Subject: The Vancouver Women's Monument

From: [email-masked] (Graham Hayes)
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 94 01:23:10 -0800

Official Competition Proposal for the Vancouver Women's Monument follows my
comments - (note.competition now closed - monument to be erected shortly).

  Just to round off white ribbon week, and the general discussions on this
topic, many of you may have heard of the Women's Monument to be erected in
Vancouver? The part about it being dedicated to the 14 Women killed by Marc
Lepine, I have no problem with. What I find offensive is the wording on the
end of the message "... and all women MURDERED BY MEN".
   Think of all the war memorials you have seen, dedicated to the fallen,
nowhere do they say "... and all soldiers MURDERED by Germans or Japanese"
never do these monuments seek to maintain hatred against the race or group
to which the perpetrators belonged.
   Look carefully at the proposal, they mention -
1.That they believe that lunatic Lepine's actions was an 'allegedly random
act' . 'Allegedly' like this happens every day?!
2.That the monument is not just to memorialize the 14 women, it is to
provide a focal point for 'diverse strategies of resistance' and
'struggle'. Is this Canada they are talking about? or Iran?
3.That they EXPECT graffiti on the monument. I would say that if someone
paints on it 'dedicated to all men driven to suicide by vindictive divorce
settlements' it will be erased with acid forthwith, but should someone
write 'I hate women' it will be left there forever, in fact, I think that
if the right type of graffiti does not appear, someone connected with the
monument will make it appear there.
   The whole intention of the monument is provocation, not promotion of
harmony and understanding. Anyhow read it for yourself ->
Graham Hayes.

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   ================================================================
   This electronic version is being presented for information only.
   Care has been taken to transcribe this document accurately.
   However, in case of differences, the official printed version
   shall prevail.
   ================================================================

              Capilano College Women's Centre
       2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, B.C.  V7J 3H5

                 The Women's Monument
                  Design Competition
                     Guidelines

Monuments have traditionally been built to publicly remember figures and
events in history that men have considered important.

How would a Women's Monument be different

The Women's Monument Project has, over the past three years, worked to
establish a permanent piece of public art in Vancouver to address the issue
of violence against women. The Project is made up of a committee of
volunteers and Project staff members, is sponsored by the Capilano College
Women's Centre, and is supported by government, corporate, and individual
donations.

The Monument will be located in Thornton Park, at Main Street and Terminal
Avenue, a transportation hub of Vancouver and a site surrounded by many
diverse neighborhoods and communities. Thornton Park was approved as the
site for the Women's Monument by the Vancouver Park Board, and this elected
body will have final approval of the Monument design.

Historically, few women have had the opportunity to create permanent public
art. The design of the Monument will be chosen through a national design
competition open only to women and juried by an independent group of
Canadian women who have achieved recognition in the fields of art,
architecture, art history, and feminist activism.

When fund raising is complete, the successful artist will receive the
commission to build the monument with a construction budget of $115,000.

  Table of Contents

1. Project Concept
      Social and Cultural Context       Envisioned Uses       Background of
the Project
      The Site       The Dedication       Plans for Maintenance 2. The
Competition
      Eligibility Criteria       Application Process       Competition
Schedule       Competition: Stage One
      Competition: Stage Two
      Jury Selection Procedure
      Artists Guidelines       Technical Site Criteria       Environmental
Considerations

Appendix
      Stage One Identification Form
      Site Map

            1. PROJECT CONCEPT

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

In 1991, 225 women were murdered in Canada. Of these, 208 were killed by a
family member or acquaintance. The number of women killed has increased
dramatically over the past decade.

Canadian society is beginning to recognize that the violence that occurs
behind closed doors is systemically connected to the acts of rape and
murder that take place on the street. These, in turn, are connected to
supposedly random acts such as the murder of fourteen women at the
University de Montreal on December 6,1989. This mass shooting, occurring in
public space, focussed attention on the issue of violence against women in
all social spaces.

