Urban Infill exhibition reignites Thunder Bay downtown core
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY—The Ahnisnabae Art Gallery was one of the businesses in Thunder Bay that participated in the wearable art window performances during Definitely Superior Art Gallery’s Urban Infill Art in the Core exhibition.
“We have people in the window with their wearable art, which is really cool,” says Louise Thomas, owner of the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery. “All the work is made by the people wearing them, or maybe some are modelling the wearable art.”
Thomas began participating in the Urban Infill exhibition when it was established 12 years ago.
“It gets people out to visit the neighbourhood and to visit the galleries or stores and to mingle with friends and meet new people,” Thomas says. “People come here to see what’s new or who’s new. So it’s pretty cool.”
This year’s Urban Infill exhibition runs from April 7-May 5 with works by about 400 regional, national and international multidisciplinary artists at 25 downtown locations in Thunder Bay.
“This venue gets bigger and bigger each year,” Thomas says. “So we are hoping for maybe 3,000 to 4,000 people this year. It might not be sales tonight, but it brings them back.”
Thomas says the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery has a “huge selection” of art and other gifts. It was established in 1997 by her late husband Roy Thomas, an influential Woodland style artist from Long Lake #58.
“I have a new artist that just came in today,” Thomas says. “Cree Stevens is part of my gallery now. Her work is made from birch bark and copper. She is a new and upcoming artist, so I am really excited for her paving the way and being a part of what I am doing.”
Stevens, a Red Rock Indian Band citizen, also had her wearable art on display during the wearable art window performances.
Sage Laliberte, a Chippewas of the Thames citizen, participated as one of the wearable art window performance models during the Urban Infill exhibition.
“She has a green skirt with roses and the top is gold,” says her mother Gloria Hendrick-Laliberte. “And her headpiece is made of, it looks like, a pineapple or the wrappers.”
Hendrick-Laliberte has been attending the Urban Infill exhibition since it was established.
“It’s really exciting and contemporary for Thunder Bay for something like this to happen,” Hendrick-Laliberte says. “And [it’s] a good way to showcase the art scene in Thunder Bay. It’s really good for young people to be able to showcase who they are and see different parts of themselves through this experience.”
The Urban Infill exhibition also featured a gala opening performance and three new exhibitions at Definitely Superior Art Gallery, film and media art installations, interactive art and artist talks and guided tours of artist studios and commercial art galleries.
“Basically, we take over empty spaces and under-utilized spaces and turn them into art galleries and performance spaces in the downtown,” says David Karasiewicz, executive/artistic director at Definitely Superior Art Gallery. “[We] also connect existing spaces like other galleries and window spaces for performative acts.”
Karasiewicz says the Urban Infill exhibition used about 25-27 spaces and buildings over the past 12 years.
“Usually when we’re done, that empty space [or building] got rented or bought,” Karasiewicz says. “So it’s actually been quite the tool to reignite the downtown and revitalize it through the arts. It’s an amazing transformation.”
The Urban Infill exhibition was recognized with the Cultural Festival or Event of the Year award at Thunder Bay’s 7th Annual Arts and Heritage Awards in 2017.