The Downtown Sculpture Exhibition 2024 Launch

May 1, 2024 – Fenelon Falls, ON – The Downtown Sculpture Exhibition 2024 is coming to Fenelon Falls Friday, May 10, 2024.

The Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC) of Kawartha Works Community Co-op (KWCC), in partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes, has created another opportunity for the installation of public art along Colborne Street in Fenelon Falls. The works will be on display from May to October 2024.

The official launch of the project will take place at Colborne Street Gallery, 36 Colborne Street, Fenelon Falls on Friday, May 10th beginning at 11 a.m. Artists will be in attendance and there will be a guided tour of the sculptures.

The Call for Submissions went out earlier this year and six artists were short listed for installation; Elise Muller, James Cameron Smith, Rosalinde Baumgartner, Carolanne MacLean, Lynne Sproule, and Argyrios Hatzinakos.

The FAC is grateful for the support and assistance we received from the teams at Downtown Haliburton Sculpture Exhibition, The Elora Sculpture Project, and the Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society. They were instrumental in helping put this project together. We would also like to thank our community for their ongoing support and encouragement in bringing public art to our village.

The Fenelon Arts Committee identifies opportunities for artists, strategizes on arts initiatives, and works to increase public access and engagement with art in the village of Fenelon Falls. The Kawartha Works Community Co-op operates to improve the social infrastructure in Kawartha Lakes by enabling the creation, development, and management of not-for-profit initiatives with artistic, cultural, recreational, health, environmental, economic, and social improvement aims.

Call for Submissions: The Downtown Sculpture Exhibition 2024

February 1, 2024 – Fenelon Falls, ON – An exciting new public art exhibition is coming to Fenelon Falls this summer and the call for submissions is officially open.

The Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC), in partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes, invites expressions of interest from artists or teams of artists to participate in the inaugural call for sculptures in the newly built garden planters located along Colborne Street in downtown Fenelon Falls.

Juried by a panel of local arts and cultural leaders and downtown business owners, the exhibition will feature six sculptures on limestone base rocks in the garden planters. 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of Fenelon Falls and submissions are asked to incorporate elements and interpretations reflecting the sesquicentennial. The exhibition will be on view from May to October 2024 and will feature an opening celebration and walking tour.

The FAC identifies opportunities for artists, strategizes on arts initiatives, and works to increase public access and engagement with art in the village of Fenelon Falls. The FAC is a part of the Kawartha Works Community Co-op (KWCC). The KWCC works to improve the social infrastructure in Kawartha Lakes by enabling the creation, development, and management of not-for-profit initiatives with artistic, cultural, recreational, health, environmental, economic, and social improvement aims.

Sculpture Project Fundraising Complete

June 2, 2021 – Fenelon Falls, ON – The Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC) has successfully raised the funds needed for The Sculpture Project.  

The FAC is happy to announce the funding needed for The Sculpture Project has been secured. The fundraising campaign began in 2020 and has raised over $50,000. Two works, Portage by James C. Smith and River Grove by Susan Rankin, will be mounted on limestone bases in the Rain Garden south of Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum, and will ultimately be on display as City art.

The FAC is grateful for the support and assistance we have received from the Fenelon Falls Powerlinks Committee, Fenelon Rotary Club, the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes (especially the Community Fund Fenelon Falls), The Fenelon Chest Fund, the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, City of Kawartha Lakes, and especially our many individual donors. The FAC is part of Kawartha Works Community Co-operative.

We are very thankful to our community and look forward to celebrating the installation of these works when it is safe to do so in the coming months.

The Scale Model Gift Program

December 2020 – Fenelon Falls, ON – The Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC) is happy to announce a new initiative in support of our current Sculpture Project: The Scale Model Gift Program. This unique opportunity offers donors the choice to take home a scale model of James C. Smith’ Portage or Susan Rankin’s River Grove with a minimum donation of $2,000.

