Ward 8 candidate Kyle McCall says he has no shortage of answers when it comes to telling his friend and family about what's going on in Greater Sudbury.
“My favourite thing to tell them about is that in a few short years, our downtown core has become an urban art gallery, featuring works by artists literally only a handful of other cities on Earth can claim to have,” McCall writes.
“The folks behind the Up Here Festival have established Sudbury as one of North America’s leading urban art communities, and deserve a ton of credit for their work.
“Mining has and always been what we’re known best for, but our art is becoming a close second.”
The city's arts scene encompasses more than just music, painting and theatre, he writes.
“It includes our local design firms that are the brains behind brands you’d recognize both here locally, and across Canada. It’s the many Makers creating one-of-a-kind crafts available at our market or in a handful of boutique stores, and the booming film/tv industry that has quickly made our city a destination for all sorts of productions.”
Full text of McCall's release:
When my family and friends from out of town ask “what’s going on in Sudbury?” I have no shortage of answers. My favourite thing to tell them about is that in a few short years our downtown core has become an urban art gallery, featuring works by artists literally only a handful of other cities on Earth can claim to have.
The folks behind the Up Here Festival have established Sudbury as one of North America’s leading urban art communities, and deserve a ton of credit for their work. Mining has and always been what we’re known best for, but our art is becoming a close second.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have the vibrant arts & culture scene we do. Fueled by some extremely talented people, our creative industry is thriving and employs more Sudburians than you might think. This encompasses more than just music, painting, and theatre.
It includes our local design firms that are the brains behind brands you’d recognize both here locally, and across Canada. It’s the many Makers creating one-of-a-kind crafts available at our market or in a handful of boutique stores, and the booming film/tv industry that has quickly made our City a destination for all sorts of productions.
And there’s more! We have a school of architecture that in a very short time has already had a tremendous impact on our urban design, bringing all sorts of new thinking and bright minds into our community.
There are theater companies, award winning artists, and all sorts of events and festivals. I am personally involved in the organizing of two such events, CHARGED a design and tech event, and the Northern Game Design Challenge. Both bring together our arts community and our tech community, which is really exciting.
Some of the most successful cities in the world are the ones that have a thriving arts scene and tech sector. They are sources of inspiration for one another, leading to creative solutions and new innovations. We need to continue to nurture this growing collaboration, which is why it’s important that the city continues to be a patron of the arts. It creates jobs and economic activity, drawing tourists into our community, and creates a vibrant city worth living in.
To continue to thrive, council needs to value the arts and be ambassadors themselves to draw attention to the great things happening in our city. I will be champion of our arts community and work to ensure its recognized for the impact it has on our city.
Kyle McCall is a candidate for Ward 8. To learn more check out www.mccallward8.com.
