“Creativity takes Courage” —Henri Matisse
One of our core beliefs at River Bookshop from the very beginning has been that championing and investing in the Arts can make Amherstburg even better. Our first two artistic additions were a delightful mural in our children’s section, by local artists Dennis and Dillon White, and a beautiful mural on the side or our bookshop, created by David Creed.
Next up were bold works from graffiti artist DERKZ, using The Panetteria bakery as his canvas. Other local businesses jumped into the game—Piper’s Port unveiled a huge mural of the Boblo Boat on the post office building. Bethany D’Alimonte opened a dramatically refreshed Musicland with a distinct artistic nod to The Beatles. As part of the restoration of his office building, Dan Gemus added a heritage photo of Richmond Street. A Natural Heritage and Cultural mural went up in the Navy Yard Park. The Tourism Department, recognizing that Amherstburg is becoming an Art destination, created a web page on the town’s growing art scene.
The momentum continues …
A year ago we teamed up with Art Windsor Essex (AWE) to create “Look Again! Outside: Amherstburg,” installing 5 reproductions from their collection across Amherstburg’s downtown core. Now 3 more have been installed in the Navy Yard Park. Installation is just finishing up—check them out among the park’s beautiful flowers.
Ever since we opened our bookshop we have wanted to team up with the Gibson Gallery to shine a light on their creative work, housed in the 1896 restored heritage train station at 140 Richmond. We are delighted to say that we are partnering with Gibson Gallery, and on Friday, June 9, we are opening a pop-up art exhibit called “The Stories We Tell.” This exhibit will be open in our Hole in the Wall event space above the bookshop from Friday to Sunday, for three weekends until June 25, and admission is free.
On Sunday, June 11, a group of local businesses called The Core are hosting their first Play Amherstburg from 11am to 4pm on Richmond, Dalhousie, and Murray Streets. One of the events, “Colouring the Community,” is being hosted by AWE and artist Emma Chlumecky. Children of all ages will work together to fill in a giant mural with vibrant colours. Children can also sit and colour a smaller version of the colouring page. This event is also free and will run from 2 to 4pm.
Clearly, Art is alive and well in Amherstburg. It’s contributing to making the town both a better place to live and a real tourism destination.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” —Pablo Picasso
Richard and Colleen Peddie
Community Builders