Art exhibition to grace Barrie's waterfront this fall

An artistic rendition of a bird in this undated file image.

Six artists will soon turn Barrie's waterfront into a wonderland of art.

Four nationally recognized Canadian artists and two regionally based artists have been chosen to create six installations of temporary public art as part of the City of Barrie's Seeds to Sow exhibition.

The exhibition will take place from September 27 to November 8 at locations on the waterfront around Kempenfelt Bay and downtown Barrie.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device 
• Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox

"The calibre and experience of the artists chosen for the Seeds to Sow exhibition is truly exceptional,"  said Stephannie Schlichter, director of Invest Barrie.

"I am excited to see how they transform our public spaces for this exhibition." 

The four national artists and artist teams include Adrian Blackwell (Toronto), Lisa Hirmer (Guelph), Maria Hupfield and Jason Lujan of Native Art Department International (Toronto) and Lou Sheppard (Lunenburg, NS). Artists were chosen based on their previous experiences in professional public art practice, the diversity of the media they work in and the ideas that their work explores. Each invited artist has spent time in Barrie, visiting various sites and researching areas of interest.

Regional artists Amy Bagshaw and Ted Fullerton were the successful candidates in a public art competition held by the city of Barrie.

Eighteen submissions from artists across Simcoe County were reviewed by a jury that included a Barrie Public Art Committee member, one professional artist and the exhibition curator, Katie Lawson.

Barrie has reached its $75,000 fundraising goal for the exhibition. Seeds to Sowis generously supported by the Downtown Barrie BIA, Joan Gilroy, Jennifer Long-Allen, Barry and Elizabeth Peacock, Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, RBC Wealth Management Dominion Securities and the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund. Sponsorship opportunities are still available to support the many programs and events that will be part of the exhibition.

"The Seeds to Sow exhibition would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors," said Carol-Ann Ryan, city of Barrie public art coordinator and artistic director of the Seeds to Sow exhibition.