ABOUT US
Our story
Concordia's public art collection, a unique amalgamation of public artworks and artifacts, was brought to life over 50 years ago when Jean McEwen's painted glass windows were integrated into the newly built Henry F. Hall building at Sir George Williams University, one of Concordia's founding institutions.
The permanent collection is a compilation of donations, commissions and public artworks that were acquired during the rapid expansion of the University that began in 2000 and is accessible in person and online, on both the Loyola and Sir George Williams campuses year-round.
Thanks to the Ministère de la culture et des communications and their Politique d’intégration des arts à l’architecture program (also known as the 1% program), Concordia has benefitted from provincial funds to grow the collection substantially. Since the 1990’s the 1% program has allowed Concordia to acquire several large-scale public artworks by renowned Quebec artists, including; Rose-Marie Goulet & Alain Paiement as part of Effets Publics, Geneviève Cadieux, Pierre Blanchette, Nicolas Baier, Marie-France Brière, and Marc-Antoine Côté.
In June 2020, the University created a new Public Art Lead role to ensure the long-term care of the collection and that collecting practices are aligned with the University's current and future vision of pedagogy, values of equity, decolonization, diversity, inclusiveness, accessibility, creativity, and sustainability.
New temporary public art programs and acquisitions will bring renewed vitality and social relevance to the collection and better represent Concordia’s public.
Governance
Since 2020 the Public Art Lead has been working on a governance structure for the collection. In 2023 the University adopted a Public Art Policy; it is a commitment to responsible stewardship of the collection and reflects current societal values such as inclusivity, equity, sustainability, accessibility and Indigenous cultural expression.
The policy, along with the guidance of an Advisory Committee and Curatorial Sub-Committee and the direction of the Public Art Lead, is now in place to maintain open and transparent processes, ensure equitable and respectful practices, and address the inconsistencies and omissions in the current collection.
