Arts & Culture

Explore arts & culture news published on this site over the last two years:
 

Seeds to Sow - Barrie Public Art Exhibition Logo (tan and grey text)

Seeds to Sow: Barrie’s First Large-Scale Exhibition of Temporary Site-Specific Public Art

Blog Post | May 12, 2025
Six months ago, the City of Barrie closed its first large-scale exhibition of temporary site-specific public art. Seeds to Sow was organized by the city and was on display September 28 to November 8, 2024. The exhibition featured 6 artists and displayed 6 unique art installations as well as a satellite exhibition at the MacLaren Art Centre. Thanks to support from Invest Barrie, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF) and seventeen local sponsors, this exhibition and its programs were free to the public and marketed to audiences within Barrie and beyond, targeting the Barrie-Toronto corridor and the GTA.

Rendering of Exhale, the metal 'petal' based public art piece that will be in the outdoor plaza at the planned Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal

Celebrating International Sculpture Day

Blog Post | April 25, 2025
This year, April 26th is International Sculpture Day (ISDay). This day of celebration is a global event spearheaded by the International Sculpture Center. The goal of ISDay is to help people learn more about sculpture, and to acknowledge the important contributions of this artform to our culture and society. Barrie is proud to be home to a number of stunning and engaging public art sculptures – and our next big art installation is coming soon!

City of Barrie icon on magenta background

Culture Pop! Special Edition

Newsletter | April 23, 2025

City of Barrie icon on magenta background

April 2025: Culture Pop! Newsletter

Newsletter | April 4, 2025

BarrieArtClub - Logo 2025

The Barrie Art Club: A Journey Through Art and Community

Blog Post | March 11, 2025
The Barrie Art Club is a cornerstone of the visual art scene in Barrie, fostering creativity and nurturing the talents of local artists for the last 75 years. Founded in 1949, the club has grown from a small gathering of passionate individuals to a vibrant community of artists. We recently had the chance to sit down with some Club members to talk about the last 75 years of history, how the Barrie Art Club became the artistic hub it is today!

StART Making Sense

StART Making Sense Arts Business Talks

Blog Post | March 17, 2025
Recently, Invest Barrie sat down with regional artist Sean William Dawson following the soft launch of the 2025 StART Making Sense (SMS) arts business talks series to learn more about the series’ goals, plans and what to expect as they plan for the official series launch later this month.

2024 BAA statuettes

Checking in with our 2024 Barrie Arts Awards Winners

Blog Post | February 28, 2025
Every year, the Barrie Arts Awards celebrates the individuals and organizations that contribute to the arts and culture community. The 2024 Barrie Arts Awards gala took place on Tuesday, November 12, and featured unique performances in addition to the presentation of artist-designed award statuettes to six stand-out individuals. Let’s learn about how it feels to win a Barrie Arts Award and what’s next for our winners!

City of Barrie icon on magenta background

Culture Pop! Special Edition

Newsletter | February 28, 2025

City of Barrie icon on magenta background

February 2025: Culture Pop! Newsletter

Newsletter | February 7, 2025

2023 Brightening Barriers at Flying Monkeys

Last Chance to See The 2023 Award-Winning Brightening Barriers Public Art Exhibition

Blog Post | September 15, 2023
Have you seen the Brightening Barriers exhibition across downtown Barrie? Artworks come down on September 29. Brightening Barriers is a public art installation that takes place on patio fencing. It pairs local businesses with local and regional artists, to enhance the cityscape.