Water Street South is becoming quite the area for local artists, and the current epicentre is Coffee Culture.
The cafe’s first collaboration was with Darlean Morris, who does abstract work on a variety of media. Her ongoing Cultured Abstracts show — a play off the cafe’s name — began when Coffee Culture opened in 2006.  
After eight shows, however, Morris says she realized that she was “getting to the point where I didn’t change the fall shows — because I was too busy with my gallery.”
And that gallery space is almost right across the street, at 14 Water St. S. “I knew I needed to go to the next level (with my artwork),” Morris says. “a gallery has been a lifelong ambition for me.”
While the space currently features Morris’ work, that will soon change. This spring, St. Marys’ Rosemary Radcliffe will have a show in April, called Gardens of Heaven, and in May, St. Marys-born Frank Northgrave will mount a show of his realistic landscapes.
“I always pictured myself as someone who would travel the world, find art and bring it back to share,” she says (Morris will actually be travelling to China soon with Gallery London to study the country’s varied talents).
That being said, however, St. Marys’ own Art Salon will likely mount an exhibit of its members in the coming months. The Salon is part of the broader Perth Arts Connect group to unite cultural communities.
“It’s a great little gallery to start with,” says Morris of her new space.
And in her place at Coffee Culture, local photographer Sean Camp revealed 17 of his own works recently. Many are familiar with Camp’s work — his Lucid Musings studio specializes in family, wedding and engagement portraits.
Save for a family photo of the Rutledges’, Coffee Culture owners, Camp’s installment focuses on landscapes of St. Marys, plus works featuring Perth County.
“It’s great to have scenes of St. Marys here, especially for the tours that come in,” says Kathy Rutledge of Camp’s work, which will rotate with the seasons. She adds that she appreciates how the cafe can promote the community, and the businesses within it.
Camp says that his views offer unusual takes of the town, such as of the town hall from the rooftop of MacPherson Crafts, or the falls at night, reflecting colours from the festive lights display.
“These are images that people who live here don’t normally see,” Camp says.
And, if locals or tourists like his work, Camp says that custom versions of each image can be ordered, with a choice of frame and matting. Just to sweeten the deal, 15 per cent of all sales from the Coffee Culture prints will be donated to the St. Marys Memorial Hospital foundation.