Shary Boyle's "The Sleeper" Ballot Boxes

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About

Shary Boyle's "The Sleeper: What keeps you up at night?" features a life-sized, biodegradable cardboard figure embodying insomnia. The figure will be installed in the master bedroom of the colonial Erchless Estate at the Oakville Museum, and ballot boxes can be found in multiple locations where the public can answer the title question: what keeps you up at night?

Boxes can be found at multiple locations:

1. The Oakville Museum - 8 Navy Street, Oakville, ON L6J 2Y5

2. Oakville Public Library Central Branch - 120 Navy Street, Oakville, L6J 2Z4

3. Oakville Public Library Glen Abbey Branch - 1415 Third Line, Oakville, L6M 3G2

4. Oakville Public Library White Oaks Branch - 1070 McCraney Street East, Oakville, L6H 2R6

5, 6. Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

Once the answers are collected form the ballot boxes, they will be put inside the body of "The Sleeper" to then be buried. To complete the cycle of transformation and close the ritual, a "Moon Garden" (most beautiful at night) of white flowering spring bulbs will be planted on top of the burial site. This garden can be visited by the public in spring 2026. As climate, economic, and political threats course through our days and nights, The Sleeper proposes an offline ritual to collectively unburden, and transform our private concerns.

Presented in partnership with the Town of Oakville and the Oakville Museum.

This program is part of the Ontario Culture Days 2025 Creatives in Residence series.

Links

• Shary Boyle - Creatives in Residence onculturedays.ca
• Shary Boyle's "The Sleeper: What keeps you up at night?" culturedays.ca

Organizer

Ontario Culture Days

Ontario Culture Days is a not-for-profit organization that celebrates artists and cultural groups in our communities.

The Ontario Culture Days Festival is an annual celebration of arts, culture and heritage taking place each fall across the province. Each year, we work with organizers of all disciplines to produce this province-wide festival. Organizers host programs throughout Ontario and invite the public to participate for free.

Ontario Culture Days lives at the local level. We support organizers from the smallest hamlets to the largest cities, while coordinating with other national and provincial Culture Days partners. We support the success of our sector colleagues through resources and network development, while highlighting the breadth and heterogeneity of Ontario’s arts and culture to the wider public.

Partners

Oakville Museum oakville.ca Town of Oakville oakville.ca