Urban Art in Hamilton
By Lucas on Nov 27, 2013
Image courtesy City of Hamilton
By Penny Munoz
Over the past decade, Hamilton has noticeably embraced their growing creative sector through city commissioned incentives and initiatives that help promote public art. With initiatives like housing programs that allocate finances to offer affordable multi-purpose studio spaces and galleries to city funded structural art and mural projects, Hamilton has earned an art-friendly reputation.
As Toronto Street Art’s manager (StART), Lilie Zendel said, city programs that help develop communication between artists and their communities often end up improving the overall health of those communities in unexpected ways. Firstly, city commissioned art projects help artists find their voices within their communities, through positive, legitimate ways. In Toronto and Hamilton projects, coordinators we’ve spoken to have mentioned the unique capacity these projects have to integrate community members, calling for cooperative participation from different groups of people which adds a sense of value and ownership over the community in terms of esthetics. Seeing larger Canadian cities start promoting art through public vessels is rewarding because they are influentially proving that art is as relevant and valuable as any other industry.
Hamilton’s Art in Public Places Coordinator, Ken Coit says that art on city property is a great opportunity for communities to visually commemorate significant historical moments or display culturally relevant exhibitions for tourists and residents to enjoy. A current project they are casting artists for is for a work of art that will be installed in the newly renovated Hamilton Farmer’s market (on the corner of McNab Street and York Boulevard) that will express the value and history of the market.
Image courtesy City of Hamilton
Previous city commissioned projects in Hamilton have embellished benches along James Street North interpreting the history of the street. “Conversation chairs” made from concrete also decorate the James Street North centre, encouraging passersby to sit and enjoy the street’s artistic offerings. As the program coordinator, Coit works with city planners throughout Hamilton neighbourhoods, uniting artists and city staff to develop a public art scene.
Image courtesy City of Hamilton
Image courtesy City of Hamilton
“The program is designed to have artists involved, hiring artists to put art in the public realm,” says Coit. “We’ve commissioned projects with nationwide artists that address the qualities and history [of Hamilton] through art.”
Manager of the Urban Renewal, Planning & Economic Development Department, Glen Norton tell us that an incentive program that matches up to $10,000 for art murals or structural art on private property has helped mobilize public art in thirteen of Hamilton’s Business Improvement Areas (BIAs).
Known for its outstanding art crawls and growing art culture in general, public art is a matter of importance in Hamilton, “one of the key things,” says Norton about the value public art contributes to communities “is that it provides interest when you’re walking. It brings more people out, stores sell more and it’s what makes a city unique. In terms of tourism, it helps distinguish a city.
Image courtesy City of Hamilton
Another project that distinguishes the cultural charm of the city is the Railway Tiles that anchor the north side of James Street, reminding locals of how people first arrived in Hamilton. Coit excitedly revealed that there will also be a Six Nations work of art going up at Battlefield Park in Stoney Creek that will pay tribute to the War of 1812. Future city commissioned projects will be exhibited at Carter Park, just east of the downtown core, and on James Street South near the GO Station.
