OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
The Paths that Connect Us
“The Paths That Connect Us” project has revitalized the outdoor yard space at the Elora Centre for the Arts, making it more inviting and engaging for the community to connect to each other, with creativity and with nature. ‘The Paths that Connect Us’ project includes an accessible walking pathway around the perimeter of our 2-acre property, with engaging outdoor art and sculpture installations centered around the theme of “connection”, picnic tables, benches and bicycle parking. Artist-made maps guide visitors beyond the property to other paths that connect us to neighbourhoods, cycling & walking trails and points beyond the Centre.
engaging outdoor opportunities
Why “Connection”?
We all need connection! There are so many ways to find it – with people, through art, in nature and with our past. This Pathways project has been designed to offer engaging outdoor opportunities linking you from the backyard space at the Elora Centre for the Arts to points beyond. You are welcome to enjoy our pathways, the art that celebrates “connection”, the picnic tables and green space. We hope you are inspired to walk, roll, bike, hike or paddle your way to enjoying the best of the network of paths and trails all around us! It is the awareness and use of these interconnected pathways that gives us a sense of belonging – to help us feel part of something bigger than ourselves, enrich our community and help root us to the healing beauty of nature and art in our community.
This project has been made possible thanks to the support of The Government of Canada’s Healthy Communities Initiative whose goal was to fund projects or programs that help communities create safe & vibrant public spaces, improve mobility options to allow people to connect and access public spaces safely.
OUR Artistic Community
Meet the Artists of the Pathway
We are so fortunate to live in an artist community! Our Pathways Project artists were selected from dozens of submissions and have created the custom pieces you see installed throughout the pathway in the yard. Click on the artist photo to view behind-the-scenes photos of the “making of” their sculptures and find out more about each one!
sculpture artist
Erin Perry
‘Before Knowing’ is a sculpture about the desire and fear of being known by another. Two tentative and curious creatures, vastly different, discover a friend. These objects serve as a reminder of what was, what is and what could be. ‘Before Knowing’ explores emotions and feelings (which come and go). While being made of robust materials, they speak of impermanence.
Sculpture artist Erin Perry received her BFA from the Emily Carr University of Art + Design and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Perry has exhibited internationally since 2003. She lives and works in Elora.
sculpture artist
Mike Hintermeister
‘On Again. Off Again.’ is about connecting through communicating in a digital age. The backbone of modern electronics is the transistor, basically a “switch” that controls electrical signals. This sculpture explores how we tend to take our connections for granted and how easy our communications can go haywire when our signals get crossed. Mike works and lives in Elora and is known for creating realistic wildlife sculptures that are appreciated both locally and internationally.
sculpture artist
Jefferson Campbell-Cooper
‘Round & Around’ is a made of salvaged bicycle rims and steel. The sculpture rises up over the path and back into the ground giving a Moongate experience. Pedestrians and cyclists begin their pathway journey by passing through the loop of bicycle rims. This dramatic installation provides a great photo location backdrop, and reminds us of the importance of cycling, upcycling and getting out in nature for our mental health. Jefferson is an accomplished artist and has had several solo and group exhibitions around the world, and participated in artist talks, residencies and panels.
sculpture artist
Ian Startup
Ian Startup (1948–2017) was a Canadian artist whose creative path wove together fine craft, architecture, and a deep engagement with place. Born in Toronto, Ian lived in several Southwestern Ontario communities before moving to Nova Scotia in his mid twenties. As a young man living in Kitchener, Ian began his artistic career as a jeweller. His skills were well received in Nova Scotia where he eventually moved into home design and construction, and he became known for his innovative, energy-efficient approach.
He designed and built award-winning homes and pioneered some of Nova Scotia’s first R2000 houses, bringing precision, craftsmanship, and environmental thoughtfulness to his building practice.
sculpture artist (SEASONAL – NEW EACH YEAR)
Elora Sculpture Project
Each season, the Elora Centre for the Arts is proud to host one of the featured works from the Elora Sculpture Project, a celebrated outdoor exhibition that brings contemporary sculpture into public spaces throughout the community.
From May through October, visitors and residents can discover a curated collection of sculptures installed across Elora and Fergus. Each year, artists from across Canada submit their work for consideration, selected and curated by the Elora Sculpture Project organizers.
The sculpture at the Elora Centre for the Arts is installed along the new front pathway at the north end of the property, where it can be enjoyed May – October. To explore all of the sculptures across the Township or to download a map of installation locations, please visit the Elora Sculpture Project website.
MAP ARTIST
Julie Denneny
Julie designed the ‘Paths that Connect Us’ welcome map for our Pathways Project. Her whimsical style and engaging sketches “draw you in” and remind us that we are all connected! “Nature is good for the soul. Through my work, I aim to connect the outside to your inside” she says. Julie is an artist and entrepreneur living and working in Elora.
The artists of the Supportive Arts section of the Pathways Project
Introducing our Supportive Arts crew! This gang participates in our weekly programs at the Elora Centre for the Arts, celebrating all abilities, inclusion and creativity and providing engagement opportunities for adults with (dis)abilities. This delightfully whimsical section of the Pathways project was created by Supportive Arts participants and has been made possible by the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Intergenerational Arts Group
This wonderful intergenerational arts group for local children and seniors ran at the Elora Centre for the Arts in 2018. Throughout the weekly sessions, the senior participants shared their life stories with the children who documented them in altered books and collaborated to paint an expansive garden mural together.
The purpose of the project was to connect generations for community relationship building, mutual enrichment and sense of belonging as they explored new skills with different art mediums together. The process sparked conversation, story sharing and offered a safe creative space to reduce isolation and barriers between generations.
This project was generously supported by The Guelph Community Foundation.
Pathway Construction
Special thanks to Ben, Neil and Ron Cousins from Cousins & Johnsons Inc. who dug the pathways around the perimeter of the property, using a material made from recycled asphalt to keep the weeds out of the pathway and also allow for a hard packed surface for strollers, bikes and pushed wheelchairs. They also dug & installed the posts for the artwork and plaques, installed bike racks, found the limestone boulders you see throughout the pathways, and made it all look beautiful!