Arts & Culture

On behalf of the City of Cambridge, the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee commissioned Pierre Poussin to create an original public art piece as part of commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the City.  

The completed artwork was installed in June 2025.  

Location: Fountain Street Soccer Complex

Concept Statement: 

The Sheave Tower, an enduring beacon of innovation and discovery, stands proudly as a testament to the rich history and indomitable spirit of our region. Rooted in Ontario’s pioneering hydroelectric legacy and renowned as one of the world’s smallest hydroelectric generating sites, has left a profound impression on me.  With the Cambridge Public Art competition offering a platform to celebrate its 50^th Anniversary, I am driven to create a monumental landmark that pays homage to the tower’s awe- inspiring history.

The concept connects the past and present, emphasizing the Sheave Tower’s significance in the area’s development.

The conceptual approach revolves around a sculpture that honours the original Sheave Tower’s shape and scale. By utilizing the tower’s distinct vertical ridges and outlines, the artwork would be created to help honour the City of Cambridge’s rich heritage and pioneering spirit. Creating an open-framed sculpture would create a piece that constantly plays with dynamic contrasts of light and shadow, positive and negative space, between day and night.  From every angle, it would compel the viewer’s perspectives, weaving an optical illusion that oscillates between a sense of transparency and opacity.

To further enhance the open qualities of the artwork, some facades have been kept open to highlight the tower’s unique shape, outlines and frame. Opening walls also creates a much more accessible public artwork which can be accessed from numerous directions.

In 2008, artist and winner of a national competition, Stephen Cruise, created the indigena domain public art in front of Cambridge City Hall. This piece of work is a polished granite sculpture, honouring the founding communities of Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Blair.

In 2018, the City of Cambridge installed a digital projection system to display light shows on the facade of the Old Post Office building located at 12 Water Street South.  These shows have quickly become a community attraction and run nightly (Thursday to Sunday) throughout the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Holiday Season. Content is scheduled to change seasonally and is appropriate for all ages.

Thank you to the Tourism Relief Fund for the funding that allowed for new creative content that can be used now and into the future!

Tune your car radio to FM 92.5 to listen to the music that has been choreographed with the show.

Please note:  Some shows may have strobe light type effects that may be disorienting to some residents. 

Located on Grand Avenue, between Main and Concession streets, the Cambridge Sculpture Garden is in the heart of downtown Galt City Centre. The garden features temporary and permanent sculptures along the river walk.

Assorted locations downtown Galt, and behind 800 Franklin Ave, Cambridge.

• The Indigenous Reconciliation Youth Art Project’, D3 building, 34 Ainslie St. S; Cambridge ON N1R 3K1
• Galt Wings’, Art of Home 11 Ainslie St S, Cambridge, ON N1R 3J9 Post it on social media using the hashtag #GaltWings to share your photo with others!
• Vintage sign advertising Pandora Range from McClary’s Stove, Main Street and Ainslie Street.
• Whale image by Bart Smeets 27 Water St N, Cambridge, ON N1R 3B2: in the parking lot, behind a building at Water Street and Dickson Street.
• G5 Dickson St. public parking lot: between Water Street and Ainslie Streets
• The Founders’, by Michele Jones; Petty Place and Dickson Road, features William Dickson & Absalom Shade, who cleared wilderness to prepare for settlers in Galt and Dumfries Township.
• Woodworker's mural by Michele Jones, to the left of the entrance to the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, 60 Dickson St Cambridge, ON N1R 8N1.
• Dan Roberts Mural: Behind the Cambridge Centre for the Arts; access mural on Wellington Street.
• Tectonic Surface’, by Stephanie Boutari, Bread Factory building parking lot, 7 Grand Ave S., Cambridge ON N1S 2L3. Her other mural located on the rear wall at 800 Franklin Ave, Cambridge, ON N1R 7Z1 (Franklin Blvd and Avenue Road)

Assorted locations in Preston Town Centre and Riverside Park, Preston; Most are walking distance from each other.

• Mural of Memories’, by Dave Sofa, on the side of the RBC building, 637 King St E, Cambridge, ON N3H 3N7
• Sun’ by Ean Kools, between RBC building and 639 King St E. Cambridge, ON N3H 3N6
• Woodworkers’ mural by Michele Jones, on the side of Allan Reuter Centre, 507 King St E, Cambridge, ON N3H 3N4, access mural from King Street parking lot
• Riverside 'Graffiti wall' at the Riverside Rails Skateboard Park in Riverside Park, 49 King St W, Cambridge, ON N3H 1B5

• Hespeler 'Graffiti Alley’, is an evolving, living mural display, at 11 Queen St E, Cambridge, ON N3C 2A7. Guelph Ave is a seasonal mural production. Other murals can be spotted in the alleys and behind/beside buildings, and in parking lots. As well as 27 Cooper Street (not far from Cooper and Queen). All locations are close and walkable.

Saturdays, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
56 Dickson Street Cambridge, ON N1R 1T8

Learn about the history of fire service in the City of Cambridge and its surrounding areas.

McDougall Cottage
McDougall Cottage is an 1858 granite and limestone labourer's cottage located in downtown Galt's historic factory district. The museum hosts a variety of special events celebrating Scottish heritage and features beautiful pocket-sized gardens and spectacular hand-painted friezes and trompe l'oeil ceilings. 

The Company of Neighbours has the largest collection of archival materials related to Hespeler's history. Now called the Hespeler Heritage Centre, the building is actually Old Hespeler's Town Hall.

THEMUSEUM is a museum that shares ideas and experience by presenting cultural content from around the globe in new and interesting ways. The five-floor building features exhibits related to art, science, culture and technology. 

The Waterloo Region Museum is the largest community museum in Ontario! The main gallery features the story of Waterloo Region. The feature gallery displays various local and travelling exhibits. Waterloo Region Museum is also the entrance to Doon Heritage Village.

Formerly known as The Dunfield Theatre, The Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge offers great live theatre all-year-round. The theatre hosts events presented by Drayton Entertainment, private performances and events by other presenters.

Formerly the Galt Little Theatre, the Cambridge Community Players offers a number of theatre performances for the community to enjoy.

The Cookies and Kids Family Theatre is a family-friendly theatre program offered by the Cambridge Centre for the Arts.