416 Art Kruze

May 31-June1 weekend my mother and I set out to the 416 Art Kruze. Recently the newspapers have been buzzing about the flourishing art community in South Grenville and we wanted to take it all in ourselves. This event was very well organized. At every stop was a warm welcome, tons of works to view and signage to accommodate our out-of-town guests.

While promoting this event I was very surprised at the amount of people from out-of-town asking for the PDF version of the map. The requests poured in therefore we know it was successful in attracting people from all over that could not make it to the area to pick up the hard copy version.

The staff at every stop that we visited said that there was a steady stream of traffic throughout the weekend. We started our journey in Cardinal to view an exhibit by Chris Hale at Galop Gallery. This happens to be one of my top picks because I enjoy his style and it was very refreshing to see something very modern and edgy. Everyone is different in their tastes but I would definitely consider hanging on of the works from Chris’s “False Idols, Gods & Monsters” show in my office.

After Galop Gallery we headed to the Art capital of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal- Spencerville ON. Before heading to the galleries we made a stop at Aubin Farms on HWY 21. We picked up some fresh spinach viewed Baskets by Gwyn which is a local vendor creating woven baskets for practical use. Aubin Farms also had fresh organic meals prepared so that guests could try some of their preserves and fresh organic vegetables before purchasing.

 

Next stop was The Dutch Hill Gallery Paverpol on HWY 21. I have been here many times but there is always something new and interesting especially since it is the new home of the South Grenville Guild of Fine Art. The Guild will be there all summer but the works will change on a regular basis. The Dutch Hill also offers workshops to create your own Paverpol sculpture. We viewed both floors of the gallery and as we were walking out we were still saying “Look at that!”. www.thedutchhill.ca 

Next Stop was the 416 Art Mart. Neither of us have ever been to the “Big Blue Barn” before but we were very happy we had our first visit during the 416 Art Kruze. There were so many mediums, so many options and very knowledgeable staff to explain the processes. There were lots of works that doubled as garden décor. It got me thinking- instead of buying plastic decorations from department stores I would support the local art community instead.

 

Mary Moore

Next we went to Hubbard Co.  http://bradfordmhubbard.ca/ which offers restoration of furniture, furniture & garden accessories as well as maintenance services for your home. They had a guest artist named “Cedar Lane Studios” their regular location is on Pittston Rd. in Spencerville. They offer workshops and sell works by Tom Lillico & Mary Moore. They specialize in oils, acrylics and hand crafted furniture.

Tom Lillico

  









The last stop we took was ArtScene Spencerville. The newly renovated gallery has paintings, drawings, fabric art, photography, pottery, sculptures, jewellery, farm fresh preserves, Alpaca and sheep fleece products on display. With 12 artist members and ever-changing feature artists and guest artists the gallery has something for everyone!  
http://artscenespencerville.blogspot.ca/ 



 So that was our Kruze! There were a few more stops outside South Grenville in North Grenville. Kruze or no Kruze you should take the time to check out all the sites listed in the brochure. We had an amazing time meeting all the interesting people along the way. It's an ideal way to spend a weekend and we hope that this event continues to come back every year.

ArtScene Spencerville Grand Re-Opening

ArtScene Spencerville first opened its doors in 2009 as a venue for local artists and artisans to showcase their works. The gallery also hosts many special events and the public is always welcome to attend. This year the gallery underwent some major renovations and had to be closed for much of the winter season. I was there when it re-opened this past Saturday April 5, 2014. I had arrived exactly at 11am when they said the opening ceremonies would start and I was extremely happy to see that the place was so packed already I could barely get in the door. In attendance were the ArtScene membership, local councillors, TWPEC Mayor Bill Sloan and the MP for Leeds and Grenville since 2004-Gord Brown- I had to grab the photo below from Gord Brown's twitter account because I literally could not squeeze past the excited attendees to get a shot of the ribbon cutting. Therefore the photo credit goes to Mr. Brown! :) Thank you!

Moving on .. The gallery now has a very sleek and modern look and features a coffee corner. Last weekend the two large rooms played host to many of the member's works including; Helen Mott, Arlene Hare, Barry Fawcett, Aubin Farms, Vicki Fawcett , Violet Sorto & Jaffa Tubel JUST TO NAME A FEW! For a full list of members you can visit ArtScene's Artist Page. The month of April will also have a breathtaking exhibit "Wonder's of the Orient" by Colleen Morris-Wilson and Christopher Fawcett.  

 One thing that really grabbed my attention-and believe me there were quite a few things that grabbed my attention- was their guest artist for the month of April. I have heard of steampunk on the television show "Oddities" but had never actually known anyone who produced the 19th century antique inspired pieces. Tasha Thorpe does- and she rocks at it! I has the pleasure of viewing two of her pieces and they are so intricate, functional and possibly the most interesting conversation piece you could buy. That is what keeps me coming back to ArtScene- the friendly atmosphere and the art that leaves me thinking for days afterward.

 I want to congratulate ArtScene Spencerville. The dedicated volunteers that serve this community by providing them with culture, a deep sense of community and of course ART deserve to know how much they are appreciated. By the turn-out last Saturday I think they got the picture but just in case they didn't- THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS!

There are currently 4 art-related organizations in South Grenville and I urge you to visit them all.
ArtScene Spencerville
DutchHill Gallery
Galop Gallery
SGGOFA