Public Art Collection

The City of Oshawa maintains a collection of public artworks, including murals, sculptures and other artworks.

Kaleidoscope by Nicholas Crombach

About

The City of Oshawa has developed our first independent, permanent public sculpture commission. The artwork, commissioned as part of the City’s Centennial celebrations, will be installed in Veterans Square (formerly Bond Simcoe Urban Square) at the intersection of Bond St. E. and Simcoe St. N., in the heart of downtown Oshawa.

The park and artwork reflect the City’s commitment and desire to connect and engage with the community by transforming the spaces where people live, work, learn and play into vibrant, inviting and meaningful public places.

The City recognizes that supporting arts and culture is essential in building a vibrant and creative city. Through the implementation of the Public Art Master Plan, the City of Oshawa provides active leadership and guidance in fostering a strong visual legacy through the creation and inclusion of art in its public buildings and spaces.

Community engagement

In February 2024 the city launched a public call for artists interested in developing a project for the square. Three artists were selected to develop a detailed proposal for an artwork. Community feedback was received during two public consultations. A feedback form was available to community members to provide their input on the shortlisted artwork proposals from February 18 to March 17, 2025.

As per the City’s Public Art Policy, a jury consisting of residents and community members reviewed the proposals and community feedback and made a recommendation for which of the proposed artworks would be acquired for the Veteran's Square (formally Bond Simcoe Urban Square). The selection was made by the jury in April 2025.

The Veteran's Square public art sculpture is expected to be unveiled in spring 2026.

Selected artwork

In April 2024, the public art jury selected Kaleidoscope by Nicholas Crombach for the new square in downtown Oshawa. This artwork is anticipated to be installed in spring 2026.

Kaleidoscope illustration by Nicholas Crombach — The above image is an illustrated preview - final landscaping may be different.

Artist statement from Nicholas Crombach's artwork proposal:

Kaleidoscope, my proposed public art project the square, will embody the vibrant and evolving spirit of Oshawa through a striking representation of monarch butterflies on a monumental scale. This dynamic artwork will take the form of an arch, where a swirling cluster of monarch butterflies—fabricated from corten and stainless steel—hovers between realism and abstraction. Some of the butterflies will be rendered complete, their iconic wings showcasing the intricate patterns of the monarch, while others dissolve into wing-like shapes creating a visual flow between representation and fluid geometry.

My intent for the project is to create an artwork that will engage the imagination of visitors. Kaleidoscope will embody multiple layers of meaning and provide room for interpretation. It will be pleasantly unexpected, and inviting, offering a vibrant reflection of the interplay between Oshawa's urban and natural environments. The monarch butterfly is widely recognized as a symbol of transformation, migration, and renewal. These themes align with Oshawa’s history and its future as a city in constant transformation. The image of monarchs gathering in a kaleidoscope—the term used to describe a great assembly of butterflies—speaks to the urban square’s role as a gathering place where people will soon converge in celebration, leisure, and cultural activities. Historically, butterfly gatherings have been seen as auspicious signs of what’s to come, echoing the city’s vision for growth and evolution. Just as monarchs migrate, the installation reflects Oshawa’s journey of becoming the vibrant and connected city it is today.

Public art on display

Image of a painted piano and bench. The piano is painted blue with purple and pink clouds along the top. There is a tree growing up from the base of the piano. The tree's branches don't have leaves, instead the branches are full with blackbirds. The piano bench is painted to look like a galaxy and a detailed colour wheel.

Inside City Hall - first floor, outside Council Chambers 50 Centre St. S.

88 Keys project

The 88 Keys Project started in 2016 as part of Culture Counts: Oshawa’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Plan. This plan aimed to “create vibrant places and spaces,” including public art projects.

The project invited artists from Durham Region to turn old or unused pianos into public art. These pianos could be seen and played in spaces open to everyone.

Artist Monique Ra Brent worked with local musicians. As they played the piano, she painted what she felt from their music. Monique said, “I wanted to create something that would inspire the musician. The main image on the piano is a tree with branches reaching to the sky and roots deep in the earth. That’s how inspiration works.”

Locate on map

Stainless steel sculpture in City Hall of a tower of stars.

Inside City Hall - first floor, main lobby - 50 Centre St. S.

Oshawa Rising by Ron Baird

Installed in 2011, Oshawa Rising is a sculpture made of reflective stainless steel. Its intent is to reflect the movement, light and shapes of people who walk by - representing a symbol of Oshawa's past, present and future.

Locate Oshawa Rising

Two of the three mushrooms in the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens

Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens 155 Arena St.

Mushrooms by St. Stephen's Catholic Secondary School

These steel mushroom sculptures were donated by St. Stephen's Catholic Secondary School, Bowmanville, to the City of Oshawa. Between 2014 and 2015, students of John Oliver’s manufacturing class at St. Stephen’s Catholic Secondary School, in Bowmanville, designed and fabricated these mushroom sculptures. The school donated this artwork to the City. The school has also donated sculptures to locations such as The Toronto Zoo, Harris Steel (Windsor), Gerdau Steel, Whitby, and the Town of Essex.

Locate Mushrooms

Public Art Collection Premier Performance

Arts Resource Centre, outside the auditorium 45 Queen St.

Premier Performance by Paul and Beverly Williams

This wooden sculpture was presented to the City of Oshawa by The Durham Shoestring Performers in recognition of Jeannine and John Butler.

Locate Premier Performance

Mosaic tiles by grade four children in the region

A community art project designed to integrate public art into the architecture of Delpark Homes Centre. Grade 4 students across Oshawa were given 8 inch by 8 inch ceramic tiles and asked to paint their favourite physical activity. The finished mosaic is comprised of 324 individual tiles.

In 2015, the following schools participated in this project: Father Francis Mahoney Catholic School, Msgr. Philip Coffey Catholic School, St. John Bosco Catholic School, St. Joseph Catholic School, Adelaide McLaughlin Public School, Glen Street Public School, Mary Street Community School, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Public School, Ritson Public School, Sunset Heights Public School, Village Union Public School and Walter E. Harris Public School.

Locate the mosaic tiles

Pan Am Parapan Am Live Mural Experience 1

Pan Am Parapan Am Live Mural Experience 2

Pan Am Parapan Am Live Mural Experience 3

Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Live Mural Experience by David Arrigo

These three paintings were presented to the City of Oshawa in 2013 to celebrate the two-year countdown to the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. The paintings are on display the Civic Recreation Complex. The first is a one-of-a-kind work that represents the event hosted by Oshawa,boxing), as well as elements of the city's identity and culture. The second painting depicts the Pan Am/Parapan Am Torch Relay, and the third depicts the lighting of the Pan Am/Parapan Am Cauldron.

Locate the project