The Women's Monument is conceived as a national, permanent work of art to
be located in Thornton Park in Vancouver, B.C., dedicated to all women who
have been murdered by men, and naming the fourteen women killed in Montreal
on December 6, 1989. it will provide a focus for healing, a tangible symbol
of remembrance, and a site for many forms of women's resistance to male
violence.

       The Women's Monument will:
  *    provide a place for large gatherings and also allow for
quiet, individual contemplation
  *    in some way allow visitors to interact with the artwork,
  *    promote dignity and respect for the lives of women,
  *    strengthen public resolve to end violence against women.

ENVISIONED USES

 **  One-half of all Canadian women have experienced at least one
     incident of violence since the age of 16.
 **  One-in-six currently married women reported violence by their
     spouses: one-half of women with  previous marriages reported
     violence by a previous spouse.
 **  42% of women with disabilities have been or are in abusive
     situations.
 **  98% of women murdered in Ontario between 1974 and 1990 were
     killed by men, usually by an intimate partner.

This artwork will be situated on a public urban site. How will this
dedicated site be used by women individually and collectively?

1. December 6: A National Day of Remembrance and Action. Since
            1989, groups of people numbering from 50 to 1,000 have
            gathered for commemoration ceremonies at college and
            university campuses, the downtown Art Gallery steps, and
            other sites throughout the Lower Mainland. The Monument
            will provide a site specifically dedicated to the memory
            of this tragic day in Canadian history.

2. March 8: International Women's Day. The site will provide a
            starting or finishing point for the annual public rally
            and march that marks this day instituted by the United
            Nations to recognize the struggle for economic and social
            equality for women worldwide.

3. Spontaneous gatherings in response to the murders of women locally.
4. Individuals will be able to visit the Women's Monument to remember
            friends or family they or to seek healing for the effects
            of their own experiences of violence.

5. Educational visits planned for students by a number of Vancouver
            educators as part of their curriculum.

6. Chance encounters provided by the proximity of the site to the
            train, bus, and rapid transit stations and, in future, by
            the corridor of green space and bicycle paths planned for
            the area.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

In the winter of 1990-91, the Capilano College Women's Centre Steering
Committee voted in favor of a student's proposal to build a monument in
memory of the women murdered at the University de Montreal in 1989 and,
symbolically, of all women affected by male violence. The founding Women's
Monument Committee quickly expanded to induce interested women from the
various communities of Vancouver.

As the project developed, and as comments were offered by supporters and
critics, the committee clarified the purpose of the project: to face the
most frightening and difficult extreme of violence against women by
focussing exclusively on murdered women - the fourteen in Montreal and all
women murdered by men.

Since that time, a group of feminists working in education, the media,
cultural organizations, political advocacy, visual art, and architecture
have volunteered their time to develop this project, secure a site, raise
funds, and devise the design competition. Fund raising for the capital
costs of the Women's Monument is ongoing.

THE SITE

Thornton Park, Vancouver, British Columbia. Thornton Park is located in
east Vancouver at Main Street and Terminal Avenue.

  History of the Site.

Is a Women's Monument in itself a challenge to the conventional   method of
public remembrance   through traditional monuments?

Feminists of many political positions recognize that diverse strategies are
necessary to address the effects of male violence on all women's lives.
This project is just one of many strategies aimed at ending violence
against women. The role that the Women's Monument ran play in this struggle
is to make a permanent and public statement of the value of all women's
lives by honoring those murdered by men and by providing a site in a public
space that women can use individually and collectively for their diverse
strategies of resistance.

Thornton Park was built during the Edwardian period (1901-1911) in an
Edwardian style. This style is characterized by a formal and balanced
geometry, with walkways that intersect the site creating square components
and circular features. Often used in "railway parks", the Edwardian style
of park design has been used in several Canadian cities.

