PUBLIC ART: A RIGHT OR A PRIVILEGE?

April 4, 2013 at 11:03 / by shani

Ambre Nicolson from Creative Cape Town asked me for a quote for an article on whether public art is a right or a privilege. Read the Article here.

Recently we have experience some more bureaucracy in Cape Town which has made it really difficult for artists to paint / create here. I have submitted a number of permit applications only to be shot down, due to changing policies, scared politicians, various groups who are close-minded and just dont understand the value of public art. Public art is not illegal if you have a permit, but its almost imposible to get a permit.

I received this info from Arts & Culture yesterday
These are the two documents which are currently under way and the timings on them.
a. Art and Cultural Policy
b. Public Art Regulatory Framework
The former will be ready for public participation in the 4th quarter of 2013 and the latter will be ready for review and comment by the public at the 2013 ways to do Public Art exhibition to be held at the City Hall at the end of June.

This is way too late to get anything going for Design Capital 2014. And in the meantime its getting harder and harder to get permits. As it stands there has already been an absolute stop on all public art in the Seapoint, Greenpoint, Mouille Point area, which already has very little as it is.

Some examples of Public Art in Cape Town