Cambridge Celebration of the Arts takes place each year, for one evening in June. 

For more than 20 years, the event has showcased local artists and their visual, literary, and performing arts talent. The event attracts approximately 5,000 people to City Hall and surrounding area. 

Mark your calendars & join us next year on Friday, June 14 from 5-10 p.m. at Cambridge City Hall, 50 Dickson Street.

In 2023, we had more than 40 professional artists on display, with three separate stages.  

Congratulations to our 2023 winners!

Juror's Choice Award - Ginny Carnevale

People's Choice Award - Anne Blain

Cambridge 50th Award - Laura Cook

People's Choice Award - Junior Visual Arts Competition - Preston High School - Finley Ancich

Visual Artists - City Hall Atrium

ArtistMedium
Gordy Ess Painting
Wesley Booker Sculptures
Jim Blomfield Photography
Suzanne Crichton Textile
Ginny Carnevale Drypoint/Linocut Prints
Meredith Walls Digital Photography
Liz Skelton Painting
Anne Blain Glass Mosaic & Painting
Brenda Hunniford Acrylic Painting & Mixed Media
Angelique Garnham Oil on canvas & gouache on paper
Vanessa Pejovic Digital Photography
Pieter Zantinge Painting
Amy Axmith Acrylic Painting
Margarita Kuznetsova Pen ink on paper
Valerie Thomson Mono print & acrylic painting
Laura Cook Digital Photography
Deb Mowatt Acrylic Painting
Coleen & Jeff Heal Sculpture, Mixed Media
John De Boer Metal sculpture
Preston High School Mixed media
St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School Mixed media
Galt Collegiate Institute Vocational School Mixed media

Stage Schedules

Main Stage - Civic Square

TimeArtist
5:00 PM Culinary Artist - Bob Friesen
5:30 PM Mayor Jan Liggett - Greetings
5:40 PM Hayley Verrall - Performing Artist
6:15 PM Living Room for Small - Performing Artist
6:45 PM Empty Hours - Performing Artists
7:30 PM Erick & Christa - Acrobats
8:00 PM Koi Getson - Performing Artist
8:45 PM Madison Galloway - Performing Artist
9:30 PM The Boys and I - Performing Artist


Market Stage - McIntyre Place

TimeArtist
5:30 PM Cambridge Youth Orchestra - Youth Performing Artist
6:00 PM Trent Laros - Youth Performing Artist
6:30 PM Emi-Lee Small - Performing Artist
7:00 PM Element Dance - Youth Performing Artist
7:30 PM Cambridge Symphony Orchestra - Performing Artist
8:15 PM Jeff Beadle - Performing Artist
8:45 PM Mandippal - Performing Artist
9:15 PM Cambridge Concert & Jazz Band- Performing Artist

Literary Arts Stage - Old City Hall - Gallery 2nd Floor

TimeArtist
6:00 PM Barb Day 
6:30 PM Scott Hasey-Koufis
7:00 PM Becky Alexander
7:30 PM Valerie Thomson
8:00 PM Bill Ashwell


 What to expect at the celebration

  • Want to know what a typical night at the Cambridge Celebration of the Arts is like? Watch our video or Rogers tv clips from 2022 to find out! 
  • Come hungry! Food trucks and restaurants will be on-site. The event is also licensed. 
  • Two free parking lots are available - Beverly/Wellington Street Parking Lot & Cambridge City Hall Parking Lot

Food Trucks & Restaurants

Thirteen

Bombay Sizzler

Heavenly Dreams Ice Cream

Los Rolling Tacos

Born2Eat

Event accessibility

  • If you require accessible accommodations, please contact event staff prior to the event
  • Washrooms are accessible
  • Accessible drop off area will be available off of Cambridge Street
  • Bus routes are nearby.  Use the Grand River Transit website to plan your route. 

Volunteer

Are you interested in volunteering at the event? Email the Recreation Coordinator or call 519-623-1340 ext 4277 for more information.

Thank you to our sponsors and media partners for their generous support!

Sponsors
   

TD Bank Group

toyota manufacturing logo

Racolta, Jensen Chartered Accountants
Media Partners
  

Cambridge Times

Rogers TV

2023 Jurors

The jurors provide their expertise to support the selection of the artists who are featured in the the event as well as the winner of the Juror’s Choice Award. 

Performing Arts Juror - Vanessa De Freitas

 

 

Performing Arts Juror

Vanessa is a graduate from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music from 2008. She also holds a Diploma of Applied Arts in Vocal Music from Mohawk College from 2006. Vanessa is classically trained in both voice and piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music along with college and university. She also has vocal training in jazz, pop/rock and musical theater styles.  

