Public art is in a category of its own, teasing, prodding, and often delighting us when we least expect it.
Owen Sound has more than 20 murals, sculptures and installations waiting to be discovered. Close to half are off-site projects by the Tom Thomson Art Gallery; many others are independent or collaborative works by local artists such as Billy Goodkat, featured in this winning video, City of Art, from a Youth Film Festival in Owen Sound.
Add more than 40 new banners created each year by the Owen Sound Art Banner Project and you have a kaleidoscope of public art in the Scenic City. Here's a sampling of public art projects:
Koodo Mural |
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Carney's Lane off 2nd Avenue East Artist: Emily Rose Watch the Koodo YouTube video about Owen Sound and the creation of this beautiful mural. |
Black History Cairn |
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Harrison Park 1155 2nd Avenue East Artists: Bonita de Matteis Johnson and Jim Hong Louie |
Lest We Forget - Local Heroes Digital Mural |
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Owen Sound Legion, Branch 6 1450 2nd Avenue West Artists: Tess Dunn, Laura Stirling, Gillian Wagenaar and Melissa Yeo |
Transformation 2015 |
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Legacy Mural Project Owen Sound Artists' Co-op Artists: Billy Goodkat with Keystone students and assistance from Morag Budgeon and Jen Klemm |
Vida Mural |
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Artists' Alley between Casero Kitchen Table and The Milk Maid Artists: Students led by the Artists' Co-op |
Artists' Alley Project |
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Alleyway off 2nd Avenue East between The Milk Maid and The Bleeding Carrot Artist: Various local artists |
Dr. Cobbler Mural |
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921 2nd Avenue East Artist: Billy Goodkat |
Villa Nina Bistro Mural |
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101 10th Street East Artist: Billy Goodkat |
Mac's Street Art Mural |
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Project with Owen Sound Police Service 280 10th Street East (north side of building) Artist: "Wong" with local Grade 6 pupils |
J. James Photo, Downtown Owen Sound |
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City Hall, Heroes Square Facing 8th Street East at 2nd Avenue East Photographer: J. James |
The Mill Dam Mural |
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Owen Sound Mill Dam Storage Shed, 150 5th Street 'A' East Project with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), Sydenham Sportsmen's Association, St. Mary's High School Grade 10 Art Class, Billy Goodkat, and the City of Owen Sound Artists: Billy Goodkat and students from St. Mary's High School |
And here are some Tom Thomson Art Gallery projects:
Children at Play |
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Sculpture in front of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery 840 1st Avenue West Artist: Barrie Shaw-Rimington 1977 164.0 x 80.0 x 84.0 cm Laminated fibreglass and polyester resin with ground bronze Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Gallery Purchase, 1977. The Gallery's art acquisition committee wanted to commemorate the Gallery's 10th Anniversary with the addition of an outdoor sculpture. The sculpture was installed in June 1977. A public contest was held to name the work which was not given a title by the artist; Children at Play was chosen. |
Campsite-Campsight |
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Harrison Park 1155 2nd Avenue East Artists: Stephen Hogbin and Alan Glicksman 2012 Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program. Campsite-Campsight is a collaborative installation by local artists Alan Glicksman and Stephen Hogbin. This installation consists of a tent, canoe, boardwalk, and dock at the edge of the lake. A campsite is a place to walk, climb and sit, and campsight is where one can reflect on a single tree or the entire forest. This sculptural installation was built to commemorate the arrival of Tom Thomson in the Huntsville area 100 years ago. |
Window to the World |
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Back entrance to the Roxy Theatre 251 9th Street East Artist: Led by Billy Goodkat 2013 Spray paint on brick Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program. For the 100th anniversary of the building of the Roxy Theatre, the TOM organized a professional muralist, Billy Goodkat, to lead a team of local artists and high school art students through the process of creating a large scale mural. The Window to the World mural rendering allowed each artist the opportunity to develop their signature "window", allowing a fresh, imaginative vision to the world of the theatre. Local artists and students involved include Samantha Blake, Cala Bryans, Shalana Bryans, Morag Budgeon, Heather Hughes, Marc Matei, Zoey Mitchell and Aly Mulvaney-Courtois. |
Miigwetch Animikii Bineeyhnshi (Thank You Thunderbird Spirit) |
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Loading dock entrance of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery 840 1st Avenue West Artist: Nyle Migizi Johnston 2014 11.5 x 14 feet Spray paint Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program. In celebration of the How Deep Our Roots public art projects in 2014, contemporary muralist, Nyle Migizi Johnston, transformed the Gallery's loading dock door with his mural entitled, MIIGWETCH ANIMIKII BINEEYHNSHI (THANK YOU THUNDERBIRD SPIRIT), depicting a colourful and striking Thunderbird image united with an Anishnaabe Medicine Person. This mural acts as a larger visual teaching tool, sharing the rich history and culture of the Anishnaabe Nation. |
Wilmer's House |
