The Downtown Sculpture Exhibition 2026
James Cameron Smith, Darner
James Cameron Smith, Darner
2026
mixed media
56 x 30 x 30 inches
$3,400
Purchase information:
jcs@jamescsmith.ca | 613-473-4049 | jamescsmith.ca
Inspired by the Canadensis Darner dragonfly, I became immersed in the visual brilliance and functional elegance embodied by these 300-million-year-old creatures. This sculpture celebrates their enduring presence. Darners, members of the aeshnid family, are revered throughout Ontario's cottage country for their role as natural predators of mosquitoes and black flies.
Perched on a cedar stump, Darner is brought to life through inventive material use: six vintage stainless steel golf club shafts form its articulated legs. To capture the dragonfly's exquisite wing design and the speed, vitality and precision of dragonfly flight we used a digital dye-sublimation process on laminated aluminum, with detailed imagery on both upper and lower surfaces.
Most captivating are Darner's bulbous compound black rhinestone eyes representing her 30,000 lenses. Also a group of smaller simple eyes called ocelli simulated by glass marbles detect changes in light intensity and aid in flight stabilization. The head, constructed from polyester, engages viewers to celebrate the insect’s exotic anatomy. The thorax and abdomen are formed from thermo-shaped ABS pipe reinforced with polyester resin. Mounting hardware is concealed within the cedar root base. An automotive anodizing paint finish ensures resilience and longevity in outdoor conditions.
They begin their life cycle in watery environments. Rooted in both ecology and Indigenous shapeshifter mythology, the dragonfly carries deep symbolic resonance. This sculpture invites viewers to reflect on metamorphosis, sustainability, and the enduring beauty of nature’s ancient characters.
Rosalinde Baumgartner, Hans
Rosalinde Baumgartner, Hans
2018
black clay
15 x 11 x 8 inches
$2,000
Purchase information:
rosalinde.baumgartner@gmail.com | 519-803-6435 | artevoke.com
A friend of our sculpture group consented to model for us. Kind, wise, tall and very slim, it was a joy to work with him. This sculpture was exhibited in Elora and also at a sculpture show in Ottawa. The material is high fired black clay.
Carole Chaloupla Burton, The Dawning Recognition of Fundamental Aloneness
Carole Chaloupka Burton, The Dawning Recognition of Fundamental Aloneness
2023
winterstone
25 x 19 x 32 cm
$3,000
Purchase information:
carole.burton41@gmail.com
This sculpture forms part of an ongoing body of work titled Fragile Masculinity, which explores the quiet tenderness present in young boys and the ways in which it is often diminished or suppressed over time. The work seeks to hold space for vulnerability, sensitivity, and emotional openness, inviting reflection on how these qualities are shaped by cultural expectations and lived experience.
The piece is originally sculpted in terracotta clay, allowing for an intuitive, hand-built process that responds to subtle gestures and emotional nuance. A silicone mould is then created to enable casting in Winterstone, a modified cement material chosen for its durability and capacity to hold fine detail. The surface is finished with acrylic, lending depth and tonal sensitivity to the final form.
Situated within a broader practice of figurative sculpture, the work engages themes of care, protection, and the preservation of inner life. It aims to evoke a sense of stillness and contemplation, encouraging viewers to reconnect with aspects of tenderness that may feel distant or obscured.
Chance Shermet, Mountain No. 1
Chance Shermet, Mountain No. 1
2023
river pebble, plywood, pine, aluminum, and grout
35 x 19 x 16 inches
$1,150
Purchase information:
chanceshermet@gmail.com | 647-766-8774
Mountain No. 1 is a part of a series titled Building Mass with a Grain of Sand. This project explores the realm of resources plotting along a spectrum of tiny or vast, individual and collective, and abundance versus scarcity. Connecting these diverse ideas of resources, whether natural materials from the earth or the labour and skill of us as people, there are references to measuring, extracting, industry, wealth, and greed.
Mountain No.1 was created using river pebbles applied to a form reminiscent of a stalagmite mineral deposit, or a pile of building materials. Experimenting with the aesthetic of pebbledashing used on architectural exteriors, the piece presents each stone as both remarkable as a formation of minerals over immense periods of time, but simultaneously an ordinary fragment, aggregate or material that might be molded into our built environment.
Jeff van Leeuwen, Untitled 23 // Janus
Jeff van Leeuwen, Untitled 23 // Janus
2026
concrete and charred driftwood post (Lake Ontario)
50 x 12 x 12 inches
$1,200
Purchase information:
jeffvanlee@gmail.com
289-440-1520
The (Im)Balance Series is a collection of self-portraits made using casting techniques and found object assemblages. Producing these works has helped navigate my grief after losing my mother to mesothelioma (cancer caused by asbestos exposure). For years, I struggled with anger, sadness, and emotional disconnection. Exploring art and spending time in nature became essential parts of my healing and catalysts for rebuilding my sense of self.
During nature walks, seeking solitude and peace, I was often unable to escape the sight of waste and discarded human-made debris. I found this deeply upsetting. These sculptures are my attempt to assuage negative feelings and to revalue the discarded. Each work uses some element of balance- the physical act of which helps me solidify my own emotional stability; as I reharmonize found materials with the human form. Rather than imposing a predetermined structure, I listen closely to the thingness of things; responding to the textures, histories, and tensions already present within the objects I collect.
Through reworking what has been cast aside, I aim to create spaces of attention, tenderness, and renewal. At its core, my work is an attempt to find light within loss and balance (beauty) from what remains.
Mary Sullivan, Angler’s Dream
Mary Sullivan, Angler’s Dream
2023
gypsum cement and spray paint
43 x 20 x 24 inches
$1,250
Purchase information:
marys477@gmail.com | 705-328-0317
My proposal is a school of five fish. I created a sculpture of the fish out of clay and made a silicon rubber mold to cast five concrete fish (made of Ultimate Drystone Gypsum cement). They are blue/black with spots (painted with spray paint and sealed). Each fish is attached to varying sized metal poles (up to 4 feet high) and securely attached to a steel platform with bolts that can connect to the installation space.
The Kawartha Lakes is so named because of our many lakes. In fact, Kawartha is an Ojibwe word meaning shining waters. The fish swimming together will be a tribute to the attraction of our area for anglers and anyone who loves nature.
Sculpture Locations
Planter No. 1
Carole Chaloupka Burton, The Dawning Recognition of Fundamental Aloneness & Rosalinde Baumgartner, Hans
Planter No. 2
Mary Sullivan, Angler’s Dream & Jeff van Leeuwen, Untitled 23 // Janus
Planter No. 3
Chance Shermet, Mountain No. 1 & James Cameron Smith, Darner
The FAC would like to give a special shout out to our 2026 sponsors. Thank you so much for your support. We couldn’t do it without you!
Join us for the public launch of
The Downtown Sculpture Project 2026
on Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11 a.m.
at Colborne Street Gallery in Fenelon Falls.
Each artist will speak about their sculpture and art practice followed by a guided walking tour and on-site Q&A.
The submission deadline for the 2026 call has closed.
Please email fenelonarts@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list.
CONTACT AND INQUIRIES
Fenelon Arts Committee
Darcie Kennedy, Chair
fenelonarts@gmail.com