Public Art Collection

Project Background

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 (previously referred to as Bond Simcoe Urban Square) at the intersection of Bond Street East and Simcoe Street North, 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 at the Arts Resource Centre on June 12, 2024, and on February 25, 2025. 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 will review the proposals and community feedback and make a recommendation for which of the proposed artworks should be acquired for the Urban Square. The artwork is being commissioned as part of the city’s centennial celebrations.

The City of Oshawa extends its gratitude to the jury members — Michael Belmore (visual artist), Georgia Fullerton (Expressive Arts therapist), Sonya Jones (Curator of Collections, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery), Mary Krohnert (artist and founder, The LivingRoom Community Art Studio), and Raechel Wastesicoot (beadwork artist) — as well as to all the artists who expressed interest in and participated in the project.

Selected artwork

In April 2025, 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.

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.

The above image is an illustrated preview - final landscaping may be different.

Type: Temporary Mural

Location: McMillan Parkade, located at 110 King St. W.

Year: 2024

Artist Statement by Dani Crosby:

This mural celebrates the historical essence of the John Borlase Mill in Oshawa, Ontario. The artwork captures the mill's function and structure within the surrounding natural landscape near the Oshawa Creek; blending historical and natural elements, creating a visual narrative that honours the John Borlase Mill’s place within the landscape of Oshawa, while reflecting my own personal connection to the area and its beauty.

The composition begins at the bottom of the piece with a closer view of the creek, teeming with life. This section illustrates lifeforms such as plants, flowers, fish, and mammals that rely on such riparian zones both presently and historically. As the eye moves upward it follows the creek which shrinks into the distance, leading to the base of the mill. Here, the structure is depicted with natural elements—plants and flowers intertwining with the mill’s windows, along with figures representing the labourers who worked in the mill.

Further up the wheel of the mill is featured, adorned with natural features including birds, stars, clouds and the water that powered the wheel. The east-facing windows and upper portion of the mural portray the star signs visible from the mill’s former site, connecting the historical with the celestial.

The colour palette is derived from photographs I took of the sky at sunrise, midday, and sunset. The weaving effect is intentional, using repetition of colours and shapes throughout. For example, the star elements begin lower down in the composition where they are visible in the water pooled inside the mill wheel as they are carried up toward the sky.

Growing up in Oshawa and currently living near the downtown core, I have spent considerable time walking along the creek path with my son, immersing ourselves in our local landscape. This mural provided an opportunity for me to delve deeper into the history of this part of my community. I took many reference photos to ensure that viewers can observe elements from the mural along the creek path. Additionally, some features from the nearby Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens’ play structures have been incorporated into the design.

My hope is that my community will enjoy this artwork in various ways: as a playful teaching tool used to seek and find visual elements in the mural along the creek path, while enjoying the mural from different angles and vantage points around the installation area. There are many details in this artwork which cannot be easily seen from one location. Don't hesitate to zoom in using your phone camera or binoculars, or capture a special moment with this mural as your backdrop. Feel free to connect with the artwork in whatever way you choose. I am grateful for this opportunity to share my artwork with my community.

Type: Temporary mural

Location: South Oshawa Community Centre

Year: 2024

About the Artwork:

Stay True is an autobiographical piece by Jon Colwell, exploring the tension between his creative vision and the expectations imposed on him by others because of his Indigenous identity. Colwell symbolizes himself as the eagle depicted in a neo-traditional tattoo style, venturing into creating new works while the background hints at the Woodland style artwork, typically expected of him, being left behind. The black border and beveled edges represent a still frame or Polaroid, capturing the decisive moment to deviate from expectations and pursue authentic self-representation.

Type: Temporary Mural

Location: Northview Community Centre

Year: 2024

About the Artwork:

One Fish Two Fish is an exploration of childhood nostalgia, depicted through vibrant colours and playful forms intended to recall joyful memories. Inspired by whimsical stories like those of Dr. Seuss, this painting invites viewers to reconnect with the fun and innocence of childhood, where imagination knows no bounds. One Fish Two Fish celebrates the freedom to dream and create, offering a journey into possibility and wonder.

Type: Temporary Mural

Location: South Oshawa Community Centre

Year: 2023

About the Artwork:

In "Hot Spot" the artists juxtapose local imagery with scenes of ecological destruction to draw your attention to the ongoing climate crisis. Specifically, the artists address recent wildfires and the associated air quality concerns that have impacted the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. To achieve this, the artists transplant trees from the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens and Harmony Creek Trail, intricately weaving them with the Tribute Communities Centre, a prominent entertainment hub in downtown Oshawa. These locally inspired elements introduce a sense of familiarity to the artwork, serving as a stark reminder that these environmental challenges are unfolding right in our own communities.

Merging physical and digital components creates an immersive storytelling platform. At first glance, the mural presents a peaceful autumn scene in the city. However, when you interact with A.R. (augmented reality), a transformation takes place. The mural enters a 3-D digital realm, unveiling burnt trees and smoldering ashes that drastically alter the piece's mood and meaning. This shift turns Hot Spot from a place-to-be into a symbol of urgency, encouraging you to contemplate fleeing from the very ground you were initially drawn to. By exposing you to the effects of climate change in your own backyard, Hot Spot aims to spark conversation and inspire positive change.

Artist Statement by Amy Shackleton and Julian Brown

Shackleton and Brown combine 3-D augmented reality (A.R.) with 2-D painting to transport viewers into imagined future urbanscapes where cities and nature have become entangled. The scenes depicted walk the line between utopian vision and full-blown apocalypse. Humans are conspicuously absent, which creates a tension that provokes thought for viewers.

Shackleton applies paint with squeeze bottles, manipulating falling drips with water spritzers and by rotating the canvas. Natural forms emerge out of this organic paint application echoing how gravity and rain erosion actually create environments. In contrast, her urban imagery uses dripping paint to create straight lines. These are built up with architectural precision using rulers and levels as tools.

Brown uses A.R. to superimpose digitally rendered sculptural elements onto the real world. This results in illusions of three dimensions that viewers can traverse and explore using a mobile device. As such, audiences can enter the artwork and, in doing so, introduce the missing human presence into the scene. Some viewers feel the urge to play and interact within this digital world, while others become anxious when the climate emergency extends into their perceptual space.