FAQs

The Environmental Scan showcased that the Town does not have a formalized process for new public art projects, maintenance, or collection management and that the extent of Town-owned and loaned works across all municipal facilities is unknown.

A Public Art Policy will help the Town to identify where and what type of artworks should be located in our community.

Whitby’s public art collection dates back 45 years with the oldest piece in the collection, “Ground Outline,” created in 1977. However, most of Whitby’s public art pieces along the arts trail were created in 2015 or later. 

To amplify and engage the public with Whitby’s existing public art collection, Town staff developed an interactive arts trail map on the Town’s website in 2021. The map allows users to explore outdoor public art and murals, galleries, artisan studios and maker shops. Each entry is categorized based on type, includes the work’s title or location name, the address, year of creation or business establishment, artist name and website, description, and at minimum one image. 

The Town does not have any capital or operation budget allocated towards public art and the commission of artwork has been on a case-by-case basis.

The Town recently launched a new web portal for Arts and Culture.