Public art
Public art at the North Vancouver City Library was included in the original building design and can be seen throughout the library. The artwork maintenance and development is facilitated through the North Vancouver Public Art Program. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind work meant to reflect the culture, heritage and environment of the North Shore.
Honouring our Former Leaders, 2023
Honouring our Ancestors, 2023
Artists: Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George and Skwetsimeltxw Willard (Buddy) Joseph
These two Coast Salish weavings are installed in the library’s cafe connection space. The red, green and black triangles in the south piece represent the amalgamation of the three Squamish reserves, Sen̓ákw, Squamish Valley and Sunshine Coast, and 16 families (or Bands) into one Squamish Nation on July 23, 1923. The north piece is inspired by the woven design in the robes worn by Sa7plek Chief Joe Capilano.
Weaving is one of the oldest creative arts used by Coast Salish peoples throughout the Northwest Coast. In addition to their practicality to combat the cold, blankets serve many purposes: they indicate the social status of the wearer; they can be used as currency; they provide spiritual protection and are used in ceremony.
“You should think about blankets as merged objects. They are alive because they exist in the spirit world. They are the animal. They are part of the hunter; they are part of the weaver; they are part of the wearer.”
— Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George
My People Will Rise Up (Like a Thunderbird from the Sea), 2009
Artist: Marianne Nicolson
Marianne Nicolson’s carved glass mural is installed in the circular space leading from the underground parkade to the upper level of Civic Plaza on the west side of the building. The carving style mimics aboriginal petroglyphs found along the west coast that were created to record significant events and mark places of spiritual importance.
City Library interactive mural, 2022
Artist: Erica Phillips
Inspired by the flora and fauna of the North Shore, muralist and multimedia artist Erica Phillips (Phil Phil Studio) designed the interactive mural at www.nvcl.ca. The piece is a collaborative project between Phillips and the team at Weaver Co-op, who animated and coded the elements. The animated pieces (e.g. the Amanita muscaria mushrooms), link to items in the library's catalogue or to info about exploring and learning about the North Shore.
Tree of Knowledge, fragments, 2008
Artists: Jacqueline Metz and Nancy Chew
Engraved images carved into bluestone suggest fragments of a magnificent tree — shadows of the Tree of Knowledge. Dappled amongst the imagery are literary quotes selected by library donors. Each piece contributes to the whole, while remaining individual, representing the imprint of the community on the plaza.
Wilbur’s Web, 2008
Artist: Alan Storey
Wilbur’s Web is a kinetic artwork consisting of a cross beam that straddles the North Vancouver City Library’s two interior light wells. Suspended from each end of the beam is a large custom built LED screen that moves up and down through the space. During the journey, words and phrases are subtlety revealed on the screens. The art work suggests that the volume of space contained in the light wells is a virtual three-dimensional library housing fixed objects, words, text, language and pictures not visible to the human eye.
Iain Baxter& exhibit
Artist: Iain Baxter&
Contemporary artist Iain Baxter& has several window signage pieces on display in City Library. The works pay homage to Baxter&’s fascination with the ampersand. In 2005, he legally changed his name from Iain Baxter to Iain Baxter& to include the ampersand.