City of Peterborough Continues to Seek Artists For Public Art Installation At James Stevenson Park

The City of Peterborough continues to seek artists to help bring its baseball history to life through a new public art installation at James Stevenson Park.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The City seeks expressions of interest from artists and artist collectives to create an illuminated, interactive sculpture commemorating 150 years of baseball in Peterborough. The project will celebrate the community’s longstanding connection to sport and public spaces, creating an engaging new feature for park visitors to enjoy. 

The selected artist will design, fabricate and install a permanent outdoor sculpture, accompanied by interpretive panels in English and French that tell the story behind the artwork and the city’s baseball history. The installation will be designed to complement the park setting and provide an accessible experience for visitors year-round. 

The project is part of a Legacy Grant upgrade funded through the Government of Canada’s Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program. The total project budget is $45,000. 

This project has a two-stage selection process. Artists and artist collectives must first submit an Expression of Interest, including their qualifications and examples of previous work. Following the application process, up to three artists or collectives will be shortlisted and invited to develop a detailed design proposal.  

The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest is Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. Expressions of Interest must be emailed to culturalservices@peterborough.ca. 

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New Art Mural Graced and Unveiled at Peterborough Transit Terminal

The Peterborough Transit Terminal’s new art mural ‘Still Crossing’ was unveiled to the public during a ceremony on Tuesday morning.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Designed by BAU and Ćos Studio, the mural spans the transit terminal's facade from edge to edge. Its tnstallation on the multi-storey mural began in July and finished in early September. 

“Public art has a wonderful way of transforming the places we pass through every day, giving us something to pause and appreciate while creating a stronger sense of place and community,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “‘Still Crossing’ brings colour, movement and creativity to a prominent downtown location, helping to beautify the Transit Terminal and the surrounding streetscape. It’s a great example of how investing in public art can make our downtown more welcoming, vibrant and engaging for residents and visitors alike.”

“‘Still Crossing’ begins as a horizon of layered blues drawn from the Otonabee River and Little Lake and gradually lifts into the silhouettes of geese in flight. This transition from water to sky mirrors the movement of people through the Simcoe Street Transit Terminal, a place where daily routines, pauses, and passages intersect,” said designers Andres Ulises Bautista and Novka Ćosović, BAU and Ćos Studio. “By softening the concrete structure with an atmospheric field at the pedestrian level and a gesture of flight above, the mural invites commuters to experience a moment of calm, direction, and quiet uplift as they move through the city.”  

The mural was selected through a process that included an application, a short list of the top three artists, community feedback, and a public vote. 

The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program supported its funding.   

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Art Gallery of Peterborough Receives Funding Boost From Ontario Arts Council

The Art Gallery of Peterborough (AGP) has received an increase to its Ontario Arts Council (OAC) multi-year operating grant funding, beginning next year.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Through the Ontario Arts Operating Fund (OAOF), the OAC provides sustained investment in Ontario’s arts infrastructure by supporting not-for-profit arts organizations and for-profit publishers led by, working with, and providing services to professional artists across arts disciplines and sectors. 

For the next three years, beginning in 2027, the AGP will receive a 7.1 per cent increase in operating grant funding, with a B+ rating from the OAC. 

According to the City of Peterborough, this continued investment recognizes the AGP’s role within Ontario’s arts sector and supports the gallery’s ongoing work to present exhibitions, care for its collection and offer accessible arts experiences to the Peterborough community. 

“We appreciate the additional funds and the recognition of the work we do here at the AGP,” said Celeste Scopelites, AGP director. “We thank all who contribute to our ongoing success: the City of Peterborough, our staff, volunteers and Board of Directors, our educators, sponsors and AGP members.”

OAC Director, Michael Murray, notes that roughly half of returning organizations applying for operating funding through the OAC (including those in year 1, 2 and 3 of their funding cycles) will see changes to their funding levels this year, based on alignment with program objectives, performance measures, funding principles and assessment results. 

