Summer 2025 Exhibitions at the Aurora Cultural Centre

Summer at the Aurora Cultural Centre galleries blooms with a bouquet of traditional and multimedia artworks, showcasing the depth, talent, and diversity of our local creatives. On Thursday, July 31, our Summer Hallway pARTy celebrates the opening of three exciting exhibitions within our sun-dappled halls: Streaming by Carol Walthers, From Rocks to Brushstrokes by Rose Zhao 赵寿薇 (Zhào Shòuwēi), and Spirit (of Friendship), a vibrant youth showcase. Festivities continue with a range of artist happenings and events, including the opening of Sabzeh—a multimedia exhibition inspired by Persian carpets and growing sprouts—created by Parisa Sabet, Laura Friedmann, and numerous contributing artists.

Carol Walthers, Turtle Space (2024)

Streaming
Carol Walthers

July 17 – September 14, 2025
Lower Hall Gallery

Streaming, a melding of stream and dreaming, evokes the meditative state of quiet reflective time in nature. Paddle on a quiet pond and be surrounded by thick swaths of lily pads with aquatic life hidden below, as the canoe creates a gentle wake you see under the surface to the myriad of life underneath.

This exhibition encourages us to unplug from the digital media and consider the wetlands and deposits of gravel below—filter agents for our water and essential for our survival. Confronting the irrevocable loss of wetlands and wildlife habitats caused by industrial and urban expansion, the artist poses a vital question: can we still protect our groundwater and conserve these critical ecosystems? Learn more >

Opening Night
Thursday, July 31, 6:30 – 8:30pm (Summer Hallway pARTy)

Closing Talk
Sunday, September 14, 2 – 4pm *Free RSVP required

Photo: Rose Zhao

From Rocks to Brushstrokes: A Geologist’s Artistic Transformation
Rose Zhao 赵寿薇 (Zhào Shòuwēi)

July 31 – October 30, 2025
Great Hall Gallery

Rose Zhao (b. 1937, Rongxian County, China) finds beauty in every corner of the natural world—the rocks and soil of the earth, flowers, plants and animals, her granddaughter’s pet chicken, the deer outside her daughter’s house…

Since taking up painting more than 20 years ago, following her retirement as a geologist, Zhao has completed over 300 works. Her art traces a global map of lived experience, spanning Beijing and Leshan to New York, New Jersey, Toronto, and ultimately, Aurora.

The Aurora Cultural Centre is proud to present a glimpse into Madam Zhao’s remarkable body of work through her first-ever solo exhibition: a visual story of her life and creative journey. Printed materials for the exhibition are available in English and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Learn more >

Opening Night
Thursday, July 31, 6:30 – 8:30pm (Summer Hallway pARTy)

Aurora Farmer’s Market Pop-up
Saturday, July 19, 11am – 1pm

Photo: Olya Glotka

Sabzeh
Parisa Sabet, Laura Friedmann, and contributing artists

August 14 – October 19, 2025
Homeroom Galleries

An immersive convergence of sound, movement, fiber arts, and visuals, Sabzeh invites audiences into a sensorial meditation on growth, resilience, and connection.

Rooted in Persian cultural traditions, Sabzeh features imagery of growing spouts—a key symbol in the celebration of Nowruz—as well as Persian carpets, whose complex patterns reference themes of continuity and collective identity. As visitors move through the space, music and dance pulse, blurring the lines between body, story, and ritual. Sabzeh is not merely seen—it is felt, shared, and remembered.

Sabzeh is inspired by the short story of the same name by Iranian American author Omid Fallahazad. It was created by Parisa Sabet, Laura Friedmann, and supported by numerous contributing artists, designers, choreographers, and technicians. It includes a supporting group exhibition of painting, ceramics, and mixed media works by Bahia Marks, Susan Wood, Teresa Dunlop, and Vicky Talwar in Homeroom Gallery 2. Learn more >

Opening Night
Thursday, August 14 6:30 – 8:30pm

Closing Artist Talk
Sunday, October 19, 11am – 1pm *Free RSVP required

Aurora Cultural Centre
Aurora Town Square
50 Victoria Street, Aurora, ON
This is an accessible venue.
auroraculturalcentre.ca

Gallery Hours
Homeroom Galleries:
Monday – Tuesday, 9am – 4pm
Wednesday, 9am – 7pm
Thursday – Saturday, 9am – 4pm

Lower & Great Hall Galleries:
Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 9pm
Saturday, 8:30am – 6pm
Sunday, 8:30am – 4pm

*Galleries closed on all statuary holidays.

Contact Us
Tel: 905-713-1818
Email: info@auroraculturalcentre.ca
Social: @auroraculturalcentre