The FAC has commissioned both artists to create a limited edition of up to five additional scale models based on their original, for this fundraising initiative (James C. Smith, Portage, scale model, approximately 11 x 12 x 9 inches and Susan Rankin, River Grove, scale model, approximately 13 x 5 x 5 inches). This offer is on a strictly first come, first served basis. The scale models will be manufactured and delivered mid-2021 in conjunction with manufacturing of the main pieces.

According to Canadian tax law, the $500 fair market value of the small sculpture must be deducted from the charitable receipt. For example, a donation of $2,000 will receive a cash receipt of $500 and a charitable tax receipt of $1,500. Also according to Canadian tax law, equities cannot be used for the cash portion of the donation, however equities may still be used for the charitable portion. Donations for the $500 cash component of this program need to be administered directly through delivery of funds to the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes (kawarthafoundation.ca/the-sculpture-project), not through Canada Helps.

Please note, the Gift program is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2021. Donations booked between January 1, 2021 and April 30, 2021 will be eligible for a charitable tax receipt for the 2021 tax year. For donors who have already contributed and wish to take advantage of this Gift program, we will aggregate the total of all contributions to determine eligibility.

The FAC launched its fundraising campaign in October 2020 and are happy to report we have successfully raised over half of the funds needed for this project. The committee’s target is $50,000 in order to proceed and procure the sculptures, which will ultimately be on display as City art. Any excess donations will be applied to future public art projects in and around Fenelon Falls.

The FAC is grateful for the support and assistance the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes, and the Kawartha Works Community Co-op.

There are many ways to donate to this exciting project and donations are eligible for a charitable tax receipt. Please visit the FAC website for complete details on how you can support the Fenelon Arts Committee Sculpture Project.

The Sculpture Project Fundraising Campaign Begins

October 5, 2020 – Fenelon Falls, ON – The Sculpture Project: Two public artworks will be installed at the Rain Garden in Fenelon Falls, the first project initiated by the Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC).

Established in 2018, the FAC is a volunteer committee that identifies opportunities for artists, strategizes on arts initiatives, and works to increase public access and engagement with art in Fenelon Falls.

The FAC is currently fundraising for the Sculpture Project; the installation of two public artworks in the Rain Garden south of Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum. The committee received over twenty submissions from various artists and teams for this project. An independent jury of local arts and cultural members short listed five proposals and two works were ultimately selected. The sculptures will be permanently installed on large limestone rocks and will stand as public art.

The first work is Portage, by James C. Smith. Smith has over 40 years of artistic experience and is based in Madoc, Ontario. His sculpture features three life-sized bronze canoe paddle figures participating in a portage. Together the figures create a dynamic procession through the park. Smith’s sculpture is an homage to the location’s history; a portage and gathering area of First Nations’ Peoples, the beginning of the community of Fenelon Falls, forestry, logging, and its current use as a recreational park.

The second work by Susan Rankin is titled River Grove. Rankin has been using the garden as inspiration in her glass work for over 32 years. Based in Apsley, Ontario she lives in the hardwood forest on the edge of the Precambrian Shield. Her sculpture is a gathering of 10 glass and steel towers 6–8 feet tall; a nod to the region’s forests and logging history. Natural light will illuminate the glass elements throughout the day and will beckon with playful punches of colour in the snowy months of winter.

The FAC has launched its fundraising campaign and is happy to announce they have successfully raised almost half of the funds needed for this project. The committee’s target is $50,000 in order to proceed and procure the sculptures, which will ultimately be on display as City art. Any excess donations will be applied to future public art projects in and around Fenelon Falls. The FAC is grateful for the support and assistance the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes, and especially its Community Fund Fenelon Falls.

There are many ways to donate to this exciting project and donations are eligible for a charitable receipt. Please visit the FAC website for complete details on how you can support the Fenelon Arts Committee Sculpture Project.

