Second weekend of ‘Ontario Street: A Vibrant Project’ kicks off Friday
The City of Kingston will be putting on a second weekend of the Ontario Street Vibrant Spaces Project. Ontario Street will be closed to traffic in front of City Hall from 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019 to allow a gathering space for artistic and cultural activities.
According to a city press release, the programming for this weekend centres around Kingston’s potential for creative placemaking, and will be “leveraging arts and culture to re-imagine public spaces and foster community collaboration and shared enjoyment within them.”
“Placemaking that positions art at the centre of activity can strengthen our sense of community,” explained Danika Lochhead, manager, arts and sector development at the City of Kingston. “For the Ontario Street project, we’ll aim to do just that by animating the street as a public place and delivering arts workshops and activities, installations, public art and cultural heritage talks and tours, music and more.”
Three zones with additional furniture, seating, tables, greenery, and shade will be designated on Ontario Street for workshops, talks, and performances. The project is an exploration and evaluation of how community members participate in programming by interacting with the space.
On Friday, Aug. 9, 2019 there will be a weekend kick-off dance party at 9 p.m.
This Saturday, August 10, 2019, attendees can enjoy free guided tours of city hall, Caravan Creation family drop-in arts and creative activities, a poetry path walkabout hosted by poet laureate Jason Heroux, a public art talk, a Live Painting/Mural Jam by local artist collective DEAD ON, and PumpHouse Museum Curator Talks and Tours.
The agenda for Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019 consists of an interactive Two Islands children’s drama workshop, Kingston’s Poet Laureate Poetry Path and Writing Session, as well as additional Live Painting/Mural Jam and Creation Caravan events.
An installation of a large-scale globe featuring NASA’s iconic “Blue Marble” satellite imagery will be on display throughout the weekend.
In case of inclement weather, programming will be moved inside to Memorial Hall on Saturday, Aug. 10 and Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. For real-time updates on the event, follow the City’s social media channels on Twitter and Facebook.
Full Schedule
Friday, Aug. 9, 2019
All Day: Installation of a large-scale globe featuring NASA’s iconic “Blue Marble” satellite imagery
Inspired by photos taken by the Apollo astronauts, the globe shares the astronaut’s view of Earth from outer space, showcasing the incredible beauty of our home planet. The globe is seen in cities and spaces all around the world and is in Kingston for this weekend only. The installation is supported by a community engagement activity to inspire people to think about the world and our environment.
9 to 10:30 p.m.: Weekend kick-off dance party
Dance the night away with a performance by Kingston-based DJ Tigerstylez. Presented in partnership with Electric Circuits Collective.
Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019
All Day: Installation of a large-scale globe featuring NASA’s iconic “Blue Marble” satellite imagery
(Continues from Friday)
All Day: Cycle Kingston Bicycle Valet
Ride to Ontario Street and take advantage of a free bicycle valet service at the corner of Ontario and Brock Streets.
9:30 a.m. to noon: Creation Caravan activities
Drop-in to Creation Caravan for hands-on arts and creative activities, designed for kids and families.
10 to 11:30 a.m.: Poetry path walk-about with Kingston’s Poet Laureate
Join Kingston’s Poet Laureate Jason Heroux on a poetry path walk-about along Ontario Street to discover poetry in unexpected places, like the Confederation Basin fountain, a telephone booth and in Battery Park. End the tour back on Ontario Street for a poetry writing session led by Jason. Bring your notebooks. All levels welcome.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Free Guided City Hall Tours
Every hour on the hour. Learn more about Kingston City Hall’s fascinating history, beautiful architecture – and about the intriguing people, events and stories associated with this National Historic Site. Meet in front of City Hall on Ontario Street.
10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Public Art Talk
Join Taylor Norris, public art coordinator at the City of Kingston; Professor Tarah Wright, Dalhousie University; local artists Noah Scheinman and Adam Biehler; and performing artist and environmentalist, Tracey Guptill for a panel discussion titled Imagined Futures, Pressing Times: Intersections of Public Art, Climate Change and the Environment. The panelists will explore the importance of the arts in broadening public discourse around the environment and climate change, from both a local perspective and in a broad context.
12 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Live Painting/Mural Jam
Watch live painting by the DEAD ON, a collective of local emerging visual artists, who will create new work onsite. Materials will be provided to create your own mini-mural. This activation supports the City’s newly launched Street Art Wall, a pilot project that establishes the Rideaucrest retaining wall adjacent to Douglas Fluhrer Park as a temporary legal wall available for use by the community to create street art and murals.
2 to 3 p.m.: PumpHouse Museum Curator Talks and Tours
Join curators Melissa Cruise and Tom Riddolls for two, 20-minute talks about current PumpHouse exhibition “Ontario Street: Brewers, Bakers and Boilermakers, 1830-1970” Following the talks, they will lead a walking tour along Ontario Street, ending at the PumpHouse.
Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019
All Day: Installation of a large-scale globe featuring NASA’s iconic “Blue Marble” satellite imagery
(Continues from Friday and Saturday)
11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Two Islands workshop
Facilitated by Cultural Services’ Arts Programming staff, the Two Islands workshop is a dynamic and interactive drama session based on the children’s book “Two Islands” by Ivan Gantschev. The workshop offers an opportunity for participants to not only engage with the story but to think critically and creatively about sustainability. Designed for children aged 6-12.
12 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Live Painting/Mural Jam
(Continues from Saturday)
1p.m. to 3 p.m.: Kingston’s Poet Laureate Poetry Path and Writing Session
(Continues from Saturday)
1p.m. to 3 p.m.: Creation Caravan
(Continues from Saturday)