Kimberley City Council has approved a letter of support to help the Kimberley Arts Council apply for a Columbia Basin Trust grant that, if approved, would see a mural installed on the South side of Centre 64’s building.
At a regular Council meeting on Monday, Mike Redfern of the Kimberley Arts Council asked the City for their support in applying to the CBT’s Public Art Grant.
Submissions for the $36,000 grant close soon, and Redfern explained that the Arts Council wants to apply to it as soon as possible, especially because CBT may not offer it again next year.
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“We had a plan for a mural in 2018 but it was put off because of some leaks in the roof of the building,” explained Redfern. “CBT may not continue the public art grant next year so we wanted to apply for it for 2020. Since the City owns the building, we would need a letter of support as well as a plan going forward for the maintenance of the mural for the next ten years.”
Council unanimously approved the letter of support. The Arts Council will need to provide 20 per cent of the funding, which Redfern says shouldn’t be a problem considering the Arts Council’s long-standing history with fundraising.
“Carol Fergus already has set plans in motion to raise the funds, which shouldn’t be a problem, as we all know her past success with fundraising initiatives,” said Redfern.
Fergus has long been on the board of directors for the Kimberley Arts Council and has raised thousands of dollars for various campaigns including, most recently, the Give Us A Lift campaign and the Take A Seat Campaign.
Redfern adds that if the grant is successfully received, the mural would be installed over the summer and expected to be complete in October of this year. A design has already been selected, and the artist is Joseph Cross.
Cross also presented briefly to Council, stating that some preparation of the wall would need to take place including power washing and priming.
“I may have to treat the wall first, and then I will use mural paint to ensure it holds up with the southern-facing exposure,” explained Cross, whose murals are featured across the East Kootenay region.
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