Chenier Art Gallery, An example of the art on dIsplay in Thunder Bay
By Duncan Weller
An artist and writer, Duncan Weller is a Governor General’s Award winner who lives in Thunder Bay.
October 28, 2024
Thunder Bay is home to a rich community of painters, sculptors, potters, weavers, glassmakers, quilters, fabric artists and more. Many of these artists and galleries join forces for temporary shows, art auctions or studio and garden tours that occur more often in the summer.
Checking websites, local papers and poster boards in coffee shops, shopping malls, libraries, and convenient stores will guide you to many local artistic activities.
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
The most notable gallery in the city is the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The TBAG (or teabag as it is referred to by the locals) is a contemporary public gallery with the largest permanent collection of art in the region. The exhibition space is the most accommodating in the city with three large showrooms. With a focus on Aboriginal art, the gallery has nearly 25 exhibitions a year, featuring local artists and artists of national significance in travelling exhibitions, with themes and art selected by professional curators. The TBAG is situated on the Confederation College campus. Check your map. The gallery is most definitely worth the trip.
Definitely Superior Gallery
Considered an alternative public gallery (non-profit/charitable), the Definitely Superior Artist Run Centre + Gallery is operated by mostly young and cutting edge artists with an emphasis on the experimental and the avant-garde with up to 50 shows a year. DefSup (as it's known around town) supports local, national, and international talent. Much of this centre's funding comes from dramatic and original campaigns that inspire throngs of young people, with attendance in the thousands, taking over the north end core. The centre contributes dramatically to the growth of the arts community where developing artists, of any background, can experiment with any style and medium, including performance art, video instillations, multi-media, etc. Diversity is key to the function of this gallery centre. It is located on Park St, just up from the Casino, in the basement of the former Eaton's building.
Baggage Building Arts Centre
In the heart of Prince Arthur's Landing at Marina Park, the newly built Baggage Building Arts Centre is intended to be "a workshop for new artistic creations" and "an incubator for creative people and organizations." So, throughout the year the building will work as a venue for a variety of projects, classes, art shows, etc. There are monthly exhibits, with artists in residence and a gift gallery. The Gallery, the small commercial space located on the second floor displays the work of local artists, jewelers, authors, and more.
Ahnisnabae Art Gallery
On Court St., in the heart of the Waterfront Business District, you will find the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery. This gallery represents up to 30 different artists, many of the Ahnisnabae culture. Original works and all manner of reproductions, from professional silk-screens and serigraphs to posters are available, catering to a diverse budget. The work is bright, beautiful, entrancing and resonates with the cultural heritage of the First Nations people who live in the region. Roy Thomas was the founder of this gallery in 1997. He was a prominent artist in the community who passed away in 2004. The owner and operator, Louise Thomas, has kept her husband's legacy alive with this commercial space. This is a must destination for anyone new to the area.
Fireweed in the Algoma & Bay Area
Fireweed is located in the Algoma and Bay St. Area which has become a trendy hotspot for the locals. It may not quite look like it yet, but it's as close to a town square as you will get in Thunder Bay, other than the Country Market on Saturday mornings. There are many little shops here that sell arts and crafts, along with a couple famous Finnish restaurants, along with coffee shops and unique boutiques. But the little shop with the longest tradition of supporting the greatest number of locally made arts and crafts is the Fireweed. It is PACKED! It's small, but take your time upon entering and make sure you put your packsack down or you're likely to break something – and pay for it. The quality of work is some of the best in Ontario. Uniqueness is the goal for the little shop, and the artists that show work here, do quite well, especially before Christmas. Chiefly known for its pottery, they also sell jewelry, fine art, fabric art, glass, locally produced books, CDs, and much more. There's no end of small gifts.
Gallery 33
Gallery 33, across from a popular local grocery market, is a commercial art gallery displaying up to 50 local artists' work. The place is very spacious, so each artist has lots of room to hang more than a sampling. The quality ranges from novice to professional. The gallery sells jewelry and books by local authors along with other items.
Attached you'll find The Painted Turtle, an art supply shop where classes are offered. The Turtle is a favourite go-to place for local artists, and in the summer tourists stroll up from the waterfront to check out the galleries and restaurants bringing them to this new space.
Chenier Fine Arts
Just around the corner from the DEFSUP gallery and a few doors down from the Anisnabae Gallery, is Chenier Fine Arts. This little gallery is packed with art by established and emerging local artists, as well as 40 international artists. With nearly 250 works this space is a feast for the eyes. The variety of works includes modern abstracts to traditional landscapes and figurative works in all mediums. The owner, Debra Chenier has a long history within the community, continuing a relationship with art that began with her mother's shop, which opened in 1964 and was the first fine art gallery in Northwestern Ontario. Chenier also offers high quality framing with an incredible variety of moldings from which to choose.
Kleewyk Stained Glass Studio
The Kleewyk Stained Glass Studio is midway between the downtown cores on Simpson Street. Once a bustling street in the 1960s the city is now trying to retake this area's history and create incentives for citizens to take a second look. On your first drive you can't miss the dramatic and beautifully decorated studio shop. This is a professional working studio with a display room. The glass artist, Damon Dowbak, produces stained glass windows, abrasively etched glass, and kiln formed glass. The display room features a variety of works in glass and pottery, along with paintings, also created by Dowbak.
Lake Superior Art Gallery
Located in the Victoriaville Centre, the Lake Superior Art Galleryfeatures a wonderful display of paintings from local and regional artists, as well as unique artwork from Aboriginal Artists. The gallery also hosts regular shows of work from regional artists, plus provide a variety of art classes. There are also locally publish books about the Lake Superior Region in the gallery.
The gallery is located in the historic F.W Woolworths Building, which was located on Victoria Ave. which is now part of Victoriaville Centre (an inclosed business, civic and shopping area.) The owner, JP Fraser, a retired newspaper photo-editor is usually on hand along with the gallery manager, Tamara. They cater to both novice and professional artists, also selling and books by local authors.
A writer and visual artist, Duncan Weller is a Governor General's Award winner who lives in Thunder Bay. You can visit his website at www.duncanweller.com. His latest two books are a novel, Flight of the Silk, and an expanded edition of the award-winning children's picture book, The Boy from the Sun.
