Guelph, ON – June 25, 2019 – Saturday’s sunshine brought thousands of art lovers out to Quebec Street in Downtown Guelph for the 17th annual Art on the Street. Presented annually by Guelph Arts Council and Downtown Guelph Business Association, Art on the Street is Guelph’s largest outdoor exhibition and sale.
Art on the Street spotlights multi-disciplinary talent within the regional arts community. Each year, over 80 established and emerging artists showcase their works in temporary, open-air studios. Painters, potters, blacksmiths, jewellers, glass blowers, wood carvers, textile artists, photographers, and more are represented.
The presentation of awards is an exciting part of the day for both artists and visitors, and an opportunity to recognize exhibitors’ excellence. Ballots for the People’s Choice Award are distributed, collected, and counted by volunteer Art Angels, and a trio of judges, all arts professionals, make the rounds throughout the day to make choices for the Best in Show, Honorable Mention, Best Booth, and Emerging Artist awards.
Guelph Arts Council and Downtown Guelph Business Association congratulate this year’s award winners:
People’s Choice Award – Dawn Anderson Vaughan. Dawn loves to capture life’s moments in pastel and paint.
Best in Show – Gina Duque. Gina’s mixed media work explores biological systems and their hidden structures.
Honorable Mention – Annette Kraft van Ermel. Annette’s work layers oil paint, wax, and charcoal, and celebrates the beauty in the familiar.
Best Booth – Nicole Gagnon Wooden Designs. Nicole hand-selects wood for her modern, eco-conscious wooden jewellery and accessories.
Emerging Artist – Beyond Relief Designs. Artist Brendan Lancaster pulls relief prints from hand-cut lino blocks.
Art on the Street is a true celebration of all things creative in downtown Guelph. A few highlights of this year’s event included:
- wandering musical performances by Tragedy Ann, Lucio Raggiunti, Brent Rowan, and Sandy MacDonald
- juggling workshops run by Contemporary Circus Arts
- young creators selling their wares at The Mini Makers Market, organized by The Children’s Art Factory
- new downtown art walks, guided by artist collective Ahmri + Abby, and featuring several art venues
- City of Guelph Artist in Residence Mallory Tolcher showcasing her #GuelphMovesMe project
- a full day of kids’ interactive art programs in St. George’s Square, thanks to Play with Clay, Guelph Public Library, Guelph School of Art, Suzuki String School of Guelph, and artist Meredith Blackmore.
Artists interested in applying to Art on the Street 2020 should contact Guelph Arts Council in January, sign up for Arts Blast e-news at guelpharts.ca, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter for event updates.
About Guelph Arts Council:
For over forty years, Guelph Arts Council has been dedicated to supporting, stimulating and promoting arts and culture in Guelph. Guelph Arts Council is funded in part by The Guelph Community Foundation and City of Guelph. We also acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
