Public Art

Public art has the power to energize and enhance our public spaces, make us think, and transform where we live, work, and play.

Public art can be several stories high or bring attention to the pavement beneath our feet. It can inspire conversation and help calm our hurried lifestyles. It can also be controversial. We support public art by way of our Art in Public Places Policy.

Making as Medicine: Indigenous Artist Symposium

Join us Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3 for a two-day interdisciplinary and inter-generational event that explore Indigenous ways of making through engaging in traditional arts. The Symposium will include workshops followed by a panel discussion, traditional feast and cultural performances. Learn more.

Youth Night with Artist in Residence Kathryn Calder

Youth are invited to meet Kathryn Calder, the City of Victoria’s Artist in Residence at an event on Wednesday October 16, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Victoria High School Music Room.

The free event will feature a performance and the opportunity to directly share ideas for youth artists and musicians in Victoria, led by Kathryn Calder.

The Artist in Residence program aims to ‘keep art in mind’, providing the opportunity for a professional artist to work collaboratively with City staff and the community to identify and develop a creative artwork/project to augment one or more capital projects. Learn more. (Photo credit: Tristan Shouldice)

Call to Artists: Apply to the new Storefronts Victoria Exhibition Program

Artists and designers in the Capital Region, including the Gulf Islands, are invited to submit their application to be considered for the City of Victoria’s new Storefronts Victoria Exhibition Program. Learn more.

Call to Artists: Mural & Community Art Roster + Check out our new Mural Toolkit!

The City of Victoria is launching a Mural & Community Art Roster of pre-qualified, local artists available for mural and community art opportunities in 2020. Check out our new Mural Toolkit, a helpful step-by-step guide for artists and business owners who are interested in the mural-making process in Victoria. Learn more.

Call to Artists: Indigenous Artist in Residence

First Nations, Inuit and Métis professional artists from across Canada were invited to apply for the position of Indigenous Artist in Residence with the City of Victoria.  The program is open to Indigenous artists working in any artistic discipline who currently reside in Canada. For more informaiton about the program, click here.

Call to Artists: Design Victoria's Winter Banner

Artists in the Capital Region, including the Gulf Islands, were invited to submit proposals to design a winter banner to be displayed on 100 downtown lampposts from November to February over the next five years. Learn more.

Meet Commercial Alley Art Gallery artist, Fern Long!

Fern's artwork explores the intersection of architecture and personal history, making work that fluctuates beween recognition and abstraction. Through painting, drawing and sculpture, she builds structures that explore the spaces we inhabit and how we move through them both physically and emotionally. Learn more. 

Commute, a Bus Shelter Art Exhibit 

Six downtown bus shelters are showcasing art in Victoria’s Commute exhibit, a series of original artworks by local, emerging artists. A pilot project in partnership with PATTISON Outdoor Advertising, Commute will exhibit up to 18 artworks on downtown bus shelters from now until the end of May 2020. Learn more.

Summer Banners

The City's 2019/2020 summer banners designed by Indigeneous artist Dylan Thomas will adorn downtown lampposts until mid-October. The four-part banner series depicts some of the lesser-known Lekwungen legends about the territory in and around Victoria. Learn more.

Opportunities for Artists

Check out our new Public Art Opportunities web page that includes current Calls to Artists and information on how to join our Artist Contact List to stay informed of new artistic opportunities and initiatives at the City of Victoria.

Artist Residency Programs

Indigenous Artist in Residence

Iroquois Mohawk artist Lindsay Katsitsakatste Delaronde was the inaugural Indigenous Artist in Residence at the City of Victoria. The Indigenous Artist in Residence program provides the opportunity for a local artist to develop artistic works and engage the community in dialogue, workshops, events, and activities throughout the term. Learn more.

Artist in Residence

Luke Ramsey was the City's recent Artist in Residence. The Artist in Residence program aims to ‘keep art in mind’, providing the opportunity for a local artist to work collaboratively with City staff and the community to identify and develop a creative artwork for one or more public art projects during the two-year term. Learn more about Luke's residency.

Sacred, an Indigenous Art Display

Sacred is an Indigenous multi-media art display at City Hall. Learn more about this permanent public art installation which is part of the City's ongoing work towards Reconciliation. 

Concrete Canvas - Rock Bay Murals

Concete Canvas - Rock Bay Murals is a new, one-time art project for emerging muralists and mid-career artists wanting to try their hand at making murals! The project seeks to transform an industrial part of Victoria into an outdoor gallery for street art and creative expression. Learn More.

Commercial Alley Artwork by Austin Clay Willis

Original artwork by emerging, local artist Austin Clay Willis is the Commercial Alley Art Gallery’s sixth installation. His artwork utilizes bright colours, bold lines and shapes to create fun, yet intense energy, with an intent to energize and beautify. Willis' artwork is on display now until August 2019. Check it out the next time you're downtown.

Select Public Art Installations

Art on Parkades

Two local artist teams were selected to create new public art to enhance the stairwells of two City parkades. Scott Amos and David Parfit of Monkey C Interactive have developed an interactive musical railing for the Bastion Square Parkade back stairwell. Artists Jennifer Johnson, Joanne Thomson and Beth Threlfall collaborated with three youth artists to create a mural series that now enhances the stairwell at Centennial Square Parkade.

Woven

In August 2015, City Council selected a Vancouver-based, mother and son Musqueam First Nation artist team, Susan Point and Thomas Cannell, for their Woven Together proposal to create contemporary First Nations artwork to enhance the exterior of the Johnson Street Parkade. The artwork was installed in July 2016. Learn more.

Community Colour

A partnership between the City of Victoria and the United Way Greater Victoria, the Create Community Colour Mural program matched a professional artist with two or more youth ages 14 - 20 to collaboratively produce 10 colourful murals. Learn more.

The Hands of Time

The Hands of Time, the Victoria 150 Public Art Project, was a three-stage, national juried public art competition to create public artwork(s) that celebrate Victoria's 150th anniversary of incorporation in 2012. Discover these 12 bronze sculptures around downtown with The Hands of Time walking tour brochure. [PDF - 426 KB]

Public Art Inventory

The City of Victoria has partnered with the Capital Regional District, the District of Saanich and the Township of Esquimalt to create a searchable online tool, known as the Public Art Inventory. Learn more.