With the start of a new season, it is time for our annual newsletter!
A few weeks ago we held our AGM and had a very productive brain storming session with those in attendance. Finding that member participation can often be low, we have decided to make amendments to our membership structure by creating an active and inactive membership status.
We will be working on the structure over the next few month, but some ideas of how this would work are that everyone would be required to attend at least 3 meetings per year and volunteer a certain amount of hours during events to maintain an active membership. Artists who build up hours will benefit from certain perks like being awarded free rental of our workspace at the museum to conduct workshops, lessons or provide lectures. Other benefits would include free ad space on our websites and discounts with various art supply stores. Anyone interested in providing input on this new structure and how to increase member participation, please feel free to join us at our next board meeting.
Our meetings take place the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7pm. In an attempt to make our meetings more accessible we have decided to hold them in the upper studio of the Bread Gallery (7778 Highway 14 in Brooklyn). Going forward members will receive monthly reminders with a copy of the agenda. Members are welcome to submit items for discussion under "New Business" on the agenda.
Since many of us still haven't had the opportunity to meet, let alone get
to know each other, a discussion began about the idea of using
some of our open studio time at the Bread Gallery to host a "Meet the
Members" series. Each week a different member of the council would have
the opportunity to share their own personal history in the arts. In the cozy setting of the studio we can sit together and chat freely, learning about each others backgrounds
and artistic practices.
We've maintained such a great momentum over the last few years and we hope to see our membership continue to grow and become more involved as we approach our 10th anniversary.
In the meanwhile we have another incredible year planned for 2015! The latest edition of our Arts Digest is being distributed throughout the Annapolis and Avon Valley as I type - and another 2000 copies will be making their way to HRM and beyond next week! Look for advance copies in this week's issue of the
Grapevine.
This year's directory is full of important dates and info on all of our 2015 activities, like...
The 17th annual Great Little Art ShowOrganized by the Hants County Arts Council, the Great Little Art Show is a major attraction in our community and is a significant fundraiser for the Avon River Heritage Museum and Avon Spirit Shipyard. For 2015 we have extended the length of the show from 3 days to every weekend throughout the month of May.
The opening will take place Friday, May 8th, from 7pm to 9pm with a keynote address from impasto painter Kelly Mitchelmore. During the reception we will open the silent auction for a rug hooking created by local artists Rose Marie MacDonald and Tacha Reed. Proceeds from the auction of the framed hooking, which depicts the “Old Stone House” in Poplar Grove that was built in 1699 by the early French settlers, will go towards supplies and programming for the arts council’s Artists Landing Gallery. Auction closes May 31st at 5pm.
Artist Landing Studio & GalleryLast spring we began a collaboration with the ARHS Museum in Newport Landing, which saw them graciously donating to us the use of the majority of the upper area of the museum. We now have an open workspace for our members to gather. In what has become nicknamed the lounge, we are slowly building a collection of art supplies and reference books. Members are welcome to book the space for a low fee to host their own workshops or lectures.
We have also taken over half of the open space, which hosts the Great Little Art Show each May. Here we operate the Artists Landing Gallery June through September, which features artwork by our members.
If you are interested in showing your artwork, contact us at hcacinfo@gmail.com before May 15th, 2015.
Open Studio Days at the Bread Gallery
We are happy to announce the re-launch of our weekly open studio drop-in sessions, a collaboration made possible through support from the ArtsVest program.
Taking place in the upper studio of The Bread Gallery every Tuesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm, these sessions are open to the public and there is no fee to participate.
Follow us on Facebook for updates!
Artisans in Action
Our annual summer series Artisans in Action takes place the first Sunday of the Month, June trough October at the Avon River Heritage museum. These live demonstrations provide a great opportunity for local artisans who work in historical trades, crafts, and art forms done in both traditional and contemporary manners, to introduce themselves and their craft to a wider audience.
This year we kick-off our Artisans in Action series with a special showcase at the Art & Craft in Agriculture Festival taking place May 23rd & 24th at the O’Brien building, Hants County Exhibition Park in Windsor. In honour of Canada’s first agricultural fair held May 21, 1765, the Art & Craft in Agriculture Festival will feature a market, workshops and activities relating to art, craft and agriculture. A painting by Susan Sweet to commemorate the 250th anniversary will be unveiled at a reception Saturday May 23rd. For more information visit www.hantscountyex.com
Paint Avondale
Part of our Artisans in Action series, our 2nd annual Paint Avondale will see visual artists set-up throughout the historic hamlet of Avondale, creating live on-site. Starting at noon on September 6th, 2015, visitors can begin their tour at the Avon Spirit Shipyard in Newport Landing, located along the scenic shores of the Avon River on the site where Planter sloops, The Lydia and Sally, landed in 1760.
The Avon River area became one of the great square-rigged wooden shipbuilding centers in Nova Scotia in the 19th Century. Where the Avon River Heritage Museum now sits in Newport Landing was once the location of the Harvie and Mosher shipyards. Between them, they built and launched 165 sailing ships during the “Golden Age of Sail”. Artist locations include many of the original ship builders homes built in the 1860’s.
Artists interested in participating in Paint Avondale should contact us by July 25th, 2015. Open to all visual artists, register online at www.hantscountyartscouncil.com
Annual End of Winter Show
This past winter the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn, Hants County, hosted our 4th annual End of Winter Showcase. Our first ever juried show featured a selection of recent works by members of the Hants County Arts Council, which included a variety of paintings, sculpture, fibre art, carvings and folk art.
Artists interested in participating in our 5th annual End of Winter group showcase should contact us by October 30th, 2015. Register at hantscountyartscouncil.com
Festival of ArtNext year will mark the 10th anniversary of our Festival of Art. In these past 10 years our council has evolved a great deal. We have formed many long lasting bonds with other arts and culture groups in the community, which has allowed us to increase our activities and grow from a membership of just 28 artists to 54 and counting in the past 5 years!
To celebrate our achievements we have decided to take the Festival of Art back to the drawing board. We want to make it a true festival that celebrates local artists working in all mediums. We want to incorporate performances, demonstrations and hands-on workshops. To make this a true success we need your help.
A planning committee for the 10th annual Festival of Art will be formed during our monthly board meeting, taking place at 7pm on Wednesday May 20th in the Upper Studio of the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn. Anyone who is interested in volunteering, performing or organizing a workshop is welcome to join us.
For more information on our regular activities, or to become a member, please visit www.hantscountyartscouncil.com or email us at hcacinfo@gmail.com. You can also reach us by snail mail at P.O. Box 905, Windsor, Hants County, NS, B0N 2T0
