With a provincial grant and some private funding in place, Oak Bay arts laureate Barbara Adams hopes to see more cash flow to fund The Hunt.
“The Hunt by Ken Hall here is really something that should be purchased. We have so far got $21,600 and it would be really wonderful to have the other $7,000 done in the next little while,” Adams said. “Let’s get this purchased and then everybody in Oak Bay will be part of it.”
The a sculpture by Ken Hall features a pack of wolves and a large buck in Queens’ Park. It was among the ArtsAlive 2016 sculptures. A busy artist with installations filling his time, Hall left the loan in place a little longer than usual. It was a close second in the public vote that saw Oak Bay purchase the Acorns at municipal hall that year.
“After the vote and after everybody found out the Acorns had won I had a lot of people contact me willing to give a few thousand dollars, willing to donate, willing to help find people to donate,” Adams said.
After a conversation with a friend who works in the government, she applied for, and received a grant through the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. The public art committee plans to use that $10,000 toward the $28,000 purchase of The Hunt.
“She knows Oak Bay is looking to build a legacy of public art for the community, for the wellness of the community, the entertainment of the community for the pleasure,” Adams said. “It’s in the mandate of the arts laureate. This fit right into that.”
ArtsAlive is Oak Bay Parks, Recreation and Culture’s annual public art program where pieces are selected to be shown in the community for about a year. Through a public call to artists, 13 installations are selected by the Public Art Committee with sculptures in place to the spring. Again this year, the public can vote, via QR code at each sculpture or with a paper ballot and boxes at Estevan village, recreation centres and municipal hall. The sculptures are in place along Oak Bay Avenue, in Estevan village, Willows Beach (Esplanade) and Beach Drive at Lansdowne. Search for the map and ballot at oakbay.ca.
Voting ends Oct. 1.
Painted public pianos dot the landscape to the end of August. Painted by local artists Gillian Redwood, Jim McFarland, Tanta Pennington, Jonathan Gleed the instruments are at Turkey Head, Loon Bay, Cattle Point and Estevan Village
Those interested in helping can email barbaraadams@shaw.ca.
Adams also reminds residents its time to start thinking about the Acorn Arts Award. The inaugural issue went to longtime Oak Bay artist Pat Martin Bates last year. The award recognizes and celebrate outstanding community artists and groups while building awareness of contributions made in Oak Bay and beyond.
The Acorn Arts Award was created to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding artistic merit or contributions in Oak Bay, enhance awareness of the arts and the role they play in nourishing Oak Bay’s economic, social and emotional well-being and acknowledge those who have contributed to an enlivened, healthy and meaningful community.
“If you’re thinking about it, it’s time to get your stuff together,” Adams said.
A call for nominees will go out in the fall.
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