Council invests in public art

Council invested over $3 million in public art from 2012 to 2018, with 135 new artworks commissioned or acquired for public space.

A Public Art Review tabled at today’s meeting, provided an assessment of projects delivered as part of Council’s Public Art Policy from 2012/13 to 2017/18 financial years.

Key highlights from the review include:

Council invested about $3.03 million in new public artworks, managing existing public art and public art programs.135 new artworks were commissioned or acquired for public spaceIntegrated cultural programming has seen public art as a key feature in around six local festivals and events165 documented employment opportunities have been created for a diverse range of contributing professionals, including artists, project managers, curators, fabricators, engineers and design specialistsRestoration and repair was undertaken on seven significant public art assets and the full collection of Cairns public art (194 artworks) was catalogued and promoted on the new Cairns Arts and Culture Map.

The outcomes of the Review aligned to the core principles and objectives of Council’s Public Art Policy, including the position of Cairns as the arts and cultural capital of Northern Australia.