St. Catharines art institute seeking public opinion moving forward

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Published August 24, 2022 at 9:59 am

The Rodman Art Institute of Niagara is looking for some public input moving forward.

First established in 1960, using the former home of Thomas Rodman Merritt, which in turn was built in 1856, Rodman Hall was the Niagara Region’s premier art gallery with a mandate to exhibit contemporary artists and to collect their work.

Due to the fact it was located on their property, Brock University undertook the management and ownership of Rodman Hall Arts Centre in 2003 following an agreement with St. Catharines.

In 2015, a money crunch forced the University to revisit its commitment to Rodman Hall and by 2020, it had made the decision to sell the gallery and the property to a local developer.

Now the massive collection, housed by the gallery, will be physically moving and that’s where the public input comes in.

“We are undertaking a community consultation process with the support of the City of St. Catharines to build upon Rodman Hall Art Centre’s 60 year legacy,” said the institute. “We are seeking your input as we chart a path forward to re-establish this important public institution.”

To that end, they have released a survey for arts-minded community members to fill out on line. Residents can find it HERE.