City of Kelowna Public Art Committee

The Public Art Committee is a group of up to 11 Kelowna residents. They are appointed by resolution of City Council for a term of 3 years, usually concurrent with the elected term of Council. The appointments are based on the applicant’s knowledge of, and genuine interest in art, art practices and civic enhancement. All committee members serve as volunteers.

The Committee is mandated (in part) by its Terms of Reference to determine suitable public areas and buildings for public art installations, conduct competitions for the commissioning of public art works, and make recommendations to Council regarding the awarding of a public art commission. In all instances, the final decision regarding any public art commission rests with Council.

The Terms of Reference for the Public Art Committee are posted here

Since its inception in 1997, the Public Art Committee has recommended the acquisition of more than 24 works of public art, ranging from acrylic paintings to large, site-specific sculptural installations. For more information about the City of Kelowna’s Public Art Collection, please visit the Collection page.

For more information about the Public Art Program and the commissioning process, please visit the Programs page.

The Opportunities page provides information about current public art opportunities in the City of Kelowna.

Join the Public Art Committee

Applications to join the Committee are accepted at any time and are kept on file for one year in the event that vacancies arise. You can apply by completing an on-line application

In the alternative, please forward a letter expressing your interest in joining the Public Art Committee, along with a one page bio or CV, to: City of Kelowna, 1435 Water Street, Kelowna B.C. V1Y 1J4, Attention: City Clerk

If you are interested in learning more about the Public Art Committee, please contact Public Art Coordinator Sandra Kochan at skochan@kelowna.ca or call 250-469-8935.

Current Members of the Public Art Committee Are:

Judy Burns  (Chairperson) Judy has lived in Kelowna since 1993. She completed her Fine Arts Degree at Okanagan University College in 1999. Since then she has been developing her art career. Judy’s work has been featured in a variety of exhibitions in both private and public galleries, including a solo exhibition at the Kelowna Art Gallery in 2003 which showcased images from her 2002 photographic book project documenting the final 6 months of business leading up to the plant closure of Western Star Trucks. Subsequent exhibitions have featured mixed media works on paper and canvas using a combination of techniques such as digital photography, drawing and oil paints. In addition to producing artwork, Judy takes an active role in promoting arts in the community as a freelance curator, art consultant and as a volunteer for various Arts organizations. She is a founding member of the Art Collective – ‘Ars Longa’. She has been a member of the Public Art Committee since 2003 and has been the Chairperson for the committee since 2005.
Elizabeth Balderston (Vice Chairperson) Elizabeth Balderston is a practicing Landscape Architect (U of Guelph) with additional degrees in Art History and Philosophy (U of Victoria). She is interested in the potential for beauty and design to enliven a community, and how a body of civic work, such as public art, may collectively add up to form a distinctive and unique image for that community. Elizabeth joined the public art committee in 2006.
Sarah Campbell Sarah Campbell works as the Curatorial Assistant and Registrar at the Kelowna Art Gallery.  Originally from Ottawa, Sarah has a MA in Public History from North Carolina State University and has worked extensively in the Arts and Cultural sector for over 10 years.
Francisco Carreón Argudin Francisco Carreón Argudin is the Department Head for Interior Design 3D Animation and Game programs at the Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City and has worked in architecture and urban design in Mexico and Vancouver.
Jane Everett Jane Everett grew up in Winnipeg and did her Fine Arts degree at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Engaged in painting in oil on canvas, and drawing on Belgian linen with charcoal, graphite, and conté, her work reevaluates traditional materials and media with iconoclastic method. Her waterscape paintings verge on the abstract, using complex layerings of colour to render the undulating surface of water in an intricate study of light and form. Her large figure drawings on stretched linen communicate the kinesis of anatomical subjects through accomplished control of gestural line. For the past number of years she has lived in Western Canada, while her work is exhibited across the country in both private and public galleries, and held in corporate and private collections.
Larry Foster Larry has been a member of the Kelowna Public Art Committee since 2002. He brings to the Committee a long-standing familiarity with the diverse sectors of the community, having been a member of the City’s Planning and Development Services department. His academic credentials include Landscape Architecture (University of Guelph), and Community and Regional Planning (UBC). In addition to serving on the Public Art Committee, Larry is currently active in numerous civic organizations including the Central Okanagan Land Trust, Central Okanagan Heritage Society.
Gordon Hartley Gordon Hartley holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from UBC and was a member of the Architectural Institute of BC from 1960 to 2000. He had an architectural practice in Kelowna from 1960 to 2000 and since 2000 has been continuing his work in residential design. He is also well known for his award-winning photography and for over 25 years of involvement with the Central Okanagan Heritage Society, the Community Heritage Commission and the Heritage Society of BC. In 2006 he received the Anita Tozer Memorial Award (part of the annual Civic & Community Awards) in recognition of his outstanding community service. Gordon has been part of the Public Art Committee since 1998.
Kirsti Jarrett Kirsti Jarrett is a weaver, spinner and dyer with a keen interest in many aspects of various kinds of art.  She also has an interest in Kelowna's development and in contributing to the "livability" of our city.  She enjoys music, hiking, skiing, kayaking, dragon boating and gardening.  She currently belongs to the Ponderosa Spinners, Weavers & Fibre Artists Guild, to Chamber Music Kelowna and to the Kelowna Community Concert Association.
George Kroker George Kroker is a retired chartered accountant with an extensive background in community service. He travels widely and is actively involved in the Society for Learning in Retirement. He has an interest in the arts and is an avid collector of artwork.
Mary Lund Mary Lund was born in South Africa. She was educated at the University of Natal, Durban. She taught Secondary school in Natal and the Cape Province for several years before immigrating to Canada with her husband and three children in 1989. A community volunteer and a patron of the Arts, Mary recognizes that a society is enriched by Art and Artists. For this reason she is delighted to be part of a committee to promote and foster Arts and Culture in Kelowna .
Tracy Satin Tracy Satin is the Associate Director of Collections and Conservation for the Kelowna Museums Society. Growing up in Canada and Europe, Tracy gained a deep appreciation for the preservation of Cultural Heritage. Over the past 10 years she has worked in various sized institutions throughout Canada, the United States and Europe to preserve and educate people on the importance of this community asset. Tracy has worked closely with the Public Art Committee in the past and is looking forward to continuing this role.