BMC likely to appoint four members to Urban Art Commission by this month

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. (File Photo)

A day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that an urban art commission will be set up for Mumbai in a month’s time, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepared a proposal listing guidelines for the body. The four-member commission will include professionals with a background in art and architecture.

Stating that the members of the art commission would be appointed within the next three weeks, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said: “The committee members will help improve the aesthetic appeal of the public open spaces, including traffic islands and pavements. The members would be assisted by three civic officials for the daily operations pertaining to the administration.”

Once appointed, the commission will formulate guidelines for the process of allowing installations and maintenance of art work in public places. The commission members will also be responsible for advising the civic administration in matters pertaining to quality, quantity, scope and style of art at public places. Modeled on the Delhi Urban Art Commission, the body will review and maintain an inventory of art installations and suggest hardscape and softscape design of public gardens and other civic body-owned properties that would be crafted under the Development Plan 2034, in consultation with the BMC’s garden department.

Various forms of art, which will include paintings, mural decorations, statues, sculptures, arches and ornamental gateways among others, would be permanent installations. When dealing with proposals regarding heritage structures or precincts, the art commission will have to consult and seek the approval of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee.