City launches “What Makes Burlington Great” Contest

June 22nd, 2011 by Kelly Gorven Comment button

The City of Burlington is calling on all residents with creative talent to submit pieces of art that will support the development of the City’s strategic planning process.

An art contest titled What Makes Burlington Great? has been created by City council, allowing community involvement for the growth of Burlington’s future. Residents are asked to translate their vision for the City, whether of the present or the future, into a piece of art.

“This contest will support the development of our strategic plan called Burlington Our Future by showing council and the rest of the city what our residents think makes Burlington a great place to live and what they see for the future,” said Amanda Gubbles, Corporate Project Assistant.

The City is asking residents of all ages – what makes Burlington great and why do you like living here? For those with a passion for their city, they have to ability to speak up through art and express their opinions.

“The Strategic Plan is one of the main documents that guides council staff for the next four years,” said Gubbles. “It’s important for the public to get involved because it’s going to effect them at every level – the way budget decisions are made, tax rates, future development of neighborhoods, all the way down to the level of service for how often we plow roads.”

Those wishing to submit their creations into the contest can mail to Burlington, Our Future, P.O. Box 5013, Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6 or deliver in person to the clerks department at City Hall, 426 Brant Street. All submissions must be received no later than Thursday, June 30 and must include the art piece itself, a submission form that can be found online at www.burlington.ca and contact information. Rules and regulations are available online. Contest winners will be notified in August.

Pieces will be judged based on their relevancy to Burlington, their composition and arrangement as well as creativity.

There will be three winners selected, one from each age category: 5-13 years of age, 14-17 years of age and 18 or older. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges consisting of residents of Burlington with artistic backgrounds. Each piece selected may be used for City of Burlington publications both web and paper-based.

All forms of art will be accepted, but there is a maximum size of 60 cm x 90 cm. In addition to the contest, council has created an online photo gallery where residents can submit their photographs of the city and express what they like about it, without having to enter the contest. Submissions for these photos must be in before June 30 and will be used as part of a rotating banner on the City’s website.

“The winners will receive a certificate of recognition at a council meeting in the fall,” said Gubbles. “They will also have a photo opportunity with the Mayor and members of council.”

“We’ve never had an art contest related to our strategic plan before, so this came as a push to better engage the community in our planning processes,” said Gubbles. ”We thought it would be a good way to engage youth as well as adults but give it a slightly different spin on engagement. Rather than filling out a survey, it provides an opportunity to use visual arts to give ideas and encourage more involvement.”

For more information on the What Makes Burlington Great? art contest and photo gallery visit www.burlington.ca.

Tags: art contest

About the author: Kelly Gorven

Kelly is a freelance writer and recent graduate from the Journalism Print program at Sheridan College. Aside from writing for Oakville.com and Burlington.net, she also sits on the Board of Directors for Halton Crime Stoppers and enjoys volunteering and creating the newsletter for the organization. In her spare time she enjoys reading and watching movies.