Hamilton would benefit from a City Curator

The City of Hamilton needs a Curator. One with a significant budget, authority, and public method of process; in order to help beautify Hamilton on a continuous basis. 

Why?

Because we currently lack a common urban design and implementation strategy. A revised City of Hamilton Plan is scheduled to be released in 2014, however if it does not contain more aggressive public art policies nor clearer guidelines to implementation, then consideration should be made to appoint an official City Curator. In addition to the lack of coordination to visually enhance Hamilton, there has been an inconsistent approach to enforcing the current public art policies stated in the 2001 City of Hamilton Plan. 

The Solution: Appoint an independent City Curator responsible for maintaining current and future public art works. Local artists and painters can be contracted to execute these projects, increasing revenue opportunities available to them. New City Ordinances can also be enacted granting the Curator authority to mandate building exterior projects on privately-owned properties, for example if a building has been neglected or derelict for a period of 2-5 years the building owner(s) must incur the cost to visually enhance it. The Curator may appoint volunteer committees for selection processes, and also create opportunities for the general public to participate. Regarding the appointment of an individual for this position, it is recommended that they are either selected by representatives of local art organizations, or is a senior staff member of a local gallery. The position may either rotate or be subject to pre-determined review.

The Goal: To allow Bermuda’s creative community greater influence over the look and feel of Hamilton. The Curator’s responsibilities may also include, but not be limited to:

n Oversight and implementation of existing and future policies on public art;

n Issuing site-specific Request for Proposal’s (RFPs) for public art works;

n Maintaining a register of local artists qualified to undertake public art projects;

n Maintaining and publishing a map of public art in Hamilton/Bermuda for self-guided tours;

n Showcasing Bermudian public art to overseas audiences; and

n Assisting private building owners with coordinating building enhancement projects.

The Risk of Inaction: Investing in public art actively shows that a City invests in itself and its people. Refusing to change our current approach to urban beautification means we risk Hamilton losing a portion of its soul, we risk appearing more corporate than cultural, and we risk losing the opportunity to allow anyone to participate in bettering our built environment. Bermuda will also not be as competitive as a tourist destination if it does not create a better ‘sense of place’. 

With the Corporation of Hamilton actively pursuing the Waterfront Development Project, one questions why little effort has been given to enhance our City’s current state. Neglected properties, beaten sidewalks, and priority of vehicles over pedestrians are all challenges that should be addressed prior to a twenty-five year development project. Are we expected to forego significant enhancements to our existing environment over this time period? 

The physical scale of Bermuda provides us the opportunity to convert the City of Hamilton into a walking gallery that benefits individuals and businesses. Appointing a Curator to facilitate projects helps remove unnecessary bureaucracy from the process, while also reducing the ongoing imposition of our City’s atmosphere by elected officials. n