[Moncton] Centre Avenir Centre | 26.65m |~6 Fl | Completed

[Feneant]

I admit I don't understand art, but are these really all 200000$ gets us these days?

#2 is the only one that I didn't instantly dislike.

[MonctonRad]

So far it's a unanimous choice for #2.........

[gehrhardt]

Yep, count me in for #2 as well.

[Nashe]

I'm not really a fan of any of them, to be honest. 2 looks like a chef carrying a pie.

[HanSoloCup]

For me #3 shows the most promise in the sense that it has a nice organic feel about it but the piece shown isn't there yet, I do like the direction the artist is going though and would like to see the artist come up with something more. The rest for me look like high school art projects and #4 with the boat, dear god no... just no.

[felip_ars]

Looks like all good candidates for a future article:

"City struggles to keep people from climbing 200k arts"

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by HanSoloCup

For me #3 shows the most promise in the sense that it has a nice organic feel about it but the piece shown isn't there yet, I do like the direction the artist is going though and would like to see the artist come up with something more. The rest for me look like high school art projects and #4 with the boat, dear god no... just no.

My problem with 3 is that these "abstract" benches will be around the plaza. They don't look like something I'd want to sit on.

But I know nothing about art.

[HanSoloCup]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

My problem with 3 is that these "abstract" benches will be around the plaza. They don't look like something I'd want to sit on.

But I know nothing about art.

I understand what you're saying but it might be a nice way to subtly have the two interact with each other (not the piece shown but maybe have the artist provide additional concepts).

I'm not saying that what has been displayed by the artist is the piece but this artist has shown to me an artistic nuance that gives me confidence and wants me to see more. The #1 and #4 are too literal in concept and don't have the subtlety of concept warranting a piece of this stature, #2 just doesn't do anything for me.

Did I mention I really don't like #4.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

My problem with 3 is that these "abstract" benches will be around the plaza. They don't look like something I'd want to sit on.

At least it would keep the vagrants from sleeping on the park benches.......

[flyer99]

Although I also favour #2, the granite one, my opinion is (and that of many others) is why do the taxpayers need to spend $200K on any of them. Aren't there better places to put almost a quarter million dollars in this city? $200K for a piece or art? No way! Now, I must admit that I LOVE the memorial to our fallen mounties in Riverfront Park... now THAT is art, and is visited, photographed and loved by many each and every day. How many people are going to photograph these ugly things? Oh well, I was brought up a long time ago and just don't get this "modern" art. Okay, I'll get off my high horse now.

[L'homard]

I share your logic in a lot of ways. However, at less than one percent of the cost,of the building, I can get behind this initiative.
That being said, I too don't know art, and don't particularly care for any of these four pieces.
I wonder if these are the final four, or if there is a way to solicit more submissions at this late stage?

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by L'homard

I share your logic in a lot of ways. However, at less than one percent of the cost,of the building, I can get behind this initiative.
That being said, I too don't know art, and don't particularly care for any of these four pieces.
I wonder if these are the final four, or if there is a way to solicit more submissions at this late stage?

I agree with you, I'd like to see more, none of these really caught my eye, other than to say gross... though number 2 is nice it looks like something a baker would have around the top of his or her cake.

[David_99]

Can't we just build a Moncton logo?

[lirette]

Originally Posted by flyer99

Although I also favour #2, the granite one, my opinion is (and that of many others) is why do the taxpayers need to spend $200K on any of them. Aren't there better places to put almost a quarter million dollars in this city? $200K for a piece or art? No way! Now, I must admit that I LOVE the memorial to our fallen mounties in Riverfront Park... now THAT is art, and is visited, photographed and loved by many each and every day. How many people are going to photograph these ugly things? Oh well, I was brought up a long time ago and just don't get this "modern" art. Okay, I'll get off my high horse now.

I believe the Riverfront Memorial park was $1 million +. 200K is really hardly anything when it comes to the city.

To me I despise this logic of locals getting so upset about the cost of Art. Quality of life including Arts & Culture is important to a city. As a young person who stayed in Moncton vs finding work elsewhere I don't want my city running things like a corporation with no character. We want to keep young people here and investing in art is important to Millennial's.

I am disappointed in these proposals however and wish they would have got festival inspire/Art Ici involved in this process. Everything they've done so far to shape this city has been well received by the public. A perfect example of how investing in art can be so beneficial. Dozens of articles were written about the festival this year and it is really growing into something special & unique to the city that to me is still trying to find an identity.

[L'homard]

We have to start somwhere to infuse art into our urban landscape. On that I agree. In Moncton, we have started from almost nothing.
I didn't like the bird's nest on top of the fire station at first. Now I like it.
I was ambivalent about the deer at the fountain at city hall. Now I love it.
Even the wave at the museum is growing on me.
So I am in favour of putting one percent of the cost of public buildings into art. I believe it has served our city well and will be even more so as time passes and more installations appear.
I'm sitting here trying to think of public art in the city in the 1980s and 1990s, and other than possibly the Joe Salter piece in Bore Park, I can't think of any.
So we're getting there. With time, I think most taxpayers will come to believe this was a good idea and adds value to our city.
Let's face it, there will never be a time where people will say, "There, our city finances are now in fine shape enough that we can start investing in public art." Not gonna happen.
So for me, this 1% policy works for me.

[Sunnybrae]

I don't like this whole idea at all. Instead of giving one artist all the money, and to be fair, art is subjective so your never going to have a consensus on this and it will always look like favoritism, give the money to an art school or something like that and have art donated and change it every two years or five years or whatever. It's public money, not private so this seems better and more people in the art community benefit from the public money, not just one individual. That's just my thinking.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by Sunnybrae

I don't like this whole idea at all. Instead of giving one artist all the money, and to be fair, art is subjective so your never going to have a consensus on this and it will always look like favoritism, give the money to an art school or something like that and have art donated and change it every two years or five years or whatever. It's public money, not private so this seems better and more people in the art community benefit from the public money, not just one individual. That's just my thinking.

For 200k, I'll stand in the plaza 24/7 for a few years and BE the art. Paint me whatever colour you want. I'll walk around and espouse the grandiosity that is Greater Moncton.

[Sunnybrae]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

For 200k, I'll stand in the plaza 24/7 for a few years and BE the art. Paint me whatever colour you want. I'll walk around and espouse the grandiosity that is Greater Moncton.

LOL We have a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flyer99]

I can concede that art lovers may enjoy spending $200K on a piece of art. BUT, for heaven's sake if we are going to go down this road make it look like something and be relevant and not just look like a bunch of metal was thrown together.

[Monctoncore]

I would like to see something honouring Ian Fowler...