This includes: 

• 27 per cent of returning operating funding applicants have received increased support

• 45 per cent of returning applicants will be receiving the same funding amount as in 2025-26

• 11 per cent of returning applicants received a reduced amount, compared to 2025-26

• 12 per cent will be exiting from the operating funding program 

• Of the 26 organizations newly-applying for operating funding at the spring OAOF application deadlines, 38 per cent have been admitted into the operating funding stream.

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New Exhibition at Peterborough Museum and Archives to Showcase F.L. Roy’s Cinematic Legacy This Saturday

A new temporary exhibition, ‘Films from the Freezer: Preserving F.L. Roy’s Cinematic Legacy,’ opens at the Peterborough Museum & Archives (PMA) this Saturday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

‘Films from the Freezer’ depicts a collection of historically significant films made by local photographer and filmmaker Fred L. Roy that were damaged during Peterborough’s 2004 flood. The exhibition explores Roy’s life and work, while highlighting the innovative project that helped restore and preserve these films for future generations. 

A selection of Roy’s films is being shown publicly for the first time in 75 years. Through photographs, archival materials, film and stories, the exhibition offers a unique look at Peterborough’s history and the work of a local filmmaker who captured moments of the community on camera. 

This temporary exhibition will be on display until Nov. 1. The public is encouraged to visit the PMA and experience Roy’s cinematic legacy firsthand. 

“Preserving these films means preserving stories, places and moments from Peterborough’s past,” says Jon Oldham, Archivist of the Peterborough Museum & Archives. “This exhibition gives visitors a rare chance to see Fred L. Roy’s cinematic work while learning about the important preservation efforts that made it possible to share these films again.” 

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Peterborough Museum & Archives Gala Event Celebrates Restoration of Roy Studio Films

The Peterborough Museum & Archives (PMA) is hosting a special film premiere and gala event of newly restored archival films captured by local film pioneer Frederick Lewis Roy at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on Oct. 8.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Gala participants will enjoy an exclusive first look at never-before-seen footage documenting life, people, and landmarks in Peterborough and the surrounding region from the 1930s through the 1950s. Guests will also learn about the history of the Roy Studio and the innovative preservation work that made the films accessible once again. 

During Peterborough’s 2004 flood, 46 films owned by the Roy family sustained water damage and were at risk of being lost. In response, conservators at the PMA froze the films to stabilize and preserve them while a long-term conservation solution could be developed. 

In 2025, the Roy family formally gifted the films to the PMA, which then partnered with Toronto Metropolitan University master's student Bo Pickett to undertake an ambitious restoration project. Together, the team developed an innovative process to safely thaw, clean, restore and digitize the damaged films. Their work has made it possible to preserve these important historical records and share them with the community for the first time in decades. 

“This project represents an extraordinary effort to preserve and share Peterborough’s visual history,” says Susan Neale, Director of the Peterborough Museum & Archives. “These films offer a unique window into our community's past, and we are excited to celebrate both the collection itself and the innovative work that brought it back to life.”

The Film Premiere and Gala event will raise funds in support of ongoing digitization and preservation efforts for the PMA’s motion picture film collection. Proceeds will help ensure the remaining films are restored and protected for future generations.

Tickets will be available in September through the Market Hall box office. Visit markethall.org, call the box office at 705-749-1146 or visit the Market Hall box office located at 140 Charlotte St.  

In addition to the gala event, the Peterborough Museum & Archives will host a complementary exhibition this Fall that explores the history of the Roy Studio, the restoration process, and highlights from the collection, allowing the broader community to engage with this important local story.

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Photos: Trent Valley Archives Portray Peterborough's Trials and Tribulations In the 1940s and 50s With Production of 'The Kid from Simcoe Street' at Canterbury Gardens

Trent Valley Archives is telling the tales of James Clarke’s Memoir 'The Kid from Simcoe Street' in a mini-production at Canterbury Gardens Retirement Residence on Thursday night.

