Transit Pass

Transit Pass was a project presented by the Union Gallery in Kingston, ON under the direction of Jocelyn Purdie and project coordinator Christine Dewancker. It used transit in Kingston as site and context for public art projects. For this project, three artists reflect on transit used in Kingston, how it effects the experience of the city, and new ways to shape this experience.

The exhibition ran from September 14-21st, 2012 and audiences were invited to a discussion of the projects on the Wolfe Island Ferry.

One of the objectives for this project was to introduce the work of emerging artists into everyday spaces of Kingston. Creating artwork that exists outside of traditional sites, such as galleries, can be a stimulating experience for artists who have to consider new contexts and new and unexpected audiences for their work. This project also invited residents to visit the installations and use the city transit systems.

Heather Smith’s project Kingston Tour Series took place on the Kingston Transit buses and took viewers on an alternative tour of Kingston, showcasing uncelebrated landmarks of the city. The drawings took the form of tourist postcards and advertising. Heather used the transit system of the bus to direct audiences to these Kingston landmarks; transforming the city buses into small tour buses for local travelers.

Neven Lochhead’s installation, Proximity Wash was located on a unique transportation vehicle in Kingston – the Wolfe Island Ferry. This installation highlighted the process of waiting in transit as an essential step before for the eventual travel. Through audio and performance, it explored the experience of proximity through sound.

Phoebe Cohoe’s sculptural installation, Untitled (Car with String) raised questions about our car culture in Kingston. Located at 601 Princess St. in a section of Kingston that contributed to Kingston’s automotive industry for many years, Cohoe’s used this site as context to both idolize the symbol of the car while commenting on our need to consider industrial shortcomings.

Thank you to artist mentor Julie Fiala who worked with the artists on the development and realization of their projects. Fiala is a French-Canadian artist and researcher interested in performance art, forms of cultural activism and community arts.

The gallery also greatly appreciated support from the following: the City of Kingston and Kingston Transit, Varsity Properties, The Ministry of Transportation, Coach Canada, KIMCO, the Wolfe Island Business and Tourism Association and the Island Grill Restaurant on Wolfe Island.

Participating Artist Works

Neven Lochead

Heather Smith

Phoebe Cohoe