Lighting a Path illuminates Sway-a-Lana with month-long public art experience

Light installations transform Maffeo Sutton Park from Feb. 16 to March 16, 2026, honouring the land and community.

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed February 18, 2026 9:00 AM

The City of Nanaimo in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation invite the community to experience “Lighting a Path”, a special month-long public art installation taking place from Feb. 16 (Family Day) to March 16, 2026, in Sway-a-Lana (Maffeo Sutton Park). Best experienced after dark, “Lighting a Path” extends the spirit of the City’s Luminous Paths festival (to return in 2027), offering a meaningful, reflective winter experience that honours the land with work by Snuneymuxw creators.

As visitors move through the park, seven large-scale light projections animate pathways throughout the landscape, turning the site into an immersive canvas. Each projection features work that brings forward themes of place, identity, memory, and the enduring relationship between people and land. These luminous artworks invite visitors to slow down, listen, and experience Sway-a-Lana in new and meaningful ways.

Featured artists include the late Dr. William Good; the late W. Joel Good; Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun; kwasilwit, Chenoa Point; Noel Brown; Ryan Hughes; and yutustana:t, Gena Seward-Wilson.

“Lighting a Path” honours the land while offering a gentle, immersive experience for all ages throughout the winter season. Visitors are encouraged to return throughout the month, as shifting light, changing conditions, and evolving perspectives reveal new layers of story and connection with each walk.

For more information, visit the event page on the City of Nanaimo website.

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