Art in Public Spaces - consider your MP or MPP

After outreach to our local MP’s office, the North Bay Art Association successfully established a partnership to display artwork from our group in their local constituency office. The initiative faced two key logistical hurdles that required creative problem-solving. The first was insurance liability—a concern we addressed by having participating artists assume responsibility for their own works, removing any financial burden from the MP’s office. The second challenge involved the selection process itself. Rather than curating pieces on behalf of the office, we developed a democratic approach: we photographed submissions from interested artists and emailed the images directly to the MP’s staff, empowering them to choose works that resonated with their aesthetic preferences and office environment. While the art is not priced, people can contact the artist and purchase if they wish.

This arrangement represents a significant win for our local arts community, providing exposure for our members while beautifying a public space. By streamlining the administrative barriers and offering flexibility in the selection process, we transformed what could have been a bureaucratic impasse into a mutually beneficial collaboration. The partnership not only showcases local talent to constituents and visitors but also demonstrates the MP’s commitment to supporting cultural initiatives in the community.

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That’s a wonderful example, Joyce - congratulations to you and the North Bay Art Association for making it happen. I really appreciate how you navigated the practical hurdles around liability and selection in such a collaborative way. It’s a great reminder that sometimes the key to partnership is making it easy to say yes.

This kind of local initiative also sparks a bigger question I’d love to open up to everyone here:
Have others found ways to display artwork in community or public spaces - like constituency offices, libraries, health centres, or local businesses - where both artists and the host organization benefit?

What worked for you in setting it up?
What challenges did you face (insurance, hanging systems, visibility, sales, etc.)?

Sharing a few examples here could help inspire similar partnerships across the country.

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Installed 35 pieces. I learned so much about installing art from our volunteers who have set up many exhibits!

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