    Over time some  walkways in Thornton Park have been replaced or
installed in such a way that the original geometry has been compromised.
The Park Board would like to reestablish the original symmetry of the
design, so any walkways planned as part of the monument should bear this
goal in mind. The monument design should take into consideration the
original design philosophy of the park.

   Thornton Park The Neighbourhood.

Thornton Park is situated in the midst of a rapidly changing neighborhood.
Historically, the area has been one of mixed use: train yards, warehouses,
light and heavy industry, and residential hotels.

The surrounding neighborhoods are: Strathcona, Mount Pleasant, Downtown
Eastside, and Chinatown. These neighborhoods are characterized by ethnic
diversity and a concentration of poverty in some areas. Nearby are False
Creek, Yaletown, and Grandview Woodlands.

Recently, a cement plant situated across the street from the park was torn
down and replaced with condominiums. More condos will be built on the
nearby Expo lands.

Thornton Park is situated at an important transportation hub. The Park is
at the corner of the intersection of two major commuter and truck routes -
Main Street and Terminal Avenue.

 The Vancouver bus depot and the CN passenger train station are directly
east of the park. The park is adjacent to the Skytrain rapid transit system
and serviced by several city bus routes. The park is also dose to two
important bike routes which will be expanded in the future.

Within a half mile radius of Thornton Park are the following: Science World
and its park, major condominium and townhouse developments, False Creek,
gas stations, hotels, artists' studios, the CN passenger train station, the
Vancouver bus depot, Skytrain rapid transit, major roadways, train yards,
warehouses, retail stores, theatres, bars, fast food outlets, houses, and
apartments.

Why Thornton Park? Many places in Vancouver were considered for the site of
the Women's Monument. Over time, Thornton Park emerged as an ideal
location, able to meet the particular needs of this project. The park's
ambience, accessibility, and relative safety make it particularly suitable.

Access. Thornton Park is in a central urban location and highly accessible
to people who drive, walk, bicycle, or use public transportation. It is
physically accessible to seniors and visitors who are disabled and is open
24 hours a day.

Safety. The park itself has sufficient lighting and is not heavily
landscaped. It is visible from the street and residences nearby. The
entrances and exits can accommodate groups of visitors. Phone booths,
cross-walks, and traffic lights are close to the site.

Ambience. Thornton Park is surrounded by diverse neighborhoods. There is
light, steady pedestrian traffic through the area. The park is open and
flat, yet offers potential for a sense of privacy. Acoustics are somewhat
hampered by the noise of nearby traffic at the edge of the park: however,
the sound level is not overwhelming. Washrooms and conveniences such as
restaurants and gas stations are close by.

THE DEDICATION

In order to:
  - recognize the historical importance of the mass shooting at the
    University de Montreal in escalating the struggle for an end
    violence against women in Canada,
z - place this loss in the context of the many women lost, and
z - honor and commemorate each life,

the following dedication will be located at the site. The means and
specific placement of the dedication will be determined by the artist.

Genevieve Bergeron
Helene Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Barbara Maria Klueznick
Maryse Laganiere
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michelle Richard
Annie St-Arneault
Annie Turcotte

murdered December 6, 1989, Universite de Montreal

We, their sisters and brothers, remember, and work for a better world. In
memory and in grief for all the women murdered by men, for women of all
countries, all classes, all ages, all colors.

The dedication will be translated into a number of languages and Braille.

PLANS FOR MAINTENANCE

The chosen design will be made of strong materials resistant to graffiti
and other forms of vandalism. The structure should not change the existing
maintenance demands on the Park Board.

As with any public structure, the Monument will be susceptible to
vandalism. We intend to allow a certain amount of graffiti and damage to
just stand. We would prefer that the Women's Monument be defaced rather
than have that expression of anger turned on a woman or women.

The chosen design will not include landscape art or architecture with
plantings because of the endless upkeep needed to care for them. The use of
water will be considered, within limits. Fountains or ponds requiring
recirculation pumps cannot be considered because of the associated
maintenance demands.

