The event takes place:

Monday, November 19
7:00-8:30pm
Location: Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street

We’ll be joined by Eric Fredericksen, head of Public Art in Vancouver. Eric will provide a short presentation, which will be followed by an open discussion. In addition to looking at the City’s efforts with public art, we’d like to use this opportunity to review previous VPSN initiatives around public art and street art, and talk about potential placemaking, research, and advocacy projects that we can focus on over the next little while.

The event is FREE. To help us with our planning, please let us know if you’re joining us. Email info@vancouverpublicspace to reserve a space.

About the Speaker

Eric Fredericksen is Head of Public Art at the City of Vancouver, BC. He was formerly the Waterfront Public Art Program Manager for the City of Seattle, and the director of Western Bridge, an art exhibition space and collection in Seattle. As an independent curator he has organized exhibitions at the Contemporary Art Gallery, Or Gallery, and Artspeak, all in Vancouver; the Noorderzon Festival, Groningen, The Netherlands; the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; and Open Satellite, Bellevue, Wash.

Headline photo: Dustin Quasar, Creative Commons

Check out a real life ‘create your own adventure’! A mashup of public art, literary fiction and walking tours, the Active The Active Fiction Project creates short, fictional, stories set in a Vancouver neighbourhood that feature you, the reader, as the protagonist. The self-guided stories are ‘hidden’ in public spaces for readers to discover by walking, or biking, through the same neighbourhood in which the story unfolds.​

The Dunbar Chronicles is a great new walking tour quite unlike others… Brief anecdotes were collected from residents of the neighbourhood, and these anecdotes were then re-imagined into short fictional stories by local writers. The stories are located in public places (and a few other places) throughout the community as a literary walking tour.

The tour starts at the Dunbar Community Centre (4747 Dunbar St), where one can find maps of the tour. Maps are also available at the library a block away, or can be downloaded from the website (below). If walkers are really keen, it might take about 1.5 hours in total to visit all of the locations, but it works just as well by visiting just a few locations if folks don’t have time to complete the entire circuit. Also, the tour starts and finishes in Dunbar village where coffee, beer and food are available to start or end one’s trip! A surprising number of small patios await…

The Dunbar Chronicles is also part of the Salmonberry Days festival that occurs throughout the month of May.

There’s no tour leader, no start time, it’s a self-guided walk that can be taken anytime between now and the end of the month. However, some of the artists and writers will be on hand on a few dates to discuss the project – for more details go to the project website: https://workingholidayproject.wordpress.com/portfolio/the-dunbar-chronicles/.

The Dunbar Chronicles is part of the Working Holiday Project – a partnership of 3 community artists (Elisa Yon, Leah Weinstein and Jaspal Marwah) who are sharing a year-long arts residency at the Dunbar Community Centre.

If you decide to return to the bus, turn to page 32.

The thrill of the choice, and the cringe when you choose the wrong door and your adventure…ends! The “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series are a favourite, where the author leads the reader down a winding path as they choose options of what to do, or what not to do, next. The Active Fiction Project brings this experience to life in the streets around Riley Park. Readers are invited to discover hidden stories as they wander about following the different possible storylines.

The Active Fiction Project is a collaboration between the Vancouver Public Space Network, local writers and some residents of Riley Park. The project brings literature into public space so you can explore a neighbourhood while stepping into a fictional story.

This is just a sneak peak of what’s in store. Over the next couple weeks we’ll be revealing more about the Active Fiction Project and when it’s time to ‘choose your own adventure’ in a Vancouver neighbourhood. Connect with us on the Project’s website www.activefictionproject.com, follow us @activfic and on Facebook, and spread the word #activefic

If you like walking in neighbourhoods, go on an Active Fiction walk.

If you like treasure hunts, go on an Active Fiction walk.

If you like adventure, go on an Active Fiction walk.

If you like reading, go on an Active Fiction walk.

If you don’t have much spare time, go on an Active Fiction walk.

If you don’t want to spend any money, go on an Active Fiction walk.

If none of the above describe you, tell a friend to go on an Active Fiction walk.

Questions? Get in touch info@activefictionproject.com

Have Main Street residents warmed up to the Main Street Poodle since its chilly reception in January 2013? Unfortunately, the answer is still no. Residents are just as confused by the poodle as they were close to two years ago. This is not the case for the Dirty Biter sculpture in La Conner, Washington, which is highly regarded by locals and tourists alike.

Histories

Gisele Amantea, who resides in Montreal, Quebec, constructed the untitled work referred to as the “Main Street Poodle.” The sculpture is a 7-foot tall, white porcelain poodle that sits atop a 25-foot post. Installed by the Vancouver public arts program and paid for by the federal government, TransLink, and City of Vancouver, the total cost for the poodle amounted to $97, 600. The poodle is intended to represent Main Street’s quirky vibe and antique businesses. The piece was a part of an art series presented on the #3 bus route.

