New exhibition opens in Ajax today

Artists Survey: the Greenbelt explores rural and environmental themes

AJAX, ON, March 4 /CNW/ - Art is often seen as something consumed and produced in the urban environment with little relevance outside the big city. Artists Survey: The Greenbelt is an exhibition that proves this to be wrong. The exhibition opens at the Cultural Expressions Gallery in Ajax today as part of the Greenbelt's ongoing 5th Anniversary celebrations. The Greenbelt turned five on February 28, 2010.

    
    When: March 4-11
    Tuesday - 1 to 7 pm
    Wednesday to Friday - 11 am to 7 pm
    Saturday - 11 am to 5 pm
    Sunday & Monday - Closed

    Reception: Friday March 5 6 to 9 pm

    Where: Cultural Expressions Art Gallery
    62 Old Kingston Road,
    Pickering Village Ajax, On
    905-427-2412 www.culturalexpressions.ca
    

In this exhibition 10 artists from areas in the Greenbelt have produced art that addresses some of the many challenges it faces and stresses the advantages of having a Greenbelt in Ontario.

The artists are from Guelph, Collingwood, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Toronto and other regions of Ontario.

Together, their art works examine issues such as urban sprawl, air and water quality and the future of agriculture. The artists use a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography, drawing and video to express their thoughts and concerns.

Participating artists include Elizabeth Chitty, Michael Davey & Delwyn Higgens, Vid Ingelevics, Martha Eleen, Daniel Durocher, Jeremy Drummond, Irene Cymbal, Steve White, Warren Quigley and Brad Emsley.

The exhibition was curated by Patrick Macaulay, Head of Visual Arts at Harbourfront Centre and Phil Anderson, Director of Gallery 1313. It will travel to three centres in the Greenbelt, the first of which is Ajax, followed immediately by Hamilton March 11th - March 18th.

Gallery 1313 is the organizational partner of Artists Survey: The Greenbelt. It is an artist-run centre exhibiting local, national and international contemporary art. Gallery 1313 supports emerging artists with professional development and career building opportunities, offers members a welcoming space to connect with colleagues, develop their practice, and contribute to the operations of the gallery, and engages the public with contemporary art exhibitions and cultural events through community outreach.

Cultural Expressions Art Gallery located in Ajax, Ontario, was established primarily to showcase the arts, in all its forms. This means local, national and international artists representing diverse ethnic and cultural communities of Canada.

This exhibition was made possible through the generous funding from the Friends of The Greenbelt Foundation as part of their celebrations of the 5th anniversary of Ontario's Greenbelt.

What is the Greenbelt? Wrapping around the Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt is 1.8 million acres of potential to make Ontario a better place. Encompassing the Niagara Escarpment, The Oak Ridges Moraine, Rouge Park, hundreds of rural towns, and villages and some 7,000 farms, Ontario's Greenbelt is one of the largest and most diverse in the world.

For further information: Media contact: Esther Forde, [phone] (Ajax); Media may also contact: Phil Anderson, [phone] or email to [email protected] (Toronto)