City of Peterborough Announces 2026 Public Art Jury Members
/Five community members have been appointed to serve on the City of Peterborough’s 2026 Public Art Jury, announced on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
Peterborough Blogs
Fleming College Releases 2026 Haliburton School of Art + Design Course Calendar
/Fleming College has released its 2026 Haliburton School of Art + Design (HSAD) course calendar, featuring creative workshops, courses and programs designed to ignite artistic talent at all skill levels.
The cover designed by award-winning artist and HeAD instructor Kat Honey. Photo courtesy of Fleming College.
The cover was designed by award-winning artist and HSAD instructor Kat Honey, taking inspiration from the School’s signature red doors.
A new lineup of HSAD courses spans a variety of disciplines, including quilting, glasswork, ceramics, music, podcasting, art commerce and jewellery design. New courses, like Brushworks: A Weekly Painting Series, start as early as March 25.
HSAD revived March Break options for all ages and Youth Art Camps in July and August, giving youth a chance to discover new interests and access professional-grade studios.
For Spring and Summer 2026, the HSAD residence will open to Continuing Education learners, expanding access to a convenient and immersive on-campus experience.
The calendar is also an invitation for the public to engage with the arts through a variety of scheduled events:
Wednesday Afternoon Walks, Talks & Demos: Insightful presentations from world-class guest artists in a variety of locations including the Sculpture Forest.
Thursday Night Entertainment: Live performances and social gatherings in the iconic Great Hall. Studios and classrooms will be open before entertainment starts, giving visitors a chance to view student art projects and learn about HSAD courses.
Registration for HSAD 2026 spring and summer courses and programs is open. Registration for Fall 2026 courses will open on July 2. Spring 2026 courses start March 11.
A digital version of the 2026 HSAD Course Calendar is available online. Print copies are available at Fleming’s Sutherland (Peterborough), Frost (Lindsay), and Haliburton campuses.
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Traditional Geometric Artist Gillian Turnham Opens Exhibit at Watson & Lou
/Traditional geometric artist Gillian Turnham will showcase her art through a free exhibition at Watson & Lou starting March 6.
photo courtesy of Gillian Turnham.
Born in London, England, and based in Peterborough, Turnham specializes in traditional geometric ruler-and-compass construction methods, with a focus on architectural and ornamental traditions of North Africa and Central Asia. Her work brings traditional pattern systems and craft practices into a present-day context.
Turnham, a graduate of PCVS in Peterborough and NSCAD University in Nova Scotia, has forthcoming exhibitions planned across 2026 to 2027 in California, London, Istanbul and Paris. She is a regular instructor with The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts in London, England, and has lectured most recently at Trent University and Carleton College in Minnesota. She is a member of the GAAC Collective (Geometric Abstraction Artists of Canada Collective).
@ptbo_canada Traditional geometric artist Gillian Turnham will showcase her art through a free exhibition at Watson & Lou starting March 6! #ptbocanada ♬ safe harbor - sunflwr
Her March 6 exhibition offers Peterborough audiences the opportunity to experience works from the past five years, including several new pieces and recent prints.
The exhibition will run from March 6 to 28 at Watson & Lou (383 Water St.) Gallery hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The exhibition opens at Watson & Lou during the First Friday Art Crawl.
For more information about the artist visit her website.
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Otonabee Memorial Community Centre Selects Mural Artwork For Main Entrance
/The Parks and Recreation Committee for the Otonabee-South Monaghan Township has selected Ellen Cowie’s artwork to grace the main entrance of the Otonabee Memorial Community Centre.
Ellen Cowie’s winning design. Photo courtesy of Otonabee-South Monaghan Township.
The long-time resident’s art will appear on a 24-foot-by-eight-foot mural. Cowie is deeply connected to the farming, sporting, Indigenous and artistic communities – all of which are represented in her design. She moved to Keene from Peterborough in 2019.
Since 1991, her work has been shown in fine art galleries, with her career highlight being two of her $200 coin designs produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Second prize went to Piper Lubbock, 8, for her colourful submission celebrating her love of hockey.
Community members are invited to help paint the mural before it is mounted on the arena’s outer wall this spring. This community project aims to bring residents together as they create a new landmark. Anyone wishing to participate can email OSMMuralProject@gmail.com.
