Two finalists for the design to be placed on the Verney water tower have been chosen.
Starting Nov. 6, people can vote for the designs at guelph.ca/verney. Voting ends Nov. 19. The design receiving the most votes will be declared the successful design.
The winner will be announced n December.
The city’s Public Art Advisory Committee chose three finalists from those submitted but discovered late in the process that one of the finalists was ineligible, said a city news release.
The two finalists in the running for the grand prize are Haley Audet and Brandon Priebe.
“We’re disappointed that we’ve had to remove one of the final three designs, especially this late in the process when we don’t have time to have another submission prepared,” said Jen Rafter, cultural program and event coordinator for the city in the news release.
“However, we’re also excited to see what the community chooses. Public art is for the public’s enjoyment and interest, and we’re glad that the Guelph community is involved in both the competition and the final selection of the design.”
The Public Art Advisory Committee scored the entries based on quality, creativity, technical feasibility and relevance to Guelph. Each finalist will receive a $250 honorarium, and the artist whose work is selected by the community will be awarded an additional $750 prize.
Guelph water towers are painted every fifteen years. During 2017 budget discussions about the repainting of the Verney water tower, staff were directed by Council to investigate the possibility of incorporating art into the repainting of the tower. City staff from Water Services, Corporate Communications and Culture and Tourism came together to deliver the project, which will enhance the 150-foot landmark. The new artwork will occupy the spaces on either side of the bowl of the tower where the name ‘Guelph’ is currently displayed.
Those without internet access are welcome to contact Jen Rafter to cast their vote at 519-822-1260 extension 2629.
