Maggie Wouterloot's piece Forest Cloak in Maffeo Sutton Park captivated people during the 2018 temporary public art season. (submitted/Maggie Wouterloot)

By Spencer Sterritt

new coat of paint

City seeking new provocative outdoor public art

Sep 6, 2019 | 12:46 AM

NANAIMO — There is an upcoming changing of the guard among the temporary public art pieces scattered through Nanaimo.

The City is once again putting out the call for submissions of temporary art from creators at home and abroad. The annual art program began in 2010 and features between 10 and 12 pieces in Maffeo Sutton Park, along the seawall and in downtown Nanaimo.

Local artist Maggie Wouterloot was featured twice, in 2016 and 2018. Her 2018 piece Forest Cloak let park visitors sit in a chair and look out at the harbour from within a tree stump marked with stained glass.

Wouterloot said the City-run program encourages artists of all types and reflects the harbour city’s creativity.

“I think it’s appealing because people have to think to themselves ‘It’s art, do I get it, do I need to get it?’ People can admire it, ignore it. They can be provoked. People very often will interact with public art whether they like it or not.”

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Wouterloot professed a fondness for the more esotetic and provocative art pieces, versus a mural of the City’s past or brightly coloured banners lining sign posts.

“It formulates questions a beautiful mural, although wonderful in its own right, would never do. You can understand a beautiful mural but something a little more esoteric pushes the boundaries a little bit more. It challenges you.”

Chris Barfoot, cultural coordinator with the City, said moving away from more traditional public art into something more avant-garde is exactly one of goals of the program.

“It allows us to really push the envelope on what we put out into the community. Knowing the intent of public art isn’t just to enhance and beautify the area but to provoke discussion, share stories and engage the community through interactive pieces.”

Barfoot said the scope of the temporary outdoor art program has expanded significantly since beginning in 2010.

“We’re now reaching artists from across Canada who want to be part of the scene in Nanaimo. We’ve had artists from as far away as Quebec participate.”

Between 10 and 12 pieces are selected each year with a $35,000 budget for artist honorariums.

Both Barfoot and Wouterloot said the program is for artists of all experiences and reputation and isn’t exclusive to professionals.

Artwork proposals can be submitted at the City of Nanaimo website until Monday, Oct. 21.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit