Quote:
Originally Posted by freeweed
Thank you esquire! All things that have gone in since I left the city, and all things that I forget about because they blend so well into the existing fabric of my memories. I'm especially fond of the library flask, when it's working (inner geek here). And the marbles I just think are funky and cool; I'd have loved them during my teen years roaming downtown Winnipeg every weekend.
This makes me realize - public art seemed to be fairly common in the 60s/70s, and then kinda disappeared for a while (in terms of new installations). But now it's back with a vengeance. Is this true for Canada as a whole, or is it just my narrow view of a couple of prairie cities?
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I agree with you on all points. So much of the public art in Canadian cities, especially the stuff from the 60s and 70s heyday, just kind of blends into the background because everyone gets so used to seeing it around.
I personally love some of the older modern pieces of public art... a lot of them have disappeared over the years, but there is a pretty nice collection of hidden surprises throughout the city.
The 90s were a pretty dead time for public art... in that era when every government was wrestling with what seemed like insurmountable deficits, funding dried up for such things. And the little that did get created during that time wasn't always great and became magnets for criticism.
It seemed like the 2000s were a period of resurgence for public art across the country... Winnipeg created a program for public art, and I know that Edmonton saw a lot of public art created during that decade too. Some of it has been controversial, but overall it has been a positive development. I'm glad that there is a renewed appreciation for the role of public art in enhancing the urban environment.