           2. THE COMPETITION

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Historically, very few women have had the privilege of creating permanent
public art in Canada, despite the belief that within a democracy public
space belongs to everyone. Women have rarely participated in creating the
many permanent objects that make up our built environment. At this point in
history, and particularly on the topic of violence against women, it is
most appropriate that women reclaim a part of public space in which to
speak.

This public art competition is open to individual women or groups of women
who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants. Women students at
post-secondary schools are especially encouraged to apply.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Prospective applicants can contact the Prospective applicants can contact
the Women's Monument Project office by fax, telephone, or in writing to
obtain this package (The Women's Monument Design Competition Guidelines).
Packages will be mailed out beginning January 4,1994.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

January 4, 1994:    Stage One Competition package mailed to applicants
January 15, 1994:   Stage One begins
April 15, 1994:     Deadline for receipt of Stage One submissions
June 15, 1994:      Applicants notified of Stage One decisions
June 16, 1994:      Stage Two begins
August 15, 1994:    Deadline for receipt of Stage Two submissions September
15, 1994: Final design chosen by jury

COMPETITION: STAGE ONE

Starts: January 15, 1994

Deadline for submission: April 15, 1994

Format: Anonymous. The jury will not know the names of applicants at this
stage. For more information on the membership of the jury, please see Jury
Selection Procedure on page 13.

Materials to submit:
1. Stage One Identification Form (see appendix)
2. Six copies of:
  - a Site Plan of Thornton Park with your work's placement clearly
    indicated,
  - a brief, clear Artist's Statement regarding the work you propose,
    and
  - up to six drawings, photographs or photocopies, limited to 11 x 17
    inches, labeled with the prospective measurements, materials and
    compass point.    3. One self-addressed, stamped business size
envelope.

Send submissions to:
     The Women's Monument Design Competition
     Capilano College Women's Centre
     2055 Purcell Way
     North Vancouver, B.C.
     V7J 3H5

Communications Policy: Women's Monument Project staff and committee members
are able to answer questions on:
z how to get a package,
z who is eligible,
z how to contact the Professional Advisor.

Any other questions are to be directed in writing to the Professional
Advisor by February 15,1994.

     Phone: (604) 986-1911 local 2078
     Fax: (604) 984-4985

Judging: Your proposal will be evaluated by the jury. Up to five finalists
will be chosen. The jury will evaluate your proposal according to the
concerns outlined on page 5 and the Artists Guidelines on page 14.

COMPETITION: STAGE TWO

The finalists chosen in Stage One will be invited to submit a Detailed
Proposal, and each will be paid a fee of 52,500 to complete this work.

Stage Two starts: June 16, 1994

Deadline for submission: August 15, 1994

Format: Open submissions: At this stage of the competition, the jury will
have access to the names of the applicants.

Materials to submit: The Detailed Proposal must include
1. Schedule for Completion
2. Site Plan
3. Written indication of your background in whatever way you wish    to
represent yourself. This could be a C.V., resume, or other
   relevant document.
4. Visual representations--one or more of the following:
   - drawings, any media
   - photographs of scale model
   - scale model
5. Electronic rendering
6. Future maintenance requirements
7. Detailed Budget: At Stage Two, you must provide a cost breakdown
   based on 5115,000. Please include:
   - design development: co-ordination work with project team
   - material costs
   - fabrication costs and labour (assistants, contracts)
   - installation costs
   - insurance costs (up to and including installation)
   - living and travel expenses associated with production
     and installation
   - technical consultants (We have already allotted and raised
     $11,500   for the technical support team. This must be reflected
     in submitted budgets.)
   - artist's fee
   - studio expenses (if applicable)
   - 10% of overall construction budget for maintenance fee required
     by  City of Vancouver
   - contingency fund (including legal fees, etc., if applicable)
   - taxes
  8. Expanded Artist's Statement that includes your expectations of
     the working process between yourself, the Project, and others
     concerned with the completion of the artwork

Send submissions to:
  The Women's Monument Design Competition
  Capilano College Women's Centre
  2055 Purcell Way
  North Vancouver, B.C.
  V7J 3H5

Communications Policy: All questions from applicants should be mailed or
faxed to the Professional Advisor by June 1, 1994 (see page 10). The
Professional Advisor will send you a written answer by mail or fax.

