2017 has been a year of reflection, and here in Cultural Services we're looking back on 17 years of existence. What difference does 17 years make to a community? St. Catharines has gone from dreaming of a home for the arts to opening the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. We've gone from discovering the City's art collection to commissioning a major work of public art with the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial. We've watched arts organizations struggle to find stable venues, revenue and audiences to watching them take $1 of City investment and turning it into $16 for the local economy.
What happened 17 years ago that changed the direction of arts and culture in St. Catharines?
Click here to read about all of it, but among other things, that was the year the City hired its first culture-specific staff person. That staffer, Rebecca Cann, is leaving her position. Join us at a party on December 20, at 6pm at the Niagara Artists Centre, 354 St. Paul. There will be a cash bar and we're hoping enough people will contribute $5 towards food for an array of nibbles. It will be a day to celebrate Rebecca but also to remember the incredible people who have worked together to accomplish remarkable things. That includes you, reader! We'll see you there.
Arts Council Survey
As part of their support of the City's Culture Plan 2020, the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee is seeking community feedback on the local need for an Arts Service Organization. You can find the survey
here
. Please take 5 -10 minutes to complete
this survey by Thursday, December 14th.
Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial
The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial is officially a part of the City of St. Catharines permanent Civic Art Collection! Art is an impactful means of communication, using non-verbal means of telling a story or sharing an experience. Niagara's new Memorial, located north of Lock 3, is no exception. Designed by Dereck Revington Studio Inc, this memorial is artistic and architectural in nature, and honours the 137 men who died while building the fourth Welland Canal. More than 200 descendants were part of the 600+ crowd at the Nov 12, 2017 unveiling. Attendees from as far away as California and England confirmed that the resonance of this memorial is indeed international. A proud new addition to the City's outdoor art and memorials!!
Community Art, "Our Voices"
A new temporary installation of community art, City Hall, 2nd floor.
"Our Voices" was the outcome of seven workshops, in which participants affected by Multiple Sclerosis engaged in music, poetry, movement, painting, and writing. This large-scale mixed media work was created by the participants, facilitators, family, friends and members of the community and is the result of funding through the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program to artist-facilitators Kevin Hobbs and Laurie Sadowski.
