Arts | City of London

Public Art and Monument Program

The Public Art and Monument Program facilitates the creation of public art in London, which bolsters civic pride, provides focal points for community celebration, creates meaningful employment for artists and attracts tourism and investment. Through this program, the London Arts Council administers the City’s Public Art Policy by evaluating public art sites, convening juries for artist selection and overseeing installations.

For more information, please contact Robin Armistead, Manager of Culture Services at the City of London by emailing rarmiste@london.ca.

Artist selection process

The London Arts Council in consultation with the City of London Culture Office, administers the artist selection process. Professional artists are invited to submit credentials in response to an Expression of Interest. The purpose of the Expression of Interest is to gather a list of artists who are to be short-listed based on relevant professional experience. Short-listed applicants are invited to respond to a Request for Proposal. At the final stage of the selection process, proposals will be reviewed and a professional artist and their proposal will be recommended for the award of the project. Submissions are juried through a qualified public art jury consisting of knowledgeable community representatives.

Once the professional artist has been recommended by the public art jury, the City of London Culture Office presents the proposed contract with the artist to City Council for approval and to execute. The Culture Office works closely with the artist to ensure that the artwork is successfully created, installed and maintained. Included are details around contract negotiations, individual site plan preparations and detailed designs, fabrication, transportation, installation and ongoing maintenance and conservation of the artwork.

Current calls to artists

To review current calls to artists, please visit the London Arts Council.

Public art and monument restoration

The Culture Office puts a concentrated effort into the maintenance and restoration of newly commissioned as well as existing public art and monuments.

Recent condition studies of public art and monuments

In 2017, 10 condition studies of Public Art and Monuments were completed as part of the City’s annual Lifecycle Maintenance Program. These works were then built into the lifecycle maintenance program to ensure ongoing upkeep.