The Royal BC Museum has embarked on an exciting initiative to enrich the site of PARC Campus, the new provincial archives, research and collections building, through the commissioning of three outdoor public artworks. The public procurement process was open to professional artists, contemporary craft artists, established cultural practitioners, arts collectives, and artist teams with ties to British Columbia to contribute to the project.

This procurement process is the second of two public art initiatives for PARC Campus, the other being a series of artworks commissioned following traditional cultural protocols on behalf of the host nations, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. To read more about the traditional cultural protocols please read Procurement of Public Art Part 1: Following ləkʷ^ əŋən Protocol.

The PARC Campus public art program aims to create a sense of community connection and provide opportunities for gathering and conversation in a cultural space. The public art commissions will showcase the diverse practices of B.C. based artists, while honoring and respecting the traditional ancestral lands of the ləkʷ^ əŋən people, on which PARC Campus is located.

A Public Art Committee was established to oversee the process, and a Selection Panel was brought together to evaluate the submissions. The Public Art Committee and Selection Panel consisted of representatives from various backgrounds including curators, B.C. professional artists, and representatives from the Royal BC Museum and the Province of B.C. The Selection Panel assessed the artworks based on the criteria outlined in the call to artists, including artistic merit, contribution to a sense of place, respect for the traditional lands, and the potential to create welcoming and enduring spaces.

The selection process for the public art commission involved two stages, aligned with the Province of BC’s procurement processes, which ensure a fair, transparent and thorough assessment of the submissions. The request for qualifications (RFQ) was issued in December 2023, this stage invited professional artists residing in or having relevant ties to British Columbia to submit their qualifications for consideration. Participating artists received specific location descriptions at PARC Campus, each with unique characteristics designed for the commissioned works to respond to.

The Selection Panel reviewed the submissions that were received in response to the RFQ and shortlisted eight qualified artists. These shortlisted artists were then invited to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) stage. During this stage, the primary objective was to select the final artworks to be commissioned. Artists participating in the RFP process engaged in virtual sessions to gain a deeper understanding of PARC Campus and its context, and they received an honorarium for their participation.

The Royal BC Museum is pleased to announce the three artists who were selected for the public art commissions for the PARC Campus:

• Jill Anholt: Jill is a Vancouver-based artist who has received national and international awards for her public artworks. Her work explores hidden stories, systems, and conditions of a particular place that invite active engagement with the viewer.
• Dylan Thomas (Qwul’thilum): Dylan is a Victoria-born Coast Salish artist from the Lyackson First Nation of Valdes Island. Dylan was the City of Victoria artist-in-residence in 2020 and 2021, and has apprenticed under renowned Kwakwaka’wakw artist Rande Cooke in all mediums of art.
• Charles Campbell: Charles is a Jamaican-born, multidisciplinary artist, writer and curator who has been exhibited widely in Canada and internationally. His practice includes sculpture, painting, sonic installation and performances which re-envision our position within the cycles of time, animating both past and future.

The Royal BC Museum’s public art initiative serves to further enrich the diverse cultural fabric of British Columbia. The works selected will not only enhance the experience of PARC Campus but will also serve to spark curiosity and conversation about the province’s rich culture and heritage. The selected artworks will transform PARC Campus into a vibrant, welcoming space for all to enjoy.

For more information about the artists please visit their websites:

Jill Anholt

Charles Campbell  

For more information about the other commissioned artwork please see the following article:

Following ləkʷ^ əŋən Protocol