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What is Public Art?

Public art comes in many forms, but can be loosely defined as art that appears in the public realm. These include parks, roads, buildings, underpasses, and any spaces that the public can access.

A mural that spells out LOVE and has patterns in blue, pink, yellow, and purple.
Love Letters by Oddside Arts in collaboration with Curtia Wright & Never Gallery Ready

Murals

That can appear on building walls or on construction hoarding.

A tall silver cylinder structure that emits rainbows onto the ground
Lightkeeper by Studio North. A sculpture found in Toronto's Aitken Place Park by the waterfront.

Stand Alone - Sculpture (permanent)

Sculptures made of metal, wood, etc., that can act as landmarks.

Thank You For Keeping Us on Track by Jordan Sook. Image from Union Station

Temporary Installations

Works of art that may be installed in a space for a short amount of time or that travel.

City of Toronto Sign at Nathan Philips Square. Photo by Mohamed Shelila

Monuments

Art pieces that are of a person, place, or an event. These are usually commemorative.

Sidewalk sticker showing a black boy getting his hair cut by a barber.
Archiving Black Futures: Little Jamaica project by Oddside Arts. Design by Jevon Dontae. Image by Change Promotions.

Street Art

Art that may appear on sidewalks, road crossings, walls, and hydro boxes.

Wooden pedestrian bridge shaped like a wave, that is over a lake.
Simcoe WaveDeck pedestrian bridge created by West 8. Image from Waterfront Toronto.

Integrated/Street Furniture

Adds an artistic flare to an object, structure or piece of furniture.

Toronto Music Garden designed by Julie Moir Messervy in collab with Yo-Yo Ma.

Gardens / Living Art

Art that may appear on sidewalks, road crossings, walls, and hydro boxes.

Bodies in Urban Spaces by Willi Dorner. Image from The Bentway, 2022.

Performance

Public art can also be performances that take place in public space.

Mana Moana by Michael Bridgman & Rachael Rakena. Image CBC

Projection

Digital art that is projected onto walls, windows or other surfaces.

LeuWebb Projects - Thermally Speaking

Light-based

Art that uses light to create a design on the surface of a material or space.

120 Mirrors by Public Studio & Anna Friz in North York. Image from ArtworxTO

Interactive

Artworks that can be interacted with or played with by the public.

Shifting Soil co-created public art partition by Oddside Arts for The Bentway

Community-based

Public art that involves a community being engaged in the design.