Several artists submitted designs during a call for entries late last year after the committee approved the concept.
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Red Dress Art Installation Leads To Residency In France For Peterborough Artist
/A community art project that began at the Peterborough Public Library has led to an international opportunity for local artist Ash Street, whose Red Dress installation has been selected as part of an artist residency in France.
photo courtesy of peterborough public library, facebook.
Street has been accepted into the Atelier Artist in Residency program, a two-week international residency running from Feb. 2 to 16 in Normandy, France.
Created in recognition of Red Dress Day, Canada’s National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people (MMIW), the Red Dress installation invites the public to pause and reflect on the lives lost and the voices that continue to call for justice.
Working in partnership with the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, Street created the initial piece in the Downie Wenjack Legacy Space at the Peterborough Public Library. Street invited community members to fill in open spaces on the dress with donated textiles and materials on hand. The exhibit is now on display in the main foyer of City Hall at 500 George St. N.
“Inviting people to share in the process and engage in conversation has been at the heart of this work. That collective experience is what carried this project forward and ultimately opened the door to sharing these stories on an international stage,” Street said. “I am grateful to the City of Peterborough and the Peterborough Public Library for offering me a space and the opportunity to create and share my work with the community. I would also like to thank Jaime Black-Morsette, a Métis artist, activist and creator of the MMIW red dress movement, who has inspired me to create the pieces I have made thus far.”
The residency program expressed interest in both the artistic merit of Street’s work and the broader community conversations it has generated, particularly around what MMIW means to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences.
“The Red Dress installation is a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and to continue the work of listening, learning and acting,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “By supporting this exhibit and the artist behind it, the City is helping create space for truth, reflection and community dialogue. We are proud to see a project rooted in community care and participation reach an international audience.”
City of Peterborough Invites Artists and Residents to Shape Public Art Projects
/Peterborough artists, designers, creators and residents are invited to help create and shape the artistic experience through various projects in the City of Peterborough.
file photo.
The City is launching several new projects focusing on public art, including a vinyl mural project at the Peterborough Transit Terminal, a Request for Proposals for digital artwork and the creation of a Public Art Jury.
Public Art at the Peterborough Transit Terminal
Artists and artist collectives are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for a public art project at the Peterborough Transit Terminal.
This project involves applying vinyl murals to the Terminal’s exterior concrete columns and façade surfaces. The artwork will improve wayfinding, help users identify entrances, pathways and key areas and enhance safety and accessibility.
This public art project is part of an infrastructure upgrade at the Terminal, partly funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Expressions of interest must be submitted by Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.
Request for Proposals Open to Artists, Designers, Creators
Local artists, designers and creators are invited to submit a proposal for the creation of an original, scalable digital artwork to support the City’s Culture and Sport Tourism marketing, communications and merchandise initiatives.
The selected artist will be commissioned to create one original digital artwork that can be adapted and reproduced across a wide range of applications, including:
Apparel and merchandise
Printed promotional materials
Digital marketing and communications
Event branding and tourism campaigns
Proposals must be submitted by Feb. 9 at 4 p.m.
Join the Public Art Jury
The City is seeking knowledgeable and passionate individuals to serve as members of its Public Art Jury.
The five-member Public Art Jury will be responsible for reviewing and scoring artist submissions for public art projects, participate in meetings as required, provide professional and lived experience in making recommendations and support the City’s Public Art Policy. Jury members will make recommendations to the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee.
Selected Jury members will receive an honorarium for participating in meetings and reviews for up to six different art projects during the year.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.
For more information on these local art projects, including how to apply, visit the City’s website.
Peterborough Singers Reach $100,000 Campaign Goal Ahead of Artistic Director’s Final Season
/The Peterborough Singers hit their $100,000 campaign goal for Syd Birrell's Legacy Fund ahead of his final season as Artistic Director.
photo courtesy of the peterborough singers, facebook.
Three weeks ago Birrell stood in front of the Peterborough Singers for the final time to conduct their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. 1,300 people came to the show to witness his last musical event as Artistic Director.
“As I lifted my hands, I was keenly aware that this moment was both an ending and a culmination,” said Birrell in a press release. “I will carry the sound, the emotion and the shared energy of those evenings with me for the rest of my life.”
The $100,000 goal for the Artistic Director’s legacy fund was reached in the early morning of Jan. 1.
