New gallery opens its doors

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

A new art gallery is bringing a dose of much needed colour to the main floor of the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in downtown Oshawa.

Hosted by the Oshawa Art Association (OAA), Gallery 67 has officially opened its doors in the unused portion of the hotels’ main floor. The paintings and works of art were admired by throngs of people who filled the space for an opening party on June 13.

The artist-run gallery will offer a chance for Oshawa artists to not only showcase their work, but get experience volunteering in the gallery as well.

The space had previously been slated for a restaurant, but when the hotel had trouble finding a tenant, the OAA stepped up with the help of Councillor Rick Kerr, who was a large driving force behind the creation of the gallery and the creation of the space.

“If you had seen this space six weeks ago, it was a construction site,” says OAA president Jeffrey Snape.

For OAA vice president Tricia van Oostveen, the new gallery is another step in creating a brighter future the city of Oshawa.

“Downtown Oshawa will be the heart of that transformation,” she said.

The space takes its name from a both current and past influences with Canada’s creation in 1867, the formation of the OAA in 1967 and the fact that the gallery sits at 67 Simcoe Street North.

During a ribbon cutting attended by a number of city and regional councillors along with Mayor John Henry, MPP Jennifer French and members of the Holiday Inn ownership and downtown BIA, the ribbon was official cut to open the space.

The launch also coincided with the kick-off of the second stage of The Cycle, an art intiative aimed at bringing artists from across Durham Region and across different disciplines together in order to collaborate and form partnerships.

More information on Gallery 67 can be found on the OAA website at www.oshawaartassociation.com.