For this project, we are bringing participating artists to North Bay for an eight-day residency in October 2013, where they will create site-specific works to be installed in various locations in and around North Bay. The site and sight of North Bay is an integral component to the project, providing the focus, backgrop, and meeting place for artists from different areas and backgrounds. Located on the cusp of central Ontario and often referred to as the “Gateway to the North,” North Bay promotes its slogan as “Just North Enough to be Perfect.”

The residency invites six artists to contemplate the meaning of “North” as a location, myth, and construction, and to consider the relationship between her/his history and an idea of North.  The group of participating artists includes individuals who are familiar with the geography, politics, and history of the region, as well as those who come to North Bay with outside perspectives.  We anticipate the diverse range of artists will produce works that resonate with their surroundings and invigorate the discussion of “what is Northern Art?” and “where is here?”—a conversation already present in the region. The format of the residency encourages close contact, collaborative opportunities, and dialogue between artists working in different media.

The residency culminates in a site-specific exhibition of works in and around the North Bay area.  Artists and interested community members will be brought around to each site by bus, so that they have the opportunity to engage in dialogue. Additionally, we are organizing an opening celebration and photographic exhibition of the residency working process and installations at the Discovery North Bay Heritage Museum. Located in downtown North Bay at the former CPR station, the Heritage Museum presents an amazing opportunity to situate works by contemporary artists within the larger context of the region’s history.

This project is made possible through funding from the Northern Arts programme of the Ontario Arts Council.