THUNDER BAY -- One of Thunder Bay's largest art exhibits is restoring the city's North Core.
The city's Waterfront District was converted into a downtown-wide art exhibition on Saturday evening for Definitely Superior Art Gallery's Urban Infill.
Event coordinator Renee Terpstra said The Urban Infill: Art in the Core exhibition encourages downtown revitalization through contemporary art.
"Most of the empty spaces that we have transformed into temporary galleries have been rented or sold after participating in the exhibition," Terpstra said.
"The large-scale annual art and performance event is shaping the art and entertainment character and development of the downtown."
Terpstra explained that by partnering art and business together the gallery has an opportunity to put on a contemporary art showcase for the public allowing people to notice existing businesses as well as discovering the empty spaces where business can be conceived.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Urban Infill is one of Thunder Bay's largest visual and media art presentations. This year's show featured multidisciplinary art and performances by 350 regional, national and international artists at 24 locations including DefSup, commercial spaces, art galleries, artist studios and empty spaces that have been transformed into new venues for this event only.
Throughout the evening the streets of downtown are filled with “wearable art” in window spaces, live bands, street performances, film screenings, dance performances, video projections, street art, fringe theatre and music.
Performative tour guides dressed in green and yellow guided guests through the exhibition. Performances were triggered when these guides arrived at certain locations on the tour.
"Everything is new. There's new art, new performances and even if it's the same troupe, it's a different dance. There's so much that you would really have to come and see for yourself," said Terpstra.
"It's like a voyage of discovery as you go around the block."
The visual art exhibitions continue from Apr. 10 to Apr. 12 from 12 to 6 p.m. daily.
