WATER FOR LIFE, INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 2018: Message from Clark Bernat, Culture & Museums Manager, City of Niagara Falls

His Worship, James Diodati, Mayor City of Niagara Falls(RIGHT) Antoine Gaber, Art Director/ Event Curator, “Water for Life” International Art Exhibition(CENTER), Clark Bernat, Culture & Museums Manager, City of Niagara Falls(LEFT) 

Message from Clark Bernat, Culture & Museums Manager, City of Niagara Falls 

For centuries artists have pushed societal boundaries with their choice of subject matter and have challenged the viewer to do the same. Water for Lifewill prod visitors to reflect on the abundance of fresh water that the world famous address of Niagara Falls puts on display every year for millions of people to behold. In partnering with Antoine Gaber, Artistic Director, the Niagara Falls History Museum will explore the theme of water in its first international art exhibition, Water for Life. Working with 37 artists from 18 different countries the artistry in this exhibition will allow audiences to consider the global inequalities of the world’s access to clean water.  Water for Lifeexamines the influence and power of water through painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, and installations.

Niagara Falls, thought to be named from the indigenous word Onguiaahra, meaning “thundering water” is the perfect backdrop to host this exhibition and bring awareness to such an important issue. Thousands of years before Father Hennepin’s first image of the celebrated Niagara Falls was published in the late 17thcentury, stories and legends were told by the Indigenous Peoples of Canada that described the great Falls as a place of spiritual importance. 

Jim Diodati, City of Niagara Falls Mayor and Patron of this exhibition, is thrilled to see artists from around the world use their work to convey the message that water is essential to our very existence. Since the Museum reopened its doors in the summer of 2012 after a significant renovation and expansion, it has offered a wide variety of exhibitions to intrigue, educate and engage visitors. Water for Lifewill ask audiences to recognize and appreciate the benefits of fresh water that can so easily go unnoticed.

Clark Bernat
Suzanne Moase
Niagara Falls Museums