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Art ideas under consideration in Chilliwack for Evans Roundabout

The 10 project designs moving forward are online in the City of Chilliwack council agenda package for March 7
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Of the 12 proposals for the Evans Roundabout Art Project received by City of Chilliwack

It's down to 10 artworks vying to become the centrepiece of the 2017 Evans Road Roundabout Art project.

"Everyone has their preferred piece," said Mayor Sharon Gaetz, in explaining the next phase of the project at the last council meeting.

A total of 12 project submissions came in after the initial request for proposals (RFP) went out last December from City of Chilliwack.

Of the 12 proposals received by deadline at city hall, 10 are moving forward, having been deemed compliant with RFP specifications and technical requirements of the project.

Those moving forward will be evaluated by members of the city's Public Art advisory committee, who will also recommend the preferred project.

"It's interesting to wade into discussions about public art, and think about what criteria the committee might use to make their final decision. All of the submissions have noteworthy aspects," Gaetz added.

The 10 project designs moving forward were part of the staff report, found online in the agenda package for the March 7 meeting, and the recommendation will come back to council at a later date.

The two that were eliminated at the RFP stage were missing key financial details and a budget.

Coun. Kloot wanted to know if the roundabout artwork will be "lit up" and was told lighting would be incorporated.

The proposed artworks feature a range of images from local sturgeon, to giant flowers, a farmer, corn, salmon and dairy cows. Some are stark and simple; others layered and more complex.

One of the more abstract designs was titled: "Persons in a moment of personal intimate interaction," and another was made from directional arrows, titled "This way, please!" perhaps offering guidance for motorists.

Substantiation for the art project includes this section, from the staff report: "Establishing a piece of public art in this location will present a visually impactful first impression of Chilliwack and furthers the introduction of public art to the community."

Completion is expected by early fall 2017.

The 10 successful artists/teams are:

Slipper Liu Studio

Natali Leduc

Julie Oakes

Ronald Simmer

Azure Design

MK Carving & Sculpting

Larry Hunter Art & Design

Dean Lauze

Paul Reimer

Cameron Farn



Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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