Applications are to open soon for local artists wanting to create pieces to be displayed in Brandon’s downtown core through a new a new outdoor art program.
Funded by the City of Brandon and administered by the Brandon Downtown BIZ, this public art initiative will operate through an open granting process with the goal of enhancing the vibrancy and visual appeal of the city’s downtown core.
Developed in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, the program has been in development for several months. It is being led by Amanda Dupuis, Housing and Wellness Programmer for the City of Brandon; Emmy Sanderson, Executive Director of the Brandon Downton BIZ; and Lucie Lederhendler, Artistic Director of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.
Applications for the task force will open next week through the Brandon Downtown BIZ website at Brandon Downtown Biz – Championing Downtown Brandon and will be announced on their social media.
Once the task force is in place and the program parameters are finalized, an open call for project applications will be launched by the Brandon Downtown BIZ. In the meantime, artists and property owners are encouraged to start brainstorming ideas so they’re ready to apply when the time comes.
Many of Brandon’s beloved murals – such as those created under a 2019 initiative by the Brandon Neighborhood Renewal Corporation – have remained largely untouched by vandalism and continue to be a celebrated feature of the downtown landscape.
“This outdoor art program is a direct reflection of City Council’s strategic direction to encourage the revitalization of downtown Brandon,” notes Mayor Jeff Fawcett. “Our partnership with the BIZ and the Art Gallery highlights the strength of our community and reinforces our commitment to building a stronger, more connected downtown.”
“The BIZ is very enthusiastic and honoured to be working with the City of Brandon, and other community partners on such an exciting and impactful project for our downtown, and for the city as a whole,” said Sanderson. “Beautification of spaces is part of the BIZ mandate and in addition to creating beautiful spaces, projects like this have far reaching impacts on safety, community building, tourism, economics, and civic pride. We look
forward to seeing community driven art come to life and are grateful to the city for entrusting us with this meaningful project.”
Dupuis, a visual artist herself, notes that the inspiration for the program came out of the city’s graffiti removal program. “Instead of focusing on erasing graffiti, I wanted to focus on building something—on creating a positive vision for what we want downtown to look like. This program is about lasting impact and building community.”
“Outdoor art is powerful because it has the power to transform the way folks feel about their whole environment,” said Lederhendler. “This program is an exciting opportunity for our community’s talented artists to show their stuff to a wide audience. We are happy to amplify the message that downtown Brandon – where we have been located for all of our 117 years – is a really artful place.”
Interested participants can reach out to Emmy Sanderson at Brandon Downtown Biz – Championing Downtown Brandon or call 204-717-1380.
