Port Coquitlam residents will get their chance to weigh-in on a draft version of a public art policy at an open house this weekend.
While the policy was put together based on feedback from the public and stakeholders, this will be the first time that residents will get a chance to see the draft in its entirety. City staff will continue to survey the public before the policy is finalized, which is expected to take place in the coming months.
Arts and culture coordinator Yvonne Chui said the policy will ensure that PoCo has visually pleasing neighbourhoods and enhanced public spaces.
There are already several examples of public art in Port Coquitlam. The May Pole sculpture and Leigh Square and the mosaics along the Traboulay Trail, and salmon shaped park benches and the murals on the sides of the Shaughnessy Street underpass are just some examples Chui would like to see more of.
The types of installations can range from smaller pieces, like the artistic raps around utility boxes, to larger statues, commemorating famous PoCo residents like Terry Fox, she said.
"It doesn't have to be massive or big," she said. "It is just an opportunity to make it look a little more human... it gives a bit of meaning to things."
The public art policy is one of the key recommendations to come out of the city's Cultural Plan, which was developed in 2001.
The open house will run between 3 and 4:30 p.m. at the Leigh Square Community Arts Village (2253 Leigh Square). Admission is free and everyone is welcome. For more information go to www.portcoquitlam.ca/arts.