Judging: Detailed Proposals will be reviewed by jury members in a group
process, facilitated by the Professional Advisor. The jury will make the
final selection. The selected finalist will receive $5,000 to further
develop the chosen design and present a final budget. A final artist's fee
to reflect the time spent in completing the construction should be included
as part of the Detailed Proposal budget.

EXHIBITION OF DESIGNS

If funding and appropriate venues become available, the Women's Monument
Project intends to invite the finalists selected to develop Stage Two
Detailed Proposals to exhibit their designs in temporary exhibitions
locally and nationally. These exhibitions are intended to promote the
development of similar projects in other cities, to raise awareness of the
issue of violence against women, and to recognize the contribution of the
finalists to the Women's Monument Project.

JURY SELECTION PROCEDURE

We consider it important to recognize that it has primarily been women from
the feminist community who have brought the issues of domestic violence and
other forms of violence against women into public discourse. As part of
this recognition, the five members of the jury for the Women's Monument
Project will be selected from the feminist community, including women who
have made significant contributions in the fields of visual art,
architecture, and art history.

The jury process will be facilitated by the Professional Advisor. This jury
will be as representative as possible of Canadian cultural and regional
diversity and will reflect the variety of races, ethnic groups, and sexual
orientations among Canadian women. The decision of the jury will be final.
The jury's responsibilities end with this decision. Any public inquiries
regarding the chosen design will be administered by the members of the
Women's Monument Committee.

Jury Process
1. The names of the jury members shall be released when the final selection
has been made.
2. Jury members should declare any conflict of interest regarding a
specific application and withdraw from the adjudication of that individuals
or group's work.
3. Jury members will be paid an honorarium and a per diem. Their
transportation costs will also be covered.

The Professional Advisor
The Professional Advisor will facilitate the jury process, but will not
have voting privileges. This woman will contact jurors, ensure that all the
applications are considered fairly, and record the selection process. She
will report to the Women's Monument Competition Subcommittee and will also
be in charge of returning materials to applicants. She will take care of
all jury and applicant correspondence according to Communications policy,
as well as distribute honoraria to jury members and those invited to
complete Detailed Proposals.

The Professional Advisor will notify the successful applicant and
correspond with those whose work is not chosen. This position will be a
temporary contract which will begin before the Competition launch and
continue until the Competition is complete. Her final report will be made
to the Women's Monument Committee as a whole.

ARTISTS GUIDELINES

Given the opportunity to permanently mark our grief and outrage over the
murder of women, how do you envision a monument dedicated to their memory

1.  Social Change:
    a) The Women's Monument should involve the viewer bearing in
       mind the potential of public art to initiate social change.
    b) The potential for an individual contemplative experience as
       well as a public gathering place exists within the site and
       should be considered by the artist. The site will be accessible
       24 hours a day, and the design should respond to this
       challenge.
2.  The Women's Monument should be permanent and not subject to
    deterioration due to weather pollution, or vandalism (see Plans
    for  Maintenance).
3.  Dedication:  The Women's Monument itself, or the monument site, must
include the dedication as follows:

  Genevieve Bergeron
  Helene Colgan
  Nathalie Croteau
  Barbara Daigneault
  Anne-Marie Edward
  Maud Haviernick
  Barbara Maria Klueznick
  Maryse Laganiere
  Maryse Leclair
  Anne-Marie Lennay
  Sonia Pelletier
  Michele Richard
  Annie St-Arneault
  Annie Turcotte
  murdered December 6, 1989, Universite de Montreal

   We, their sisters and brothers, remember,
   and work for a better world.
   In memory and in grief for all the women murdered by men,
   for women of all countries, all classes, all ages, all colors.

