Public Art

Tamworth Regional Council is committed to supporting and developing public art throughout our area.

The term ‘public art’ refers to creative and original artworks created for, or located in, public spaces or facilities, such as parks, foreshores, squares, or spaces within a public building, or placed in any space accessible to the general community, including private sites that impact on the public domain.

Public art is a part of our public history, evolving culture and collective memory. It reflects and reveals the ideas and values of our society and adds meaning to our towns and cities. In creating public art, artists respond to our times and the outside world in a way that both reflects their inner vision and chronicles our public experience. Council invests annually in a Public Art Fund to be used for the development of new public art.

Council adopted its Public Art Policy in 2023 and Strategy in 2024. The Tamworth Region Public Art Strategy 2024/2025 to 2028/2029 is utilised to govern a highly professional and well-managed process for the inception, coordination, installation, maintenance and ongoing management of public art in the Tamworth region.

The strategy aims to create an outdoor gallery that can connect public art to a place, express Tamworth’s image as a centre for quality and innovation, and create engagement with public art that leads to a sense of community ownership and pride.

To see the full Tamworth Regional Council Tamworth Region Public Art Strategy 2024/25 to 2028/29 (PDF 3.5MB).

Excellent art in public places has the capacity to add layers of meaning, content, commentary and humour to streets, parkland and other public places for the enjoyment of community members and visitors.

Public art can enhance our environment and transform a landscape by creating spaces that draw people to them, and by providing landmarks that orientate and act as gathering places.  The Strategy helps to ensure that new public artworks address specific criteria and align with its aims, so that they fulfil community desires and are implemented according to best practice.