The Winnipeg Arts Council is shocked to see its public art program end after 20 years

The Winnipeg Arts Council says it's surprised the city plans to not fund public art this year, effectively scrapping a 20-year-old program that bequeathed major installations in Manitoba's capital.

The City of Winnipeg's 2024 budget proposal shows that the Winnipeg Arts Council will not receive a dime for public art for the first time since the program's inception in 2004, the last year of Mayor Glen Murray's administration.

During Sam Katz's tenure as mayor (2004-14) and Brian Bowman's first term as mayor (2014-18), the city gave the arts council $500,000 a year for public art.

This grant was reduced to $250,000 in 2019 and then to $125,000 in 2022.

The grant's drop to zero dollars in this year's draft budget, released last week, was “a complete surprise,” said Carol Phillips, executive director of the Winnipeg Arts Council.

He was not notified of the end of the grant until Wednesday's budget, he said.

Colin Fast, a spokesman for Mayor Scott Gillingham, said funding for public art elsewhere in the capital budget was included in other items.

“The special grant was eliminated as part of an overall review to streamline grants to reflect an action plan on strategic priorities,” Fast said, referring to an effort by city council members to prioritize spending.

More funding for public art could be directed to downtown Winnipeg next year, Fast added.

Phillips said the decision was disappointing because the arts council had no role in commissioning public art after two decades of expertise in the area.

“The Winnipeg Arts Council needs to be a cultural advisor in accordance with the mandate given to us by the city,” he said.

The city's standing policy committees will hold public hearings on the budget in a series of meetings beginning March 1. Phillips said she plans to come to the council to ask for the public art budget to be reinstated.

The city still funds other operations of the Winnipeg Arts Council. The city plans to give the arts council $4.6 million this year, a 1.6 percent increase over 2023.

This would restore the arts council's annual funding to 2019 levels – a promise made by Gillingham during the 2022 civic election campaign.

This year's budget includes a new $500,000 grant for downtown arts institutions.

Fast said the money was requested by “major art institutions” in downtown Winnipeg to “leverage additional sources of funding for major capital projects.”

On March 20, the city council will meet to consider the draft budget.