Charlie Porter playing Young Jimmy (left) in a bustling scene with Kaza Hesselink playing Josh (right). All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Clarke is a former Ontario Superior Court Judge's from Peterborough. His 2012 memoirs focus on Peterborough’s trials and tribulations and his St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School football teammate, Murray Byrne, as they grew up poor in post-war Peterborough in the 1940s and 1950s.

The performance is ahead of their four live productions at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre running from June 4 to 7. The first two shows start at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinee starts for the final two shows.

The production is directed by Drew Taylor-Grigg and written by Edward Schroeter, Gerry McBride and David Francis Clarke.

Tickets can be found on Market Hall’s website.

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Residents Asked to Vote For New Public Art at the Peterborough Transit Terminal

A new public art installation is coming to the Peterborough Transit Terminal at 190 Simcoe St. and residents are invited to help select the final design.   

File Photo.

The installation includes vinyl murals that will be placed on the downtown terminal’s columns and exterior. The artwork will enhance the terminal's visual character while improving wayfinding, highlighting entrances and pathways, and enhancing accessibility and safety. 

The City of Peterborough’s Public Art Policy have narrowed their selections to three artist teams for the project:

• BAU & ĆOS Studio (Andres Ulises Bautista & Novka Ćosović)  

• Casandra Lee, Joshua Morley and Sahira Said Jiddawy  

• Jerry Rugg (birdO) 

BAU AND ĆOS Studio is a Greater Toronto Area-based art and architecture firm founded by Andres Ulises Bautista and Novka Ćosović. As a team of two with different backgrounds from distant parts of the world, they draw on their extensive travels and diverse cultural experiences to create contextual public artworks. Their work is very versatile. The team has been commissioned to design projects for the City of Mississauga, the City of Burlington, Nuit Blanche and Pride Week.

Joshua Morley, Sahira Said Jiddawy and Casandra Lee bring complementary strengths in public art, design, and community engagement. Joshua has led large-scale murals such as The Hug, a 600 ft² mural in downtown Peterborough, and Maamawi, a vinyl installation for a community centre in Sault Ste. Marie. Sahira creates cohesive visual systems across digital and print, with work for organizations such as Community Fridge Canada and Absynthe Magazine. Casandra creates both digital and traditional public artworks, including installations for Renaissance on Hunter and Erring at King George. 

Jerry Rugg, aka birdO, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. While his surreal geometric animals can be found on canvas, in digital print, and in installation, birdO is primarily known for his large-scale mural work on walls and buildings around the world. Jerry’s longstanding passion for the arts, his storied experience in film, and the skills acquired as an award-winning graphic designer have all contributed to his approach, which focuses on an acute awareness of the surface and on studious preparation regarding local culture and surroundings. 

Each team has prepared a video presentation outlining their concept for the Transit Terminal.   

Residents can review the proposed concepts and choose the design that they feel best reflects the city’s identity, creativity and sense of place at connectptbo.ca/simcoetransitart. 

Voting is open until 5 p.m. on May 25.

This public vote will count as one vote in the overall decision. The Public Art Jury will evaluate each project alongside community input, and the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee will endorse the final selection.  

The winning design will be installed at the Peterborough Transit Terminal in early September. 

This project is funded through a combination of municipal investment and support from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), as part of the broader Simcoe Street Transit Terminal rehabilitation project.

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CMHA HKPR Launches Clothing Line Created From Local Artists to Help Fund Mental Health Programs

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) celebrated Mental Health Week with help from local artists by launching a new clothing line to help fund mental health programs, announced on Wednesday.

(From left to right) Jack Veitch, CMHA HKPR manager of community engagement and education; Kate Matthews, artist and Lindsay Halcovitch, Perfect Perception. Matthews and Halcovitch are wearing their designs for the clothing line while Veitch holds Phillip Jolicouer’s design. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

CMHA HKPR commissions three local artists in Kate Matthews, Lindsay Halcovitch and Phillip Jolicoeur to create original designs inspired by mental health and wellness.