Final Selections

Two Sculptures Have Been Selected For Installation

The jury conducted their final review in April 2020. From the 5 short listed proposals, 2 sculptures were selected for installation. Our original timeline targeted summer 2020 for installation on-site. Due to the current pandemic, our project timeline is on hold. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as we move forward.

We would like to thank everyone for their input, enthusiasm, and continued support on our first initiative.

The Fenelon Arts Committee is excited to announce James C. Smith’s Portage and Susan Rankin’s River Grove as the two finalists. Congratulations! Learn more about the artists, their designs, and thoughts below.

JAMES C. SMITH
PORTAGE

PROJECT STATEMENT

My vision is to create a striking and expressive sculptural installation titled Portage. This engaging and iconic work highlights the portage at Fenelon Falls as a focal point of particular historical interest. It celebrates the foundational building block of the community of Fenelon Falls. This sculpture simultaneously honours the history and the vitality of the community; presenting a physical reminder of the many community-building contributions of First Nations peoples.

Three whimsical figures are rendered as life-sized canoe paddles in bronze. Two paddles are combined to create each of the figures with the paddle handles bent to resemble legs in walking position. These figures inclusively represent individuals from First Nations as well as current community members and those enjoying the towns abundance of recreational resources. In keeping with the portage theme, each figure carries a bronze canoe. The three figures together create a dynamic procession through the park.

A plaque will be mounted on the limestone base containing appropriately vetted text which acknowledges the history of the First Nations presence.

Measurements: 1.17 x 1.47 x 0.9 m, 46 x 58 x 35 inches

SUSAN RANKIN
RIVER GROVE

PROJECT STATEMENT

Through the past 32 years as a glass artist I have explored the idea of garden through my work. I live in a hard wood forest on the edge of the Canadian Precambrian Shield. The changes in the landscape coupled with the movement of light from season to season has lead to examinations of how glass columns can reference a new sense of space; a grove, a forest, a gathering. Natural light is a critical element for glass in outdoor settings. The shifting movement of the light throughout the day illuminates the glass elements, creating bursts of glowing colour that dance in the sunlight. As the day shifts, so does the shadows of the towering columns marking time and space.

The colours I have chosen for the sculpture: the blues represent the flow of water and the drop of the falls, the greys to acknowledge the layers of limestone in the area, greens to represent the trees, and orange-reds to warm the space like the sunset. While thinking of the this proposal, I considered:

• The historic connection to the logging industry, the River Grove represents the forest and logs that built our country.

• Fenelon Falls is known as the 'Jewel of the Kawarthas', this term seemed so adaptable to the way glass captures light; the sparkle, the intensity, the colour will mimic a jewel.

• The area known for its flat slab limestone which the falls so beautifully rolls over. The stacked components of glass represent the layers of stone found in the area.

• Lastly, for me, a grove represents a gathering. Lock 34 is one of the most popular locks in the summer months, thus as a grove is a gathering of trees, the area is a gathering place for a community.

River Grove would be comprised of 10 glass and steel columns. This series of work has been designed from nature, for nature. The columns sway in the wind creating a calming, natural movement. The columns are not damaged by wind because of the round nature of the glass; the wind cuts around and through the shapes. The transition of colour in each column is made up of several shades and tints in the glass elements. As the daylight shifts the piece moves in shadow, reminiscent of a sun dial, speaking to movement and time. During the winter months, the sculpture will beckon with playful punches of colour in the cold and snowy landscape.

Measurements: Each of the ten columns is comprised of 16 to 24 hand formed glass elements, approximately 2.5cm/5 inches in diameter, and range in height from 1.18m/6-8 ft.