Vanessa has performed KW Philharmonic Youth choir and Symphony 2001 – 2002 as well with The Roanoke Symphony Choir, The Roanoke Opera 2009 – 2011 in Virginia, USA. A former member of Brantford based Vanessa was choral scholar with St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waterloo from 2013 - 2018. She is a former member of Brantford based choir Arcady Ensemble, and was one of their 2016/2017 Emerging Young Artists.

Vanessa has starred in several local musicals including The Secret Garden, Grease with Believe Musical Theater, and more recently Kitchener Waterloo Musical Production’s (KWMP) Titanic, Lost and Found Theater’s Hello Dolly, JM Drama’s Evita and KWMP’s Jesus Christ Superstar. 

Vanessa holds several Kiwanis Festival Awards in both Voice & Piano. Vanessa takes much pride and joy in teaching music to a variety of age groups for over 19 years. She has been teaching voice and piano at Sherwood since 2012 and is now the lessons manager/coordinator. She lives by the quote “Music is not what I do, it’s who I am.”

 

Literary Arts Juror - Patricia Helen Oliver

 

Literary Arts Juror

Patricia Helen Oliver was born in Abercraf, Wales. She has a Master’s degree in Health with a minor in English from the University of Western Ontario. She lives in Cambridge, Ontario. 

The Gynesaurs (novel) 

Longlisted for the 2018 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour (top ten in Canada)

Cassmates Alumni Newsletter (2016 – present) 

Columnist – Patricia Delicia’s Titbits and Tattles

Life in a Nutshell (2018) – personal essay, published in the Globe and Mail. 

Eden Mills Festival (2019) – member of the opening night reading panel 

Leacock Matters Newsletter (2018) “Never a Dull Moment”, Gala Edition

Writer’s Undercover Anthology (1994 – 2000) - Cambridge Writers Collective – prize winner and contributor.

A Grand Gift of Laughter Anthology (2000) – contributor, Musings of a Frog Prince, Ground Zero, Bacchanalia.

Visual Arts Juror - Tania Hanscom

Visual Arts Juror

A painting is not only a tribute and a remembrance; It is a testament to how we loved and lived.  The Figure was my first love - The human landscape.  My goal is to connect with the subject and show the many aspects of them. I will often paint the same model (human or other), multiple times, in a series.

I work mainly with acrylic paints but also love to draw in ink.  When travelling, I bring my pen and watercolour travel kit and always come away with some great little pieces; memories, painted en plein air.

I enjoy developing new pieces from my own ideas and observations.  It is truly a beautiful world.

Tania has studied studio art and art history at The University of Waterloo and continues to learn through workshops, courses, experimentation and one on one with fine artists.

Tania was Nominated for the Beatrice Adams Award in 2017.

2013 Cambridge Celebration of the Arts, Juried show

2013 Grand Cafe, Solo Show

2013 The Many Faces of Cambridge Project

2014 - 2018 Visual Arts Coordinator for CMCA

2014 Installer, It Starts Here: Art Fair "Delightfully Diverse", Clay and Glass Museum, Kitchener

2014 Artline Salon, Waterloo Belmont Village, Solo Show

2014 & 2016  Gallery M, Group Show

2016 Robertson Gallery, Group Show

2016 Cambridge Centre of the Arts, Juried Show

2017 Live painting and auction, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Best Bites Event

2017 A Day in the District Event, Cambridge Gas Light District Pop up Gallery

2017 & 2018 Cambridge Studio Tour

2018 Solo Show Monogram Cafe

2018 Button Factory Juried Show

2021 9 Alone Show, The Chapel Studio, Roseville

2019 Best Media Magazine Profile Story

Committee Members

We are currently seeking committee members for the positions of Vendor Coordinator and Food & Beverage Coordinator. If interested please email the Recreation Coordinator or call 519-623-1340 ext 4277.

ResponsibilityName
Staff Liaison/Chair Leanne Bond
Performing Arts Coordinators Dennis Napper & Kristine Dearlove
Promotions/Social Media Coordinators Greg Wilson & Deanna Wells
Visual Arts Coordinator Carol Walthers
Volunteer Coordinator Robert Pham & Darlene Radu
Literary Arts Coordinator Jill Harrington-Fox
Youth Visual Arts Coordinator

Ingrid Talpak

Marketing Coordinator Margie McLean