The First Floor Gallery, created to profile the incredible artwork of local artists, opened in January 2015. This exhibition space is located at City Hall, between the Service Barrie and Legislative Services counters. The space is open to the public from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).
The First Floor Gallery provides the City an opportunity to serve the arts sector by profiling the works of local artists and beautifying a public area within City Hall, while providing artists with paid exhibition opportunities.
Are you an artist interested in exhibiting your work? Please refer to The First Floor Gallery guiding principles and application process.
September & October 2025 Exhibit
The Steel Spirit, Stories behind the art that connect communities
There are so many layers to individuals behind their jobs. It’s those layers which build each individual story and those stories that inspire others. Individuals who work in Military, First Responder and Hospital Practitioner services, often see and respond to unique events or deployments. Through both the stress and the enjoyment of the job, people need creative outlets.
Art has been one of the most compelling outlets for individuals in the services, encompassing a wide variety of mediums within which artists can explore their talents. The Steel Spirit Incorporated has become a platform that has continued to grow within Barrie City Hall since 2017. The Steel Spirit organization is honoured to share the stories and talents of individuals within the community who work in the services. In the exhibit, each artist’s contribution is displayed, accompanied by a one-page biography which highlights their experiences in the services as well as the art itself. These exhibits endeavor to show the people behind the uniforms and honour the steel spirit of each artist.
Join us for a one-hour webinar on Wednesday, October 8, in which we hear from four Steel Spirit artists who talk about their art and their stories!
Exhibiting Artists
- Richard Brown
- Brian Lintner
- Trish MacLeod
- Andrea MacLeod
- Lee-Ann LeMesurier
- Marilou Villeneuve-Last
- Aydyn Neifer
- Jarrett Cranston
- Fred Trainor
