Toronto Public Art Strategy (2020-2030)

Public art has been leveraged as a tool for community development, civic engagement, and urban design, and has created significant opportunities for artists to advance their professional practice through high-profile public commissions. The growth of public art in Toronto has been driven by the policies of the City of Toronto's Official Plan (section 3.1.4), and the strategic objectives of Council-endorsed plans such as the Graffiti Management Plan and the Culture Plan for the Creative City. To achieve the goals of these policies and plans, the City delivers three core public art programs - the City of Toronto Public Art and Monuments Collection, the Percent for Public Art Program, and StreetARToronto. Together, these programs have had a major impact on the city's urban fabric, assembling a collection of public art that, in the number of works alone, is of international significance. At the same time, there is more to be done to ensure that the benefits of public art are felt city-wide, and to harness the potential of public art to advance broader city-building priorities, such as equity and inclusion, environmental resiliency, reconciliation with Indigenous communities, and place-making, among others. With a deliberate, ambitious vision, facilitated by greater and ongoing interdivisional collaboration, Toronto can be a global leader in public art. Looking ahead, the City can build on its strong foundations to enhance the impact of public art for the benefit of all of Toronto. The Toronto Public Art Strategy seizes this opportunity by putting forward a vision to empower creativity and community, everywhere. This is a vision for a city committed to public art, accessible to all, that reinforces neighbourhood character, embraces excellence in design, and advances the careers of local artists. The strategy is underpinned by a commitment to embed truth and reconciliation with Indigenous communities as foundational principles for public art. Not only is this commitment fundamental to addressing the deficit of Indigenous cultural representation in the public realm, but it also positions Toronto to build a collection of public art unlike any other in the world - one that is deeply connected to the cultural expression of Indigenous communities, and reflective of an aesthetic that is unique to our city. The City will turn vision into action beginning with the Year of Public Art in 2021, a year-long celebration of art and community, and the first Toronto-wide programming initiative related to the new strategy. Planned highlights include a major expansion of Nuit Blanche to North York and Etobicoke, building on the success of the recent expansion to Scarborough; new funding for artists and community arts organizations to produce public art works city-wide in 2021, to be delivered by the Toronto Arts Council; and special programming partnerships with leading cultural institutions. The Year of Public Art will leave an enduring legacy through significant new commissions, increased support to artists working in the public realm, and by greatly diversifying the opportunities for meaningful engagement and interaction between artists, art and the public. Lastly, this report recommends a one-year moratorium on accepting new donation proposals for permanent installations through the City's Public Art and Monuments Donations Policy, effective as of Council's approval of said recommendation. Staff are currently working with community partners to facilitate a wide range of public art and monuments donations. This includes identifying appropriate public land for donated works, and providing support throughout the competition, design and construction process. A temporary pause on accepting new proposals is needed in order to complete a backlog of current donation projects ahead of the Year of Public Art.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report to the Economic and Community Development Committee in the third quarter of 2020 with a programming and engagement plan for the Year of Public Art. 4. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to submit costs related to the Year of Public Art for consideration as part of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 budget processes. 5. City Council approve a one-year moratorium on accepting proposals for new donations of permanent works through the City's Public Art and Monuments Donations Policy, effective as of the approval of this recommendation by City Council.