Public Invited To Witness Creation of Large-Scale Installation At Quest

Quest Art School + Gallery is inviting the public into a rarely-seen stage of exhibition-making on May 13

Amy Bagshaw's installation.Supplied photo

On May 13, Quest Art School + Gallery is opening the doors to a rarely seen part of the exhibition process, inviting the public to witness the creation of a large-scale, site-specific installation in real time. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors are welcome to drop into the Upper Gallery at the Midland Cultural Centre to experience a performative textile installation by artist Amy Bagshaw, guest artist for the upcoming Seen | Unseen exhibition by the October Collective.

Working directly within the gallery space, Bagshaw will transform cotton thread into a dynamic sculptural form, weaving in and around the architecture to map the corner it inhabits. The process itself is central to the work. Through repeated, choreographed gestures, Bagshaw’s movements become part of the piece, blurring the line between artist, artwork and environment.

This open, drop-in experience offers a unique opportunity to engage with the artist, ask questions and gain insight into what happens between exhibitions, a time when artists, curators, staff and volunteers come together to shape what the public will soon see on display.

“Amy’s work invites people to slow down and truly witness the act of creation,” said Sarah Hancock, programmer and curator at Quest Art School + Gallery. “There’s something incredibly powerful about pulling back the curtain and allowing the community to be part of that process. It transforms the gallery from a place where art is simply viewed into a space where it is actively experienced, questioned and brought to life in real time.”

“The intention of site-specific installation is to move beyond a screen-mediated experience and highlight the importance of the viewer, space and art relationships born within the gallery itself,” said artist Amy Bagshaw. “I love engaging with the public in this physically demanding installation process as they witness the sculpture form and expand as time progresses.”

Bagshaw is an artist, professor and coordinator in the School of Design and Visual Art at Georgian College. She also serves as director of The Campus Gallery, where she curates and writes on artists, equity and education. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she has completed public art commissions for the City of Barrie and Alliston, Ont.

This installation offers an early glimpse into Seen | Unseen, an upcoming exhibition that explores the relationship between external environments and internal reflections. Seen | Unseen will open at Quest on Friday, May 15, and will be on display until Friday, July 3.

Event Details: What: Performative textile installation by Amy Bagshaw When: May 13, 2026 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (drop-in) Where: Upper Gallery, second floor, Midland Cultural Centre

Visitors are encouraged to stop in at any time throughout the day to experience the work as it unfolds.

For more information, visit https://www.questart.ca/quest-events or contact Sarah Hancock at programmer@questart.ca.

Feature Courtesy of Dave Dawson

For Midland Today