Public Art Grant

Squamish Arts (SA) adjudicates the Public Art Grant (PAG) for local arts and culture projects that seek to engage artists with residents and visitors in a creative collaboration that is publicly accessible, and leaves a lasting experience or legacy for those who interact with it.

The Objectives of the Public Art Program:

• To nurture a collaborative process between practicing artists and the Squamish community;
• To encourage the creation of publicly accessible artwork that has artistic merit and community benefit;
• To foster community pride, identity and cohesion through a collaborative artistic endeavor;
• To provide small scale opportunities for artists to gain experience in the field of public art;
• To increase the community’s understanding of public art through small scale locally based projects;
• To reflect the diversity, needs, and ambitions of the larger community.

Successful applicants will clearly identify how their project meets one or more of the program objectives.

Who Can Apply:

Community organizations/groups/individuals that operate within British Columbia are eligible to apply for a Public Art Grant, which includes but is not limited to:

• Non-profit Arts Groups
• Individual artists
• Community Service Groups
• Community Associations
• Parent Advisory Councils
• Multicultural Societies
• Historic Societies
• Artist Collectives- unincorporated or incorporated
• Partnerships are also encouraged and welcomed with businesses, individual artists, etc.

However, please note that preference will be given to organizations/groups/individuals who are either Skwxwú7mesh Nation artists who reside anywhere within BC, or artists who reside in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

Who Cannot Apply?:

• For-profit entities;
• Groups who have outstanding final reports for projects previously funded by SA
• Festivals for sponsorship

What Type of Projects are Eligible?:

Community public art projects need to be exterior works which are either temporary, or permanent. The works can include, but are not limited to freestanding sculptures; murals, mosaics, digital projections, functional art such as benches or bike racks; streetscape improvements such as sidewalks or plazas; and place markers. A wide variety of mediums and artistic disciplines will be considered, including mixed media, digital media, etc.

The applicant is responsible for getting approvals and permits for the work’s location and/or presentation with aid from Squamish Arts if needed. Temporary projects must be documented in a format that can be shared in a public setting and retained as a publicly accessible permanent record (eg. website and social media).

Location:

The public art installation must take place in Squamish on public land. Please refer to the Inspirational/ Location information on the website for specific information about designated public art locations. Please note that you can also suggest/request a specific location if none of the provided options are appropriate for your installation. Please refer to the DOS GIS if you would like to look for alternate locations. You can also talk to Squamish Arts about this by emailing info@squamishartscouncil.com.

If you have an idea for a piece that doesn’t have a location in mind, you can apply with the idea and subsequently work with Squamish Arts and the District of Squamish to find a suitable place.

An unfavourable decision from the assessment Committee should not be seen as a reflection of the quality or value of the endeavour. Rather, it is the result of the difficult choices that must be made from amongst the many worthy applications we receive from across Squamish.

The Committee seldom provides 100% of the support required or requested for any given project. We encourage applicant organizations to develop a broad base of financial and in-kind support for proposed projects or initiatives.

Eligible Uses for PAG Funding Includes:

• Artist/technician/designer fees (may include fee/hour plus expenses) for the fabrication and/or installation of the project;
• Materials and supplies (consumables such as paint, canvas, glue, etc);
• Equipment rentals;
• Cost of setting up a safe venue for art production (insurance, tents, rental fees, permits);
• Documentation (videographer, photographer, editing, printing);
• Coordination/project management (someone to help with logistics and publicity);
• Volunteers and participants (food, beverage, thank you event).

Applicants are encouraged to try matching the grant dollar-for-dollar to the best of its abilities which may include in-kind value/donations, cash donations, grants or contributions from businesses or non-government agencies, and/or the applicant’s cash contribution to the proposed project. Matching funds are not a requirement but would be considered an asset in the review process.

All funds must be used for the proposed project within a calendar year.

Funding is Not Eligible For:

• General operating expenses;
• Any ongoing operational expenses of the applicant(s);
• Capital improvements not directly related to the project;
• Retroactive funding for projects already in progress or completed;
• Deficits;
• Capital or equipment purchases;
• Travel
• Hotel / food