Arts and Culture

Dysart et al has a vibrant and rich art and culture community. Whether it's experiencing some of the Public Art & Galleries, enjoying a variety of Music, Theatre and Performing Arts, visiting Museums and Historical Points of Interest or taking a course at the Art School, Fleming College, Haliburton School of Art + Design, there is something for everyone.

Dysart et al boasts many Arts and Cultural Organizations.

Public Art

Public art is showcased throughout Dysart et al providing opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy art in a park, on the street and in the forest. Throughout the hamlets and villages of the municipality enjoy temporary or permanent sculptures such as the annual summer downtown sculpture project, the sculpture forest in Glebe Park and the mural wall of sports heroes on the side of the A.J. LaRue Arena. Public art brings experiences of art outside the traditional gallery setting.

Building a Strong Culturally Vibrant Community

Strong communities understand the past; embrace and enrich the present; and anticipate and plan for the future. With this in mind, the Municipality of Dysart et al began a cultural planning program, with key community partners, in June 2011.  This program complements and enhances the current planning initiatives of the Municipality. Following a dynamic public engagement process, Council adopted the Municipality’s first municipal cultural plan in 2012.

What is a Municipal Cultural Plan

The Municipal Cultural Plan is an economic development plan, which focuses on arts, culture and heritage. The Plan provides direction for cultural planning initiatives over a 10 year planning period, and will be reviewed after 5 years to ensure success. It outlines the strategic directions; the vision and guiding principles; the goals and objectives; and the recommended actions to be undertaken during the planning period. The Plan is designed to coordinate and enhance the actions of the Municipality and community groups. It will be implemented through the actions of the Municipality and supported and advanced by the actions of community partners and stakeholders.

Key Planners

Dysart et al’s cultural planning program is designed as a community based approach.  Implementation of the Municipal Cultural Plan is overseen by the Cultural Resources Committee, which has wide community representation including members from the Municipality, the Haliburton County Development Corporation (HCDC), Fleming College Haliburton School of Art + Design, the Haliburton County Library, the Rails end Gallery and Arts Centre, the Haliburton Highlands Museum, the Arts Council – Haliburton Highlands, the business community, the recreation community, the youth community and the media.

Results Oriented Planning

A vibrant community is a community that residents are proud to live in. The cultural planning program leverages the cultural resources of this community and integrates the potential these resources offer into the strategic, land use, cultural, economic and operational planning systems of the Municipality. It is one more tool that we will use to build a vibrant community, where businesses want to locate and where people will choose to live, visit and invest.