Three Niagara-on-the-Lake artists are set to have their works of arts celebrating the community they live in turned into public installations that will beautify three hydro boxes in town.
Debra Botman, Philip Wormwell and Heather Hall were recognized Thursday for their designs as the winners of this year’s Hydro Box Beautification Competition.
Botman and Wormwell received jury awards for “Legacy of the Vineyard” and “Our NOTL,” respectively, while Hall won the People’s Choice Award for “NOTL Lawn Bowling Since 1877.”
The awards were presented Sept. 17 at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, where all 29 submitted designs were exhibited.
“Legacy of the Vineyard” is a vivid watercolour painting that depicts a ripe bunch of purple grapes on the vine, while “Our NOTL” is a digital piece of artwork with a minimalist representation of NOTL, utilizing its acronym and map. Both these works were selected as the winners by a juried panel put together by the Pumphouse.
“NOTL Lawn Bowling Since 1877,” meanwhile, was selected as the favourite piece by those who visited the competition’s exhibition held at the Pumphouse in the summer. It marries watercolours with pen outlines to create a tableau of lawn bowling in the summertime, honouring the NOTL Lawn Bowling Club, the oldest club for the sport in Canada.
Now in its eighth year, the competition invites Niagara artists to create designs inspired by NOTL. This year’s theme asked artists to capture elements of the community, including its heritage, landscapes, people, places and experiences.
The winning designs will be installed in front of the NOTL Hydro Office, Town Hall and the NOTL Community Centre.
The competition has transformed 23 hydro boxes throughout Niagara-on-the-Lake into public art since it began. Three more hydro boxes are scheduled for a makeover this October.
The Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre thanked the participating artists, community members who voted and the organizations and sponsors involved in the competition, including NOTL Hydro and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