“It’s super meaningful to contribute,” said Matthews. “This (CMHA HKPR) is my workplace as well so it’s extra powerful, bringing my passion of art and my workplace in putting that together with my passion for mental health.”

“I just felt honoured for this have this opportunity to present some of my designs for such a meaningful purpose,” explained Halcovitch.

“Working with these artists has been incredibly inspiring. Their talent really shines through in every piece, and they’ve created designs that are not only meaningful but genuinely stylish,” said Jack Veitch, CMHA HKPR manager of community engagement and education. “This collection proves that you can support an important cause, start conversations about mental health, and feel proud of what you’re wearing at the same time.”

@ptbo_canada The CMHA HKPR is celebrating Mental Health Week by launching a new clothing collection that brings together mental health advocacy, community connection and local creativity. #ptbocanada #journalism #fyp #news #mentalhealth ♬ original sound - PTBOCanada

Partial proceeds from every purchase directly support CMHA HKPR programs and services across Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge.

Clothing can be purchased online at CMHA HKPR’s website by clicking ‘Shop.’

“It’s so important to note that each person has their own journey, and it was important to us to find different types of artists with different kinds of art styles to really depict each person’s journey and experience with their mental health and wellness,” said Vietch.

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Trent Valley Archives Hosting Play Adaptation of Former Peterborough Ontario Superior Court Judge's Memoir 'The Kid from Simcoe Street'

To retell the trials and tribulations of Peterborough in the 1940s and 50s, Trent Valley Archives (TVA) is putting on a fundraising production of Ontario Superior Court Judge James Clarke’s memoirs, ‘The Kid From Simcoe Street,’ at Market Hall from June 4-7.

(From left to right) James Clarke, Author ‘The Kid From Simcoe Street;’ David Clarke, James’s Grandson; R. Kenneth Armstrong, Historian and Murray Byrne. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Trent Valley Archives received permission to adapt the memoir, with proceeds going to the Archives for book donations to sell.

The 2012 memoirs focus on the trials and tribulations of Clarke and his St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School football teammate, Murray Byrne, as they grew up poor in post-war Peterborough in the 1940s and 1950s.

Prior to the production, Clarke and Byrne held a Community Reminiscence and Reunion event (hosted by TVA), speaking to an audience about the memoirs at Princess Gardens on Tuesday afternoon.

Byrne currently resides in the Bridgnorth area and with theatre experience, will have a cameo role.

Clarke practised law in Cobourg for many years until his appointment to the bench in 1983. He served on the Ontario Court of Justice from 1990 to 1999 and the Superior Court of Justice from 1999 until his retirement in 2008. He began writing poetry in 1995. He is the author of more than 20 poetry books and received a Horizons of Friendship Founders Award in 2018, ‘for the exceptional strength and commitment they have shown as volunteers and leaders in their communities.’ He has been involved with the Covenant House of Toronto, Plan International Canada, Chalice, Michael House, the food bank and the Welcome Drop-in Centre in Guelph, the city where he now resides.

@ptbo_canada A piece of history is being brought to life by Trent Valley Archives, putting on a production at Market Hall of the memoirs of Ontario, Superior Court Judge, James Clarke in his memoir, “The kid from Simcoe Street” from June 4-7. ##ptbocanada##journalism##fyp##news##dailynews ♬ We Should Stick Together - elijah woods

Tickets can be purchased from the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre box office, Monday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m., by phoning (705) 749-1146, emailing boxoffice@markethall.com or purchasing them online.

The play is suitable for ages 14 to adult, running for approximately 80 minutes. There will be a 20-minute intermission.

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Art Gallery of Peterborough to Temporarily Close Weekdays for Maintenance

The Art Gallery of Peterborough will be closed from Wednesday to Friday, and from April 8 to April 10 for facility maintenance.  

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

It will remain open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for programs, including Family Sunday and the Gallery Shop. 

The Gallery is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays as per its regular hours of operation.

New exhibitions will open at the Gallery on April 18.

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