Public art is an important part of the City of Lethbridge’s cultural landscape and identity, says Community Arts and Culture Manager Jillian Bracken. “It’s something that provides the public with accessible opportunities to encounter art in their daily lives.”
You’re invited to help shape the future of public art in Lethbridge, as the City updates its Public Art Master Plan.
Passed in 2012, the plan recognizes public art as a key part of Lethbridge’s culture and guides the City’s public art program. The update will reflect the city’s growth, changing public expectations and new trends in public art and planning.
According to Bracken, the City’s public art program started in the 1980s, as a fine art acquisition program. “Since then, it’s grown to include a variety of different installations, ranging from long-term sculptures to shorter-term vinyl wraps on things like traffic control signal boxes. We even wrapped a Zamboni with public art.”
“This update is an opportunity to deepen how public art can help shape our city, elevate community voices and enhance public spaces for everyone,” Bracken explains.
Probably the most iconic piece in the collection is A Departure, Bracken notes, which most people know as the train wheels located on the coulee’s edge by the Galt Museum.
There are over 70 active installations in the public art collection. “Part of some of the newer pieces that have joined our collection include community murals,” adds Bracken.
One such piece is the Confluence mural, located outside the north end of the Bonnyvale Shopping Centre at 14 Avenue South and 17 Street South.
“It was a public-private partnership, funded partially by the private business owner and was done by local artists Darcy Logan and Aaron Hagen,” says Bracken. “This is one of our newest pieces.”
Public engagement plays a big role in this initiative. The first opportunity involves four Public Art Labs in April. Everyone is welcome and no previous experience in art or city planning is necessary.
Find dates, times and registration links on the Get Involved Lethbridge website.
“We’re reimagining how public art can activate public spaces, inspire connection and support local artists,” says Steven Foord, executive director of the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge. “This project comes at a critical moment for the arts and for the future of creative placemaking in our city.
Public art, Foord notes, is what takes the city from being just a municipality or city to being a home. “What takes your home from just being a house to being a home, it’s the art you hang up on your walls and the music you’re playing in your house. That’s the way I’ve sort of viewed public art. It showcases the identity and heart of what our city actually is and reflects the voices from within our city.”
Future engagement will include an online survey, artist-led community events and town hall meetings. A draft report is set to be presented to City Council in early 2026.
