Monuments Unmaking, with Carey Newman
As part of the 2026 STEPS Public Art Residency and Fellowship Program, Carey Newman, a multi-disciplinary artist, carver, filmmaker, author and public speaker whose traditional name is Hayalthkin’geme, is exploring how augmented reality can reshape our understanding of monuments and public memory through Monuments Unmaking. The project reimagines existing public artworks by revealing overlooked histories, cultural contexts, and diverse perspectives. By layering new stories onto familiar monuments, Monuments Unmaking invites audiences to engage with public art in more inclusive, thought-provoking, and meaningful ways.
Project at a glance
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Artist: Carey Newman
Year: 2026
Services: Artist Capacity Building
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artist-in-residence
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Augmented reality virtual viewable public art
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Artist Mentees
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Partner
About Monuments Unmaking with Carey Newman
Monuments Unmaking is designed to address critical gaps in the public art sector by advancing equity and representation through innovative digital approaches. This research-driven initiative responds to a pressing need: re-examining public artworks that may not reflect the diverse communities in which they exist, may be missing important cultural context, or may present histories through limited or incomplete perspectives. While some public artworks commemorate historical figures, events, or narratives, they can also exclude, simplify, or misrepresent the stories and lived experiences of marginalized communities. Through augmented reality (AR), Monuments Unmaking aims to reframe these works by offering new ways to engage with public art in a more inclusive, layered, and relevant context.
Monuments Unmaking is created in collaboration with the 4 for 4’s, a multidisciplinary team of student developers partnering with Camosun Innovates and STEPS Public Art to create Monuments Unmaking. By overlaying 3D digital artworks onto existing public art, their augmented reality app empowers artists to reclaim public spaces and tell the full, inclusive truth of our shared history. The full team includes Caleb Irvine (Lead Communicator & AR Developer), Egor Lidobardov (Lead Designer & 3D Artist), Mitchell Rose (Cloud & Backend Developer), and Vinicius Bezerra da Costa (Cloud & Backend Developer).
About Commerce Canoe, 2008 by Illarion Gallant
Photo from Illarion Gallants ‘ website
The Commerce Canoe in downtown Victoria’s Triangle Green symbolizes the canoe as the vessel of commerce which plied the local coastal waters pre-European contact. The sculpture is reminiscent of the artist’s canoe trips in Ontario’s Algonquin Park when the canoe made a scraping sound when it drifted in the reeds. Traditionally, First Nations would harvest rice in waterways by tapping ripened kernels into the canoes; thus the red seed pods depict starch as a commodity.
Illarion Gallant is a public artist and Registered Landscape Architect, as well as a principal of Rusnak Gallant Ltd. His practice focuses on large-scale outdoor sculpture and explores the relationship between natural landscapes, urban environments, and local history. With a hands-on design-build approach, Illarion is involved in all stages of his projects, from concept development and planning to fabrication and installation. He works collaboratively with communities, municipalities, consultants, contractors, and fabricators to create site-responsive public artworks. Illarion holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and studied stone carving at the Karlsruhe Academy of Art in Germany. He received his first outdoor public art commission in 1989 and has since completed more than 30 commissions across Canada.
About the Artist
Carey Newman
Carey Newman, whose traditional name is Hayalthkin’geme, is a multi-disciplinary artist, carver, filmmaker, author and public speaker. Through his father, he is Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw from the Kukwaḵ̓a̱m, Gix̱sa̱m, and Wawałaba’yi clans of northern Vancouver Island, and Coast Salish from Xwchíyò:m (Cheam) of the Stó:lō S’olh Temexw (traditional territories) along the upper Fraser Valley. On his mother’s side of the family, his ancestors are English, Irish, and Scottish Settlers. In his artistic practice he strives to highlight Indigenous, social, and environmental issues as he examines the impacts of colonialism and capitalism, harnessing the power of material truth to unearth memory and trigger the necessary emotion to drive positive change. He is also interested in engaging with community and incorporating innovative methods derived from traditional teachings and Indigenous worldviews into his process.
About the 4 for 4’s
Caleb M. Irvine
Lead Communicator & AR Developer
Caleb Irvine is of Coast Salish descent on his mother’s side and a member of the Tsawout First Nation, with settler English and Scottish roots on his father’s side. He is a final-term student in Camosun’s Information and Computer Systems (ICS) program. Building on a strong foundation in systems analysis and full-stack development, he specializes in creating immersive augmented reality applications that seamlessly integrate 3D elements into real-world environments. Alongside his technical work, Caleb brings robust leadership experience as the Chair of the 2026 Camosun Technology Symposium, where he oversees eleven cross-functional committees. Recently presented with the Computer Science Award by VIATEC, his ability to balance complex system design with clear communication makes him a valuable addition to any innovative development team.
Egor Lidobardov
Lead Designer & 3D Artist
Egor is an international student from Russia currently enrolled in the Interactive Media Development Technologist (IMD) program at Camosun College. He brings over five years of experience in design, photography, and topography-oriented projects, driven by a deep passion for visual creativity that began when he discovered Photoshop at a young age. He further expanded his skill set by completing university-level courses in 3D modeling in Russia. Through the IMD program, he has developed a solid foundation in programming, web and app development, technical workflows, and industry-standard development practices. While he understands both the technical and creative aspects of interactive media, he chose to specialize in visual design and digital art, where his passion and strengths lie. He also maintains an active practice in traditional physical art, which continues to influence his creative approach. He has hands-on experience working with industry-standard tools, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Maya, Blender and Unreal Engine 5.
Mitchell Rose
Cloud & Backend Developer
Mitchell is an Information and Computer Systems student. Since childhood, Mitchell has maintained a strong curiosity and passion for all things computer and technology related. Mitchell is ambitious, detail-oriented, and possesses a strong understanding of logical reasoning and complex systems. Mitchell has experience working with programming (C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS), Databases (MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB), Game Engines (Unity), Systems Administration (Windows Server 2022), Operating Systems(Windows, Linux, MacOS), and Network/Network configuration related tasks.
Vinicius Bezerra da Costa
Cloud & Backend Developer
Vini is a student in the Information and Computer Systems Technologist program. Has a background in technical support and system troubleshooting from a previous work experience in Brazil, where he worked as an IT technician for over a year. He also has experience in design due to an internship completed before starting the IT career. Combining work and studies, he has experience with multiple technologies, such as Java, JavaScript, SQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and others. He has continued to expand and strengthen his technical knowledge being particularly interested in systems administration, troubleshooting, and software development.
Funders
The 2026 STEPS Public Art Residency is made possible by support from TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment.
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