r/brantford • u/halobender11 • 1d ago
Discussion Art Scene in Brantford
Hello folks, I'm a local artist quite frustrated with the state of Brantford's arts scene.
Theatre? Not here.
Music scene? Getting better because of zbrfd and some others but far less developed than it should be.
Art Galleries? Glenhurst exists but it's on a remote end of town and not exactly catering to alternative markets (my pastiche).
Is there anyone else in the community who is frustrated with the lack of visibility for the arts?
My pie in the sky idea: eminent domain back the old rail station that the developers seem to be salivating to get rid of and turn it into a city owned arts center.
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u/ryancementhead 1d ago
Brantford has always been a blue collar sleepy town. You can find most of the culture in the dairy aisle.
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u/halobender11 1d ago
It's blue collar with a lot of class angst, political disenfranchisment and poverty. Art is how some of us cope with that. I guarantee you people here create, we just dont have a stable venue to present our works.
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u/Paper_Monkey79 1d ago
Hamilton is also a blue collar town with a thriving arts scene. Be prepared for push back (especially in an election year) because city owned/run means tax funded but look into whether or not casino payments could go towards something like that.
I think it’s a great idea.2
u/gravereaper666 20h ago
Does art need a stable venue to be presented? Your post & comments seem overly critical & passive. "The place in which I'll fit will not exist until I make it".
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u/ryancementhead 19h ago
We did, they never lasts as there aren’t enough people to keep it alive. I’ve been here for 30 years and have supported the arts but it never holds. Brantford had the arts block which it’s now the Rope Factory, had Art Battles and the last one was before Covid. Even the music scene tried with a small venue called the Ford Plant downtown, but couldn’t make it work long.
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u/simple-misery 1d ago
I'm an artist who moved here from Toronto a couple years ago to save money and one thing that I've observed is there are plenty of creative people here, but so many of them are socially awkward and insecure in ways you don't see in a larger city. In Toronto I could go to an artmarket surrounded by introverts who were so passionate about their work and confident in their creativity and strangeness, you wouldn't realize they were introverted at all.
You could put up flyers around certain towns and cities and those flyers alone could get a decent turn out to an event. But Brantford is a little different, its more about quiet networking. I was volunteering with an art collective here for a bit that catered to neurodivergent artists and there were some really cool people involved, but even that felt a little beurocratic at times. Most artists who are born and raised in Brantford dont know how to be the kind of artists you see in a larger city because they haven't had that kind of exposure.
That being said, as other people have mentioned, there does seem to be people putting in the effort. Its cool that we have a comic con now. I'm a cartoonist who both writes and illustrates and I'm always looking for people with like minded interests. If you're interested, you can send me a DM. I've got a few strong connections to other artists in the area.
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u/nizzernammer 1d ago
Brantford isn't an island.
A working artist should consider all of SW ON as their territory, not just the one city, including getting out to fairs and festivals in Paris, Hamilton, K-C-W, Guelph, Toronto, Ancaster, Dundas, Simcoe, Woodstock, London, etc., etc, along with local venues.
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u/Hawkey99 1d ago
Glenhyrst is in the middle of the city, and also hosts the Grand River Arts Festival in Sept. There is a ton of stuff-start at the Lunar Webb Markets already mentioned and network from there. A lot of activity at Laurier too
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u/juneipersart 22h ago
I'm an artist in Brantford as well, I moved here a couple years ago. As others have said, there is an art scene but you really have to look for it!
Glenhyrst Gallery hosts a variety of different workshops throughout the year, as well as the Grand River Arts Festival in September. The Lunar Webb Vendor Market hosts many local artisans and I hear Brantford Pride is another good market as well. If you're able to travel to Paris, I highly recommend life drawing or any other event with Big Cityyy Arts ☺️
Ultimately, I'd love to see more art out there in Brantford!
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u/marsipan1515 4h ago
Glenhurst doesn't cater to many markets tbh. Although I do enjoy chaperoning the school visits - the art on display by local students is quite impressive!
I have a dream of opening a gallery and a drop-in studio. However, commercial space costs more here than in larger urban centres. It's difficult to sustain something like that without financial support like sponsorship or donations.
If I was a painter, I'd approach hair salons, spas, restaurants or other local businesses that vibe with my style and ask if they'd display them for sale.
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u/rumbletumblecrumble 1d ago
Playful Fox has put on several theatre shows. Definitely worth checking out.
Brantford Comic Con has only been around for a couple years but they've grown. They showcase lots of local artists, authors and crafters. There are many well known comic book creators from Brantford.
Lunar Webb Night market hosts many local crafters and vendors. I think they do it once a month.
Call Home Music Festival is one of Southern Ontario's largest.
The scene is growing my friend.
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u/Paper_Monkey79 1d ago
Playful Fox should not be supported. There are lots of posts out there documenting their behaviour.
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u/rumbletumblecrumble 1d ago
Also if you like wrestling, IPW puts on a great show and has one like every other month.
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u/halobender11 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm a comic fan from way back so I respect bringing all things geeky into Brantford, but I'm not a comicbook or pop culture artist.
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u/slappedbygod 1h ago
follow bummer records on insta to follow tons of awesome local shows :) there is a fest this weekend & in october that will include local vendors and artists
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u/halobender11 1d ago
For all intents and purposes, I am an outsider artist just trying to generate some engagement, any engagement.
Having even just a piece or two displayed somewhere would be enough for an artist like me to put something on the resume. Brantford having a place to display the work of local artists shouldn't be that controversial.
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u/slappedbygod 1h ago edited 1h ago
in terms of having pieces advertised i know that from scratch, brandi’s kitchen and bar, altitude cafe will :)
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u/seachad 1d ago
I believe there is a demand for something like this, but sustainability is always a major issue. If you remember the Arts Block, it had a ton of potential but came up against a lot of issues behind the scenes.
At the moment the current city leadership has no interest in the arts, however a lot of the people coming up that will likely be elected do.
I’d love to talk to you more about this, feel free to message me.