Lakeshore Art Trail returns to Mississauga after two-year hiatus

MISSISSAUGA, Sept. 1, 2022 —The Lakeshore Art Trail will return to Mississauga this fall after a two-year, pandemic-imposed hiatus. From Saturday, October 22 (11:00 am – 5:00 pm) to Sunday, October 23 (10:00 am – 4:00 pm) twenty-four area visual artists will exhibit their artwork at the Small Arms Inspection Building, 1352 Lakeshore Road East.

For more than 20 years the Lakeshore Art Trail has been organized and presented as an artist-run collective art show. In the past, participating artists showcased their creations out of their studios or local businesses across Clarkson, Port Credit, and Lorne Park. This twenty-first staging of the event will for the first time bring together all of the artists to display and sell their work under one roof.

“I’m really looking forward to this year,” says Wendy Bowe, one of the artist contributors, “because visitors will get to see all of the artists assembled in one space.”

The Trail started off as a grass-roots organization in which local artists worked together to create a space to show their work within the community where they lived. The Trail has been a great starting point for many emerging artists, such as Celina Melo, who joined the group in 2018 after meeting fellow Trail artist Joe Sampson at his studio during the 2017 show. She has gone on to become the coordinator of the Trail. This year, the Trail held a call for new artists for the first time in years and has welcomed an exciting and varied roster of nine new artists.

Sue Archibald is an artist contributor who serves on the board of Creative Hub 1352—the team that oversees programming and events for the Small Arms Inspection Building where this year’s Art Trail will take place. She says the venue, which is owned by the City of Mississauga and is wheelchair accessible, is a perfect location for the event. “It’s a beautiful, historical building, full of light,” she says. “It’s also large and can comfortably accommodate big events.” She adds that the Art Trail will coincide, on Sunday, with the popular weekly Lakeview Farmers Market—featuring live music, a café, and more.

Patrons can be assured of the calibre of art featured at the Lakeshore Art Trail. Each artist is juried into the show, meaning they must present a cohesive body of work that represents their particular style. A panel of three established artists evaluate each submission for quality and approve artist participants. A full list of participating artists (with their bios, photos of their work, and links to their individual websites) is available at lakeshorearttrail.com.

Artist Jo Ann Wilton has participated in the Lakeshore Art Trail from its inception. She recalls many people who bought their first ever piece of original art from the Art Trail. “Some visitors were encouraged, after talking to the artists, to take up painting themselves through local art classes,” she remembers. “Art students from Mississauga high schools came to see what was happening in their own communities and to talk to the Trail artists.”

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