Public Arts and Culture Policy

Policy number: 2025-03

Effective date: March 24, 2025

Last revision date: March 24, 2025

On this page

1. Definitions
2. Policy Statement
3. Purpose
4. Scope
5. Principles
6. Roles and Responsibilities

1. Definitions

Acquisition means the process of accepting Art/Artwork into Haldimand County’s Collection of Public Art.

Art/Artwork means Artwork that includes, but is not limited to, original sculptures, murals, monuments, mosaics, photography, paintings, graphic arts, landscaping/earthworks, tableaux, vignettes, kinetic works or creative displays and exists on publicly-accessible property (indoor or outdoor).

Artist means an individual who is the designer, creator or maker of Art/Artwork or community cultural experiences (e.g. non-tangible assets such as theatre, oral histories, studio tours, Arts and Culture events) and includes, but is not limited to, emerging, mid-career and established professionals.

Call for Artists means an issued notice of opportunity to Artists that contains the selection criteria and information about an upcoming project and describes the selection and award process.

Commission means the act of having Art/Artwork created by an Artist—or in collaboration with Artists—through a public process and existing in a publicly-accessible Haldimand County-owned or operated location.

Community Art means Art/Artwork in a public place, the design and implementation of which is led by an Artist and involves community members directly in its creation through collaboration, production and/or dialogue.

Community Development & Partnerships Division means the Division responsible for administration of the Public Arts & Culture Policy.

Community Partnership Program means Haldimand’s process—within the Community Development & Partnerships Division—through which all community requests to undertake capital construction or other installations on Haldimand County property are reviewed and approved. It includes a fair, clear and consistent policy, process and grants of up to 35% of a project budget.

Community Partnership Program – Public Arts & Culture Reserve Fund means the Haldimand County funding available—through a dedicated capital reserve fund—for Public Arts and Culture partnership initiatives.

Community Partnership Program – Staff Review Team means the designated group of staff—representing all Haldimand County Divisions—assessing community-driven initiatives to undertake capital construction or other installations on Haldimand property.

Council means the municipal Council, or governing body, of The Corporation of Haldimand County and is comprised of the Mayor and Councillors.

County means The Corporation of Haldimand County.

Culture refers to the values, customs, heritage and traditions that characterize a community. Culture is inclusive and reflects the elements and traits of peoples of historical and contemporary settlement, popular culture and the places, physical amenities, events, products and creations that contribute to such values, customs and traditions.

Deaccessioning means the process of permanently removing Art/Artwork from Haldimand County’s Collections (Museums/Archives and Public Arts & Culture).

Donation or Donated Art means the voluntary transfer of ownership of Art/Artwork to Haldimand County, via written agreement. The Art/Artwork becomes the property of Haldimand and may be displayed, loaned, retained or disposed of in such manner as Haldimand may deem to be in its best interest.

Expression of Interest means a written, concise document which shows the intention of an Artist to apply for a particular announced project. It includes a brief description of the Artist and their work. It is the first stage in the Commissioning process.

Haldimand County or Haldimand means The Corporation of Haldimand County.

Haldimand Museums Advisory Board means the Council-appointed Committee responsible for providing advice and recommendations to Council with respect to policy issues related to Haldimand County’s museums and artifact collections. A Sub-Committee of the HMAB will provide oversight associated with implementation of the Public Arts & Culture Strategy.

Heritage & Culture Unit means the functional staff, within the Community Development & Partnerships Division, responsible for all aspects of heritage, Culture and the Arts for Haldimand County.

Heritage Haldimand means the Committee which assists and advises Haldimand County Council on the conservation of the community’s cultural heritage resources in accordance with Parts IV and V of the Ontario Act, Haldimand’s Official Plan and associated by-laws.

Integrated Art means Art/Artwork that is installed or fabricated as an integral part of a newly-constructed or renovated building, structure or landscape (e.g. a building, bridge, park).

Lifecycle means from the initial concept to selection, fabrication, maintenance and Deaccessioning of a piece of Art/Artwork.

Loan Agreement is executed between Haldimand County and the Artist(s) or a donor and outlines the roles and responsibilities of each party associated with where and for how long Art/Artwork will be on loan with Haldimand.

