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Board member Mariah Samji gave the example of Northgate transit station. Its coloured fins may be a lovely addition for the drivers passing by, but don’t continue inside, where transit riders need something to make a more welcoming, comfortable space, she said.

At Century Park, the giant balls representing four seasons hang far above people’s heads, out of the way, like an afterthought, she said.

The giant feet at Southgate LRT station are a beautiful place marker, she said, but if they were built to be climbed or sat on, people would be constantly taking selfies and inadvertently promoting transit.

Art people engage with is photographed and shared, Samji said. “You’re bringing more awareness that (transit) is a comfortable place to be.”

Councillors expressed conditional support for the concept, asking the advisory board to meet with Edmonton Transit officials and the Edmonton Arts Council again to work on the details. The arts council is already undertaking a five-year review of its public art policy.

Katherine Kerr, public art director for the council, said she wouldn’t support reallocating Percent for Art program dollars away from the project it is tied to, but is open to other discussions.

Kerr said artists are now brought in only after designs are finished because the Percent for Art funding is tied to construction budgets. The Percent for Art policy allocates a percentage of the City of Edmonton’s capital budget of qualifying projects for the procurement of public art. Edmonton developed the policy in 1991.