After over two decades, Tri-Art Manufacturing is taking the time to celebrate years of supplying artists with the materials they need to succeed. 

 

On Friday, Sept. 27 from 7 to 10 p.m., the local paint-producing company will celebrate their quarter-century milestone at Art Noise, the art supply shop that started it all. 

 

When Tri-Art started, it was a small-scale offshoot project at the back of the Art Noise space. Now it’s a three-tiered business offering services in paint products, audio, and optical coating. This anniversary celebration however, focuses on the company’s paint supply sector and all it’s done for Kingston artists over the years. 

 

The milestone coincides with Art After Dark, the biannual event during which Kingston galleries and art-loving businesses open their doors to the public for the evening. In that mindset, the homegrown company is keen to invite the local community to celebrate with them. 

 

Attendees will have the opportunity to discover pieces from Tri-Art’s factory owners’ private art collection, as well as meet artists the company has worked with in the past. The show will chronologically feature all the paint products created since the company’s humble beginnings through the art on display. 

 

Titled In Production, the show is meant to celebrate the company’s past and to reflect its continuing journey. To reflect the width of local talent, In Production will feature a variety of artistic styles. 

 

“Whether abstract and figurative or more muted and toned-down, there’s a range of work for everyone to enjoy,” Tri-Art and Art Noise employee and artist Evan Ginsberg said in an interview. 

 

As a local business, the company is passionate about maintaining a low environmental impact. All materials utilized by the factory are locally sourced, and their packaging is made in-house. In addition to this, Tri-Art Manufacturing pioneered the first closed-water system of its kind in the art manufacturing industry.

 

“There’s absolutely no water that’s leaving the factory, it’s all recycled,” said Ginsberg.  

 

All water used is collected into a tank, purified and reused. As well as being sustainable, the process helps prevent the paint’s chemicals from entering local water sources. 

 

From this innovation, Tri-Art additionally developed a paint called “sludge.” During the water purification process, a mixture of pigment and acrylic polymer is filtered out of the system. This filtered material is then used to produce an entirely original palette of muted colors, from greens to blues and purples.  

 

Kim Doreland, a Canadian artist featured in the show, reflects this environmental aspect in his most recent collection, Same Old Future, through the nature scenes he paints. 

 

“We hope [attendees] will love looking at artwork produced by Canadian artists, with Canadian products, as well as a diverse range of practices and works that together form a cohesive and beautiful show,” said Ginsberg.