Cultivate Arts Commons in Kingston, Ontario, is hosting a free annual juried exhibition titled 'Mending Ways' in its main gallery at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. The show features works by nine local and Canadian artists—Emma Allain, Jennifer Anorue, Kateryna Kostelna, Chris Chrysler, Antoinette Karuna, Narmin Kassam, Kellyann Marie, Abby Nowakowski, and Jasper Lyon Wicke—each responding to the theme of mending. Among the highlights are Emma Allain's sound installation 'It’s 6pm in Kingston,' which uses voice notes from friends to explore connection and community, and Chris Chrysler's assemblage 'To Be of This Place,' which reflects on reconciliation and healing through found objects.
The exhibition matters because it brings together diverse artistic practices around a universal human experience—healing—while fostering community engagement in a free, accessible setting. By featuring both emerging and established artists from the region, 'Mending Ways' underscores the role of local art spaces like Cultivate Arts Commons in nurturing creative dialogue and providing platforms for artists to address personal and collective themes. The show also highlights how contemporary art can serve as a tool for mending social bonds and encouraging introspection.