Requiring an art piece of developer great idea
I cheer Coun. Maeve Maguire’s recent push for a public art piece, hopefully by a Cowichan artist, to be installed in Beverly Street’s The Hamlets At Duncan residential-care facility.
Maguire may have been reflecting the City of Duncan’s great policy about discussing such relatively inexpensive art works for Duncan’s new projects.
While city council sadly seems to lack the will to pursue such artworks, the arts policy is still in place.
Which begs questions about why North Cowichan has no similar art policy regarding developments.
(Relatedly, the city thankfully has a tree-cutting bylaw while the municipality still has none.)
Council and staff should use all developments as showpieces of urban planning and local character to entice other projects, jobs and taxpayers here.
There’s sure no lack of brilliant artists of all genres in Cowichan. We boast one of Canada’s highest per capita concentrations of artists — something most councillors, except perhaps Maguire, may not recognize.
It’s time for council to expose itself to art — also to creative design character.
Renderings of The Hamlets At Duncan show box-style shapes similar to prisons or office buildings.
Is that eye appeal our facility residents, locals and visitors deserve?
I suggest far more design character, including artworks, should be demanded in council’s bylaws so developers can plan around around those and other design issues.
Peter W. Rusland
Duncan
