Our collection of art represents a range of media and styles. The works are installed in community centres, libraries, sports facilities, parks, the Kitchener Market, City Hall and other city properties.
On this page:
Public art map
Open our public art and industrial artifacts map to create a walking tour through Kitchener.
Our collection
Check out the photo gallery below to see selections from our public art collection.
The PDF documents linked below include more information about our public art collection.
- Queen Victoria - Raphael Zacgnimi (1909)
- The Bullas Sculptures (pair) - Helen Waimel Robertson (1940)
- Enlightenment - Jack Bechtel (1962)
- Horsepower - Brad Golden, Lynne Eichenberg (1993)
- Urban Series - Progress - Gloria Kagawa (1995)
- Banner - David Hunsberger (1996)
- Strata - Carol Bradley (1997)
- The Canoe - Brian Scott (1997)
- Floating Window - Lois Scott, Andrew Wright (1999)
- Animanimus - Ted Fullerton (1999)
- The Millennium Thumbprints - Marshall Ward, Charles Baker, Christopher Griffin (2000)
- The Pool - Carol Bradley (2003)
- Sweet Pea - Walter Gibson (2004)
- Bookends - Nicholas Rees (2005)
- Protecting the Memory - Timothy Schmalz (2005)
- Footprints - Nicholas Rees (2006)
- Toyland - Nicholas Rees (2006)
- The Luggage Project - Ernest Daetwyler (2006)
- Gathering Space - Jim Balzan (2006)
- Place of Friendship - Hellen Sturgeon Cumber (2006)
- The Grand River - Walter Gibson, Lynn Whaley (2006)
- Re-Flexions - Allan MacKay (2008)
- The Gathering Tree - Ron Baird (2008)
- Relocation and Transformation of Memory - Allan MacKay (2009)
- Pedestrian - Ted Fullerton (2011)
- In Time - Jefferson Campbell-Cooper (2010)
- Kingsdale Spirals - Gordon Wright (2011)
- Suddenly it's 1957! - Larry Hunter (2012)
- Space Moire - kimiis (2013)
- Flux - Moss and Lam (2014)
- Pieces of Light - Natalie Hunter (2017)
- KW Homelessness Memorial: Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2020)
Our 1% policy
Through our 1% for public art policy, our goal is to contribute to our cultural identity and strategic priorities. We established this policy in 2008, and it has produced 22 artworks as of 2023.
The policy’s program funding comes from a one percent allocation applied to civic projects with construction budgets greater than $100,000, including public facilities and gathering spaces. Our public art collection develops through this program.
Through this policy and its implementation, we intend to provide:
- a better quality of life and increased social cohesion for residents, local artists and visitors
- good urban design
- broad community involvement and connection
- increased potential for economic development and public access to the arts
Projects in progress
In September 2023, city council endorsed the selection of Wintertime Stories by Isaac Murdoch and Nyle Migiizi Johnston, a new public artwork for the new Kitchener Public Library Southwest Community Library, anticipated to open in 2025. Read about the artwork and see images of the proposed design.
A proposed project that was selected for the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre has been determined to be no longer viable to produce. Staff are currently developing a new public artwork competition for this location. To stay informed about this future artwork competition and other opportunities, sign up for the Kitchener Arts e-newsletter.