Public Art Plan
Project Update, December 22, 2025:
Thank you for participating in the Public Art Plan Engagement this Fall! The Engagement Summary report is ready for your review.
Staff are now considering the input from this community engagement process, along with a review of regulatory requirements and research on best practices from other municipalities, to create a finalized Public Art Plan. Please check back here to see more updates.
Public art is artwork created by artists for public spaces, where everyone can experience it. It can be a mural, a sculpture, a performance, a digital project or other creative works that reflects community stories, history, and values. New Westminster is home to many artworks that residents and visitors can enjoy. Some examples include:
A new sculpture outside of təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre by James Harry
Photo: Blaine Campbell
The Alphaball outside of the New Westminster Public Library
The Puddle Jumper statue in Toronto Place Park
The River's Legacy mural at Begbie Street and Front Street Mews
Documents and Important Links
Who's Listening?
Ellen Kibble
Lead Public Art Program Coordinator
publicart@newwestcity.ca
The City of New Westminster supports public art by setting a clear vision, creating policies and plans, and providing funding and resources. The City commissions and maintains artworks on public property and makes sure they reflect community values like equity and reconciliation. The City also creates opportunities for artists to share their work in public spaces and helps residents interact with public art through education, events, and partnerships.
The City’s Public Art Policy guides how we plan, fund, and care for artworks in the collection. The policy was updated in 2022 to make the program more diverse, equitable, sustainable, and responsive to community needs.
The City is now finalizing a draft Public Art Plan, based on community input gathered over the past two years. The plan will guide a bold, inclusive, and intentional public art program for the years ahead.
The Public Art Plan will:
- Provide a clear vision for public art in New Westminster for the next 10 years
- Guide the development and prioritization of new public art projects
- Set clear goals and outcomes for the City’s Public Art Program
- Help make decisions about how to allocate resources and what future projects to invest in
- Support understanding of New Westminster’s history, diversity, and journey toward reconciliation
- Support artists and their work in public art
How will my input be used?
Your responses will help the City finalize the Public Art Plan. This includes recommendations related to public education, awareness, and events for community involvement in support of the City’s public art program.
Check back here after engagement concludes for updates.
Phases
Public Art Policy updated
The City of New Westminster adopted its first Public Art Policy in 2012.
In 2021, with guidance from the Public Art Advisory Committee, staff initiated a review of the Policy to ensure that it is informed by current leading practices in public art and is aligned with key City policies and priorities. In 2022 a revised Public Art Policy was adopted by Council that reflected the City’s commitments to equity, reconciliation and social justice