Dirty Biter, who was neither dirty nor a biter, was constructed by Bill Matheson, a steel, brass, and bronze sculptor in La Conner. The sculpture is a memorial to Dirty Biter, a dog that lived from the early 1970s to 1982. The sculpture sits on a metal bench in Dirty Biter Park next to Dirty Biter’s favourite tavern. Its crooked jaw depicts the consequence of an accident Dirty Biter had while biting a car tire. Dirty Biter’s sculpture is a reminder of a past La Conner, before it became a commercialized tourist attraction.

Interpretations of the Main Street Poodle

My first impression of the poodle was that, hidden between trees and lampposts, it is hard to find. I walk right underneath it several times before noticing its presence. Having owned poodles all my life, I personally love them and hate to admit that the sculpture does not evoke much emotional or cognitive response from me. Regardless of the side of the street I am on, all I can do is gaze up at the out of reach poodle.

Rebecca, a resident of the area, believes that a stroller on a pedestal would more accurately represent Main and E 18^th Ave because it is a family area. She finds it insulting that while kids are generally the ones who like the poodle, they are not at all able to physically engage with the artwork. The poodle can function as a landmark for directions, which she considers a bonus, but otherwise, Rebecca is glad it can be easily ignored.

Meghan, a condo owner, is thankful that her balcony does not have a view of the poodle. She feels bad for neighbours who have to face the back end of a dog when they look outside. Originally believing the poodle was a school prank, Meghan was disappointed to discover that the city funded such an expensive art project. She believes inserting garbage cans to keep the area clean would have been a better use of the money. Meghan maintains that a giant hipster on a pedestal would have been a better depiction of Main Street.

Interpretations of Dirty Biter

Lou, a resident of Shelter Bay near La Conner, loves the sculpture. To her, it represents a funkier version of La Conner before it transformed into a yuppie tourist area. Ollie Iverson, La Conner’s Parks Commissioner, also loves Dirty Biter and its tribute to a family dog.

A couple from Coast Hoquiam, four hours from La Conner, likes the statue and the story it represents. They believe that the connection between the artwork and its location is appropriate. Dirty Biter gives visitors insight into La Conner’s history and the couple believes he was a well-loved dog. They can imagine people sitting down and engaging with the sculpture on sunny days.

Contrasts

Dirty Biter appears to do everything the Main Street Poodle cannot. It can be considered a communicative and interactive artwork. The audience, which includes people of different genders and ages, is compelled to touch, rub, hug, and interact with Dirty Biter. Furthermore, Dirty Biter has inspired the creation of more art, such as crocheted collars and garments that can be attached to the sculpture. The artwork communicates a history of La Conner and a personal story of a beloved dog.

Spectators can cognitively and physically engage with Dirty Biter in ways they cannot with the Main Street Poodle. Many residents believe that the poodle is not fulfilling its purpose of accurately representing Main Street. When Vancouver constructs a piece of art that is intended to represent the surrounding area, the communities input and support should be made a priority. Will Main Street ever get its Dirty Biter?

Walking through the downtown eastside, past nondescript facades, nosy Vancouverites cannot help but be overwhelmed with curiosity. What exactly goes on behind the doors of the city’s oldest homes and warehouses?

Once a year, the Eastside Culture Crawl provides answers to this very question. By encouraging artists to open their homes and workshops to inquisitive passersby, the event shines a spotlight on the eastside and its dense creative diversity.

Beginning in 1997 with the participation of three studios and 45 artists, the Crawl, now in its 18^th year, has grown to include more than 400 hundred painters, photographers, furniture makers, potters, glassblowers, weavers, printmakers, sculptors and other visual artists in 79 buildings.

Even stretched over four days, to take in all of the Crawl’s talent is a feat. Plodding along the map, you are likely to be waylaid, lost in conversation with creators whose passion is palpable. And this is the great draw of the crawl: meeting the makers themselves. Sometimes awkward, sometimes tired, sometimes perfectly at ease, the vibrant presence of so many visual artists in so small a neighbourhood provides a vivid range of colours to the cultural mosaic that is East Vancouver.

Among those who colour the landscape is street photographer Louise Francis-Smith. Bringing to mind the work of the infamous Fred Herzog, Francis-Smith’s images provide a curiously intimate examination of life in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside.

Speaking to Louise, a long-time resident of Strathcona, one realizes that these photographs are the creation of someone who has not simply walked down the neighbourhood’s patched and pitted streets, but of someone who knows the subjects of her photographs by name – someone who has breathed in the warm aromas of New Town Bakery and inquired into the whereabouts of the man who feeds the pigeons at Carrall and Pender. They are the photographs of an artist who has truly lived in the area she so warmly depicts.

Another such colourful artist is industrial designer and furniture maker, Sholto Scruton, whose black walnut hutch beckons to be touched upon entry into the workshop.

Isolated apart from the artist, Sholto’s pieces would no doubt be breathtaking. However, speaking to him about the tradition of woodworking, passed down from his grandfather to his father, and then to him, infuses the pieces with a new depth. Like the fir from his father that provides the workshop a stunning set of doors, the wood is more than simply a material – it is a method of storytelling and a container of history.

