Please join us on Tuesday, October 13, from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. for a special keynote speech by internationally celebrated artist Ken Lum. The talk marks the launch of Becoming Public Art, a nine-week virtual summit presented by Markham Public Art in partnership with ART+PUBLIC UnLtd. The keynote is co-presented by Canadian Art.

In this special presentation, Ken Lum lays out the key points that public artists, or persons interested in public art, need to consider regarding the role of public art in society today. The keynote considers how public art is called upon to perform as a so-called public good, while at the same time it has become instrumentalized by administrative language. Lum presents these key points as an index of terms essential for every public artist to know. Lum will also speak about this moment as a “monuments moment” brought about by the unprecedented change to our collective existence under a global pandemic, which catalyzes a re-examination of public space and the institutions that govern it.

Ken Lum is an artist born and raised in Vancouver and currently based in Philadelphia. His work has been exhibited at documenta 11, the Venice Biennale, Shanghai Biennale, Carnegie International, Whitney Biennial, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. He has produced public artworks in cities from Rotterdam to Burnaby, including his Monument for East Vancouver (2010) on Clark Avenue in Vancouver. Lum was recently awarded the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts (2020), the Gershon Iskowitz Prize (2020), and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017. He is co-founder of Monument Lab and is the Marilyn Jordan Taylor Penn Professor in the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania and Chair of the Department of Fine Art.

Becoming Public Art: Working Models and Case Studies for Art in Public is a nine-week virtual summit presented by the City of Markham in partnership with ART+PUBLIC UnLtd. The City of Markham has one of the most diverse populations in Canada and a fast-developing urban environment. As part of the City’s emerging public art program, Becoming Public Art aims to develop resources for those interested in the practice of contemporary public art.

In a series of virtual sessions open to the public, professionals in the field will present the broad range of perspectives that shape public art making today.

Framed by current discussions happening at the intersection of contemporary art, public realm issues and urbanism, the summit features working models and case studies that address the challenges and opportunities faced by those working in this constantly evolving field.

The summit will occur over the course of nine weekly sessions, from October 13 through December 8, 2020, taking place every Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). All programs are free, online, and open to the public. Registration is required. All event times are EST.

For summit details and to subscribe for updates, please visit the summit website.