“Over the past 35 years, the Peterborough Singers has grown into something far greater than I could ever have imagined when we first gathered. Yes, it is a choir that strives for thrilling musical excellence,” he continued. “But more importantly, it has become a place of friendship, safety, inclusivity, kindness, joy and love. In rehearsal rooms and concert halls, in moments of laughter and moments of quiet support, this choir has reflected the very best of what community can be.”
The campaign for Syd's Legacy Fund will continue until the end of this season.
A new Artistic Director for Peterborough Singers has yet to be announced.
“Thank you for your trust, your voices and your hearts. Thank you for reminding me, week after week and year after year, why this work matters. I leave this role with immense gratitude, deep peace and unwavering confidence in what lies ahead for the Peterborough Singers,” Birrell concluded.
CMHA HKPR Partners with Local Artist to Create a Mural Representing Inclusive Mental Health Care
/In partnership with local artist Mickaela Baker, the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) unveiled a new mural at the George Street office entrance on Tuesday.
The goal with the new mural is to create a more welcoming and inclusive space for those seeking mental health support, says CMHA HKPR.
“We know that the physical environment plays a critical role in how people feel when they reach out for help,” said Ellen Watkins, CMHA HKPR CEO. “This project is about more than art, it’s about creating a space that feels safe, inclusive and supportive.”
“The mural will act as a symbol of knowledge, hope and belonging, reinforcing CMHA HKPR’s commitment to making decisions guided by the needs and voices of the people we serve,” said CMHA HKPR in a press release. “By partnering with local artists, we aim to strengthen our connections to our community and demonstrate that we strive to listen to, learn from and truly see the people we support as a mental health organization.”
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4th Line Theatre Bringing Forgotten Canadian History to Life With Ontario Farmerettes On Nov. 26
/4th Line Theatre is shedding light on a largely forgotten chapter of Canadian history with the documentary film ‘We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes,’ screening on Nov. 26. at Lakefield College School.
Colin Field, Albeiro Films, Producer/Director --’We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes’ documentary film. Photo courtsy of 4th Line Theatre.
Created by director/producer Colin Field and Bonnie Sitter, historical producer, the documentary tells the extraordinary story of 40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Canadian farms during and after World War II and helped sustain the nation's food supply, when young men left to fight overseas.
Bonnie Sitter, author, was searching through old family photographs when she found a captivating image of a group of young women taken on her late husband's family farm near Thedford, with a caption on the reverse that read ‘Farmerettes 1946.’
This led her to research the Farmerette story and publish an article in The Rural Voice asking for women who served as Farmerettes to get in touch with her.
Shirleyan English, a retired London Free Press journalist, read the article and wrote a letter to the editor, explaining her own experience as a Farmerette and how it remained the best summer of her life. Sitter and English went on to co-author the book Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes in 2019.
“We wanted to capture the story of how the Farmerettes helped win the Second World War by volunteering to aid farmers with food production,” said Sitter.
Filmmaker Colin Field first met Sitter in 2019 and wanted to bring this forgotten Canadian story to life.
“I was privileged to collaborate with Bonnie on this extraordinary story of dedication and perseverance explained Field. “I got to interview 20 Farmerettes - now in their late 90s - for the documentary, and after two years of work, and with the help of sponsors and generous donors the documentary is finally complete.”
After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers and 4th Line Theatre Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. There will also be a chance to acquire autographed copies of the book Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes.
A portion of ticket sales will go to 4th Line Theatre’s 30 to the Future Endowment Fund and Lakefield College’s Northcote Farm Endowment. A portion of the proceeds go towards victims of the Home Hardware fire in downtown Lakefield.
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Electric City Culture Council Launching Artsweek to Places Across Peterborough This Sunday
/Art is popping up all over Peterborough in unexpected places as the Electric City Culture Council launches Artsweek with opening ceremonies taking place on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Millennium Park.
EC3 is a not-for-profit arts service organization that supports the work of individual artists and arts and culture organizations across Peterborough and Peterborough County. Through a wide range of initiatives, EC3 supports the creation, presentation, and promotion of artistic work, while also enriching public engagement with the arts. Artsweek is funded by the City of Peterborough, Peterborough DBIA, Canadian Heritage, and the Ontario Arts Council. Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
