$57,423 In Grants Given to 24 Recipients in Individual Artists Program

The Grants for Individual Artists program has given twenty-four artists a total of $57,425 to bring dozens of new plays, paintings, sculptures, albums, writing and performances to life in Peterborough announced on Wednesday.

Victoria Yeh. Photo by Jordan Cooper.

The grant was funded jointly by the City of Peterborough and Electric City Culture Council (EC3) and administered by EC3.

“Peterborough is home to a vibrant community of exceptional artists and it’s important to make these types of investments in the creative economy,” said Councillor Alex Bierk. “Art and culture help to make Peterborough a special place and grants like these are important to sustain this part of our City’s identity.”

“There is an impressive range of art being supported by this year’s Grants for Individual Artists program,” said Councillor Joy Lachica. “From visual art, to performing art, music and the written word, these talented artists will engage and inspire our community.”

“These investments in the work of our very talented and hardworking artists means more artists can realize their visions, contribute to our cultural, economic and social well-being, and make Peterborough a more vibrant, dazzling place for all of us,” said Su Ditta, EC3 executive director. “New books, poetry, concerts, plays, exhibitions, albums and performances of all kinds will touch our hearts, minds, and imaginations. The projects supported by these grants explore love, climate change, beauty, community connection, disability, forgotten histories and more.”

The Grants for Individual Artists (GFIA) program has two components:

• Component One: Mini Development Grants for Individual Professional Artists provide up to $1,500 each for research, development, workshopping etc., of original new works, as well as for professional training and mentorship opportunities.

• Component Two: Project Production and Presentation Grants for Individual Artists provide up to $3,500 each for the production and presentation of specific projects and support costs such as artist fees, production materials, venue rentals, technical equipment, costumes, printing, etc.

The Grants for Individual Artists program receives $50,000 from the City of Peterborough through the Arts and Culture budget according to a press release.

The program’s open call for artists was available to those working in every discipline and medium including multi-disciplinary or community-based arts practice, in traditional or contemporary forms. A five-member peer assessment jury reviewed a total of 50 applications. Grants were awarded to 24 artists, including 13 in Component One (total $19,500) and 11 in Component Two (total $37,925).

2023 Recipients of Grants for Individual Artists

COMPONENT ONE: Mini Development grants for Individual Professional Artists

Melissa Addison-Webster: Earth Within Earth

An exploration of Land Dancing, building on collaborations with Heryka Miranda.

Kate Alton: Divining Laurence (working title)

A new dance/theatre project inspired by legendary author Margaret Laurence.

Dreda Blow: My Underground

A program of movement research to create a dance solo exploring themes of hope, love, oppression, regret, and resilience.

Samantha Chiusolo: Children’s Book

Research, writing, illustration planning, development, and artist fee to create a children’s picture book 'dummy.'

Garrett Gilbart: Sculpture-Based Performance

Professional development and experimentation for sculpture-based performance practice.

Brooklin Holbrough: Zine Development

Developing skills as a zine and printmaker, and the production of planned zine publications.

Elizabeth Jenkins: Healing From Those Who Love You

Support for writing and research for a book series, about love, race, and blurred boarders in exploring relationships and culture.

Charlotte Kennedy: The Stilt Walker Story-Poem

A video of creative collaboration, artist fees for a writer/project coordinator, an illustrator, and a videographer/musician, to bring original story-poem into a new dynamic medium.

Shannon LeBlanc: text-tile

Artist fees for creating 10 textile art pieces and a fee payable to an artist for their intellectual property.

Zoe Litow-Daye: Time for a Transition

Transitioning from digital art to producing physical works (e.g. paintings on canvas).

Nicole Malbeuf: Dance Training

Regular dance training in ballet, tap and fusion to advance artistic movement practice in aerial arts and physical theatre.

Holly McGillis: Processing Autistic Burnout Through Pottery

Transitioning to a new medium, pottery, and developing skills while adapting worsening disabilities.

Esther Vincent: The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Daughter

Artist fee for the revision of a suite of poems written in the last months of my mother’s life.

COMPONENT TWO: Project Production and Presentation Grants for Individual Artists

Calvin Bakelaar: Untitled ‘Vancamp’ Album

A folk-rock album challenging the traditional notions of masculinity I grew up with as a queer person in a small town.

Shannon Culkeen: Shannon Culkeen Debut Album Production Project

Artist fees to compose, rehearse, and produce an album of songwriter material at Sadleir House in June 2024, released November 2024.

