'It's a treasure hunt': Saskatoon Alley Gallery adds pop of colour to downtown
A unique pop of colour has been added to a couple of back alleys in downtown Saskatoon.
Saskatoon-area artist Michelle Thevenot is one of 14 artists selected to showcase their work in the Alley Gallery.
“I like that it’s a little bit different, it’s kind of a treasure hunt to be found in a back alley street in this little city block,” Thevenot said. “It’s a surprise for people, something unexpected.”
This summer Downtown Saskatoon launched the Alley Gallery, where pieces of art now call the back-alley doors, home.
Sarah Marchildon with Downtown Saskatoon said the project aims to add a pop of colour and art to the neglected back alleys downtown as well as help alleviate some of the pressures its staff have on removing graffiti from back alleys.
“In a year our staff will remove upwards of 2,000 pieces of graffiti from the downtown district,so that’s certainly a part we’re trying to alleviate,” Marchildon said.
Currently the gallery covers 14 back-alley doors between 20th and 21st Streets between Third and Fourth Avenue downtown.
With the pandemic creating barriers for art exhibitions, Thevenot said the Alley Gallery is the best alternative to displaying local art.
“During COVID and the shutdowns it’s been really difficult for a lot of artists to feature their art and get it out there. Exhibitions have been cancelled and this is a new way for artists to be shown to the public in a way that’s easily accessible,” she said.
Marchildon said Downtown Saskatoon is committed to keeping the art on the back-alley doors for three years, and based on the feedback and success of this first alley gallery, there may be an appetite to expand.
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 employees across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.