. These are:
- Wellington’s public art activities will be fresh and innovative.
- Public art activities in Wellington’s suburban centres enhance sense of place.
- Maori whakapapa and history are expressed in Wellington’s public art activity.
- The city’s diverse communities are represented through public art activities.
- Wellingtonians are more engaged in the development of public art activity.
- The city’s public infrastructure integrates art concepts and/or design features and/or physical artworks.
- Initiate and implement programmes to communicate and educate people about Wellington’s public art activity.
- Public art activities directly contribute to social and economic change and urban/suburban revitalisation in Wellington.
Eligibility Criteria
- Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate at least one of the following:
- new artistic practices that will reinforce Wellington’s reputation as a centre for innovation
- located in one of Wellington’s suburban centres and reflect that suburban centre’s sense of place through its history, culture and topography
- recounts Maori whakapapa and history; and/ or can demonstrate approval and support of mana whenua representative organisations (eg Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust, Te Runanga O Toa Rangatira); and helps to develop the artistic capacity of mana whenua (Ngati Toa and Taranaki Whanui) in a meaningful way
- celebrates/represents Wellington’s diverse communities, creating opportunities for diverse community groups
- demonstrates how Wellington residents will be engaged in the development of public art activity
- takes place in public infrastructure as part of a (re) development project
- initiates and implements programmes to communicate and educate people about Wellington’s public art activity
- directly contributes to social and economic change and urban/suburban revitalisation in Wellington.
Note: The fit with a specific public art outcome will be weighted against the artistic merits of the proposal. This will ensure that work of outstanding artistic merit is not dismissed due to a poor fit with the outcomes.
- In assessing the artistic merit of a proposed activity, the following factors will be taken into account including a work’s response to a particular site. Priority will be assigned to public art activity proposals that:
- demonstrate a high standard of artistic excellence
- respond to the proposed site, which means taking into consideration the sites context (cultural, historical, environmental).
- may present opportunities for Wellington artists
- consider the accessibility of an artwork
- All proposals must:
- take place within the Wellington ratepaying area
- demonstrate appropriate consideration of public safety and the public’s acces to and use of the public domain.
- indicate credible maintenance and durability requirements.
For more information, visit https://wellington.govt.nz/arts-and-culture/arts/projects-and-opportunities/public-art-proposals