Sculpture Project Jury Members

March 31, 2020 - Fenelon Falls, ON - A jury of local arts and cultural members was selected to review the submissions. The jury members are:

Lesley Drummond is an artist, educator, and curator who has been actively involved in the Arts community of the Kawartha Lakes for close to 30 years. Before coming to the Kawarthas, Drummond completed her studies in painting at Queen’s University and worked at Gallery Moos, the Ydessa Gallery, and Harbourfront Art Gallery in Toronto. From 1998–2000 she was the artist in residence at Wakami Lake, Ivanhoe and Lake Superior Provincial Parks. Drummond was the Head of Visual Art and Media at I.E. Weldon Secondary School, Lindsay, as well as a senior member of the Trillium Lakelands Arts Camp Steering Committee where she has been Head of Visual Arts for the last ten years. Drummond is also the Director of the Kawartha Arts Network, an artists co-operative in Lindsay, Ontario.

Donna Goodwin has worked in the public and not-for-profit sectors for over 20 years. She is passionate about engaging residents and visitors in the many unique cultural facilities found in rural Ontario.  A lifelong learner, Donna holds a Masters in Urban Planning specializing in local economic development and revitalization through the cultivation of cultural communities. For the last 10 years, she worked in the County of Simcoe, developing product that celebrated the authentic stories of rural life.   She was a member of the Orillia Public Art Committee, initiated community art initiatives such as the Simcoe County Barn Quilt Trail and administered funding programs to support local arts, culture and heritage initiatives. She is excited to begin her work with the City of Kawartha Lakes as the Economic Development Officer – Arts and Culture.

Darcie Kennedy is currently the Managing Director at Colborne Street Gallery, Fenelon Falls, Ontario. She holds a Honours Bachelor of Arts, Specialist in Art & Art History, from the University of Toronto, a Diploma in Art & Art History from Sheridan College, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa. She has worked at Lonsdale Gallery, Blackwood Gallery, the Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area (BIA), and interned at the Canada Council for the Arts in the Audience and Market Development Department. Kennedy was also a Teaching Assistant at Sheridan College and the University of Ottawa.

Susan Taylor is the Executive Director of Kawartha Art Gallery, formerly The Lindsay Gallery. While a passion for art saw Susan pursue a post-secondary education in fine arts, a desire to earn a living saw Susan pursue further education in the field of management in the not-for-profit sector. Working now from behind a desk rather than an easel, Susan advocates for investment in the creative economy of the City of Kawartha Lakes through working to build partnerships between the municipal government and the cultural sector.

Jessica Wilson is a Curator and Collections Manager at Westerkirk Capital. She holds a Masters in Archives and Records Management from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Criticism from the University of Western Ontario. She was a founding board member of Kawartha Lakes Culture and Heritage Network, and currently serves as Vice-President of the board at Victoria County Historical Society. She has experience working in artist run centres, museums, and art galleries in both Canada and the UK.

Fenelon Arts Committee Launches Public Art Initiative

July 18, 2019 - Fenelon Falls, ON - The Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC) is pleased to announce the launch of its public sculpture project and invites expressions of interest from artists or teams of artists to design and install two sculptures. The works are to be mounted on large limestone bases at the Rain Garden, south of Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum. This opportunity is open to artists and artist teams with a connection to the Kawarthas.

The works should provide an engaging visual art aesthetic that is visible from all perspectives. The works should consider the context and character of the area: as the Oak Street Conservation District, the Indigenous use of the location as a portage and gathering place, the historical development of Fenelon Falls, or the natural heritage of the region and waterway. The budget for each sculpture is up to $25,000. All proposals must be inclusive of total costs. Selected works will be financed by charitable fundraising and ultimately donated to the City of Kawartha Lakes as public art.

The selection process will be undertaken by a five person Artists Selection Panel consisting of one representative from each of the City of Kawartha Lakes and the FAC, together with three prominent members of the local arts community. Five proposals will be selected from the initial submissions for final jury selection.

Initial Submissions to be received by September 30, 2019. For further information, Call for Submissions details and application, please visit fenelonarts.ca.

Established in 2018, the FAC identifies opportunities for artists, strategizes on arts initiatives, and works to increase public access and engagement with art in the village of Fenelon Falls. The committee is made up of dedicated volunteer residents who share a common vision and passion for art and their community.