The Quatrain Project seeks to address the need for greater integration of the arts in community life in Chapleau. This isolated Northern Ontario community has a rich and diverse heritage which will provide a variety of subjects for the artworks.

The created works will not only demonstrate the artistic vision of local and area artists, but provide an opportunity for the public to meet and work with the artists. It will bring together Francophone and Anglophone artists from different communities and of different disciplines; the artists will have many opportunities to meet and work together. An interesting facet of our team of artists is their diversity. Realism, illustration, abstract and expressionist art are all represented.

The quality of professionalism brings the project up to a challenging level for the participants, and will not only add an unusual dimension visually to the project, but a unique opportunity to see and experience the various creative processes of our professional artists.

This project emphasizes the traditional and cultural treasures of the Chapleau area community through a modern representation of the life and customs of its forefathers. The permanent art installations will therefore serve as a living testimonial and reminder of Chapleau's past.

The artists will play a role of propagating the historical and cultural attributes which have helped shape today's community. The artworks will inevitably serve as an educational tool for future generations by giving youth a visual glimpse into Chapleau's rich heritage. The artworks will also enhance community pride, and promote a desire to honour the history on which rest our present way of life, values and character.

Finally, the project will contribute to inter-cultural respect with a positive representation of Chapleau's major cultural entities.

The Township of Chapleau has always relied predominantly on resource base industries as a sustainable means of economic survival. Recently, the community has been actively seeking to develop new business opportunities and initiatives that will compliment and enhance the tourism sector.

Although, the tourism industry has always been an economic contributor to the community's economy, it still requires further attention to mature as a strong economic growth sector for the community of Chapleau. Through the arts an influx of artistic products and installations within and for the community will significantly enhance much needed economic diversification under the tourism umbrella.

From an entrepreneurial perspective the artists involved in the project will gain an increased level of professional skills. While, the emerging artists will find knowledgeable mentors as resources to help them get started in their professional careers, finding much needed encouragement and support from the community resulting from a renewed and increased interest in the arts.

The creation of original artworks and the production and sales of derivatives from these artworks will enhance community economic development and generate increased business opportunities for the existing businesses, artisans and artists. In addition, individual members of the community impacted by this project will discover how the arts can enhance life as a whole.

Art in its purest form has the ability to increase an individual's sense of self-worth as he/she takes part in a creative process that brings new contacts, products and changes in his/her setting. This will promote a sense of accomplishment and nurture a desire to pursue his/her involvement in projects of an artistic nature.

As a group, the community at large will benefit from this initiative through an increased diversity in the character and local economy of the area by the hands on involvement of the artists and the positive impact of the arts to the community as a whole. Locals and out-of-town visitors will delight in finding new attractions through exhibitions and arts events.

This focus demonstrates that the additional expansion and channeling of art is an important contributor to the health, social, and economic well-being of this small rural Northern Ontario community and its citizens. The vision of insuring an environment where art is intertwined into the economic and social fabric of the community will create a strong and positive community outlook.