Many of the buildings housing the Crawl’s artists could be described as such: containers of history. Having ascended creaking stairs to her workshop for the past twenty years, walled by whitewashed bricks of a bygone era, painter Galen Felde agrees. In many ways, the building at 339 Railway is as impressive as the works it houses.

Galen explains that it, like much of the surrounding neighbourhood, has gone through a number of transformations since beginning as a warehouse for Imperial Rice Milling Co. – some more meaningful than others. In 1986, facing an eviction notice from the city of Vancouver, the studio served as a site of resistance for the artists under threat. Lobbying the city for their right to remain, their efforts eventually culminated in the creation of a bylaw allowing artists to live and work in warehouse studios across Vancouver. It was the first of its kind in Canada.

Bringing together creativity, narrative and history, the Eastside Culture Crawl is wholly unique and succeeds not only in providing a greater understanding of visual arts, but of the downtown eastside as well. By showcasing the diversity and unbounded talent of the neighbourhood’s residents, the Crawl affords a deeper understanding of an area often spot lit solely for its poverty.

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to walk through your favourite novel? Close to 40 folks showed up during our launch in early May to find out! And guess what… the stories are still up this week in case you missed them (or stayed out of the rain).

Check out the choose your own adventure walking tour that CBC and other media’s been talking about lately.

Here’s all you need to check out the (self-guided) walking tour:

Go to the bulletin board on east 24th, between Main st & Ontario st and find the first Active Fiction chapter there. You’ll find all the instructions on where to find the rest of the story there as well. Then it’s up to you to wander the neighborhood and find the next chapters hidden in the area (but not hidden too secretly).

What is it?

We’re testing out a new kind of walking / art / public adventure: the Active Fiction Project. We’ll be launching a bigger version of this walking experience in the summer. Come and get a sneak peek & see what it’s all about.

Take this 5 second quiz to see if you should attend:

• You’re on the VPSN website right now
• You’ve been known to enjoy reading a book
• You like walking in neighbourhoods
• You like finding hidden things
• You don’t want to spend a lot of time

Any yes answers? Then head over to east 24th ave and get walking!

Visit the Project Website and share your experiences of the walk (#activefic is on twitter! facebook! flickr!)

Questions? Get in touch info@activefictionproject.com

For decades the laneways have been regarded as a secondary means of vehicular circulation, while retaining a fundamentally utilitarian functionality. Under-utilised and under-appreciated, they frequently exist in a state of disrepair and dilapidation, often acting as the literal dumping ground for our city.

Vancouver Laneway Garbage. Image Credit. Sam Cameron

However, all is not lost! Recent community driven initiatives have successfully sought to re-imagine these spaces and highlight the inherent potential retained within them. Through the facilitation of a series of ephemeral placemaking interventions, non-for-profit organizations, such as Livable Laneways Vancouver, have revealed the laneways to be potential spaces for community gathering, celebration, and interaction, as well as places for artistic expression.

Livable Laneways Activation.
Image Credit. Livable Laneways Vancouver

Drawing inspiration from the laneways has not only been limited to community groups. Local entrepreneurs, such as those situated along Blood Alley, in Vancouver’s historical Gastown neighbourhood, have also taken to embracing these peripheral, or otherwise known as marginal, spaces.

This said the City has not been implicit in this growing awareness. In 2009, Council approved laneway housing (LWH) regulations and guidelines, as part of a densification initiative. Since its inception, the City has issued over 1000 permits, throughout the city, yet the program does little to address the quality of the public space beyond the private residential footprint.

Concurrently, Council has also approved a number of neighbourhood specific plans, such at the Mount Pleasant Community Plan (Nov. 2010) and Implementation Plan (Oct. 2013), West End Community Plan (Nov. 2013), and Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan (Mar. 2014). All of the aforementioned policy documents have sought to initiate a process where the laneways are officially recognised as intrinsic public space assets, aiming to encourage the revitalization of pre-identified spaces.

These localised considerations are all well and good, however, the VPSN believes that a more comprehensive approach needs to occur. Examples such as the City of Sydney’s Laneway Revitalisation Strategy and the City of Port Phillip’s (Melbourne region) Activating Laneways Strategy demonstrate the value of adopting such a strategy.

Sydney Lane Neon.
Image Credit. ASPECT Studio

Accordingly, in order to realise this process of re-imagination and re-appropriation, VPSN proposes that the City of Vancouver considers the adoption of a Laneway Strategy.

Such a strategy could:

– Acknowledge the important role of laneways and provide a vision of the future of these spaces;

– Present different possibilities associated with residential, commercial, and industrial laneways;

– Help balance the current utilitarian role of laneways (e.g. waste collection and goods movement), with future placemaking opportunities;

– Outline quick-win strategies, such as the assignment of names, increase the number of sanctioned street art walls, and improve safety aspects (e.g. lighting);

– Examine more long-term projects which (1) ensure a more efficient means of waste removal, (2) supports the establishment of commercial enterprises, and (3) endorses infrastructural improvement projects;

– Implement a regulatory framework which readily supports event-based activities and provides clarity around issues of permitting and licensing, while potentially reducing or eliminating fees.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.