Public Art Policy

The Town of Whitby is helping to shape the future of public art in our community.

Public art is defined as “any media that has been produced by an artist for publicly accessible space and is intended to engage the public. It can take the form of permanent, temporary or socially engaged art.” Public art inspires creativity and fosters a sense of local pride.

The Public Art Policy was developed to provide a standardized process to support and grow public art projects in Whitby. As a key action item in Whitby’s Culture Plan, and the newly adopted Community Strategic Plan, the policy will play a role in helping to animate public spaces through public art for the enjoyment of all residents and visitors.

Phases of Public Art Policy

The development of the Public Art Policy took place from September 2023 to December 2023 and included four phases:

o Phase 1 - Environmental Scan;

o Phase 2 - Comparator Analysis;

o Phase 3 – Community and Stakeholder Engagement; and,

o Phase 4 - Development of the Public Art Policy.

The Public Art Policy and Report went to the Committee of the Whole meeting on
January 15, 2024.

The final Public Art Policy Adopted by Council and approved on Jan. 29, 2024.

Guiding Principles

The Public Art Policy included the following guiding principles to provide clarity and vision into the policy:

• Flexible and Imaginative

• Sustainable and Resilient

• Collaborative and Engaged

• Diverse and Inclusive

• Accessible and Equitable

Public Art Policy Oversight

The Public Art Policy will be overseen by Town staff in the Creative Communities team in collaboration with the following groups:

• Town Working Group – comprised of designated staff from various Town Departments such as Strategic Initiatives, Communications and Creative Services, Community Services, Planning and Development, and other departments as deemed appropriate.

• Public Art Community Group – comprised of rotating members of the community with varying areas of expertise and disciplines which may include Artists, curators, art educators and art historians, landscape architects, architects, urban planners, engineers, designers, members of the business community, members of local art councils or art collectives.

• Public Art Jury Panel – comprised of rotating representatives from the Town Working Group and the Public Art Community Group. The composition, duration, and terms of reference of any Public Art Jury Panel will be dependent on the nature of the public art project identified.