Two-Spirit, Indigenous Artist Caeleigh Lightning Featured at Watson and Lou

Prints by local artist Caeleigh Lightning are now available at Watson and Lou located in downtown Peterborough.

Photo courtesy of Caeleigh Lightning

Lightning is a 21-year-old, two-spirit, indigenous artist who came to Peterborough to attend Trent University.

“I have mixed ancestry,” said Lightning. “On my moms side we’re am Samson Cree Nation from Maskwacis, Alberta and on my dads side we’re from Dublin, Ireland.”

“I try to communicate a lot of my experiences as a mixed person with those two cultures in my art,” she said.

Lightning hopes that her art shows different identities and bodies, and allows people to accept the beauty in individuality and uniqueness.

Photo courtesy of Caeleigh Lightning

She recently graduated from Trent University’s Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences program and is now heading to Concordia University to complete her Masters of Design.

Art was never considered a realistic career path for her.

“I started incorporating art into a lot of my projects at Trent,” she said. “Anything that I wouldn’t really know how to put into words, I would ask if I could communicate it visually instead.”

She says that by her professors giving her that opportunity she began to consider herself an artist by trade.

Photo courtesy of Caeleigh Lightning

Copies of her prints are now available to purchase at Watson and Lou, a shop located downtown Peterborough that carries locally made goods.

“Having my work in a shop with other local artists I admire has been surreal,” she said.

“When I was younger I didn’t see this as a possibility, I didn’t think people would be interested in my art,” she said. “My sister always used to tell me to take myself more seriously. I used to not even call myself an artist.”

Lightning’s art can be found at Watson and Lou or on her art account on Instagram.

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Local Artist Turns Creativity Into a Fundraiser for Millbrook Food Share

Millbrook local Tracy Campbell is putting her creative juices to work for good by selling art prints to raise funds for the Millbrook Food Share.

Produce grown at the community garden in Millbrook. Photo courtesy of Tracy Campbell.

Campbell, originally from Nova Scotia, moved to Millbrook from Bowmanville with her family about three months ago.

“I was looking for some way to get connected, some way to get involved - kind of looking for that social outlet that’s been missing over the last couple years,” said Campbell.

She saw an ad in the newspaper calling for plot holders and volunteers at the community garden.

Plot holders at the garden pay a small fee to ‘own’ a part of it where they can grow their own flowers or produce.

The center of the garden is filled with flowers grown by the local garden club and the rest is maintained by volunteers who grow produce for the Millbrook Food Share, a member agency of Kawartha Food Share.

Campbell, who took up digital art in December as a way to give Christmas gifts to her family, began to take pictures of flowers at the community garden and transform it into digital art.

She is now selling a limited number of prints for $20 and donating the profit to the Food Share. She has nine copies left and will be selling them until August 1.

One print being sold by Campbell. Inspired by the flowers at the community garden. Photo courtesy of Tracy Campbell.

Prints are 8.5 x 11 and can be bought by messaging Campbell on Instagram @trayseelynne or @tracycampbellcreations.

Campbell will deliver the prints to anyone local to Milbrook, the Durham Region or Peterborough.

“I would love for this to be a repeat fundraiser,” said Campbell.

She says that she hopes to be able to create more pieces of art inspired by things in her community and share the money with other local organizations.

The Millbrook Food Share is open on the second, third and fourth Tuesday of every month.

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Hunter Street Mural Celebrates Multiculturalism in Peterborough

Artists Miguel Hernández Autorino and Cassandra Lee completed a mural on one of four designated plots on Hunter Street as part of the Renaissance on Hunter Road Mural Project.

Miguel Hernández Autorino and Cassandra Lee sit on their Hunter Street Mural. Photo Courtesy of Hernández Autorino.

Hernández Autorino and Lee created a piece called “Picnic By The Water” inspired by the Canadian landscape and nature which Hernández Autorino says is the most beautiful part of the country. He wanted the piece to encompass the multiculturalism that is so important in Peterborough.

Before the piece was completed, community members from countries like Korea, Singapore, the Philippines and Egypt were invited to paint “Hello” in their country’s language on the mural.

A community member paints “Hello” on Picnic By The Water. Photo Courtesy of Miguel Hernández Autorino.