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Located at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery 840 1st Avenue West, Owen Sound Michael Davey 1983-2005 Cast iron and granite Approximately 54 x 42 x 50 cm Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, gift of Michael Davey, 2015. Sitting on a granite boulder from the Bruce Peninsula, the cast iron sculpture depicts the home built by Wilmer Nadjwon, noted author, wood carver, social activist, and community leader. |
Tom Thomson in his Canoe |
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In front of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery 840 1st Avenue West Enlarged detail from a photograph of Tom Thomson in his canoe taken in 1912. 115 x 470 x 2 cm Next time you visit the TOM, make sure to take a picture with Tom Thomson in his canoe! |
Sunset Sky |
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Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre 700 10th Street East Artist: Collaborative Community Mural 2015 Acrylic paint on plywood 256 square feet Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program. In spring of 2015, the TOM led the development of a large site-specific public mural, recreating Tom Thomson's 1915 painting Sunset Sky - a stunning work that captures the true spirit of the northern landscape from the Gallery's permanent collection. This collaborative mural was installed onsite at Summerfolk, alongside the amphitheatre stage for all audiences to enjoy. Many local hands were involved in painting including dedicated volunteers: Rhiannon Charles, Andy King, Sage Lemoine, Evie Lepietuszko, Emily Medeiros, Aly Mulvaney-Courtois, Scottie Pitt, Niamh Thomas and Raquell Yang. Sunset Sky is now permanently installed in the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre for our Owen Sound Community members to enjoy. |
Symbology Artist Collective |
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Sun Times 290 9th Street East Artist: VSVSVS (pronounced versus, versus, versus) 2015 Artist collective designed art banners Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program In celebration of Canadian Spirit 2015: With A Destiny, the ambitious seven-person Toronto based artist collective, VSVSVS (pronounced versus, versus, versus) transformed The Sun Times Building in Owen Sound into one colourful conversation. VSVSVS created a series of seven bold art banners entitled Symbology documenting an instinctive, individual and personal exchange of hand drawn symbols between each artist, building a story through visual language. "It all started out as a drawing game" states VSVSVS, "where one person would draw a symbol and the next person would draw a symbol that responds in some way to the first. The thread would mutate between each symbol, and it functioned like a graphic conversation. Over time, the visual language developed and we really enjoyed the way we could communicate and reinterpret each other's ideas through non-linguistic means. This notion, finding new ways to communicate, seems especially fitting to celebrate contemporary Canadian culture, which is essentially forming community across difference. We see it as a celebration of multiplicity and language, and hope to bring some bright colour to the downtown of Owen Sound highlighting an integral communication centre to the community: The Sun Times." |
Time with Tom |
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Grey Bruce Health Services (Owen Sound Hospital) - Oncology Unit 1800 8th Street East Large-scale vinyl reproductions of Tom Thomson's work 2016 Vinyl adhesive decals Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program. Time with Tom highlights and celebrates Tom Thomson's oil on panel sketches from the Gallery's permanent collection. Time with Tom features fifteen large-scale reproductions of Tom Thomson's works installed throughout the Cancer Centre at Grey Bruce Health Services. This Canadian Spirit project provides an opportunity to celebrate the healing power of art and our beloved hometown artist, canoeist, guide and woodsman, Tom Thomson, who created lasting images that remind us of the beauty of our country. The TOM gratefully acknowledges funding support for Time with Tom project from Community Foundation Grey Bruce. |
Morning |
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Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre 1900 3rd Avenue East Artists: Led by Alyson Mulvaney-Courtois 2016 Acrylic paint on plywood 168 square feet Part of the TOM's Canadian Spirit 2012-2017 Offsite Public Art Program. The TOM's creative team led the development of creating a painted mural of Thomson's 1915 Morning sketch from the Gallery's permanent collection. This particular work accurately captures the true spirit of a northern sunrise. Lead artist on this mural was the TOM's Audience Engagement Assistant, Alyson Mulvaney-Courtois, who was assisted by a visiting art student from England, Charlotte Hicks, along with various TOM staff members. Morning was temporarily installed beside the amphitheatre stage during the Summerfolk Festival at Kelso Beach on August 19-22, 2016. Morning now hangs permanently in its new community home at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. |
Visitor Information Centre
FALL/WINTER HOURS & LOCATION:
From October (Thanksgiving weekend) to May (Victoria Day long weekend), Visitor Services is available at City Hall, 808 2nd Avenue East. City Hall is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
SPRING/SUMMER HOURS & LOCATION:
From May (Victoria Day weekend) to October (Thanksgiving weekend) Visitor Services are available at the Visitor Centre, 1155 1st Ave West. It is open 7 days a week: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and weekends 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Check online for changes to hours due to Covid-19.
Harrison Park Campground & Reservations call 519-371-9734