The Gallery is putting down new roots on Thunder Bay’s waterfront and growing! To celebrate this exciting change and the natural beauty that surrounds us, last April we launched The Growing Gallery, a collaborative artwork coordinated by local artist and educator Wenshan Diao and created by our community.
Thunder Bay is a place of lakes, mountains, trees, flowers, snow and wildlife. Inspired by our stunning landscape, we invited residents, students, and visitors to design a simple pattern or shape that is inspired by our region: a leaf from a favourite tree, a blooming flower, or even an imagined motif. Each contribution, no matter how small, contributes to forming to a larger, unified piece.
This project centres community and connection to create art. When individual panels come together, they form something special, reflecting the creativity and spirit of our community. We hope you will find your mark in the larger composition, see resonance with this place, take pride in your creativity, and share the joy of making something together.
Wenshan Diao, Community Educator
Wenshan Diao has been helping bring The Growing Gallery to life throughout 2025, guiding community art-making for the project at events like Family Art Days, Live on the Waterfront, and the Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Originally from China and now living in Thunder Bay, Wenshan is an artist and curator with a passion for connecting people through creativity. She earned her MFA in Shanghai and has exhibited widely, curated projects for public and private spaces, and worked in sound design. Since moving to Thunder Bay in 2019, she has shared her talents locally through exhibitions and cultural programs.
Creative Aging: A Year of Creativity, Connection, and Community
Over the past year, with the support of the Thunder Bay Community Foundation, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery has revitalized several community-focused programs. These free opportunities to engage in meaningful, arts-based activities have made a real impact. We have welcomed hundreds of individuals of all ages, fostering creativity, wellness, and connection.
This exhibition, Creative Aging: A Year of Creativity, Connection, and Community, brings together artworks generously shared by program participants. It celebrates the many ways we connect to art and each other, recognizing that everyone experiences art differently.
Some build relationships through making art together. Others create as a private outlet. For some, art is a way of speaking or storytelling. And many simply come to the Gallery to see what is on the walls, contemplate , or have fun trying something new.
As we work toward an intergenerational love of art, Creative Aging: A Year of Creativity, Connection, and Community reflects the Gallery’s mission. We are here to create accessible programming that celebrates diversity and encourages lifelong engagement with the arts.
No matter how you make, view, or experience art—thank you for being here and sharing this journey with us.
Staff Bio: Erin Szturm joined the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in 2024 through an NOHFC internship supporting our Education and Community Engagement programs. She now continues with us as our Community Engagement Educator. You will often find Erin leading Family Art Days, Creative Aging, and Seniors in Studio programs, or out in the community sharing her love of art and building connections.
Erin earned her BFA from the University of Ottawa, specializing in painting and drawing. Alongside her work at the Gallery, she maintains her own artistic practice as an oil painter, exploring environment themes throughout her art.
