City unveils 17th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, ‘Current’

The City of St. Catharines is set to celebrate the unveiling of its 17th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Current.

Currently on display at City Hall, the exhibition includes work by 10 Niagara-based artists inspired by the waterways, histories, and contemporary realities of the Niagara region. The artworks in the exhibition explore the many meanings of “current” through diverse approaches to image-making, materiality, memory, landscape, and lived experience. The selected works reveal currents that are environmental, social, technological, personal, and emotional, inviting reflection on the movements that define our present moment.

The exhibition opening reception will take place today (Friday, Sept. 18) from 5 to 6:30 p.m., with remarks at 5 p.m., in the Third-Floor Gallery space at City Hall, 50 Church St. It follows the Culture Days flag raising on the front lawn of City Hall at 4.30 p.m. The exhibition will be on display to the public during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, through Jan. 22, 2027. 

“Niagara has always been shaped by currents, not only the waterways that define our landscape, but also the social, political, environmental, and cultural forces that influence daily life,” said Chelsea Ryan, the City’s Culture Coordinator. “Through Current, the City invited artists to consider this duality; how we are shaped by the places we inhabit and by the moment in history we are living through. The selected works demonstrate the many ways artists interpret and respond to those intersecting currents, creating a compelling reflection of both our region and our times.”

This year’s exhibition features works by Alexandra Sandison, Amy Friend, Benjamin Bradbury, Jennifer Toby, Jon Shaw, M.F. Elliott, Marzi Alimo, Melani Pyke, Mori McCrae, and Roisin Derbis. Together, their practices offer distinct perspectives on change, continuity, and transformation, demonstrating the richness of artistic production across the Niagara region.

The City extends its gratitude to jurors from the City’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, Bart Gazzola and Debra Antonic for their thoughtful consideration of submissions and their contribution to the selection process.

The City Hall art exhibition program is coordinated through the Cultural Services Office at the City’s Community Recreation and Culture Services department.

Friday’s kickoff helps launch the City’s Culture Days celebration. A variety of activities are planned through to Oct. 4, 2026. For more information on Culture Days and a roundup of activities, visit stcatharines.ca/CultureDays.

Photo: Chelsea Ryan, City of St. Catharines Culture Co-ordinator, installs Benjamin Bradbury's 24" x 36" acrylic on canvas work, "Owl Valley - Rockway," one of the 'Current' exhibition's 11 artworks. Rockway Conservation Area is one of Bradbury's favourite places. In this scene in March 2026, "the trees clung to a few final dried old leaves, the ice had thawed, and the moss was regaining its brilliant greens," Bradbury said.