Canada PoliticsGovernments should give their collective heads a shake before spending taxpayer money on public art
We're supposed to be in an era of austerity.
In 2012, every province — except Saskatchewan — forecast a budget deficit.
Cities and municipalities are complaining about an almost $300 billion infrastructure deficit.
Governments are supposed to be tightening their belts but instead they're spending taxpayer dollars on art — really ugly art.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the City of Calgary spent $471,000 for public art project erected at 96 Avenue NE. To average Joe the art work (posted above) looks like a blue circle with lamps on top of it.
Here's how the artist describes it on the Calgary.ca website
In the shape of a ring, the sculpture represents the most iconic symbol of movement, the wheel. The arches of the street lamps rise from the apex, clearly and unequivocally anchoring the sculpture, while at the same time evoking the notion of constant movement. This dual meaning is reflective of the character of a bridge - a fixed, connecting location that serves movement and travel. Viewers may interpret the arches of the lamps as the handlebars of a high wheeler, the silhouette of a bird about to take flight or perhaps even a butterfly’s antennae. The radiant colour makes reference to the sky, which is always in the background, and contrasts with the bridge’s other functional elements.
While Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi isn't a fan of this particular piece of art work, he told the National Post that he still believes in the city's plan of allocating 1 per cent of its capital budget to public art.
[ Related: Calgary mayoral candidate slams Naheed Nenshi’s Muslim faith ]
Unfortunately, wacky taxpayer funded art isn't just limited to Calgary.
On Tuesday, Global News BC reported about a $120,000 sculpture in front of the new Surrey Memorial Hospital emergency wing. That sculpture from Mexico — seen here — is basically an abstract sphere of metal.
The local health board tried to justify the expense.
"For us the [complete hospital] project will still would have cost $512 million dollars because we put out a bid for $512 million dollars," Lakh Bagri, Acting Executive Director, Surrey Memorial Hospital, told Global.
"So the way I like to look at it is this it the value add that they chose to add, we didn’t ask for it."
Well couldn't the bid have been for $511,880,000 instead?
Can't the hospital board seek donations of art work?
What about partnering with the local art schools?
[ Related: Canadian cities buckling under the weight of exploding populations ]
Taxpayer monies going towards public art is nothing new; it's a seen a way to beautify cities, it helps express a region's cultural identity and is often used to promote events — who can forget the $241,000 Ontario taxpayers spent for 41 functional art pianos to promote the 2015 Pan Am Games.
But with all these budget and infrastructure deficits, is this really what we should be spending on?
What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
(Photo courtesy of Calgary.ca)
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