April 2, 2024 – The City presents – Downtown: a Walk Through Time – an exploration
of artwork from the City of St. Catharines’ Civic Art Collection.
The exhibit is on display from April 8 through Sept. 13 in the third-floor gallery space at
City Hall featuring art by seven local artists.
“As the heart of St. Catharines, downtown has been confronted with humanity’s impact
since the 1850s with highways, bridges, and other forms of infrastructure that puncture
the ‘natural’ landscape and shape our perception of this place,” said Olivia Hope, culture
coordinator.
“This exhibition is a walk through time, an artistic time capsule for the transitions and
transformations of not only downtown St. Catharines’ infrastructure, but also the
community’s relation to and perception of this space.”
Featured artists include Sandy Fairbairn, Joseph Hallam, Ed Hausmann, George
Roach, Kees Schaap, G. Suzana, and George Upper.
The artists’ mediums include oil on canvas, acrylic on Masonite, print, and watercolour.
Spotlight: Recent Acquisitions is also on view April 8 through fall 2024 at City Hall on
the third floor outside the Mayor’s office.
The three pieces are recent acquisitions into the City’s Civic Art Collection.
The works by Chris Liszak and Laurie Morrison were part of the City’s 14th Annual
Juried Exhibition, Open-Ended, which focused on bringing the artist’s creative process
to the forefront.
Jamelia Lucienbaker’s portrait of Willi Smith, a famous Black American fashion designer
in the 1970s and ’80s, was recently part of the exhibition, Recontextualizing Black
History Through Art. The exhibit showcased some of Niagara’s emerging and
established Black artists to increase awareness of Canada’s cultural diversity.
Vibrant! art exhibit is also on display through this fall at City Hall on the second floor.
The exhibit’s name references the six pieces’ captivating colours that lend “depth,
energy, and visual impact to the artworks,” Hope said.