The City of St. Catharines' public art exhibits provide the opportunity to experience original art, historic photos, or cultural treasures that reflect St. Catharines' stories, creative self-expression, experiences and perspectives. Our exhibits are coordinated by the Cultural Services office with support from the Public Art Advisory Committee.
Annual Juried Exhibition: Phases
On View: Sept. 20, 2024 to March 2025Third Floor of City Hall
“Phases” asked artists to draw inspiration from the total eclipse that passed over Niagara this year. Phases is an opportunity to view works that explore this phenomenon and its many interpretations.
An eclipse is an event of phases and can be translated to a plethora of thoughts and feeling – the evolution of self, a moment of reflection, a blockage in life.
Featured Artists: Emily Andrews, Ashley Buston-White, Jadyn Deming, Samantha Fickel, John Halenko, Rajshree Jena, Kat Leibfried, Charlotte Moffatt, Victor North, Katia Perez-Mendez, Jon Shaw, Richard Smolinski, John van Wissen, Adam Wiebe, Rachelle Wunderink, and Yong Yi
Current Exhibitions
Vibrant!
On View: March 2024 to Fall 2024 Second Floor of City Hall
Artists throughout history have harnessed the enchanting allure of colors to convey emotions, evoke feelings, and captivate viewers. Among the various palettes available, vibrant colors hold a special place in the realm of art. With their intensity and radiance, vibrant colors add depth, energy, and visual impact to artworks.
Featured Artists: George Enns, Melanie MacDonald, Jon Shaw, and Loriann Smith
For more information visit: stcathatines.ca/artcollection
Downtown: A Walk Through Time
On View: April 8, 2024 to Sept. 13, 2024
Third floor of City Hall
“Downtown: a Walk Through Time”, explores works from the City of St. Catharines Civic Art Collection. Downtowns are widely viewed as a city’s cultural, historical and political heart.
As the heart of St. Catharines, downtown has been confronted with humanity’s impact since the 1850’s with highways, bridges, and other forms of infrastructure that puncture the “natural” landscape and shape our perception of this place.
This exhibition is a walk through time, an artistic time capsule for the transitions and transformations of not only downtown St. Catharines infrastructure but also the community's relation to and perception of this space.
Featured Artists: Sandy Fairbairn, Joseph Hallam, Ed Hausmann, George Roach, Kees Schaap, G. Suzana, George Upper
Spotlight: Recent Acquisitions
On View: April 2024 to Fall 2024
Third floor of City Hall
Visually beautiful cities stimulate a sense of pride and commitment. The City of St. Catharines strives to create vibrant public spaces that reflect the diversity of our community, and engage its residents and visitors with quality works of public art.
The works currently on display are recent acquisitions into the City’s Civic Art Collection. The works by Chris Liszak and Laurie Morrison were a part of the City’s 14th Annual Juried Exhibition, “open-ended”, which focused on bringing the artist’s creative process to the forefront. Jamelia Lucienbaker’s piece was recently a part of the exhibition, “Recontextualizing Black History Through Art” which aimed to increase awareness of Canada’s cultural diversity through showcasing some of Niagara’s emerging and established Black artists.
The goal of this display is to highlight the City’s Civic Art Collection and to provide access to art in public places for all of St. Catharines’ citizens.
Exhibit Locations
Some exhibits are permanent or installed on a temporary basis found throughout City buildings, parks and property, and in the community, while others are displayed on a rotating basis and can be found at: