Town Council is considering the adoption of a new formal Public Art Policy that would help it choose, buy, install and maintain public works of art that would enhance the town’s beauty, providing opportunities for local artists to create meaningful and diverse artwork for the community.
“Public art has been a recurring community request, with recent interest expressed by local artists, businesses, and cultural partners,” the town said in an administrative report prepared by Recreation and Culture Manager Elisa McLeod.
“The development of a formal policy ensures that public art installations are evaluated consistently, represent community values, and contribute to the town’s cultural identity.”
Having a formal policy in place would help facilitate communication between artists and the Town and provide clarity for the expectations of all parties involved, the report said.
The draft policy was based on best practices from similar municipalities and would incorporate Indigenous representation, maintenance considerations, safety requirements and a transparent selection process.
According to the report, the policy would give the council, Public Art Committee members, and Town staff a mechanism to assess, buy, maintain, and manage public art. It would also encourage artists to propose public art projects that could enhance and beautify the town while also increasing the visibility of Indigenous art.
It would also “stimulate tourism, elevate the Town’s status, create a sense of pride, enhance property values, provide marketing and promotional opportunities, [and] provide a setting for encouraging building owners to improve the quality of buildings,” according to the report.
The proposed policy would establish a committee including one voting member of Town Council, the Recreation and Culture Manager, the Economic Development Officer, the Museum Curator, the Communications Coordinator and Deputy Clerk, one member from the Museum Advisory Committee, one member at large representing the Indigenous Relations Advisory Committee and two members at large representing the artist community.
The policy also sets aside a $5,000 budget in 2026 for expenses, including acquisition, commissioning, installation, maintenance, staffing, and conservation.
Under the proposed policy, anyone could bring forward an art project for consideration, with the conditions that the art is appropriate for all ages and aligns with the Town’s Strategic Plan and Culture Plan.
