Waterfront Projects
Arts, Culture & Heritage Working Group
Saint John has a rich and vibrant Arts community. From upscale Galleries to funky studios; from collectibles and antiques to modern art, the numerous forms of art combine to offer an interesting and dynamic experience. Theatrical and musical performances are abundant at the Imperial Theatre and Harbour Station with Saint John Theatre Company and Symphony New Brunswick calling the Imperial Theatre home. The restored Imperial Theatre is nationally recognition as one of the country’s best performance venues. As well, the Saint John Arts Centre located in the historic Carnegie building is a community managed facility providing versatile space for visual and performing artists.
Artists find Saint John and specifically uptown Saint John an intriguing and stimulating environment to cultivate their work. There are many artists’ studios and galleries in the downtown core including the New Brunswick Museum, the oldest continually operating museum in Canada. Uptown Saint John is home to both accomplished and emerging artists and many art galleries can be found throughout the uptown making it one of the highest per capita concentrations of art galleries in the country.
Saint John has a rich tapestry of culture visible in the many historic buildings and public spaces found in the area. This large nationally significant stock of heritage buildings, comprising several city blocks, provides unique photo opportunities, a wealth of century plus architecture, and an unforgettable experience of streetscapes rarely seen anywhere else in Atlantic Canada.
The New Brunswick Museum’s waterfront location helps to tell the story of New Brunswick and Saint John and is one of the top provincial tourism attractions. Experience history, natural sciences, decorative and fine arts galleries as well as New Brunswick’s past, present and future.
Harbour Station, also located uptown, is the largest entertainment Venue in Southern New Brunswick offering a continual stream of top notch performances/concerts/sports from Quebec Major Junior Hockey to Elton John to Cirque de Soliel.
The Fauburg Francophone centre is a meeting and entertainment venue on Prince William Street in the historic Bank of New Brunswick building. The Chinese Center on Coburg Street provides a cultural meeting and entertainment venue for the Asian population. Jewish and Greek populations also have their community meeting venues in the uptown. Uptown is a kaleidoscope of culture.
Celebrations of culture and art are alive and well in Saint John. The number of galleries in the downtown is expanding at a rapid rate; many within walking distance of the waterfront. Festivals such as the Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Saint John Buskers Festival are held annually, bringing music and life into the waterfront and downtown core.