Markham Public Art Project received the 2026 Creative City Impact Award

We’re pleased to announce that the City of Markham has received the 2026 Creative City Impact Award in the Public Art: Project category from the Creative City Network of Canada (CCNC) for The Underground Sun by Markham artist Xiaojing Yan. The project was selected from nominations submitted by 17 municipalities and townships across Canada.

The award was presented on October 6 at the Creative City Summit in Calgary, recognizing outstanding municipal cultural initiatives across Canada. This year, CCNC received a record 70 nominations across eight categories, with submissions from municipalities and townships across the country.

Commissioned through Markham Public Art’s Our Park initiative in 2025, The Underground Sun transforms approximately 2,500 square feet of civic lawn at Milliken Mills Park into a living artwork composed of more than 700 perennial plants. Inspired by the branching patterns of Lingzhi mushroom mycelium, the project explores the relationships between art, ecology, and community through public workshops and ongoing seasonal growth.

This marks the second consecutive year that Markham Public Art has received national recognition from CCNC, following the 2025 award for Lost and Found by Holly Ward and Kevin Schmidt.

Congratulations to artist Xiaojing Yan, Public Art Curator Yan Wu and everyone involved in bringing this project to life. This recognition reflects Markham’s continued commitment to innovative and community-engaged public art.

You can read the full award announcement here: creativecity.ca

Thumbnail and inner page banner: Xiaojing Yan, The Underground Sun, 2025–ongoing. Living installation with more than 700 perennial plants, Milliken Mills Park, Markham. View of spring 2026 growth. Photos by Aidan Mao. Courtesy of the artist.
Inner page bottom: Creative City Network of Canada