Guelph Sculpture Park and Other Events

'Portrait of Guelph' by Grade 12 John F. Ross Students 2011
Photo taken by Karen Silverstone

'Begging Bear' by Carl Skelton

Being from Guelph myself I was brought up in a community of artists and I myself have always been interested in the arts - above is a banner made by my Gr. 12 art class that is meant to symbolize the city. Guelph is full of artistic aspects, the downtown has some great graffiti spots and of course there's Ken Danby a very popular artist who lived here and has created some great pieces depicting the beauty of Guelph, my house actually has about 5 different paintings of his located throughout.  For as long as I can remember there were always different options to view the local art one of the most well known by us Guelphites is the sculpture park at the MacDonald Stewart Art Centre. Some of the most well known symbols of the city can be found here like the Begging Bear - which gets dressed up by the public for various events throughout the year, the Mask, and the Push Pin found right outside the centre. There is so much more found in and around the area it's definitely worth a walk around.

'Push Pin' by Derek Sullivan

'Mask' by Even Penny

One of the bigger events that happens every year is called "Art in the Streets", it takes place downtown, usually mid- July, and it features artwork from dozens of local artists selling their original works. I always love coming here because there are some really amazing pieces ranging from paintings to photography, jewelry to printmaking and a more popular stand found here that has wood-workings.

 

Paul Szwec's wood work studio
http://www.masterpiece.on.ca/public_html/Home/Home_files/shapeimage_1.png

This booth can be found at the event every here, the artists name in Paul Szwec and he is known for his  "Wonkies" which are essentially dressers that have been uniquely carved and shaped. He has plenty of other wood pieces as well that you can check out at Art in the Street or on his website.

Another lesser known event that takes place in Guelph is the Artist Tour, you could compare this to Art in the Street in that you are viewing the artworks of local artists but instead of them all being located downtown you travel to their studios to view and possibly purchase the pieces. This is an excellent experience for anyone wanting to get a behind the scenes look at how professional artists work and what their environment typically looks like. This event usually takes place in the early fall.


Photos by me except where noted