Michael C. Duguay: Content

Artists fees to contribute to a site-specific, immersive field-recording and music project about community, wellness, and home for release in Autumn 2024.

Jon Hedderwick: Bubie’s Tapes

Artist, technical, promotional and travel fees and tour a play exploring antisemitism using stories left by my Bubie Sarah in cassette recordings.

Ryan Kerr: Death in Reverse: Project Baroness

A new performance project navigating the liminal territories between past and present, activating possibilities for personal and political transformation.

Justin Million: After Monomania

Artist fees and venue costs, to compose and present a text-based art installation based in the postmodern poetic tradition.

Stan Olthuis: Interconnected – A Touring Immersive Experience

Artist fees for a choreographer, three dancers, costume designer, art fabricator and musician to produce an immersive, multi-disciplinary exhibition about Sacred Geometry presented at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

Laurel Paluck: Symbiosis

Five local artists (artist fees) create artworks based on exploring the concept of climate change, for exhibition at Ludmila Gallery.

Jill Staveley: Focus

Artist fees to work with a collection of local musicians to support arranging and enhancing original songs not yet fully developed.

Kate Story: Anxiety

Artist fees, materials costs, and venue costs for a remount and adaptation of a one-person show “Anxiety” preparatory to touring it to St. John’s, Newfoundland. “Anxiety” explores Beowulf, the current rise of white supremacy, language, my childhood, and my father’s work as a Newfoundland lexicographer.

Victoria Yeh: Timeless

Artist fees to produce and present a concert of violin music through the ages and around the world.

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Artists Selected for Peterborough’s Indoor-Outdoor Art Project

Four local artists have been selected for the City of Peterborough’s latest public art project Indoor-Outdoor, which will integrate artwork into parks, recreation facilities and other City buildings.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The call for submissions sought original new, recent or past works for indoor facilities, and was open to professional artists and cultural practitioners living in the City of Peterborough, County of Peterborough, Hiawatha First Nation or Curve Lake First Nation.  

Stage one of the project, Indoor, will be completed in early 2023. Stage two, Outdoor, will be completed later in the year.

City Public Art Projects are reviewed by selection committees composed of five community members with interests or expertise in contemporary art, architecture, design, engineering, history and/or cultural tourism. The members of the Indoor-Outdoor selection committee were Miguel Hernandez, Leslie Menagh, and Jon Lockyer from the community at large, and Su Ditta and Julia Kady Denton from the City’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee.

This committee selected artworks by artists Cassandra Lee, John Climenhage, Brooklin Holbrough and Jeffrey Macklin.

“The Indoor-Outdoor project, which allows for the display of art in unexpected places, was made possible by a resolution passed by the Council in November 2021. The goal of this project is to support local artists and enhance the community by bringing art to a wider audience. The success of this project is evaluated not only by the benefits it brings to artists, but also by the pleasure it brings to the many people who will experience the artworks,” said chair of Council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Portfolio Councillor Alex Bierk.  

The artworks are set to be installed this winter and displayed at City Hall, Kinsmen Civic Centre, Healthy Planet Arena and the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre for a term of one year to eighteen months.

The artworks will rotate between sites at the end of each term, and the indoor artworks will be mounted in the main foyers of each facility.

For more information on the City of Peterborough’s indoor-Outdoor art project, visit the website.

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First Friday Artist Spotlight: Joe Stable

For 55 years, Joe Stable has been an artist, developing his craft through different forms and mediums.

Residing in his Peterborough studio, Stable recently fell in love with copper to the extent of opening a second gallery to showcase his creations. The Acme Art Studio and Copper Closet are participating venues for First Friday.

First Friday Peterborough (FFPTBO) is a downtown monthly art crawl that allows you to experience the city’s art, music and food scene while supporting local artists, people watching and taking in some city sights all at once.

FFPTBO is dedicated to showcasing the immense artistic and musical talent in the Peterborough community. The art crawl is a self-guided tour of downtown galleries, studios, shops and cafés that takes place on the first Friday of every month.

FFPTBO Art Crawl Schedule Oct. 7 schedule from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (individual venue hours may vary):

• Miguel Hernandez: New Works | TSC gallery & Studio, 280 Perry St., Unit 10A

• Victoria Wallace, Miguel Hernández + Marcia Watt: New Works |  Studio 10A, 280 Perry St., Unit 10A

• Instructor of The Art School of Peterborough Spotlight + Launch Shop | The Art School of Peterborough, 174A Charlotte St.

