Thunder Bay artists brighten up Bay and Algoma St. area

A group of artists from Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay have added some colour along a busy north side thoroughfare.

Four grey planters installed along Algoma Street in 2013 have been painted with a variety of designs and colours.

The public art project, commissioned by the City of Thunder Bay, showcases the Finnish and Oji-Cree heritage prevalent in Thunder Bay, said Elizabeth Buset, one of the artists.

"We have three Indigenous artists who have brought in some really cool patterning based off of bead work that they have done," she said. "And for some of us, like I lived in Finland for two years, so I brought in some Finnish textile designs."

The painted planters are part of ongoing beautification efforts by the city in the Bay and Algoma area. They also help mark the curb extensions, or bump-outs, the city installed along Algoma Street.

While the imagery intends to capture some of the history of Thunder Bay, Bsuet said it is being done with a modern flair.

"You can see that these aren't in any way traditional art forms, so [they] have one hundred per cent been contemporized and are reinterpreted by youth who celebrate those cultures."

The art work on two of the planters depict the water, while the other two designs are land-based, Buset said, adding that the goal was to portray animals — in both representational and more abstract styles — that are common to Finland and Canada.

The work is drawing rave reviews from the head of the business community in the area. Brian Hamilton, the president of the Bay and Algoma Business Association, said area merchants are happy with the results, and that some owners — himself included — are working on their own beautification projects.