Loaned Art means Art/Artwork loaned to Haldimand  County for a defined period of time through a Loan Agreement, with ownership of the Art/Artwork remaining with the Artist or lender of the Art/Artwork.

Museums’ Collection consists of objects and archival materials donated or otherwise legally acquired by Haldimand County.  The Collection is recognized as being an asset owned by Haldimand.

Permanent Art means Public Art including sculptures, monuments and Integrated Art; it has been Commissioned and/or approved by Haldimand County through a formal selection or review/approval process.

Private Spaces means any property, building or structure in the municipality not owned, operated or managed by Haldimand County.

Privately-Owned and Publicly-Accessible Property means any outdoor space accessible to the general public that is private property, such as courtyards, entrance plazas, forecourts, lanes, etc.

Privately-Owned and Visible to the Public Property means private property and features such as building facades, retaining walls and fences that are visible from a public place and contribute to the character of the adjacent Public Space.

Public Art/Artwork means a work in any medium and intended for exhibition within Public Space. Public Artwork has been produced by an Artist, or in collaboration with Artists, and installed in a Public Space. It is created to reflect and engage the community and has undergone a formal selection process. Public Art may have functional and aesthetic qualities; it may be Integrated into its site, or it may be a discrete piece; it can be participatory, and permanent or temporary. At its core, Public Art is free and accessible, encouraging community members of different ages, abilities, backgrounds and identities to engage.

Public Arts & Culture Collection means the body of work or collection on display, including original Art/Artwork or cultural initiatives created for, acquired by or loaned to Haldimand County.

Public Arts & Culture Strategy means Haldimand County’s strategic document—developed in collaboration with the Arts and Culture community and through broad community consultation—which directs the development of Arts and Culture opportunities, initiatives, projects and experiences.

Public Arts Community Working Group means the committee chaired by staff from the Community Development & Partnerships Division’s Heritage & Culture Unit and comprised of rotating members of the community with varying areas of expertise and disciplines which may include Artists, makers, curators, Art educators and Art historians, landscape architects, architects, urban planners, engineers, designers, members of the business community, members of local Art councils or Art collectives. This committee is responsible for assessing projects and initiatives—including serving as a jury panel when needed—through the lens of the Arts and Culture community.

Public Art Inventory means the processing, documenting and cataloguing of information that is used to identify and track the Public Arts & Culture Collection, both archived and on display.

Public Art Program Reserve Fund means an established fund to support the Public Arts & Culture Policy and sourced from private contributions, community donations, developer fees and other levels of government. This reserve is complementary to the Community Partnership Program Public Arts & Culture Reserve Fund, which will distribute grants to approved partnership projects.

Public Space means municipally-owned Public Spaces that are generally open and accessible to all including, but not limited to, parks, trails, boulevards, open spaces, waterways/waterfronts, roads, bridges, gateways, streetscapes, exterior and interior public areas associated with Haldimand-owned/operated buildings and civic squares.

Request for Proposal means an open process for any Artist/maker to create and submit plans for the production of a specific concept or desired Public Artwork requested by Haldimand County.

Temporary Art means Art/Artwork intended to be installed for a limited period of time, from several hours to several years.

2. Policy Statement

Haldimand County recognizes that Art in Public Spaces enriches the quality of life of its citizens, adding cultural, social and economic value to our shared public places. It encourages inclusion, social cohesion and a sense of belonging, civic pride, cultural understanding and allows for the expression of our evolving collective history, values and Culture.

Public Arts and Culture also have the potential to influence economic prosperity and tourism diversity, leading to a thriving, healthy and engaged community.

Haldimand is committed to working with Artists, community collaborators, businesses and citizens—in tangible and meaningful ways—in the ongoing development and implementation of Arts and Culture in public places throughout Haldimand.

3. Purpose

The purpose of the Public Arts & Culture Policy is to provide a fair, consistent and transparent framework to guide the development, delivery and support of Arts and cultural services, initiatives and experiences in Haldimand County.

This Policy offers strategies for the understanding of community expectations, facilitating discussions and identifying Arts, cultural and financial resources.

