James Street South Mural Public Art Competition Awarded to Vivian Rosas & Vesna Asanovic
Hamilton, ON - A volunteer jury of citizens, artists and project stakeholders has selected the proposed work Gateway by Vivian Rosas and Vesna Asanovic as the successful entry in the City of Hamilton’s James Street South Mural Public Art Competition.
The brightly coloured, engaging work features vignettes that form a loose, woven tapestry of scenes showcasing daily activities of an urban and nature-rich Hamilton made up of differing cultural communities. The mural will be installed on an exterior wall on James St. S. across from the Hamilton GO Centre.
The winning proposal was selected from 31 submissions based on the response to the competition’s goal and themes, appropriateness for the site, artistic excellence, technical feasibility and public consultation results.
The Jury Report notes that the “energy and content of (Rosas and Asanovic’s) proposal successfully reflects a changing and revitalizing multicultural neighbourhood, as well as its natural character.” Jurors also felt that the art work would most effectively address the goal of welcoming and minimizing the negative effects of the dark tunnel. The full Jury Report is available at hamilton.ca/JamesSouthMural.
The artists will provide the work in a high resolution digital format, and the City of Hamilton will be responsible for printing the mural onto aluminum composite panels and for its installation on the wall. This project has been initiated to replace an existing mural that is now deteriorating due to the age of the paint and the condition of the wall.
The artists’ concept statement describes Hamilton as a city of opportunity; a hub for arts and culture, and a place for new immigrants to call home. The intent of the mural is to showcase the creative spirit of Hamilton with a focus on the James St. Durand neighbourhood, and the Escarpment/Bruce Trail. In addition to urban scenes depicting commuters cycling during rush hour, gallery-hoppers enjoying Art Crawl and kids eating dinner at a local pizzeria, local nature motifs feature prominently. Organic shapes of black walnut, white oak and sassafras float throughout the piece as a reminder of the natural beauty that surrounds.
The artists will be awarded $4,000 upon the provision of high resolution digital files of the proposed work. Installation of the mural is expected in early fall 2018 when work to rehabilitate the wall is scheduled to be completed.
About the City of Hamilton’s Public Art Program
The City defines public art as art created by artists, or in collaboration with artists, through a public process and existing on publicly owned and accessible property. Public art helps strengthen the city’s visual identity, stimulates the economy, and enhances tourism and community pride. Since 2010 the City’s public art program has received over 230 artist proposals, consulted with over 6800 members of the public and awarded 19 public art commissions.
For more information, visit www.hamilton.ca/publicart, email [email protected], or call 905-546-2424 ext. 6281.