Art in the ….

In the summer of 2025, Viz Saraby, Mikael Sandblom and Nisa Cornforth initiated Art in the Wild in Meaford. It began as a celebration of curiosity, creativity and community, a one-evening event when the familiar Georgian Trail was transformed into an open-air gallery. More than 30 local artists and two musicians scattered work through trees, along fences and across the landscape, turning nature itself into exhibition space. Visitors wandered the trail, discovering installations tucked into unexpected corners and stopping to chat with the artists. It invited people to look twice at both art and its environment.

That idea continued to evolve in 2026 with Art in the Pews, held at Christ Church Anglican in Meaford. Eighteen artists from Grey Bruce and Toronto brought contemporary art into the historic church, using its architecture, atmosphere and stories as a setting for an unconventional exhibition. Alongside the artwork were performances, historical stories and opportunities for visitors to participate. Like Art in the Wild, the event encouraged people to encounter art somewhere they might not normally expect to find it, while creating connections between artists, place and community.

Together, the two events have helped establish a model for taking contemporary art beyond conventional gallery walls and placing it in direct conversation with its surroundings.

Presented by GUM Gallery, Art in the… will continue to evolve, taking on a new location each year and allowing each setting to shape the art, the experience and the conversation. The next chapter will continue to place emphasis on site-specific and conceptual work that pushes beyond the traditional exhibition format: art that responds to place, questions context and invites meaningful engagement with both environment and audience. While the show will continue to nurture connection and community, the emphasis will shift toward experiences that provoke conversation and expand how we think about art in the landscape.

Whether you’re a seasoned art enthusiast or simply curious about new ways of seeing, Art in the … promises to be inventive and adventurous, where art is quite literally a little off the beaten path.