Temporary Public Art Program

The Temporary Public Art Program offers artists of diverse backgrounds and skillsets the opportunity to create artwork for public spaces in Nanaimo. Artists can propose artworks that vary in scale, scope, and medium, including temporary sculptural installations, social practice and community engaged artist projects and artwork that is integrated into landscape, architecture or civic infrastructure.

The Temporary Public Art Program supports artists in the creation of new works, by providing necessary resources and staff support through the course of project development and realization.

Temporary Public Art 2025

Kiranjot Kaur, Histogram Histories

“Histogram histories” by Kiranjot Kaur will involve an dynamic hanging installation representing histogram graphs tracing change in approximately seven metrics across the City of Nanaimo through time. A histogram is a chart that plots the distribution of numeric variables in a set of bars. Lightweight fabric cylinders representing numerical variables will hang in a series of sculptural ‘graphs’, affording visitors multiple viewpoints and changing perspectives, wherein they experience the selected statistical data in visually-arresting artistic form. The cylinders will be enclosed in layers of vibrant fabric of varying textures and prints for a dynamic sculptural quality. Opportunities for the public to ‘add their mark’ to the project by contributing their own statistic will be facilitated, such as for example, adding the year they arrived and/or were born in Nanaimo to a piece of fabric which will later be incorporated into the histogram representing that specific metric. In the realization of this project, the artist bridges gaps between disciplines, providing connections that foster community conversations and contemplation, and engaging the public in new ways of understanding our changing environment and representations of living history. The project will be installed in 2025 and on display for public engagement and enjoyment for up to five years. 

Jackie Wong, Lost Intersections

In "Lost Intersections,” artist, Jackie Wong asks: What happened to Nanaimo’s Chinatowns? Broadening the recognition of Chinese contributions to the history of Nanaimo is the focus of this project. Three individual satellite installations at the locations of the city’s former Chinatowns will become place makers, creating connections between the historical, cultural, and economic contributions of Chinese immigrants. Each installation will consist of a red neon light in the form of the Chinese characters representing the numbers one, two, and three, sparking curiosity and encouraging engagement and interest. Adjacent to each installation will be a sign with an accessible QR code that links to an online platform with additional information on the Chinatown that was once at that location. This historically rich project will delve into the development and deconstruction of Nanaimo’s Chinatowns and acknowledge a narrative that is not known to many in the community, offering new insights and possibilities to alter perspectives both visually and contextually. The project will be installed in 2025 and on display for public engagement and enjoyment for up to five years. 

Temporary Public Art 2024

Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun, Siwul tu Tumuxw

"Siwul tu Tumuxw" by Eliot White-Hill's is a sound installation that will recontextualize space and our understanding of Snuneymuxw tumuxw, the land upon which the City of Nanaimo has been built. Site-specific installation using outdoor speakers and recorded sounds of species of animals, birds, and insects Indigenous to the area, will be discretely placed at sites throughout the Old City Quarter. These sounds will serve as an artistic intervention in the urban landscape, drawing traditional Snuneymuxw knowledge and stories about the land back to the surface. The artist seeks to raise awareness and knowledge about the environment and ecosystems of the region, the impacts of colonization, and traditional teachings passed down by Snuneymuxw. The project will be installed in Old City Quarter in 2024 and on display for public engagement and enjoyment for up to five years. 

Robert Turriff, The ReWilders

"The ReWilders" by Robert Turriff will involve the creation of a collection of sculptural creatures, the shape and form of which will be developed through community workshops. Inspired by themes in science fiction, the creatures will symbolically engage in plant management, demonstrating tasks like invasive plant removal and native plant cultivation, thereby fostering resilience to climate change and encouraging beneficial environmental habitats. The creatures serve as catalysts meant to inspire the community, illustrating practical steps for future land stewardship. Free community workshops will enhance the project, helping the artist craft the creatures form and mythos, and in doing so, evoking a sense of environmental responsibility. This collaborative effort encourages the community to actively contribute to the project, inspiring action for a sustainable ecosystem in Nanaimo. “Re-Wilders” will be installed in Colliery Park in 2024 and on display for public engagement and enjoyment for up to five years. Learn more.

Questions? 

Find out more about the process! Contact us directly at 250-755-4483 or cultureandevents@nanaimo.ca. 

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Related Links

• Public Art Inventory
• Urban Design Roster Program
• Community Plan For Public Art (PDF)
• @culture_nanaimo on Instagram
• Love Arts Nanaimo Updates