The Steel Spirit showcases artwork and stories from Canadian military and first responders – Stock Photo

An Ontario-based platform to showcase artwork and stories from Canadian military and first responders is looking to expand out west.

The Steel Spirit was founded in 2017 by Barbara Brown after her husband, who works as a police officer, was posted overseas to help with a war crimes investigation. The exhibition started with 10 artists but has since grown to triple that size.

Each submission also includes a story about the artists. Some include Jay Baker, a Pembroke, ON vet who is colour blind and uses painting as a way to help ease his insomnia, and Don Ward, a 63-year-old retired Master Corporal who has memorialized 284 fallen peacekeepers on canvas.

Organizers with the Steel Spirit now say they’d like to expand with a gallery to be located in St. Albert, just north of Edmonton. The group is now looking for submissions of artwork they may end up being showcased.

The Steel Spirit says a gallery may be ready to showcase to the public by 2023.

More information on the Steel Spirit, including contact details, can be found on their website.