Councillors back stronger role in choosing county’s public art

Calls for elected members and local communities to have a greater say in how public art funding is spent received unanimous support from councillors at the June meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Cllr Mick Dollard proposed that the district actively encourage Westmeath County Council, through its Arts Plan, to take a proactive approach to delivering projects under the Per Cent for Art Scheme, which allocates up to 1% of the cost of certain public capital projects to artistic commissions.

In response, the council’s Arts Office outlined ongoing work including an audit, policy review and the development of revised procedures for the scheme.

A new policy framework is due to be presented to the relevant Strategic Policy Committee in September before being brought to the full council for approval.

Cllr Dollard argued that a dedicated assessment or appraisal committee should be established and that elected members should have representation on it.

“We know the background to the One Percent for Art scheme, but at this stage we don’t know the magnitude of the funding that’s available,” he said.

“Really there should be elected representatives on this committee. People from the arts sector might not be familiar with all the locations throughout the county, but elected members are. We know what capital projects have been carried out.”

He said little appeared to have happened under the scheme in recent years and expressed concern that councillors had not been involved in discussions around a proposed public art project linked to the Saunders Bridge development.

Referring to the Joe Dolan statue in Mullingar, he said its success had been helped by local input. “It was a wise decision; a prudent decision, but it had the input of the local councillors. That was the difference,” he said.

The motion received widespread support from members.

Cllr Emily Wallace said public art has an important role in community development, identity and tourism. “Art plays a crucial role in so many factors of our community,” she said.

“It’s not just nice pieces or murals or objects to look at. They’re attractions that tell our story, our future and our history.”

Cllr Aoife Davitt said the scheme offered opportunities to celebrate local heritage while supporting artists and creative communities. “I think it is important that we support that stream, especially when the funding is available to us,” she said.

She also suggested that Cllr Dollard would be a suitable representative should a councillor be appointed to any future committee overseeing the programme.

Cllr David Jones agreed that councillors should be involved in discussions around future projects and argued that the county’s Arts Office should be more visible and accessible to local artists.

During the debate, Cllr Jones suggested that heritage-themed projects could help boost tourism and referred to the possibility of a statue of Hugh de Lacy in Delvin, noting the historic connections between Delvin Castle and Trim Castle.

“Delvin hasn’t got the same draw as Trim, but it has the potential to link up when people know that those two are connected,” he said.

Cllr Denis Leonard described the Per Cent for Art Scheme as one of the most under-utilised opportunities available to local authorities.

He said public art had the potential to enhance towns and villages while celebrating local history and identity.

“We have so many talented artists in this country. It would be a pity not to fully utilise it,” he said. He added that community groups and town teams should also be involved in identifying suitable projects.

Cllr Julie McCourt pointed to examples she had seen in Donegal, where sculpture trails have become attractions in their own right. “I think something like that would be amazing, particularly in one of the larger towns, including the villages,” she said.

Support for the motion was also expressed by Cllrs Bill Collentine and Ken Glynn, while An Cathaoirleach Cllr Niall Gaffney said members were eager to see the outcome of the review currently being undertaken by the Arts Office.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly told members that proposals being prepared by arts officer Nicola Donlon for consideration by the Strategic Policy Committee are expected to address governance structures around the scheme.

“I couldn’t see why there wouldn’t be an elected member on it,” she said.

Closing the discussion, Cllr Dollard argued that significant opportunities now exist to deliver meaningful public art projects across the county, particularly following a number of major capital housing developments that may generate funding through the scheme.