Those that participated came from the New Canadians Centre where Hernández Autorino was a client when he arrived in Canada from Venezuela in 2016. He is now a volunteer for them.

“I hope this piece brings awareness to all the different cultures that are in this town,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to see that we exist and we are a part of this community.”

Picnic By The Water is positioned on the biggest of the four plots that are a part of the Renaissance on Hunter project and Hernández Autorino considers that a big accomplishment.

“It is really inspiring for me as an immigrant artist,” he said. “It’s the first time I feel like I’m achieving something big. I’m an advocate for all the immigrants that are in the same place - we work so hard but sometimes it feels like we don’t get noticed.”

Picnic By The Water can be viewed on Hunter Street in the temporary sidewalk spaces created by lane closures between Aylmer Street and Chambers Street.

This project is presented in partnership with the Downtown Business Improvement Area, Green Up, Artspace Peterborough and the City of Peterborough. It was funded through the City’s Public Art Program.

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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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Hometown PTBO: Washboard Hank Shares the Story of His First Gig in Peterborough With Artspace

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with legendary musician “Washboard” Hank Fisher of his origins in Peterborough including how he got his first gig at Artspace, his family’s legacy in town and Pete might put Hank on the spot with song.

Artspace is holding a 50/50 auction where you can bid on local art virtually beginning Apr. 26 to May 6. Half the proceeds go to the artist and the other half go to Artspace.

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Watch: Take A Tour Of Alex Bierk's Art Studio On "PTBOCanada" Show

On Episode 36 of PTBOCanada, we take a tour of the Hunter Street studio of artist Alex Bierk.

Alex Bierk in his studio: February 6th, 2018

In the show, our Neil Morton speaks with Alex about creativity, culture, melding art and commerce, upcoming projects, the opiod crisis, addiction recovery and how his late father, renown artist David Bierk, was a huge inspiration to him and his siblings…

Watch the episode below…

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Toronto Architect Patrick Li To Create Artwork For New Square Adjacent To Peterborough Public Library

The City of Peterborough Public Art Program announced Thursday (January 18th) that Toronto-based architect Patrick Li will create the artwork for the new square adjacent to Peterborough Public Library.
 
The project at the corner of Aylmer and Simcoe streets was developed in concert with the Library’s Main Branch renovation and expansion, and is sponsored by LLF Lawyers. The construction of the square adjacent to the library will create a vibrant place for people to gather in the heart of downtown Peterborough.  
 

Rendering courtesy City of Peterborough

The call for proposals to create an artwork for the square received 20 submissions from artists and designers across the province.
 
In his presentation to the selection committee, Patrick Li highlighted the symbolic nature of the sculpture—Your Story—and his desire to create an artwork that feels alive:

“This Sculpture is made by the undulated fin like columns to be reminiscent of a book cover that is twisting in the wind," he said. "This way, there is movement to make the sculpture feel alive. Each person who walks inside will have a chance to experience this fluidity and discover their own journey.”

Rendering courtesy City of Peterborough

The Selection Committee found it a stunning, well-conceived and relevant work that will inspire the community and mirror the architecture of the renovated library. They were impressed by Li’s passion and expressed confidence in his ability to problem solve and work through project details.
 
The expected completion of the square and the artwork is Autumn 2018.

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New Decorative Bike Racks Installed In Downtown

Last winter, after hearing from Councillor Dean Pappas that there is an appetite for artistic bike racks in downtown Peterborough, staff at “City Welding” got to work creating some unique designs.

The resulting prototypes impressed City staff, who included some of the decorative racks as part of the regular annual order. Now, these custom bike racks are adorning City Hall, the sidewalk in front of Spa Euphoria and the sidewalk on Charlotte Street just west of George Street.

“I’ve had this idea for a while and it is great to see it come to fruition, and even better that these bike racks are designed and manufactured in Peterborough," says Councillor Pappas.

There are three designs so far: one depicting Market Hall, one of the Lift Lock and one of the Quaker building. This winter, City Welding plans to create additional designs.

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Rocks With A Message Appear At The Trent University Nature Areas

Fun decorative rocks have started appearing along the trails at the Trent University Nature Areas. Have you seen them? Discovered more? Let us know!

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