Artcures Grey Bruce

09/23/2026

🎉 WE GOT APPROVED! 🎉
Today was a pretty exciting day for ArtCures!
River District Coordinator Viveca Gravel presented ArtCures’ Service Box Art Project to Owen Sound City Council with brilliance—and success! Council unanimously approved the project. 🙌
And this is where it gets really exciting…
We invited Owen Sound community groups to take part, and all five service boxes available for decoration were quickly claimed.
🎨 Our five community teams are:
1. Roxy Theatre
Team Lead: Lacey Mooney
2. Grey Bruce Art Therapy & Associates
Team Lead: Shawna Banville
3. Great Lakes Métis Council
Team Lead: Marj Dyer
4. The Red Door Youth Unlimited
Team Lead: Kurtis Merrithew
5. St. Mary’s High School
Team Lead: Sterling MacNay

When we asked why they wanted to be part of the project, their collective response really captured what ArtCures is all about:
“We are proud to support the ArtCures Service Box Art Project and the opportunity it creates for students, youth, artists, volunteers, and community organizations to come together in service of Owen Sound.
We believe public art can inspire creativity, foster connection, build community pride, and create a stronger sense of belonging.
This project gives young people a meaningful opportunity to contribute, develop civic responsibility, and leave a lasting positive mark on our city.
We look forward to helping transform everyday spaces into vibrant public art that reflects the creativity and spirit of Owen Sound.”
And that is exactly what we hoped this project would become. ❤️
Five ordinary service boxes will become five little pieces of public art next spring—created by our community, for our community.
A huge thank you to Viveca Gravel, Owen Sound City Council, our five participating organizations, and everyone who is helping ArtCures bring this project to life.
The boxes are approved. The teams are ready. The last stage is grant funding. 🎨

Herbert Pryke
Community Foundation Grey Bruce Upper Canada Stretchers City of Owen Sound Community Connections Ontario Owen Sound River District Artist Herbert Pryke Owen Sound Community Artist Studio Tour United Way of Bruce Grey The Georgian Bay School of the Arts Arts Alliance Owen Sound

09/08/2026

08/22/2026

And it's not raining!

08/22/2026

This is creative fun. From the minds of youth.
At Summerfolk Family Village.

08/21/2026

Come visit Artcures Grey Bruce at Summerfolk in the Family Village.
Come make your own bookmark or try to win one of ours by balancing a coin on a lemon.
City of Owen Sound
Community Foundation Grey Bruce

08/18/2026

Earlier this year, Upwards Art Studio and Artcures collaborated to create a fundraising event from donated art supplies and artwork. From the selection of donated artwork, we found one of particular interest, and we are happy to regift this vintage print, “Evening on a Canadian Lake” by Frederic Re*****on (1861–1909), to the Great Lakes Métis Council in Owen Sound.
The original painting was created in 1905, inspired by Re*****on's own experiences canoeing on the St. Lawrence River. Two men and a dog drift quietly across the dark water in a birchbark canoe.
The men are wearing red sashes, an important part of voyageur clothing that became an enduring symbol of Métis culture and identity. And tucked inside the canoe is another remarkable detail: when the artwork was presented to the Great Lakes Métis Council, they immediately recognized the blanket as an original Hudson's Bay blanket, from the early period when these iconic trade blankets were made in simple red and black.
This artwork connects the voyageur and fur-trade era to the interconnected history of Indigenous, French-Canadian and Métis peoples throughout the Great Lakes region.
We are especially pleased that this artwork has found a home with the Great Lakes Métis Council, where its history can be recognized, appreciated and shared.

City of Owen Sound
Great Lakes Métis Council
Owen Sound River District
Upwards Art Studio
Herbert Pryke

08/05/2026

Our mission at Artcures is simple: Art is for Everyone. We believe creativity should be accessible, inclusive, and visible in everyday life. Through collaborative public art projects and community events, we create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to express themselves, build confidence, and strengthen connections within our community.
One of our projects for 2027 is 'The Service Box Art Project'.

With the City's approval, Artcures has been granted permission to paint five service boxes located around the Owen Sound River District. This project represents the first phase of what we hope will become a larger public art initiative. By demonstrating the positive impact these installations can have on our streetscapes, we hope to expand the program in the future to include additional service boxes and electrical cabinets throughout the city and Grey County.

We are inviting community organizations to participate in this exciting public art initiative. To create a cohesive visual identity inspired by our location on the shores of Georgian Bay, teams will be asked to create their own unique artistic design with a shared colour palette of blue and white.

Artcures is also partnering with HAVE1.COM to develop a collection of durable, professionally produced wildlife stencils featuring species native to the Georgian Bay watershed. These recognizable local animals can be incorporated into each design, creating a visual thread that connects all five installations while celebrating the natural heritage of our region.

More than a beautification project, these service boxes will become symbols of community pride, collaboration, creativity, and inclusion. They will showcase the talents of local organizations, encourage residents and visitors to explore our neighbourhoods, and demonstrate how public art can create welcoming and engaging public spaces.

Three of the five boxes have found their teams.
We are excited to welcome St. Mary's High School, Owen Sound Little Theatre, and Grey Bruce Art Therapy.
If you would like to become a part of our project, email: [email protected]

07/28/2026

We are designing a wave banner for upcoming events (maybe Summerfolk).
We need your help to choose the favourite banner.

Owen Sound River District
Roxy Theatre Owen Sound
City of Owen Sound
The Rumpus Room
Upwards Art Studio
Heartwood
Grey Gallery
Herbert Pryke
Artist Herbert Pryke

07/24/2026

Artcures is excited to have another opportunity to bring creativity, community connection, and local pride into our shared spaces.

With support from the Owen Sound River District, Artcures has been given permission to transform several city service boxes into colourful works of public art—and we'd love for the community to help bring them to life.

We're looking for creative teams who would like to adopt a utility box and transform it into a unique work of art. Your team might be an existing community organization, a club, a neighbourhood group, coworkers, a family, classmates, a group of friends, or even a new team brought together simply because you enjoy creating together.

No artistic experience is necessary—just enthusiasm, imagination, and a willingness to collaborate. Artcures will provide the materials, guidance, and support to help every team succeed.

At this stage, we're simply looking to discover who might be interested. If you think your group would enjoy being part of this exciting community project, let us know in the comments, send us a message, or tag an organization or group that you think should be involved. Send your information to: [email protected]

Let's work together to make Owen Sound a little more colourful, one utility box at a time! 💙
City of Owen Sound Roxy Theatre Owen Sound The Rumpus Room
Reach Centre Grey Bruce Owen Sound River District Upwards Art Studio Owen Sound Community Artist Studio Tour Owen Sound Police Service

07/23/2026

Thank you, Ken Bryson. Editor of Grey Bruce MOSAIC magazine for allowing us to share our dream of creating more space in the City of Owen Sound.
for creativity.
We are close to announcing our upcoming projects for 2027.
Another shout out for Community Foundation Grey Bruce and First United Church, Owen Sound, Ontario, Upwards Art Studio, and Upper Canada Stretchers for their support of our existing project.
Come out a see the trees at the Owen Sound River District.