Local Art Awareness
Dear Residents,
Some awesome public art projects popped up throughout Ward 3 this summer, from Buffalo Days on Dewdney Avenue to the Albert Street pedestrian underpass near Wascana Park. Not to mention the alley projects and garage art we see everywhere. Why not look past the cold winter months and start thinking about how to brighten up the community after the thaw? We’ll also have a chance to see some amazing artwork as part of the Regina Frost festival in February. 
  
Have some thoughts for the next e-newsletter? Send an email to astevens@regina.ca or give me a shout at 306-570-1402 with your ideas.
 
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Want to beautify City-owned property through murals, street painting or other public art projects? What are the steps?
If residents would like to create art on City property, here are the steps to follow: 
 

Step 1: Call Service Regina at 306-777-7000 and ask to speak with the City’s Cultural Development team.  
 

Step 2: The team will assist residents to determine the project’s viability and other requirements.  
 
Step 3: If good to proceed, the team can facilitate inquiries with other departments. This can include getting permission to apply artwork to the City-owned infrastructure, establishing the agreement or letter of permission that will include details on implementation and maintenance, and advising on best practices in contracting with an artist and related processes. 
 
Step 4: If funding is required, the City will provide information (including guidelines and application forms) on the Community Investments Grant Program, specifically the New Initiatives Grant in the Cultural Development stream. 
 
Step 5: The City will support residents and artists to make sure best practices are being followed in the creation, implementation and maintenance of the project (i.e. appropriate working conditions and pay for artists, transparent call and adjudication process for artists). 
What requirements are applicable and what resources are available to residents wanting to create private and public art pieces or spaces? 
The Cultural Development team is available to answer questions and support residents and community organizations who wish to beautify Regina.  
 
When completing projects on City property, the Cultural Development team will facilitate the process including collaboration with other departments for any approvals and action items, advising on best practices and establishing the agreement or letter of permission for the project to take place. 
 
If the art project is on private property, the City of Regina encourages groups to ensure they are following best practices when working with artists and will answer inquiries as needed.  
 
If a resident or organization is interested in street painting, there is an application process through the Street/Crosswalk Painting Permit Application Form which can be found on Regina.ca. Other public art projects may also require various approvals, and the Cultural Development team will assist groups in navigating this process. 
 
The community organization pays for paint, artist and other unseen expenses related to street painting for that particular event. These costs vary depending on the requested location and will be communicated during the approval process. Temporary Street Use Permits and Traffic Accommodations will be provided at no cost by the City. There is also no cost for the street art application fee. 
What are some examples of previous public art projects in Regina that could serve as inspiration to add art to everyday spaces?
Traffic Control Box Art: The Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) has delivered a public art project for a number of years. It wraps City of Regina traffic control boxes with vinyl that is printed with a local artist’s work. This project is a great example of ‘thinking outside the box’ and turning blank infrastructure into functional canvases for all to view. Each year, through the Cultural Development team, RDBID requests approval from the City to wrap additional traffic boxes.  
 
Once approved, RDBID sends out a call for artists/applications and then a team of adjudicators choose the art based on set criteria. RDBID then orders, installs and maintains the art wraps on all the boxes.  
Albert Street Underpass Project: Led by the Cathedral Village Arts Festival, this project features murals from 10 different artists on the walls of the Albert Street Memorial Bridge Tunnel. This project is a great example of adding art to a place traditionally tagged by graffiti and showcasing a number of local artists.
Buffalo Banner Project: Led by the Common Weal Community Arts, this project includes 15 banners hanging from the light posts on the street around Buffalo Meadows Park. This project is a great example of showcasing cultural art into a high profile and visible location. A local artist facilitated workshops around sharing Indigenous knowledge, history of the buffalo and the impacts of colonization. Through those workshops a number of paintings of buffalo were created and a selection were printed onto banners. With support from the Community Development team, the application was submitted to have these banners displayed annually in this area. 
Regina Pride Crosswalk: Since 2018, multiple variations of pride crosswalks have been installed around Regina. These crosswalks have incorporated components of various pride colours and flags onto the painted crossings. These projects have been led by community organizations including Cathedral Area Community Association, Regina Pride Inc, Ecole Harbour Landing School Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA), as well as the City of Regina Neil Balkwill Artist in Residence program. 
More of images of the murals under the Albert Street bridge
Where can I go to get started?
Go to Regina.ca/permits for information and applications for City of Regina permits.
Go to Regina.ca/grants for Information on City of Regina Cultural Grants.
Go to CARFAC Saskatchewan for information on best practices when working with artists in Saskatchewan.
Your Ward 3 Councillor
Andrew Stevens

Mailing Address:
c/o Andrew Stevens
City of Regina
PO Box 1790
2476 Victoria Avenue
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3C8
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