• Celebrate Canadian Library Month! Interactive Book-End craft | Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N. √

• The Oddities Show: Various artists + DJ @codyodez 6-8 p.m. and @otonabeatsradio 8-10 p.m. | Jason Wilkins Factory, 188 Hunter St. W. #7

• Susie Julia: Whimsy & Wonder + Pumpkin milkshakes + Patel Pilsner on special  | The Dirty Burger, 211 Hunter St. W.

• Bethany Davis: Follow the Trees | Odenabe Books, 410 George St.

• Grand Opening! The Neighbourhood Vintage, ft. mural installation by: Brooklin Stormie + Bethany Davis | The Neighbourhood Vintage, 391 Water St.

• Spooky Sampler: Various artists showcase + sale, Guest Chef Kayla Daluz  | Tragically Dipped, 386 Water St.

• Gillian Turnham: Earth Measure | Acme Art Gallery, Commerce Building, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W.

• Kim Beavis Sanderson: Rage in Retro *Please download the App Artivive to interact! + Andrea Andrews: Macabre Charcoal + Graphite | Francey Studio, Commerce Building, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W., Studio #3

• Enzo Stimpson: leiðangur – photo expedition of wonder seen through the eyes of a pubescent male +  Luke Best: Music Photography | We Design, 393 Water St., Unit #16

• Nicole Bauberger: RavenMonsterDress  | Atelier Ludmila Gallery, Commerce Building 129 1/2 Hunter St. W. Studio #1

• Kelly Albin: Gone Postal + Juli Sage: Blue Whimsy | Blue Frogs Legs Studio, Commerce Building 129 1/2 Hunter St. W. #7

• Paddler Press: Poetry & Art Journal6 | Commerce Building, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W.

• Various Artists showcase | Studio 5, Commerce Building, 2nd Floor, 129 1/2 Hunter St. W.

• FFPTBO After Party | Gordon Best Theatre, 216 Hunter St. W. 

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The Mount Community Centre Calls All Artists To Display Their Work For ‘Mountmas’

An open call has gone out to artists to display their work for ‘Mountmas’ held by The Mount Community Centre at the Austin Doran Hall on Nov. 12 and 13, announced on Sunday.

The Mount Community Centre during its renovations last summer. Photo courtesy of the Mount Community Centre.

Artwork is being set up on Nov. 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The Mount says this is an excellent opportunity for artists from all disciplines to display their work to the community.

“We are thrilled to be holding ‘Mountmas,’ an exhibition showcasing the inspiring talents of artists in our community,” says Hartley Stephenson, event organizer. “The world needs artists, craftspeople and workers of wonder and beauty and this will be a perfect time for artists to display their work and for attendees to pick up some holiday gifts.”

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Local Artist Brings Superheroes to Life For Saturday's Inaugural Capable Con

New superheroes came to life as the biggest art project for local artist Mariah Yee as she designed all the characters for the inaugural Capable Con this Saturday.

Each character took approximately 40 hours to produce including their backstory and concept. Her mother, Leslie Yee is a CPD vice-chair and has vision loss. Leslie travels around with her guide dog, Akira. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The free event is held by the Council for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. outside the VentureNorth building. A play-on word of the popular event Comic-Con, Capable Con is designed to create open, healthy dialogues about disabilities and accessibility.

Yee created seven characters, each with their own disability and superpower. Each character set took roughly 40 hours of work with all works completed over the span of seven months.

“It was a great opportunity for me to potentially do something with my artwork and do something impactful here in Peterborough,” said Yee, CPD communications coordinator.

CPD volunteers helped create the concept and ideas of the superheroes before Yee made the illustrations for them.

“Some of them were accepted pretty quickly and some of them had to go through some adjustments and that’s just a part of the design process,” said Yee, CPD communications coordinator.

Each superhero is being featured at the event. The following are the characters showcased for Capable Con:

• Scout and traveller, a hero with vision loss and his guide dog

• Amanda Auriel, a hero with hearing loss but can read body signals and lips to capture words spoken. She uses a skateboard with her name spelled out in sign language.

• Power Pals Jordan and Jamie who are on the autism spectrum. They possess the power of hyper-focus, unconventional outlooks, pattern recognition, great memory and recall.

• Bionica Bot, an amputee gymnast with interchangeable parts for her arm to suit the task at hand.

• An unnamed hero in a wheelchair.

CPD launched the inaugural Capable Con on April 26. Photo courtesy of CPD.

Traveller has vision loss with Scout as his guide dog. Traveller uses technology to make life easier such as cell phone with voice-activated messages and GPS. Photo courtesy of CPD.

Amanda Auriel has hearing loss but can read body signals and lips to capture words spoken. Photo courtesy of CPD.

