The Little Free Art Gallery celebrates creativity at Town Park in Aurora

Community is invited to take and share masterpieces and works of art

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 9, 2023
Melissa Wallace

Paintings, coloured rocks, and decoupage are some of the miniature art pieces that will inspire and provoke thought at the Little Free Art Gallery at Town Park in Aurora.

Housed in a standalone brown cabinet near the fork in the path along Wells Street, the gallery offers a glass window display that encourages passersby to stop, reflect, and build community through the free exchange of art.

“The Little Free Art Gallery is a way to introduce the community to art in public places and animate one of the town’s most well-used and celebrated public spaces, Town Park,” said Phil Rose, manager of cultural services for the Town of Aurora. “(The gallery) celebrates creativity in Aurora and provides an opportunity for the community to enjoy and share art.”

Clarissa M. Lewis, an artist who sometimes works under the pseudonym, The Stealth Art Collective, introduced the town to the Little Free Art Gallery concept. Based on the Little Free Libraries idea, where the public is invited to take a book and/or leave a book, the Little Free Art Gallery can be opened to allow the public to contribute a piece of art or take one.

The gallery was installed in September 2022 to correspond with the launch of Culture Days in Aurora. Through communal art, the public can appreciate the beauty of personal expression and thoughtful creations in an accessible format. A second Little Free Art Gallery has been built and will be installed in the spring.

To contribute a piece of art, according to town guidelines, ensure content is respectful and appropriate for all ages, use non-toxic materials, and keep your piece within three inches (7.5 cm) by three inches in size.

Visitors to the Little Free Art Gallery are invited to share a photo of their visit or art piece by tagging the Town of Aurora on social media and using #LittleFreeArtGalleryAurora.