The dedication will be translated into a number of languages and Braille.

4. Depending on the nature of the artwork, the artist may be required
   to be present and active, working collaboratively with the group of
   trades women, engineers, and project staff on the installation of
   the artwork. This part of the artist's time and labour should be
   reflected as the artist's fee in the Detailed Proposal budget.
5. The work should recognize contextual issues of the site such as
   climate, view, the surrounding trees, buildings, and neighborhoods,
   some of which have a Heritage designation. The original park design
   should be considered in the Monument design.
6. The Women's Monument should be accessible to persons with
   disabilities.
7. Safety:
   a) There should be no sharp or jagged edges in accessible locations
      that might cause injury.
   b) Issues of safety for visitors, such as lighting and visibility,
      should be considered.
8. Naming contributors: The Women's Monument itself, or the monument
   site, must include the names of the contributors to the project.
   We expect to include the full names of approximately 5,000
   individuals and organizations whose names represent a commitment
   to the goals of the project and not just an indication of financial
   contribution.

TECHNICAL SITE CRITERIA

Lighting: Any additional lighting for the artwork will be coupled to the
existing photo-electric street lighting as indicated on the Site Map. The
artist is responsible for obtaining cost estimates for additional lighting.

Excavation: Any plans for excavation work must be made in consideration of
the enclosed underground services diagram. Contingencies for unmapped pipes
and wires must be factored into your budget. Landfill is a consideration
from Main Street and further west.

Plantings: Existing trees cannot be removed. Structures, generally
speaking, must avoid the drip-line of existing trees as indicated on the
Site Map. Additional landscaping and plantings cannot be considered due to
the associated maintenance costs.

Water: The use of water (not including recirculation pumps) will be
considered within limits. The artist is responsible for obtaining cost
estimates for any water hookups planned.

Park Design: It is crucial to consider the formal geometry of the heritage
park design in plans for the placement of the monument (see The Site).

Contingencies: The final design should be flexible enough to accommodate
unforeseen technical constraints.

Precipitation: The rain in Vancouver is slightly acid, which is caused by
water coming directly from the ocean. It has a pH range of 5. Acid rain is
not an issue in Vancouver because there are no sources of contamination as
there are in eastern Canada.

Total precipitation ranges from an average monthly low of 36 mm to a high
of 179 mm per year.

Pollution: The Air Quality Index in Vancouver generally falls between good
and fair.

Vehicular traffic is heavy along two sides of the park throughout the year.

Temperature: The lowest temperature is approximately -17.9xC and the
highest is 33.4xC. The average monthly temperatures range from a low of
.1xC to a high of 21.7xC.

Sunshine: The average monthly total sunshine hours range from 54 to 196.

Wind: Generally, Vancouver is not a windy city, however, winds have reached
maximum sustained wind of 89 km per hour maximum gust of 129 km per hour.

Sources for Statistics

Woman Killing: Intimate Femicide in Ontario 1974-1990

Report prepared for The Women We Honour Action Committee, by Maria Crawford
and Rosemary Gartner.

Disabled Women's Network (D.A.W.N.) Canada 1989. "Beating the Odds:
Violence Against Women with Disabilities", Position Paper #2, Toronto,
Ontario.

Statistics Canada, "The Daily" in November, 18,1993 Cat. No. 11-001E

     APPENDIX

   The Women's Monument Design Competition

Stage One Identification Form                     (Please complete)

Name:______________________________________________

Address____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Phone: residence (    )    -        work (    )    -
__________________________________________________________________

Seal this form in the envelope provided and include it with your
submission.

Applicants must ensure that there is no identifying information on their
submissions. Applicants who include identifying information on their
support materials will be disqualified.

[end of file]