Invest in the care of art and the comfort of community.

The St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre is launching a capital campaign to replace its aging HVAC system. This vital upgrade will protect artwork, preserve our permanent collection, improve visitor comfort, and support exhibitions, educational programs, and community use of the building year-round. Your gift will help sustain a welcoming, professionally maintained space where art and community can thrive.

Current Exhibitions

SHARED GROUND

Kim Douglas Harrison & Carol Finkbeiner Thomas
Galleries One & Two
May 9 to July 4, 2026
Opening Reception: May 9, 1–3 pm

Shared Ground brings together the work of Kim Douglas Harrison and Carol Finkbeiner Thomas in an exhibition rooted in friendship, mentorship, and a shared love of the landscape. First connected as teacher and student, the artists later discovered how deeply their experiences of the land echoed one another.

Both recall childhood drives through the countryside with their fathers—quiet excursions through places such as Elora, Paris, Grey County, and Elgin County. These early experiences of roads, fields, waterfalls, and rural vistas continue to shape their work. Through expressive use of colour, gesture, and atmosphere, Harrison and Finkbeiner Thomas explore landscape not as strict record, but as memory, feeling, and imagination. Together, their paintings reflect a shared visual language grounded in place, experience, and lasting connection.

Upcoming Events

Shared Ground

Artist Walk-Through with Carol Finkbeiner Thomas and Kim Douglas Harrison
Friday, June 5, 2026 6 to 7 p.m.

Join us for a special artist walk-through of Shared Ground at the

Experience the exhibition through the eyes of artists Carol Finkbeiner Thomas and Kim Douglas Harrison as they share insights into their work, creative process, and inspiration behind Shared Ground. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from the artists and explore the exhibition in a deeper and more personal way.

Drop-in Acoustic Jam

Join us the last Saturday of the month from 1-3pm

Bring an ACOUSTIC instrument, a tune, and enjoy this fun, supportive community!

or just come and enjoy the magic that happens when creative minds come together unrehearsed.

May 30

NEW* CLASSES / WORKSHOPS

Spring Classes and Workshops for Children!

The Art Centre offers an environment that is creative, non-competitive and open-ended, allowing young artists the freedom to explore their potential and nurture their self-esteem. New skills and concepts are presented with an engaging and contemporary approach.

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NEW* Adult Workshops

Nurture your creativity, discover a new passion, or hone your artistic skills with the STEPAC's adult art programs! Whether you're a practicing artist looking to refine your technique and connect with other practitioners, or whether you're a first-timer looking to develop a new hobby or skill, our programs have something for everyone.

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ART TREES AND TRAILS

Art has an incredible ability to unify. Supporting the mission of the Public Art Centre, especially “encouraging the appreciation for and supporting the practice of the visual arts in St. Thomas and Elgin County”, the “Art, Trees & Trails” project will allow us to engage with the community outside the walls of the Public Art Centre, promote art education, and add to our visual environment in places where community members and visitors explore nature.

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Call For Artists 2026

CALL FOR ARTISTS – ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION
Southwestern Ontario artists are invited to submit 2-dimensional work for our Annual Juried Exhibition. Selected pieces will be juried and exhibited at the St. Thomas–Elgin Public Art Centre.

Submission deadline: AUGUST 8, 2026

Exhibition date August 29 to October 3, 2026

More details here

IN VIEW OF THE ARTIST