Eight new public artworks have transformed community spaces across Cape Town, creating paid opportunities for local artists while bringing neighbourhood stories, culture and identity into public view.
Completed during the 2025/26 financial year, the projects form part of the City of Cape Town’s long-running public art programme, which has been facilitating artworks and creating opportunities for emerging artists for more than a decade.
The latest works can be found at Gordon’s Bay Sportsfield, Gustrouw Sportsfield in Strand, Blackheath Community Hall, Virginia Park in Gardens, Bryant Street Park in Bo-Kaap, Kloof Street Park, Southfield Library and Sir Lowry’s Pass Library.
Together, the projects involved eight lead artists and more than 20 emerging and assisting artists, providing paid creative work while involving communities in shaping the spaces around them.
One of the biggest developments is at Sir Lowry’s Pass Library, where the programme has completed its first commissioned mosaic.
Developed through a community co-design process following the City’s Cool Spaces initiative, the large-scale work combines mosaic and painted mural elements across the library façade. It reflects the landscape, people, natural environment and character of Sir Lowry’s Pass.
Lead artist Kerry Atherstone worked alongside Charlie Vettori and emerging artists Shannon Davids, Johen Adendorf and Iman Daniels on the project.
Sport and community connection feature strongly in two of the new works.
At Gordon’s Bay Sportsfield, Angelo Waterloo, Marquin van Aarde and Xolisile Sitwayi created a mural celebrating sport as a space where communities can come together.
Waterloo also led the Gustrouw Sportsfield project in Strand, assisted by Sydney Shem Lewis and Patricia Abrahams. That mural focuses on youth development, sporting culture and the relationships created through shared recreational spaces.
At Blackheath Community Hall, lead artist Rizah Potgieter worked with Nathan Jason and Quinton Doman on an artwork shaped by community voices and local memories. A mural activation programme was subsequently held at the site to encourage further community engagement.
Public art is also being used to bring environmental themes into neighbourhood spaces.
Zeenat Isaacs and emerging artists Thakier Adams, Charlene Bruiners, Nadine Apollis and Zain Mosaval created the Virginia Park mural around environmental stewardship, biodiversity and the relationship between people and nature.
Isaacs also led the Bryant Street Park project in Bo-Kaap, working with Abdul Malik and Muaath Omar. The artwork draws on the neighbourhood’s distinctive cultural and religious identity while exploring coexistence, resilience and mutual respect.
At Kloof Street Park, Potgieter, Cherry Lee Harris and Shalane-Rae Cloete turned to urban biodiversity, using indigenous birds, plants and natural forms to reflect the interaction between city residents and nature.
Southfield Library takes a different approach, using its artwork to represent the activities happening inside the community facility. Reading, coding, chess, art, music, drama, audiobooks, knitting and other community programmes all feature.
Potgieter led the project alongside Willow Wicomb, Wesley Segers, Alicia Langley, Léa Nomodoe, Xara Heuvel and Tazneem Newman.
Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health Councillor Francine Higham said the programme demonstrates what can happen when communities and artists are able to create together.
“These artworks show what public art can do when artists and communities are given the opportunity to create something together,” Higham said.
“Over the past year, eight new works have brought local stories, culture and creativity into public spaces across Cape Town, while giving emerging artists an opportunity to showcase their talent.”
Beyond adding colour to public infrastructure, the eight projects show how public art can serve another purpose: creating paid opportunities for emerging creatives while allowing communities to see their own stories reflected in the places they use every day.
