COVID UPDATE

To help, manage and mitigate the possible spread of COVID-19 the Art Centre is closed temporarily until February 11, 2021.  During this time we can be reached by email.

Stay Safe.

Preservation : Caring for a Collection, Recent Acquisitions

November 21 to February 7, 2021

In over 50 years of its existence the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre has amassed one of the most significant collections of local and regional artworks consisting of paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and photographs. From the beginning, with the purchase of Clark McDougall’s, Talbot Street 1964, the collection has grown to more than 2000 works today. During the lockdown, brought on by the pandemic, the duty to protect our important collection has occurred behind the scenes. These works are vulnerable to pests, changes in temperature and exposure to light, all of which demands constant vigilance. This preservation has been happening in large and small galleries and museums all around the world, in our own community and at the Public Art Centre. As part of our commitment to preserving a community collection, Preservation : Caring for a Collection, Recent Acquisitions, will feature new works of art included in the permanent collection from 2019-2020. The artworks, all of which are donations, accentuate the continued importance of collecting and preservation, in the development of the permanent collection.  more...

Inspire a Student 2020/21

The St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre is a non-profit organization that encourages and facilitates the visual arts in St. Thomas and Elgin County.  It is our goal to “enrich the human creative spirit through nurturing and supporting the visual arts”.   We are dedicated to developing our young artists.  The delivery of our programs may have change but the quality has remained the same. To support these exciting programs please visit: Inspire a Student.

Why not join us on YouTube and check out the many online resources.  You will find surveys of our exhibitions, online instructional videos, art lessons and great content on our local artists. Visit our "Resources"  page for our current videos.  Subscribe today and never miss an update. 

Please be advised that a properly worn face covering is required for people over the are of two, when entering the Public Art Centre.

To ensure the well-being of both Public Art Centre staff and visitors, new safety protocols have been established:

• All visitors must self-assess before visiting the Public Art Centre. Please stay home if you are not feeling well.
• Please visit Ontario Health West  for their online assessment tool
  
• Visitors are required to wear self-provided masks.(additional masks are available at entry)
• Hand sanitizer is provided upon entry and throughout the public space.
• Please follow the directional signs when touring the exhibitions.
  
• The Public Art Centre will limit the building’s capacity and use signage to prevent congestion. (Current restrictions: 10 visitors at a time)
  
• All visitors and staff must maintain a two-metre distance from each other. Household groups may remain together. Children must stay with an adult at all times.
• No running in the facility.

The St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre is pleased to announce that our Executive Director, Laura Woermke, will be coordinating the new “Art, Trees & Trails” project, a community-wide collaboration with partners including the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority, Catfish Creek Conservation Authority, and St. Thomas Elevated Park. This project will bring historic and contemporary artwork from the Art Centre permanent collection to our beautiful local trails and Elevated Park through the installation of attractive signs that feature high quality reproductions of many of our landmark paintings. The “Art, Trees & Trails” project has been generously funded with $115,000 by the Estate of Donna Vera Evans Bushell.

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. Signs will be installed along the trails at Springwater Forest, Dalewood Conservation Area, and St. Thomas Elevated Park. In each case, the artwork selected will correspond to the precise physical location.

Reconnect! July 2, 2020

What you need to know before you visit the Public Art Centre.

The Public Art Centre will reopen on July 2, 2020 with new hours of operation.  

As the Public Art Centre re-opens, our priority is the safety of all visitors and staff. We want to welcome you in a safe environment so you can reconnect with the remarkable art and artists in our current exhibitions.

Following Public Health and government guidelines, new protocols are in place to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable visit.  Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Thank you for your continued support during this unbelievable time. We send our best wishes to you and your family, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

For further information on our new protocols and what to expect see here..