The Supervisor, Heritage & Culture Unit, or designate, is responsible for the implementation of the Public Arts & Culture Policy and procedures.

4. Scope

This Policy—and the related procedures—applies to all current and future activities associated with Public Arts and Culture installations and experiences in Haldimand County, providing staff and the community with a clear and consistent framework for decision-making about the Acquisition or approval of those activities on Haldimand property.

5. Principles

5.1 Innovative & Open-Minded

• A flexible, imaginative and “made in Haldimand” approach is taken to enliven Public Spaces, infrastructure and experiences to add character, promote discovery and create spaces for connection;
• Find innovative solutions to support success and be ready when opportunities arise;
• Leverage community/partner strengths and knowledge to advance Public Arts and Culture and creative placemaking initiatives.

5.2 Collaborative & Engaging

• Public Art can be an entry point into conversations about truth and reconciliation. Indigenous communities will be appropriately engaged to identify opportunities to restore visibility to these communities and generate dialogue about the legacy of colonialism and a shared path forward;
• Proposals respond to a demonstrated community Public Arts and Culture interest and support the objectives of the Public Arts & Culture Strategy;
• Engage residents in decision-making.

5.3 Diverse & Inclusive

• Ensure cultural equity;
• Support local Artists, creators and makers as much as possible to reflect the diversity of the community, including marginalized people and groups;
• Ensure decision-making about which installations/experiences to support gives consideration to representation of the community’s civic history and cultural and artistic heritage.

5.4 Accessible & Equitable

• All potential partnership proposals are vetted through one entry point and process in Haldimand County to ensure a fair, clear and consistent approach to decision-making;
• Ensure—as much as possible—that initiatives and experiences are accessible to all;
• Pay Artists, creators and makers fairly.

5.5 Sustainable & Resilient

• Proposed projects/activities will align with Haldimand’s strategic objectives, including the Public Arts & Culture Strategy;
• Proposals include a well-researched and sound financial plan;
• Potential partners are able to demonstrate a positive impact (short- and long-term) of the project in terms of measuring outcomes, benefit and/or value-added in the community and methods of evaluation;
• Potential partners (public/community or private) must demonstrate capacity to fulfill the roles and obligations outlined in the project/agreement/Policy criteria including organizational capacity, functional capacity and financial accountability.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

Haldimand County staff will be responsible for overseeing implementation of the Public Arts & Culture Policy including:

• Developing all procedural aspects related to the Policy;
• Recommending a Public Arts & Culture budget through Haldimand County’s annual budget process and managing same;
• Advising Council, staff and residents on the Public Arts & Culture Policy and related initiatives;  
• Work with the Public Arts & Culture Sub-Committee (of the Haldimand Museums Advisory Board), the Public Arts Community Working Group, other Haldimand County Divisions whose expertise is required (e.g. Planning & Development, Finance, Legal & Support Services, Economic Development & Tourism, Facilities, Parks, Cemeteries & Forestry Operations, Facilities Capital & Asset Management and Engineering Services) and community stakeholders to identify Public Arts priorities, locations and initiatives;
• Act as an advocate, through public communication and outreach, to build public awareness and support for Public Arts and Culture.

Haldimand County Council will:

• Act as an advocate for Public Arts & Culture in the Haldimand;
• Approve the Public Arts & Culture Strategy and Policy;
• Approve any changes to the Public Arts & Culture Policy, as required;
• Approve budgets and consider requests through Council reports associated with Public Arts & Culture activities and initiatives.

Haldimand Museums Advisory Board – Public  Arts and Culture Sub-Committee responsibilities include:

• Ensuring the Public Arts & Culture Policy is followed, relevant and updated annually;
• Working with the Community Development & Partnerships Division and other Haldimand staff to develop Public Arts & Culture work plans (e.g. identifying potential projects, locations, themes and concepts);  
• Advise on the development and implementation of selection, Acquisition, maintenance, Loans, relocation and Deaccession of artistic works to which this Policy applies and ensure that established procedures and guidelines are applied;
• Advise and recommend to staff on proposed gifts, donations and bequests of Public Art to Haldimand County as defined in the Policy and in accordance with established guidelines;
• Provide advice and expertise to Haldimand staff.