Town of Oakville brings community-inspired art to transform Kerr Street for Culture Days 2024

‘We are Kerr’ project receives My Main Street support to draw visitors and increase local vibrancy in Oakville

The Town of Oakville is pleased to announce its ‘We Are Kerr’ project was selected to receive up to $21,000, through My Main Street Community Activator stream, to bring parts of Kerr Street to life this fall with vibrant, community-inspired art installations and workshops.

This initiative will activate two key areas on Kerr Street — Heritage Square (Kerr Village Square) and Normandy Parkette — through a series of temporary public art activities celebrating Culture Days 2024, running from September 20 to October 13, 2024.

Art installations and activities:

• Heritage Square Ground Mural: Artist Yen Linh Thai will create a temporary ground mural on the pavement at Heritage Square. 
• Public Art Banners: Four local artists — Asli Alin, Catherine Cachia, CM Duffy and Natalie Very B, will design eight banners to be displayed along Kerr Street near Heritage Square and Normandy Parkette.
• Artist-Painted Benches: Six artist-painted benches by Kayla Whitney will be placed at both Heritage Square and Normandy Parkette.
• Traffic Signal Box Wrap: The traffic signal box at the intersection of Kerr and Florence Streets will be wrapped in a design by artist Mekayla Dionne.
• Hands-on art activities: As part of Culture Days, artists will lead two interactive workshops on Saturday, October 5 by Oakville artists Maria Elena Martoglio and Maryna Salagub inviting community members to engage directly with the public art process.

Visit Oakville’s Culture Days page for more information about the ‘We Are Kerr’ project and upcoming events.

My Main Street is built on the principle of supporting community economic development and creating vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods where residents from all backgrounds can benefit, enjoy and feel safe in their communities and on their main streets. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), and is supported by a Government of Canada investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to foster the stabilization and revitalization of main streets across southern Ontario. 

Visit the the My Main Street website to learn more about the program.

Quotes

"This fall, residents and visitors can look forward to art installations in vibrant Kerr Village. These artistic displays not only enhance our public spaces, but also foster a stronger sense of community by involving residents in the creative process."
- Rob Burton, Mayor of Oakville

“‘We are Kerr’ is one of the many impactful placemaking projects happening across Ontario’s main streets thanks to the federal government’s investment in My Main Street Community Activator projects. Placemaking supports healthy, vibrant main streets and millions of Ontarians who live and work around them. The Town of Oakville has been empowered to leverage community activations on their main street to create a hub of social and economic activity, setting long term change in motion.” 
- Mary W. Rowe, CEO and President, Canadian Urban Institute

“Oakville’s ‘We Are Kerr’ project is a fantastic art installation that will increase foot traffic along the street while supporting local shops. The Government of Canada is pleased to support this project through our My Main Street program, delivered by CUI, that is bringing new life to our main streets and creating local jobs.” 
- The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“An important part of Oakville, ’We are Kerr’ is fostering community spirit and collaboration while also showcasing local talent and strengthening connections among residents and businesses. The Government of Canada is investing in projects like this, through My Main Street, to support vibrant local economies and ensure projects like ‘We are Kerr’ can continue to unite our communities.”
- The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Transport, President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Oakville

Associated links

• Culture Days featuring “We are Kerr”
• My Main Street 
• Canadian Urban Institute
• FedDev Ontario