City of Nanaimo Unveils Art as Projection on Commercial Street

Local artist Amy Pye’s designs illuminate Commercial Street

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed December 4, 2025 10:00 AM

Summary

The City of Nanaimo is pleased to announce the launch of a striking new public art installation designed by local artist and Urban Design Roster member Amy Pye, whose series of black-and-white projected artworks are illuminating Commercial Street in time for Winterfest, hosted by the Downtown Nanaimo Business Association.

Titled “Sensing Nanaimo”, the installation features ten circular light-projected designs that celebrate Nanaimo through an expanded lens of human sensation, moving beyond the traditional five senses to embrace ten: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, balance, movement, temperature, direction, and intuition. Each illustration captures an iconic, sensory moment tied to the rhythms, landscapes, and everyday magic of Nanaimo – from paddle-boarders on the harbour to the scent of cedar and coffee, to the warmth of local food and the echo of music downtown.

Installed as part of Design Commercial, the projections contribute to the growing collection of creative enhancements transforming Nanaimo’s public spaces. Rendered in vivid, high-contrast imagery, the artworks create an accessible and engaging experience after dark. Together, the ten designs form a cohesive narrative that invites visitors to pause, look down, and reconnect with place.

This project reflects the City’s ongoing investment in placemaking and strengthens opportunities for residents and visitors to experience public art in fresh and unexpected ways.

The illuminated art installation can be seen after dark along Commercial Street on either side of Bastion Street and will remain as part of a permanent series of art projections integrated into Design Commercial.

More information on the city’s Urban Design Roster can be found on the city's website

Link to Strategic Plan: The “Sensing Nanaimo” art installation aligns with the goals of the City of Nanaimo’s City Plan by facilitating opportunities for the public to encounter art and culture in public spaces throughout the city and as part of their daily experiences.

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