Exhibitions and Events

Exhibitions

Our main Gallery features exhibitions of works by local, regional and nationally significant Canadian artists. Our mandate is to show artwork that is important to our community; themes include careers of significant artists, current events and the history of our region. Exhibitions are changed every six to eight weeks. Artwork on display typically includes a variety of media, including traditional techniques, contemporary innovations and new media. Some exhibitions or themes occur at regularly repeated intervals, such as our annual exhibitions of High school student art and our Biannual Juried Exhibition.

Thicker Than Water: Exploring Family Dynamics
Catherine Chin Yet, Erika DeFreitas, Sandy Middleton

Dates: October 19 - December 8, 2019

'Family' is often cited as one of the key building blocks of contemporary society, but what, beyond blood relationship, brings humans together in intimate, multi-generational units? Families are as diverse in form as their individual members, and each develops its own ways of navigating the interactions necessary to maintain and nurture itself. The artists in this exhibition explore a range of family dynamics and interrelationships through photography, installation and video. Each starts from a place of profound knowledge, with her own family members, who knowingly or unknowingly participate as subjects and collaborators.

photograph of a child cropped to hide the child's identity

In Off-line Presence, St. Catharines artist and teacher Catherine Chin Yet explores the relationship between parents and their children's images, particularly in a social media context. She is interested in the choice to post images on-line, a practice that certainly expresses parental love and pride, but can simultaneously expose children to an infinite number of potentially hostile gazes. By deliberately framing her photographs to obscure her children’s identities, Chin Yet offers them a degree of protection, but equally poses questions about the purpose and ethics of posting in the first place.

two pairs of hands piecing together scraps of black fabric with large white dots
In her practice, Toronto based artist Erika DeFreitas uses textile, performance and photography to explore language, cultural loss and identity politics through process, gesture and documentation. Her mother figures heavily in her work, as both collaborator and subject. Both as much as and alike because and real cadences and a quiet colour, the two pieces featured in this exhibition, explore elements of this close relationship. In the former piece, focused on their hands, the two actively collaborate in a creative process; the latter documents subconscious connections through the gesture and movement of their feet.

two black and white photographs stitched together, superimposing a child's head on another's body
St. Catharines artist Sandy Middleton’s current practice is focused on images that deal with identity and memory and that incorporate found and natural materials. She often creates meaning by pairing her own photographs with found images, exploring nuances of history and relationship through the process of bringing disparate images together. Works have evolved through her practice of joining images of her own family with found photographs of anonymous strangers, creating fictional but at the same time poignant human relationships. Hints of lost family members and forgotten stories are suggested in these mysterious and powerful works.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by
Dr. Joe Paolosini, Peaker Eyewear & Salit Steel

Special Events

Special events held at the Gallery allow visitors to experience art in many ways and often provide the opportunity to interact directly with artists and creators. Community art-making projects encourage direct participation. Lectures, discussion groups and workshops are both educational and enjoyable. Some special events, such as our annual fundraising auction, are also opportunities to help support the gallery.

Annual Fundraising Auction

Save the date! - Saturday, March 28, 2020

Our next auction will celebrate 60 years of the Beatles!

Fantastic themed music
Silent and Live auctions
Gourmet treats
Door prizes
and MORE!

It’s been a hard day’s night,
so come together for an evening
of music and art celebrating
60 years of the Beatles!
With a little help from our friends,
we can raise vital funds to keep
art rockin’ in Grimsby!
All you need is love
and a bidding number!

This event sold out early last year, so don’t wait! Tickets go on sale in early December for the public, while GPAG members can get earlybird tickets in November!

Last Year's Auction - Back to the Garden

The 2019 Auction held on March 30th was like stepping back in time; we all went Back to the Garden! Many of the evening’s participants dressed in Woodstock fashions. They grooved to the music of the 60’s, spun by Glen “DJ Soapy” Poppe. It was a gas with plenty of laughs!

As usual, our auctioneer Nello Romagnoli was a great asset to the auction and the atmosphere. The event raised over $9000 for Education programs and care of the collection. A special thank you to our sponsors and volunteers, you made it a far out event!

Wayzgoose Book Arts Fair

Saturday, April 25, 2020

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

FREE Admission

Always held on the last Saturday in April, the GPAG's Wayzgoose Book Arts Fair is an annual gathering of private press printers, bookbinders, print makers, paper marblers and other artisans celebrating the art of the hand-made book

Sunday Fun-days

Previously known as Second Sundays: same great program, new name. Bring the family one Sunday a month for FREE arts and crafts activities. Watch for a list of dates for fall Sunday Fun-day events.

Free Admission made possible by Grimsby Hyundai

Culture Days

September 27-29, 2019

Ontario Culture Days takes place every year on the last weekend in September, featuring FREE cultural activities for all Ontarians. Stay tuned for details of Grimsby Events, held at the Grimsby Public Art Gallery and Library.

Doors Open

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Explore some of Grimsby's best kept secrets. Residents and visitors are invited to discover hidden treasures, including the Grimsby Public Art Gallery.