Arts and Culture

Oakville is a culturally rich and vibrant community, with exhibits, performances and tours offered throughout the year

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At Home in Bronte 2020

July 1 – October 2020 in the Bronte Village BIA

Stay at Home for At Home

Calling All Painter Groups

At Home in Bronte public art exhibit is on hold; hopefully it will return to Bronte Village sometime in 2020.

The Bronte BIA has put the call for invitations for groups on pause due to COVID-19. When the world returns to normal and we can gather in groups again, we’ll invite groups of all skill levels to get involved and paint a chair that celebrates Bronte and Oakville!

A reminder: this interactive outdoor art show features 50+ uniquely designed Muskoka chairs painted by Bronte businesses, artists, families, and organizations. These colourful masterpieces are placed on the Bronte boardwalk, in Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park and on the pier for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

What You Can Do Now:

1. Stay home.
2. Brainstorm with a group of co-workers, family members, friends or local community groups virtually and decide if you’d like to apply to paint a chair.
3. Download the application. Get creative.
4. You can submit it any time; there’s no deadline right now.
5. When and if the program is re-activated, we’ll be sending out a formal email invitation to past participants and those that have submitted an application in 2020. A new deadline date will be communicated.
6. When and if it’s safe to get together and paint your chair, we’ll distribute the chair to you.

Painting pointers for your application:

• Chairs remain the property of the Bronte Village BIA during the course of the program.
• Chair designs may not contain offensive, obscene, profane, indecent or otherwise controversial content.
• Chair designs may not promote, encourage, or incite violence.
• Company logos to appear on the chair may not exceed a maximum design size of 4 inches by 4 inches. A maximum of two corporate logos may appear on the chair.
• Designs containing religious or political references, symbols, etc., will not be approved.
• The Bronte Village BIA reserves the right to determine and select all chair painters, and determine after completion whether any chair is inappropriate for display as part of the project.
• Changes/additions to the structural design of the chair are not permitted. Materials other than paint cannot be applied/affixed to the chair.

* A Paint-at-Home Kit containing one unbuilt Muskoka chair, and assembly and painting instructions will be available when it’s safe to distribute the chairs and you pick yours up. Groups eventually approved for this project must obtain their own necessary paint and painting materials, and must return their painted chair to Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park for installation on a specific date.

Click here to download the application form.

 

International Women’s Day: Celebrating Oakville’s Women

March 2020 at Erchless Estate – Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the founding of Oakville in 1857, women have been avid and impactful contributors to the Oakville community. Ranging in fields from business to activism, women remain instrumental in the betterment of the town, creating spaces for individuals to thrive, pursue their passions, and foster a sense of community pride and inclusivity. These twelve women demonstrate the boundless courage, dedication, and independence that are so integral to the celebration of women throughout history.

This exhibit was researched and designed by UTM History intern Erika Colby.

 

Commemorations and Celebrations

November 23, 2019 to September 2020 at Erchless Estate – Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ability to remember is an inherent human trait. Our senses remind us of the experiences we have had and can jolt us back to them. Many objects have a specific role of making us remember a particular moment in time. From events both large and small, every artifact in this exhibit has a story to tell. From a bottle of champagne given to the Allied soldiers who participated in the D-Day landings to a wedding gown capturing all the promise and joy of marriage, every item marked an important event in someone’s life.

 

Preserving Peace: Souvenirs of Peacekeeping

August 9 to September 2020 at Erchless Estate – Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the invention of Peacekeeping by Lester B. Pearson in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis, Canada has assumed a leading role in missions around the world. Learn about Canada’s contribution to global peace and about Canadian peacekeepers, through their uniforms, medals, souvenirs, photographs and letters as they faced considerable risks while operating in some of the most challenging environments.

Exhibit launch: August 9 from 7-8:30 p.m.

Join us for refreshments and opening remarks by military enthusiast Michael Johnson. Former Peacekeepers will be present to answer questions based on their personal experiences about Canada’s contribution to global peace and Canadian peacekeeping missions.

 

History of Sledge Hockey

Now on until September 2019 at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex – Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is sledge hockey? Sledge Hockey of Canada (SHOC) was established over twenty-five years ago. Learn about the history of the sport, the rules of the game and get introduced to some of its leading athletes, some of which call Oakville home.

 

I-DYVO – Augmented Reality Art

100 Bronte Road, Unit 10

Our pilot collection weaves the linkage between Autism and Augmented Reality – a layering of sensory perceptions – over the calming creativity of art. This collection is designed to generate awareness for Autism and to showcase the innate and unique talent inside people affected by this commonly misunderstood neurological condition. A cornerstone of our gallery is original pieces created by a great autistic artist – Aiden Lee from Oakville, Ontario.

Click here to see more.

 

Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History

Permanent Exhibit at Erchless Estate – Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discover the stories of early Black settlers in Oakville including Branson Johnson, a freeborn African-American, who arrived with his family in 1855. His Certificate of Freedom from a Maryland court and the pocket watch in which it was hidden for many years are featured.

 

The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom

Permanent Exhibit at Erchless Estate – Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this exciting and moving multi-media presentation, the ghost of Deborah Brown tells the true story of her heroic flight from a life of slavery in Maryland to her new life of freedom in 19th-century Toronto. Presentation available in French and English.

Oakville Arts Council (Closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.) 2302 Bridge Road 905-815-5977 www.oakvillearts.com Arts and culture are vital pieces of Oakville’s unique character; it transforms us and enriches our lives. The Oakville Arts Council is home to many of Oakville’s arts and culture groups. The Oakville Arts Council takes great pride in recognizing and honouring the profound arts talent in the community. Plan a visit or attend a class and let the Oakville Arts Council help plan your downtime. Take in a little song and dance, an exhibition, gallery or museum visit. Find out what’s going on in Oakville and put some creativity in your visit – visit the calendar of events at www.oakvillearts.com. To see a list of Oakville Arts Council events, please click here. To see the Oakville Arts Council’s Arts Directory, click here.

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts provides its guests with a place to learn through dance, music, storytelling and theatre, in one of two theatres located on beautiful Oakville Harbour. Local, national and international performers delight audiences up to 260 days of the year.

Theatre Sheridan 1430 Trafalgar Road 905-815-4049 www.sheridancollege.ca Long recognized for performance and technical excellence, Theatre Sheridan at Sheridan College presents six musicals a year at the Trafalgar Road campus in Oakville. Alumni go on to perform in theatres around the world, including Broadway, London’s West End, Stratford and Shaw Festivals.

Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCC) (Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.) 2302 Bridge Road 905-815-5979 www.oakville.ca The QEPCC is a vibrant public space offering active living, cultural and artistic programs and events. The centre provides artists, musicians, and cultural groups with work and studio space, and gallery and exhibit space. It also provides residents and visitors to Oakville with opportunities to explore their personal creativity through its schedule of programs.

Oakville Galleries (Closed effective March 13 at 6 p.m. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.) Two Locations: Gairloch Gardens, 1306 Lakeshore Road East & Centennial Square, 120 Navy Street 905-844-4402 www.oakvillegalleries.com Oakville Galleries – one institution with two distinct buildings and locations and an 11 acre garden fronting Lake Ontario – is committed to the presentation, collection, preservation, and interpretation of recent work produced in the visual and media arts. Oakville Galleries privileges programmes created to explore and understand the historical, social and cultural context of the art of our time that engage artists and communities alike. The exhibitions, collection, educational programmes and original research present new ways of seeing, representing and responding to life.