Parklet Artists
Four local artist created the walkable parklet designs that you see in downtown Belleville.
María Moreno
Maria led the design of a large-scale community parklet project for downtown Belleville. Using her unique style, she collaborated with other local artists to create bright, impactful statements for outdoor spaces to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
María was born in the Canary Islands, a place of shimmering landscapes and celestial skies. She grew up in Venezuela, a fascinatingly beautiful country now submerged in social violence and political crisis. Both places have deeply influenced her life as a painter. Her pieces are bold in design, complex in simplicity, and visceral in narrative, and they are executed with audacity and courage. Working mainly in acrylics, her paintings are rich with texture, palpable gestural markings, and colour choices of remarkable sensitivities. Immigrating to Canada in 2014, María now lives in Belleville, Ontario. She is a member of the Belleville Art Association (BAA) and maintains the BAA social media.
Instagram: @kamoarte
Elizabeth
Coxwell Eby
Elizabeth studied art from an early age taking classes at Glenhyrst Art Gallery in Brantford, Ontario and participating in juried shows. She then studied art at Queens University. After many busy years she returned to painting and took classes with Sharon Bower, Barbara Chappelle and many courses at Loyalist Summer Arts program and Haliburton School of the Arts. She is the coordinator of the Stirling Group of Eleven, part of Claudia McCabe’s Open Studio and a member of the Belleville Art Association. She has participated in juried shows for the John Parrot Gallery and the BAA and in the late winter of 2020 was the guest artist at Gallery 121 in Belleville Ontario.
Jan Coombs
Jan works mainly in acrylics and mixed media collage. She has recently created a whimsical series of condos for rent in the fictitious Piccadilly Commons. You might detect some shades of F. Hundertwasser’s influence in these paintings. She usually creates abstract and semi abstract work and is inspired by claudia jean mccabe, Joan Reive and the artists of Open Studio. She is on the executive of the Belleville Art Association.
I am a “stumble upon” artist. Never quite sure where I will discover my next inspiration, I love when an unexpected path opens up before me and inspires my next series of paintings. It could be as simple as a striking colour combination in a magazine, an interesting composition or a quiet walk in the woods. Through practice, persistence and patience, I have learned that my art will continue to evolve and that there will always be surprises and delights around the next corner.
Instagram: @coombsjan4
Renee Hiltz
Trained professionally as a special needs children’s teacher, Renee spent her career of almost 40 years at Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She was awarded a Prime Ministers Award for Teaching Excellence in 2013 for her dedicated focus on the development of unique methods for accessing the creative process. With a BFA and BEd from York University and decades of teaching practice in Toronto, Renee is now on her own artistic journey in Prince Edward County. Merging the idea of exploring endless possibilities and responding to their challenges has helped guide her exploration of different painting methods and techniques. She is an active participant in the community as a member of the Wellington Group of artists,Belleville Arts Association, Prince Edward County Arts Council and an Executive member of the Prince Edward County Studio Tour.
Instagram: @reneehiltzart
