HISTORY

The City of Sydney has some of the oldest monuments in the nation collected under the Sydney Open Museum Program. This program was established in 1990 to value and care for the City's collection of statues, memorials and fountains that play a significant role in reflecting the identity of Sydney.

 

A focus on public art re-emerged in Sydney in the 1990s, at the time of planning for public improvements in the city centre in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics Games. The City's Priority One capital works projects and the Sydney Sculpture Walk integrated a number of major public artworks into the City and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

 

Following the amalgamation with South Sydney Council in 2004, a new public art program was developed, guided by the diversity of the city and aiming to celebrate its creativity and culture. The program included the appointment of the Public Art Advisory Panel, a review of maintenance and conservation, development of new temporary art programs, and new permanent commissions.

 

Recently completed projects include Bullets and Bibles in Redfern Park by Fiona Foley and Urban Art Projects, Aspire under the freeway in Ultimo by Warren Langley; the playful school fence, Skippedy Skip by Nuha Saad, and Wireless House by Nigel Helyer, both commissioned as part of the upgrade of Glebe Point Road.

 

In 2010 the City Art Public Art Strategy was developed in order to align the public art program with the City's Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan.