I have been invited to participate in the second annual Art Walk by the Elizabeth Gardens Creative Collective. Following a very successful debut event in 2021, the Collective has expanded into the Burloak Waterfront Park on Lakeshore road in Burlington. This is one of the first significant events in this relatively new park, and organizers hope this Art Walk edition will bring over 500 visitors.
At this event, I will show new pieces from a body of work I have been developing that focuses on the rapidly changing urban landscape. Back in 2018, with the news that the Robert Bateman High School would close in 2020, I wanted to create a community art project where the final classes would document their experiences through art. Clearly, the urban landscape and its supporting institutions were on the edge of dramatic change.
Unfortunately, despite the prospects of OAC funding and interest from the Art Gallery, the local school leadership rejected the project. Instead, I was invited to join a committee that worked to save key artifacts for display at Nelson High School, the new destination for east Burlington students.
Once the committee’s work had been completed, I decided to refocus my efforts on building relationships with the community and to create a body of work that focused on buildings, landscapes, and people using individual and collective memories to identify critical points of interest.
Despite the two-year delay caused by COVID, I am ready to reveal some of my new work at this year’s Art Walk. The event is focused on education and the development of the arts in east Burlington so that no sales will occur on site. Nevertheless, work on display will be available for sale outside the event, and I am available for commissions.
I believe my approach to the urban landscape makes it an ideal item as a gift to a valuable friend or client. Whether it is the house you are selling or buying, a house portrait or a streetscape piece will make a wonderful gift. Not only strengthening ties but building memories as well. So, please come down to Burloak Waterfront Park between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday, August 27th and say hello. There will be lots of great art to see, and summer by the Lake is always a wonderful experience.
FCSD Studio 