Our Art
Lives Out In
The Open

Architectural artworks include the use of sculptural techniques by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, gateway, or other such project. The artwork is usually integrated with the structure, but freestanding works that are part of the original design are also considered to be architectural sculpture.

There are a number of outdoor architectural artworks in Niagara, including gateways, keystone and cornerstone carvings, fountains, relief sculptures, and more. Often, these works exist not only as artistic expressions of themes important to the architect, patron, or community, but as landmarks and wayfinding devices. From nature to military history, academia to exploration, architectural artworks are enduring symbols of Niagara’s heritage and aesthetic through time.

Niagara has a rich sporting heritage; residents and tourists alike often enjoy an active lifestyle. Rowing, swimming, sailing, and other watersports are represented in several works of outdoor art throughout the region, most notably in waterfront areas like Port Dalhousie and the south coast of Niagara, where the Great Lakes and their tributaries have provided world class sporting conditions and encouraged spectator facilities.

Figures and mascots representing local athletics and sports teams are also celebrated in Niagara’s outdoor art, taking the form of statues, grandstands, installations, street art, and more.

Multicultural artworks commemorate and celebrate pioneering settlements by Eastern Europeans, cultural exchanges between Asia and Niagara, and contributions and sacrifices by foreign militaries and multicultural workers. These artworks take the form of large-scale installations, monuments, and architectural artworks, as well as commemorative plaques, sculptures, and street art.

This category includes a variety of outdoor artworks that are either novel in their subject matter, depict a variety of subjects within a grouping by the same artist at the same location, or are otherwise uncategorized by subject matter or medium.

Public art often pays tribute to the contributions of a community’s settlers, change makers, and events. Military endeavours and prominent figures, fallen workers, women and children and multicultural contributions are depicted in Niagara’s commemorative outdoor artworks. These works take the form of figurative statues and busts, architectural works and installations, street art, totems, and more.

Niagara has a diverse spiritual landscape, and it is reflected in a wide variety of outdoor artworks found in the area. Located at spiritual and religious centres, and in the public space, these works include statues, sculptures, and architectural works.

Valour, discipline, courage, loyalty, service, and sacrifice are frequent themes in military artworks. These works are often storytelling devices that honour the military experience, those who serve, and their families. Although these stories are about individuals and specifics, they are symbolic of Niagara’s contributions to significant military events that have altered the heritage of our community over generations.

Outdoor military artworks in Niagara include cenotaphs and monuments, statues and sculptures, commemorative plaques, bas relief sculptures, and more. These works help ensure that future generations remember, understand and appreciate the contributions of the military and the diverse events that have shaped the cultural, political, and demographic landscape of Niagara and beyond.

From statues and busts to monuments, street art and plaques, Niagara’s outdoor art pays tribute to the significant and ongoing contributions of its Black community. The War of 1812 brought many American soldiers into Upper Canada. When the military disbanded and these men returned to their homes in the southern U.S., they relayed stories of a country that didn’t practice slavery. As the first point of freedom in The Underground Railroad, Niagara was the gateway to a new life for over 40,000 passengers.

Commissioned murals, designated graffiti alleyways, and wall-mounted installations colour the streets of Niagara. Home to the International Mural Festival in 2016, the Welland Canal murals, and Fulton’s Graffiti Alley, Niagara celebrates the imagination and craftsmanship of mosaic makers, paint sprayers, installations artists, and more. This attracts both local and visiting talent to add colour and tell stories in our streets.

Nature themes in art communicate a sense of place and the natural history of an area. The beauty and ecology that we enjoy in Niagara today has evolved through tens of thousands of years of shifting landscapes. Once powerful rivers and their gorges have given way to rolling vineyards and creek beds, and the plants and animals that have called Niagara home throughout these eras are represented in a variety of figurative and abstract outdoor artworks.

The ecology that once provided sustenance, livelihood, and spiritual guidance for indigenous populations is represented in woodcarvings, totem poles, sculptures and statues. We celebrate the heritage, symbolism, and natural beauty of these natural beings and elements in park and garden installations, fountain sculptures, murals, and more.

The Neutral Indians have been recorded as one of the earliest indigenous tribes residing in the Niagara region. It is estimated that in the early 1600s there were approximately 12,000 Neutrals living in the area, which made them the largest indigenous group in the Northeast in the 17th century. Their territory was called Onguiaahra, which means “the strait” or “thundering water”. The name Niagara was derived from this word, and was also used to name the thundering waters.

Indigenous communities used the bark from local trees to make their homes and to build canoes for usage on the waterways for transportation. The Neutrals also grew beans, corn and pumpkins while hunting deer, elk and beavers. Totems, carvings, monuments, inuksuit, statues and sculptures document and pay tribute to the significant historical and ongoing contributions of Niagara's indigenous peoples.

Dating back to the indigenous fur trade and agricultural practices, Niagara has held a pivotal position relative to the Great Lakes, adjoining the St. Lawrence Seaway and major trade routes including the U.S. border. This has helped Niagara serve as a hub of transportation, commerce, and industry for centuries. Outdoor artworks including monuments and architectural installations, murals and sculptures pay tribute to the contributions and sacrifices that have positioned Niagara as a significant centre of industry.