The Art of Living: New developer-funded public art

Public art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Whether intended to soothe, inspire, spark dialogue or make a political point, art in the public realm adds to our common spaces, both aesthetically, as well as making a statement about what our society is thinking about at a certain point in time.

Many leaders in Metro Vancouver’s residential development community are devoted to supporting the artistic community and bringing art to the public. The three main artistic patrons in this category are Polygon founder Michael Audain, rennie founder Bob Rennie, and Westbank’s Ian Gillespie. Audain and Rennie have founded eponymous public art museums and foundations, Audain in Whistler and North Vancouver, and Rennie at the historic Wing Sang building in Chinatown where he has his headquarters.

Ian Gillespie has made audacious choices when it comes to the public art component of Westbank’s flagship buildings, including Vancouver House’s “Spinning Chandelier,” by Vancouver artist Rodney Graham, which provoked a heated dialogue between people who felt that the chandelier’s elitist connotations made a joke of the poverty and homelessness in the city; and those who enjoy the theatricality of the dynamic piece, and believe it illuminates and brings vitality to a previously gloomy and forgotten space in the city.

To look at the process of making public art, we looked to a brand-new installation happening in Maple Ridge right now. Brickwater at the Village is a master-planned development, built by Falcon Homes, which has been transforming and revitalizing the downtown of Maple Ridge. Falcon Homes’ owner Fred Formosa wanted to elevate the public spaces of the project with art that spoke to the history of the neighbourhood as well as being a tribute to the surrounding natural environment. Colin MacRae is an accomplished metal artist who lives in Powell River and who grew up on Vancouver Island.

“I met Colin in Powell River where we were working together on the Powell River library,” explains Fred. “Colin had done some artwork for the library, I was impressed with his talent and passion.” The two met many times over coffee, sketching out ideas for Brickwater at The Village.

“We were trying to develop some ideas for a maple tree theme, and after many meetings we came up with mixing wood, metal and plants to create four unique art trees to be installed in Brickwater’s courtyard.” Once the theme was established, Colin went to work putting the concept into reality. “Colin really put a lot of heart and soul into these art trees and it really shows,” says Fred. “Artwork is his love and passion and his creativity really came out on this project.” The metal and wood trees, which Colin calls “Bio-mechanical trees of the future, with growth pods and rain features” will eventually be planted with real plants, which will be grown into the many plant pockets welded into the metal branches. “When completed, Fred says, “the four trees will each be different, and will be some real pieces of art.”

In West Vancouver, Grosvenor has just unveiled a collection of public art by Vancouver author and artist Douglas Coupland. Surrounding The two-building, 98-unit Grosvenor Ambleside project, The four pieces are inspired by “a perfect day of beachcombing on Haida Gwaii, with the late artist Gordon Smith”, “Tree Snag” has been recently installed within the public plaza of the Grosvenor Ambleside building on Bellevue Avenue. Another Douglas Coupland public art installation will be going in front of at Intracorp’s Telford on the Walk. called “21st Century Rock Garden.” For more information on public art in and around Vancouver, visit vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/public-art.