Public Art
(Launch Time by Mel Bolen, Charley Farrero, Michael Hosaluk, Sean Whalley)
Public Art Collection
Saskatoon's public art collection numbers over 80 works of art. The majority of the art is located outdoors. Many pieces were acquired by donation. Several major pieces were commissioned and purchased with funding from the Government of Canada as a result of Saskatoon being named a Cultural Capital of Canada in 2006.
Browse the collection with our public art Story Map
Public Art Spotlight
Modern Erratics Public Art Project
Saskatoon’s newest public art installation, Modern Erratics by internationally recognized artist duo Sans façon will be on display in three locations across the city:
- Forestry Farm Park (1903 Forestry Farm Park Drive) uses recycled black and white plastic grain bags commonly used on prairie farms.
- Diefenbaker Park (St. Henry Avenue, near the Optimist Hill parking lot) features colourful recycled bottle caps provided by SARCAN, reflecting materials commonly discarded in City parks.
- Material Recovery Centre (42 Valley Road), the largest erratic, is constructed from broken, shredded black, blue and green carts formerly used by households across the city.
Together, they form a city-wide artwork that explores the relationship between environment, waste and community.
Modern Erratics was commissioned through Saskatoon’s public art program as part of the Material Recovery Centre project.
About the Art
Artist Biography
For over twenty-five years artist duo Sans façon (Charles Blanc & Tristan Surtees) have been fascinated by the relationship between people and place. Based in Calgary, their diverse international practice includes ephemeral performances, large-scale permanent artworks, collaborative infrastructure projects, and developing and implementing city-wide strategies involving artists in discourse with a city. Their work tempts interaction with the surroundings and is developed in close collaboration with communities, organizations, and individuals, which have included City Councils, scholars, perfumers, composers, architects and engineers.
Their first work for Saskatoon, the temporary project Cacher pour mieux montrer, was realized in 2013 through the City’s Placemaker Program and was the recipient of an Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Award. Their work has continued to be recognized in multiple disciplines including the 2021 Canadian Society of Landscape Architecture Award of Excellence for their project Dale Hodges Park.
Three years in the making, Modern Erratics will be their first permanent project in Saskatchewan.
Public Events
Residents are invited to take part in two free public events on Friday, June 26, 2026, offering opportunities to learn more about the project and meet the artists.
Public Art Bus Tour
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Material Recovery Centre, 42 Valley Road
Join a guided bus tour led by Sans façon and visit all three Modern Erratics sites. The tour will begin and end at the Material Recovery Centre, with stops at Diefenbaker Park and Forestry Farm Park. Attendance is free but registration is required.
Artist Talk: Modern Erratics
Time: 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: 20 Above, 424 20th Street West
Attend an in-person artist talk with Sans façon to learn more about the ideas behind Modern Erratics and the artists’ broader approach to public art and environmental themes.
The event will take place in the Event Space at 20 Above. The venue is fully accessible and refreshments will be provided.
Upcoming Projects
Link - Bus Rapid Transit Public Art
The City of Saskatoon’s new Link System will feature public art at various locations along the routes. This effort involved community engagement to address the ideas of theme, place, and movement related to the Link stations. The result of this work is the Link Public Art Strategy.
More information on the Link project can be found here.
Commemorations and Monuments
A commemoration is the honouring of the memory of a person, place, event, or idea. Generally speaking, commemorations are public, tangible and of significant interest or meaning to residents of Saskatoon. In 2013, Saskatoon City Council adopted a comprehensive policy to govern requests for commemorative art, statues, and monuments in Saskatoon.
Individuals and organizations interested in funding, designing and donating a public commemoration or monument are strongly encouraged to first read the Step by Step Guide to Commemorations in Saskatoon.
Step by Step Guide to Commemorations