Public Art
Public art refers to any artwork installed with intention in public spaces. Reinforcing a sense of civic pride, public art offers meaning by interpreting historical, social, cultural and natural environments. Temporary or permanent public art offers a chance to highlight our communities’ culture and history and beautify our city’s streets, parks, and public spaces.
In 2017 the City of Woodstock introduced a Public Art Policy outlining the process and procedure for the selection, installation and maintenance of public art in or on municipally owned public space. As part of the City's Cultural Services Department, the Woodstock Art Gallery plays a critical role in fostering the public art collection.
Public Art Walking Map
Take a tour of public art in Woodstock! Our new public art brochure includes a map of the locations and quick insights into each artwork.
You can download a PDF version or pick up a free copy at the Woodstock Art Gallery.
Bruce Flowers Sculpture Garden
Bruce Flowers was a passionate and inspirational artist and educator from Woodstock. He passed away on September 10, 2018, and left the residual of his estate to the Woodstock Art Gallery with direction that the funds be used to create an outdoor sculpture garden.
In August 2021, Woodstock City Council renamed the west side of Vansittart Park the Florence Carlyle Park and designated a portion of the park to the Bruce Flowers Sculpture Garden.
About Bruce Flowers
(Robert) Bruce Flowers (1947– 2018) was born and educated in Woodstock. He graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Fine Art from the University of Guelph in 1970, shortly after he gained his teaching degree from the University of Western. Flowers taught for 10 years with the Oxford Board of Education before he decided to take a step back from teaching. He then obtained his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) with the hopes of pursuing his dreams of sculpting.
After this period of study, in 1986, Flowers returned to teaching Visual Arts in the Thames Valley Board of Education. In 2002 he began sculpting full-time, eventually participating in numerous exhibitions at the Woodstock Art Gallery. Flowers was also a founding committee member of the Pride London Festival Art Exhibition, established in 1992.
Nicholas Crombach, 2023
Wind Vane
174 Vansittart Avenue
Wind Vane was created by Kingston-based artist Nicholas Crombach and installed in the Bruce Flowers Sculpture Garden in November 2023. This piece commemorates Woodstock’s history, drawing inspiration from 19th and early 20th century weathervanes found in the Woodstock Museum’s collection.
The sculpture illustrates the complexities of life and learning, portraying a young person attempting to install a weathervane atop the cupola of Woodstock’s original town hall. Never truly succeeding in this task, the young person’s weathervane is eternalized slightly off kilter.
Crombach is an award-winning artist whose works have been displayed across Canada and internationally.
Duane and Urszula Kumala-Thomas, 2025
BIRD SET FREE
174 Vansittart Ave.
BIRD SET FREE was created by local artists Duane and Urszula Kumala-Thomas and installed in the Bruce Flowers Sculpture Garden in November 2025.
This public art project was the result of a Legacy Grant from the Government of Canada, a jury selection process through the Public Art Committee and community consultation. The artwork holds special significance for the Woodstock community, incorporating elements of local history and celebrating the 100th anniversary of Woodstock artist Florence Carlyle.
The title of the sculpture is derived from Carlyle’s nickname, Bird. The structure itself illustrates the complex nature of freedom and confinement, combining three components: a bird, a birdcage and a corset.
Adele Figliomeni, Heidi Fotsch, Nicole Major, Filomena McMahon and Claudia Silva Prates, 2022
Woodstock Art Cycle
Various Locations
In 2022 the Woodstock Art Gallery announced an open call for residents to submit designs for bike racks. These functional artworks support the health and wellness of our community and celebrate local arts and culture.
Five finalists were selected by a jury following feedback from the public. A total of 50 bike racks with 10 of each design were fabricated and generously donated by Maglin Site Furniture. The bike racks have been installed throughout the city in public parks, recreation and culture facilities, municipal buildings and along the sidewalks downtown.
Ross Butler, 1937
The Snow Countess
989 Dundas Street
A popular tourist attraction at the corner of Springbank Avenue and Dundas Street, the Snow Countess was erected in 1937 to commemorate Oxford County’s legacy of dairy farming. The monument was designed by artist Ross Butler and installed by the Holstein-Fresian Association of Canada. It depicts the Snow Countess, a Holstein-Friesian cow that held the world record for lifetime butterfat production in the 1930s.
Ed Baker, 1967
Ironsides
396 Vansittart Avenue
The Ironsides statue greets residents and visitors coming into town over the Vansittart Avenue bridge from Oxford County Road 59. It was designed by College Avenue Secondary School student Ed Baker in 1967.
Jason Triemstra
Totem Pole
Fletcher Parkette, Cedar Street and Norwich Avenue
The totem pole at Fletcher Parkette was carved and installed by Jason Triemstra from Different Seasons Landscaping. He was also responsible for the gardens at this location.
Tom Benner, 1989
The Ancient Ones
449 Dundas St.
The Ancient Ones was created in 1989 by London artist Tom Benner during his tenure as the Woodstock Art Gallery’s first and only Artist-in-Residence. The free-standing copper piece is a recognition of the historical prowess of Great Horned Owls in North America and was inspired by Benner’s personal research on Indigenous populations in North America. Originally installed outside the Woodstock Art Gallery’s Hunter Street location, it was relocated to the interior stairwell of the Gallery’s current home on Dundas Street.
Contact Us
Woodstock Art Gallery
449 Dundas St, Woodstock, ON N4S 1C2
(519) 539-6761
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