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Originally Posted by Muta
Great post Table. Couldn't have said it better.
Also, crazy_eoj - what's wrong with sourcing from New York? There's talented people there too, just as there is here. Calgary and Canada are multicultural societies, and international contributions just add to the diversity and enrichment of the cultural mosaic here. This phenomenon should be encouraged.
czay_eoj's logic is akin to building a hockey team with guys only born in southern Alberta. It's a romantic idea, but very limiting and not really a complete recipe for success. You should have a collection of talent no matter where they're from.
One guy from the city said it best (saw this on CBC); if these types of work were commissioned to only locals, there would be about 3-4 very rich artists and that's it. Very interesting point from someone that actually deals with the art community directly.
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Locals only is a bad idea. Hire the best, expect the best. Calgary should be a world class city, so we need world class art. We should pick the best wherever they live.
It doesn't have to be big or complicated, Copenhagen's little mermaid is unobtrusive, doesn't light up, and has been a recognized symbol of the city for 100 years.
We need more things like that, and we should improve the process so we get less blue rings and overpass fish and more iconic items. I'm not sure exactly how it should be changed, but the status quo definitely leaves something to be desired.