Jordan and Jamie, the Power Pals on the autism spectrum. Photo courtesy of CPD.

Bionica Bot, a feisty amputee gymnast. Photo courtesy of CPD.

Yee began drawing at a young age and says art has always been her passion growing up. She keeps bits and pieces of her work as a reminder of doing what she loves.

Yee says she has a sense of pride knowing Peterborough will see her work on a local yet large platform and feels truly connected with the community.

“It still feels very surreal to even look at them and all of Peterborough is going to see those,” she explained. “I know the meaning behind them is worth so much more than words that I can put to them.”

Mariah moved to Peterborough in 2014. She grew up in Big Cedar and has lived in Haliburton and Newmarket. She graduated from Fleming College with a Visual and Creative Arts Diploma and a Certificate in Drawing and Painting.

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Peterborough Artist Averie Wilkins Follows In Her Dad Jason Wilkins Footsteps With Her First Sale

Averie Wilkins, 16, is celebrating selling her first piece of art, following in her dad Jason Wilkins footsteps and pursuing a career as an artist.

Averie with a piece she did for her brother.

Averie says she has been drawing since she was young, and has memories of drawing beside her dad when she was four.

Now at 16, she draws inspiration from anime and other shows she likes. She practices different mediums like water colours, gouache, and pen and also enjoys drawing digital pieces on her dads iPad.

Jason, Averie’s dad, is a professional illustrator, live event artist, muralist and workshop instructor located in Peterborough.

Etsy is an e-commerce site usually tailored to handmade products like art, jewelry and crafts.

Averie set up her online shop a few months ago and until recently had been yet to make a sale. Until someone named David purchased a piece on March 6.

“It was really a relief. I thought no one was going to buy anything especially since I had been waiting for months,” she said. “But I got a notification on my phone and it was from Etsy. I read it and someone had purchased an item at my shop. Just a really happy and uplifting moment for me.”

Jason says he’s proud to see his daughter succeeding as an artist already at such a young age.

“I’ve always expressed to all of my kids that as long as they’re happy with what they do for a living, then I’m happy. Whatever that might be. You have to love what you do,” he said. “But it is really cool to see Averie as passionate about art as I was at her age. She’s got talent but I’ve told her that’s only half the battle - patience and work.”

While as a dad, seeing his daughter do what she loves is encouraging, as an artist seeing another artist succeed is a different level of admiration.

“I’m so proud of her for putting herself out there. It’s not an easy thing to do,” he said. “I remember George Elliott coming to speak in my high school art class. He said ‘You’re not a career artist until you sell your first piece.’ It just validates all your efforts and really makes you feel like you’re doing what you were meant to do.”

Averie says while seeing her Dad succeed as an artist has influenced her decision to pursue art, his technique is not something they share.

“He has really proven that you can be very successful and support yourself through doing something you love,” she said. “However I definitely don’t think he has had much influence on my technique, since our styles are both different. I think it’s because we are both from different times. If anything my oldest brother Sam had a big impact because he’s the one who got me into anime.”

Averie’s art can be viewed on her Instagram and purchased on her Etsy shop.

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Local Artist Wins Top Art Award

Local artist Lynda Todd painted to first place with “Blossom” in the Spirit of the Hills Art Association competition announced Thursday.

Lynda Todd’s entry, “Blossom” is a 36x60 inch painting selling for $900 on Spirit of the Hills Art Association’s website. Photo Courtesy of Lynda Todd.

Todd’s painting was one of 16 entries in the “Fine Art” category. Results were based on an online voting system by the public.

Born legally blind and mostly colour blind, Todd’s personal challenges did not deter her from earning the top slot.

"Blossom represents how an idea became a reality,” said Todd. “As a legally blind and colour-blind artist, I visualized each petal as the skills, knowledge and actions to reach my dream and occupation as an artist blossomed.”

Todd’s entry on the cover of Occupational Therapy Now. Photo Courtesy of Lynda Todd.

The winning entry was published on the front cover of Occupational Therapy Now for their May/June 2021 edition.

“My life has blossomed every single day since moving to Peterborough,” said Todd. “One thing keeps leading to another, so many doors have opened now that I have the independence to get around myself and embrace city life. I want to help spread the word and inspire others to try it all.”

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Local Gift Under $25 For The Little Artist

Do you have little ones to shop for that love to draw, colour, paint etc?! Well look no further! You'll find great stuff at Gerri's Arts and Crafts located in the lower level of Peterborough Square—or head out to their second location at 2075 Davis Road. 

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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