Jessica Foley
Kingstonist
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025

A new participatory art installation, supported by the City of Kingston Arts Fund and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and featuring contributions from local artists, is open to the public until Thanksgiving weekend 2025.

“Step into a shipping container and find yourself transported from the world of global commodities into a glowing, immersive woodland,” organizers of the project said in a media release, noting the exhibit is family friendly.

The Clearing, a new interactive art installation by Kingston artists Marney McDiarmid and Clelia Scala, invites visitors of all ages to explore with a flashlight in hand.

“As beams of light pass across delicate ceramic and paper sculptures, some pieces are so thin they glow from within, creating a sense of wonder and discovery,” organizers illustrated.According to the release, the project takes inspiration from the wilderness practice of the “sit spot” — a mindfulness ritual of sitting quietly in nature to observe. Visitors are also invited to participate in the artwork by shredding old letters, journals, or notes, and adding them to the landscape as an act of regeneration.

The Clearing features contributions from acclaimed poet Sadiqa de Meijer, sound artist Matt Rogalsky, and muralist Lee Stewart. Together, the installation combines sculpture, poetry, sound, and community participation to reimagine a shipping container as a living ecosystem, according to the release.

The installation, which runs until Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at the off-site Agnes location, 207 Stuart Street, is free to the public and open during the following hours:

• Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thursday: 12 to 8 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday: 1 to 4 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 to 4 p.m.

“We wanted to create a space that slows people down, that sparks delight and play,” said co-creator Marney McDiarmid.
“It’s a chance to reconnect with the childlike wonder in all of us.”

More details on The Clearing and its artists are available on the Agnes website.