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Aerodynamic Forms in Space by Rodney Graham, 2009; Photo by Karen Mills. A major figure in Canadian and international contemporary art, Vancouver artist Rodney Graham is well known for his conceptual and often humorous sculptures. His piece for the Georgia Street entrance to Stanley Park, a spectacular 400-hectare evergreen oasis in the downtown peninsula, plays with the theme of flight—a whimsical reference to the location’s nearby seaplanes. Hear the artist: call 604.998.8038, press 1

Olympic Preparations and Proportions: Bringing Public Art to New and Familiar Places for the Olympic and Paralympics in 2010

For the city of Vancouver, one of many issues under consideration when Vancouver won the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was how to dress up its built landscape so as to complement the city’s enviable natural backdrop and, at the same time, inform visitors about the city’s social, environmental, and cultural fabric. One result was the Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program (OPPAP), a collection of more than 20 new permanent and temporary public art works commissioned especially for the 2010 Winter Games.

OPPAP is the city’s most ambitious public art program to date. The $5.95 million program includes artworks created by some of today’s most exciting artists from Vancouver and the world, such as Rodney Graham, Myfanwy Macleod, Ron Terada, Christian Kleigel, Adrian Gollner, Pierre Poussin, Paul Wong, Fiona Bowie, Project Rainbow, David MacWilliam, Anna Ruth, Vanessa Kwan, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Ken Lum, Geoffrey Farmer, Gunda Forster, Tania Ruiz Gutierrez, and Michael Lin. The projects range from grand light-based works and sculptural installations at iconic landmarks to celebratory works in the heart of Vancouver’s communities. The city has also partnered with the Vancouver Art Gallery and Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad on several large-scale outdoor projects. Fourteen projects will remain as permanent city legacies.

Following seven international open calls that garnered more than 500 artist proposals, the artists and projects were selected by independent juries comprised of artists, curators, design professionals, and community members. The commissioned works not only reflect the city’s commitment to culture, but also to sustainability, with many of the projects incorporating LED lights and recycled materials. For example, Gunda Förster’s Ice Light for City Hall will reduce the power consumption of the heritage building’s exterior lighting by more than 70 percent. 

Mayor of Vancouver Gregor Robertson said, “the sculptures, installations, and events in this citywide collection reflect the spirit and values of Vancouver and the 2010 Winter Games, from their nod to our historical and social fabric to their innovative incorporation of sustainable materials.” To engage the community, a number of educational tools have also been created. For example mobile audio guides are available via cell phone for people who want to hear the artists talk about their works. The viewers can call 604.998.8038 to learn more about the artwork they’re interested in and enter the number of the piece they're viewing. A brochure and photos for download as well as specially commissioned short films about the artists are also posted in the city’s Media Room. And full details about the Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program can be found on their website.

The city of Vancouver wasn’t the only city redefining public spaces for the Olympics. The city of Richmond also took on the largest investment in public art in the city’s history to represent Richmond Olympic Oval. In June 2006, Richmond City Council adopted the Richmond Oval Precinct Art Plan as the guide for incorporating art opportunities in the Oval site and Olympic Gateway Neighbourhood. The Oval Precinct Art Plan was prepared by 4Culture in consultation with a community stakeholder team to develop recommendations for investing resources in art to add significant value to the Richmond Oval legacy. 

The Art Plan recommends a series of artworks integrated with the landscape and building to create a strong sense of place and a memorable experience for the Oval users and visitors to the site. The initial group of works was conceived and installed during construction of the Oval and grounds in 2008–2009 include Buttress Runnels by Susan A. Point, Ice Blade by Buster Simpson, and Water Sky Garden by Janet Echelman. The artworks are grand in scale and compelling in concept. Together with the architecture and landscape design, they create a celebratory sense of arrival, drawing visitors and solidifying the public art theme as flow, flight and fusion.

The Art Plan also identifies opportunities to leverage the Olympic Opportunity through collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to showcase Canada’s great cultural diversity and rich Aboriginal heritage through public art.  The selection process for the program was unique, requiring specialized professional skills and resources to engage the best of Canada’s aboriginal artists in these exceptional opportunities. VANOC’s Venues Aboriginal Art Program team took the lead in this process to ensure compliance with VANOC and Four Host First Nation protocol and schedules.

Four significant opportunities for partnerships for the VANOC Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program were achieved: Hupakwanum by the Nuu-chah-nulth Art Association, Killer Whale in the Salish Sea by Chrystal Sparrow, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Tapestry as prepared by the Pangnirtung Tapestry Studios, and the Youth Mentorship Program by Sonny Assu. The VANOC Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program at the Olympic Oval provides opportunities to recognize the presence and history of Richmond’s aboriginal peoples; develop an educational art program to motivate and inspire youth; feature regional First Nations master artists; and build on the spirit and resources of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.