Contacts
Art Installations
Art is everywhere and during the month of Artfest there will be a few pop-up art installations, that will be accessible to drive, walk or bike-by. Please remember to follow our current restrictions, and wear a mask, and stay six-feet apart. *Schedule to change based on restrictions at the time of event date.
"The Colours of the Earth"
On Display May 22 - 30
Whitevale Community Park
Using only natural colour, found in plants from forests and gardens, these pieces of cloth have been hand dyed, stitched, and hung, to represent the importance and beauty of biodiversity. The plants used in the piece were foraged off of the local land, using abundant and invasive species, or can be found in most gardens and kitchens.Species used included: Goldenrod, Turmeric, Wild Grape, Cabbage, Avocado, European Buckthorn, Spinach, Sumac, Black Walnut, Onion, Nettle, Basil, Pomegranate, Beetroot.
This project is in partnership with the Whitevale Arts and Culture Centre, a collective of volunteers who facilitate art shows, workshops and other cultural activities in the building of the former Whitevale Library.
Created by Artist, Reid Williamson, of Sustainable Roots Ecological Restoration
About the Artist: Reid Williamson grew up in Whitevale with a deep connection to this land. Now, she and her partner own an ecological restoration company called Sustainable Roots, which works to restore and revive natural landscapes and enhance local biodiversity. This led to her passion of working with invasive species, in particular European Buckthorn which is used to create many of the colours in this piece.
"Pickering Proud: Then, Now, Always"
Online Exhibit & Installation
Coming Soon
"Establishing the future of the modern creative. That is my purpose. The City of Pickering is the catalyst of my inspiration. Over the course of three years, I have utilized my passion and skills as a photographer to highlight and engage, and educate the City of Pickering community. This has led to incredible opportunities for work, learning, play and inspiration to those around me. Most importantly, it has allowed for me to travel various parts of the region, fulfilling my need for travel and adventure.
Pickering has been my home for fifteen years. It will always have an important place in my heart. Living and working in Pickering has enabled me to see beyond my potential as an individual and inspired my will and determination as a thriving creative. For this reason, my work will tell the story of Pickering, then, now and always.
I will be creating approximately thirty (30) visual art pieces in total which will illustrate the various happenings within the Pickering community. Each piece will not only visually tell a story but will be captioned with an insider artist perspective.
The process begins by capturing digital photographs of the Pickering community and its culture. This will mainly encompass landscapes and key landmarks, along with a few portraits and events. These images were then processed in studio and later converted into digital watercolor images."
Created by Artist, Daniel Davis
Community Street Piano "Music has no colour"
On Display May 28 - October 1
Esplanade Park
The Community Street Piano Project: A selected artist was asked to share their artwork in a temporary outdoor exhibition, to be installed on a community playable outdoor piano. The Piano project will be initiated annually, with a new artist being selected each year to repaint the surface. Aisha Chiguichon is our selected artist for 2021. This Cultural Visual Art Commission of work related to Diversity & Inclusion, and celebrating Black Culture, was offered by the Cultural Advisory Committee and City of Pickering.
“Music is a universal language. It has no colour, no race and no religion. When it is heard, it can be enjoyed by anyone who listens. Even if it is accompanied by lyrics of different languages, the melodies can still be enjoyed. In the current global climate where race and colour have become flashpoint topics, we need to be reminded of the things we share in common… music is one of them. Therefore, the title: “Music has no colour”. As a person of colour, I feel the need to create a work of art that will serve as an opportunity to use my art to build bridges between the various groups in our community. As is my usual style, my piece will be colourful and eye catching to draw viewers in.”
Created by Artist, Aisha Chiguichon
About the Artist: Aisha Chiguichon has loved and had a passion for the world of art all her life and has always had the desire to create it. She is a self-taught artist whose style and techniques have evolved over many years. She earned a certificate in Art and Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design University to further hone her skills. She uses her Caribbean and Canadian upbringing as inspiration for some of the subject matter for her work. The bright, colourful and vibrant culture of the Caribbean is where she finds the inspiration for the colour schemes for all of her work. The island culture is about diversity of life, food and people and she reflects this in the diversity of her subject matter.
She is a realist style artist, but loves playing with breaking down images into individual blocks of colour which sometimes creates a watery abstract quality. In all her works she focuses on vivid colour and symmetry to create eye catching composition. She produces her work mainly as acrylic on canvas, but also works in other formats including fine art prints, acrylic on wood and paper.
Among her artistic accomplishments, her work has most notably been featured The Cable talk show “Women on the Rise” as the set mural backdrop for both seasons. She is also a past Critic’s Choice Award winner for the CNE TWAC Juried Art Exhibit. Her artwork has been exhibited in several Juried and group art shows in galleries in the Ontario Region as well as in private collections internationally.