Photo courtesy of Robyn Clarke/MacLaren Art Centre.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Barrie, ON – September 29, 2026: The MacLaren Art Centre, in partnership with the City of Barrie, is pleased to announce the unveiling of Recalculating, a new temporary public sculpture featuring ten colourful street sign designs created by children and youth from across Barrie. The sculpture will be unveiled at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 3, on the front lawn of the MacLaren Art Centre at 37 Mulcaster Street, where it will remain on view until May 2027.
Created in celebration of the MacLaren’s 40th anniversary, Recalculating invited local children and youth to consider how their creativity could contribute to the city they call home. More than 80 young people from Maple Ridge Secondary School, Bear Creek Secondary School, Cundles Heights Public School, Maple Grove Public School, and Youth Haven participated in the project.
MacLaren art instructors visited participating classrooms and worked with youth to explore design principles and basic ideas about urban planning. The young artists then created their own imaginative street signs using markers, paint, pencil and paper, and, in one instance, digital drawing tools. Rather than providing literal directions, the resulting signs reflect the interests, ideas, and imaginations of their creators.
Ten designs were selected by a jury representing the MacLaren Art Centre, City of Barrie, and Barrie Public Art Committee. The selected designs were scanned and reproduced in vinyl before being applied to metal backings, giving the youth-created artworks the appearance and physical presence of real street signs.
The ten selected artists are Abigail Calderon, Alexis van der Wal, Aurora Knowles, Avery Miles, Briella Howey, Coral Groot, Halle Wilson, Isabella Pagrion, Kaitlyn Hewett, and Kris Morley.
“This project gave young people an opportunity to look at the city from their own perspective and think about what they notice, what matters to them, and what they might want others to notice too,” says Tyler Durbano, Artistic Director of the MacLaren Art Centre. “Their creations reveal something about how young people see their community, through humour, colour, and imagination. Seeing ten of their designs brought into public space is a meaningful part of our 40th anniversary. Youth have been at the core of the MacLaren’s work for so long, and we have seen how supporting their educational and creative pursuits can help build a generation of people who are connected to and invested in their community. Recalculating is another way for us to make that connection visible.”
The project is a partnership between the Maclaren Art Centre and the Barrie Public Art Committee, a volunteer committee of the City of Barrie. The collaboration brings together the MacLaren’s experience in arts education and community engagement with the City’s ongoing work to support public art in Barrie.
“We are proud of all of our students who participated in Recalculating and embraced the opportunity to think creatively about the city they call home. Seeing their ideas transformed into public artwork is a powerful reminder that young people play an important role in shaping and enriching our community,” said Hailey Mills Knapp, Vice-Principal at Cundles Heights Public School. “We are grateful to the MacLaren Art Centre and the City of Barrie for providing a meaningful learning experience that fostered creativity, confidence, and community connection.”
Recalculating will be unveiled as part of the MacLaren’s 40th Anniversary Open House, a free, drop-in celebration taking place Saturday, October 3, from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The afternoon will include artmaking, live music, refreshments, exhibition tours, and activities presented as part of Culture Days in Barrie. The event will also celebrate the many artists, community members, supporters, volunteers, staff, and partners who have helped shape the MacLaren over its 40-year history.
In 1986, a group of local residents incorporated the Barrie Gallery Project, establishing what would later become the MacLaren Art Centre. Four decades later, the MacLaren continues to create opportunities for people across the region to experience, learn through, and participate in the visual arts.
All 80+ youth-created designs from Recalculating can be viewed online at maclarenart.com/signproject2026/.
The MacLaren Art Centre extends sincere thanks to the youth, teachers and school administrators, and Youth Haven for their participation in this project, and to the City of Barrie and the Barrie Public Art Committee for their generous support.
Media Contact:
Robyn Clarke
Communications Coordinator
MacLaren Art Centre
communications@maclarenart.com
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About the MacLaren Art Centre:
The MacLaren Art Centre is the major public art gallery in Central Ontario, serving the residents of Barrie, the County of Simcoe, and the surrounding region. The MacLaren maintains a significant permanent collection of contemporary Canadian art and presents a year-round program of exhibitions, education initiatives, and public events.
The MacLaren is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, including the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Pottawatomi Nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. The local bands include Beausoleil First Nation, Georgina Island First Nation, and Rama First Nation. We also acknowledge the Wendat Nation (Huron), who occupied these lands prior to the mid-seventeenth century.
MacLaren Art Centre
37 Mulcaster Street
Barrie, ON L4M 3M2
705-721-9696
www.maclarenart.com
