SHIFT Thunder Bay’s Young Professionals Network Media Release
Thunder Bay, ON, September 1st, 2015 - Calling all local artists - SHIFT Thunder Bay’s Young Professionals Network wants to showcase your work.
In a continued effort to support young professionals and promote emerging local talent, SHIFT is now accepting artwork to exhibit on the organization’s website landing page at shiftnetwork.ca. The promotional opportunity comes as part of SHIFT’s civic pride mandate, encouraging young professionals to take a vested interest in the potential of Thunder Bay and its residents.
SHIFT will be rotating artistic imagery on its landing page every month, via the header of the site, starting this September, with the work of local artist boy Roland and the Die Active Art Collective. SHIFT President, Peter Marchl, says; “Community art plays a role in developing civic pride and community identity by boosting perceptions. Art transforms a location and creates thought-provoking, inspiring dialogue.
“Thunder Bay is a very culturally and artistically rich community, so it’s important for SHIFT to share and promote that element of the city. SHIFT’s membership and the entire community is influenced by the power of public art every day, such as the new Court Street mural currently displayed on our webpage.”
Artist boy Roland, who is also the featured SHIFTer of the Month for September, has experienced the shared power of art first-hand.
“I’m proud to be an artist because I love seeing people excited about the imagination and vision happening in Thunder Bay,” he says.
“Showing people Thunder Bay’s potential raises expectations, and our city has people willing to rise to the challenge and continue to make it an inspiring place to live. Thunder Bay is a city that is alive and there’s more going on than what is on the surface. Art brings that to the surface.”
By showcasing local artists SHIFT hopes to expand the definition of what a professional is. “I strongly believe this SHIFT initiative will inspire a growing sense of community support for all types of emerging talent. Public art contains messages and meanings about the city and acts as a vehicle of expression;” says Marchl.
Boy Roland adds; “Civic pride is more than being proud; it’s about standing up and supporting one another.”
Featured artwork on the site is expected to change once a month. For more information or to submit an art piece, please contact SHIFT at [email protected] or (807) 624-2628.
