As part of the 2021 City of Victoria Participatory Budgeting campaign, The Victoria Arts Council (est. 1968) wants your vote to commission an artwork for the exterior of their gallery in Old Town on the corner of Store Street and Herald.
This 10’x10’ billboard will be prominently visible from blocks away, functioning as a place-making tool in addition to a public artwork.
The VAC will work with a local artist who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or as a Person of Colour [BIPOC], to address systemic barriers to inclusion in the visual arts. In the past the VAC has presented work by Coast Salish, Lekwungen, Nuu-Cha-Nuulth, and other Indigenous artists from beyond this region, as well as Black artists and artists from diasporic communities of colour through our exhibition and publishing projects.
The selection process of who will be awarded this commission will be lead by a jury of BIPOC artists/curators/community members/business leaders.
“As Old Town is a rapidly-developing neighborhood, and earmarked as a future arts+tech hub, this BIPOC billboard will be an integral element reminding residents about the importance of civic-minded art and the city’s commitment to social justice.” says Kegan McFadden, VAC Executive Director
Citizens are invited to vote online until 19 November 2021: https://engage.victoria.ca/pb
