BANFF – Banff’s public art is set to get a boost in funding.
The tax-funded contribution would be phased in over three years, jumping from the current $2 per resident per year to $3 per resident in 2023, $4 in 2024 and $5 in 2025. That equates to an annual contribution of $28,158, $37,554 and $46,943 in 2023-25 respectively.
The decision is not final until budget deliberations, which get underway on Jan. 9.
Officials say the Banff Community Art Committee has been getting an annual tax-supported contribution of $18,722 to the public art reserve, noting the existing funding mechanism also only increases with population, not inflation or other measures.
“Community art has become more expensive to deliver, more challenging to deliver and the frequency of what I call three-dimensional art has become more infrequent,” said Darren Enns, the director of planning and development for the Town of Banff.
The existing funding model was established in 2012 with a $2 per resident contribution. The current rate is $18,772 per year – based on 9,386 residents in the 2017 municipal census – and would allow for a new art piece once every six to eight years.
“I think the Community Art Committee wants to be more relevant when it comes to community art,” said Enns.
“I believe it’s been frustrating not being able to deliver the level of three-dimensional art that is expected in the community.”
Neighbouring Canmore funds public art through a $5 per resident per year contribution, which is about $90,000, and 0.5 per cent of the average of the five-year annual tax contribution to municipal infrastructure, which was $13,000 in 2021.
Emma Sanborn, a planner for the Town of Banff who provides administrative support to the Public Art Committee, said Banff is a unique community in which a small resident population serves a large regional, national and international visitor population.
She said comparable municipalities in British Columbia – in terms of population and visitor impact – have access to a higher level of funding than exists in Alberta.
For example, she said they get funding through B.C.’s Resort Municipality Initiative program as well as larger provincial investments through the B.C. Arts Council.
“This leads to significantly different funding opportunities when comparing municipal arts programs across the two provinces,” she said.
Councillor Barb Pelham, who owned Banff’s Canada House Gallery before retiring in 2018, voiced strong support for increasing public art funding, noting the current market value of many of Banff’s outdoor public art pieces is well beyond the initial costs.
She said the current market value of Thunderbird & Eagle and Sleeping Buffalo granite sculptures by Stewart Steinhauer, which cost $30,000 each at the time of installation in 2001, is well in excess of $100,000.
“My point is $18,000 does not buy you anything in terms of outdoor public art, and at this pace, it will probably take us 10 years of saving before we’re ready for our next significant piece of note,” she said. “It’s a very slow trickle of funds.”
Coun. Ted Christensen was the lone voice of opposition to increasing funding next year.
“I don’t see it going directly into our local economy because I see that we seek input from artists from other communities, from other places. I support the initiative, but I can’t support any increase that isn’t directly related to the community,” he said.
“I do believe our local art community has to rebuild as well and this would certainly help. If I could see it being guaranteed to go to local artists, I’d be much more inclined to support it, but I don’t see that happening so, unfortunately, I can’t.”
Mayor Corrie DiManno said the municipality needs to be more aggressive in its fund-raising efforts for community public art, noting she would have preferred the $5 per resident to start next year rather than the three-year phase-in.
“Public art is a sign of a community that is culturally vibrant, and has a personality. It’s very delightful and always a nice surprise to come across public art,” she said.
