Spider Secrets weaves art in the park in time for Halloween

The City of Guelph has partnered with The Downtown Theatre Project, Royal City Musical Productions Inc., and Guelph Little Theatre to bring art to the park with a spider-themed installation at Exhibition Park.

The section of trail at the south end of the park, along London Road, will be animated by artistic and educational spider scenes under a canopy of webs.

The aim of the installation, besides giving theatre professionals a chance to engage with the community after months of dark stages due to COVID-19, is to appreciate and highlight nature through art.

Paul Barson of The Downtown Theatre Project has been a key player in the initiative. “We worked with the City earlier in 2021 to install scenes from popular stage productions along the Riverside Park Skate Trail,” explains Barson. “Winter Woodland Theatre was a great success and we’re excited to see the community’s reaction to this new fall installation. Thanks go out to the dedicated and resourceful team of theatre volunteers who pulled the project together, and to Guelph Twines for their generous support.”

The City’s Culture Department works to creatively enliven public space and broaden the community’s experience of the arts through temporary installations like these.

“It’s been a dark couple of years on stages, and a challenging time for artists and for the community,” says Tammy Adkin, manager of Museums and Culture for the City of Guelph. “We hope this installation encourages the community to play, explore, and find some joy.”

Onsite signage includes QR codes which take viewers to a webpage on guelph.ca with different spider-species photos and facts. Spider Secrets will remain on display until early December.

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