A Look Back at the 16th Annual Great Little Art Show!

On May 9th through 11th of 2014, the Avon River Heritage Society hosted this year’s Great Little Art Show in Newport Landing; a major attraction in the community and a significant fundraiser for the museum.

This year's reception was introduced by Brandt Eisner, owner and director of Swoon Fine Art and Antiques. Brandt gave an inspirational talk encouraging artist to place less emphasis on the anticipation of the sale and comparing our success against our peers. He suggested that instead we should really delve into our passion to create and express ourselves visually, creating to satisfy our own selves instead of a perceived customer. Many artists commented that his talk really spoke to them and was exactly the encouragement they were needing!

We had a great menu for the evening including refreshments by Avondale Sky Winery, sweets from the Bread Gallery and wonderful hors d'eouvres from the Flying Apron Cookery Inn.


                              2014 Participating Artists:

                                Sandra Aucoin
                                Mary Lou Bennett
                                David Brooks
                                Barbara Cain
                                Andrew Fisher
                                Brian Fraser
                                Terrie Greencorn
                                Ken Greer
                                G.A. Jank
                                Lynn Johnson
                                Robin Jones
                                Rose Marie MacDonald
                                Angela MacKay
                                Alison F. MacNeil
                                Ian MacNeil
                                Kelly Mitchelmore
                                Jeannine Meehan
                                Raymond Meehan
                                Sumaya Moore
                                Carol Morrison
                                Tacha Reed
                                Mary Ritchie
                                Liz Robinson
                                Sue Robinson
                                Jo-Ann Shaw
                                Al Simm
                                Jim Tracey
                                Avery Vaughan


 

 

Fibre art by Tacha Reed

Clockwise L-R Carol Morrison, Tacha Reed, Lynn Johnson, Kelly Mitchelmore, Angela MacKay



 

Metal Sculpture by Al Simm

Clockwise L-R Angela MacKay, Avery Vaughan, Barbara Cain, Liz Robinson, Mary Ritchie, Carol Morrison

Sculpture by Alison F. MacNeil

Clockwise L-R Sue Robinson, Lynn Johnson Kelly Mitchelmore,, Tacha Reed,
Lynn Johnson, Barbara Cain, Kelly Mitchelmore, Barbara Cain

Top row: Robin Jones, Sue Robinson, Avery Vaughan, Liz Robinson
Bottom row: Rose Marie MacDonald, Sandra Aucoin, Terrie Greencorn (x2), Andrew Fisher

L-R Sue Robinson, Mary Ritchie, Kelly Mitchelmore, Brian Fraser, Mary Ritchie

Folk art by Jim Tracey

Painted silk scarf by Mary Lou Bennett

Jewellery by Mary Lou Bennett

Metal work by G.A. Jank

Metal work by Al Simm

Folk art by Jim Tracey

Meta work by G.A. Jank

Bronze sculpture by Jo-Ann Shaw

Jewellery by Ian MacNeil

Soapstone Sculpture by David J. Brooks

Bronze sculpture by Jo-Ann Shaw

Wood wok by Raymond Meehan

 For more information visit www.avonriver.ca


Avon River Heritage Museum, 17 Belmont Road, Newport Landing, Hants Co., NS

Winter 2012 Newsletter

The past year witnessed significant changes for the Hants County Arts Council, and with change brings more opportunities to be both creative and innovative!

In April we saw a large turnover in our board of directors. Long-standing President Sandra MacDonald stepped down to spend more time with her family and to devote herself to her new role as manager of the Winding River Art Gallery in Stewiacke.



David Howells, Kristie Sheehy, Al Bergin with Stewart
Creaser and Lorraine Vasslo from Avondale Sky Winery.

Vice President David Howells, and past Festival of Art Organizer Kristie Sheehy, stepped down to organize their show Three Faces of Realism along with painter Al Bergin.

This show ran throughout October at the Public Archives in Halifax and was a destination during Nocturne.

Jaki Durocher also stepped down from the board to devote more time to her work. In April, she and Dawn Josey held a show at the Public Archives in Halifax called HERSTORY; a tribute to the influential women in their lives.



Carlos Da Rosa, Jaki Durocher and Dora Davis

Joining the board as our new president was Tacha Reed. Since moving to the area Tacha has opened Flying Cloud Boutique; a mobile shop featuring the works of nearly 30 Nova Scotian artists and artisans.



Several members of the HCAC including Dora Davis, Carlos Da Rosa and Jaki Durocher joined Tacha and musician Christina Martin to celebrate the shop’s grand opening in July by creating a mural of Blomidon. 

We also welcomed a few new faces to the board this past spring, names I’m sure you will recognize from their work being featured at the Festival of Art in previous years – painters June Brown, Liz Robinson and Sharon Ogilvie.

Andrew Harvie, our web master and membership coordinator, took on the role of Vice President and began our monthly Pub Night / Lecture Series held at the Flying Officer’s Mess at the Spitfire Pub. Open to members and guests of the HCAC, this series has featured informative sessions with artists and members of the creative community including Twila Robar-DeCoste, Evan Maxwell, Ron Hayes, Carol Morrison, artisan Pamela Kinsman of Signature Glass, and Laurie Daulton, manager of the Acadia University Art Gallery. Andrew is currently putting together the roster for the autumn of 2012 (winter and spring are booked!), so if you have a story or technique to share, or if you would know of anyone who would be a good speaker, then please feel free to contact him.

Windsor’s art community thrived in 2011 combining craft and charity through various local events. The Hants Community Hospital Auxiliary Society (HCHAS) hosted their 5th annual gala at the Cocoa Pesto featuring many of our HCAC members. Once again it was a huge success promoting art while raising funds for the Hospital!

Last September HCAC member and owner of Phoenix Hollow, Kelly Mitchelmore, hosted the 3rd annual Paint Windsor. Featuring local visual and performing artists, Paint Windsor has evolved into a celebration of trade and community, involving everyone from iron welders and painters to musicians and cake decorators all creating works on site throughout Windsor! This years 4th Annual Paint Windsor promises to be even better – held once again at Phoenix Hollow on September 9th 2012. 

This past year we found that we had outgrown the canoe club as a venue for the Festival of Art, so in October we held our 5th annual event at the newly renovated Vaughan Shand Centre. The event was a great success and we are already planning for the 6th annual event which will coincide with this year’s Pumpkin Festival, October 12th -14th 2012.

In the meanwhile we have also had the great fortune of being invited to host a group show at The Bread Gallery in Brooklyn this March. Any members interested in participating please contact Tacha at tacha.reed@gmail.com before February 15th for more information and to book a space.

Over the next year we plan to continue growing the council, collaborating with local groups and providing even more art-related events, workshops, information and opportunities to you, our members. To that help achieve that goal, we would like to add 5 to 7 new members to the board of directors this year. We are looking for a variety of skill-sets, so that we can expand what we do as a society. Opportunities include: art director, director of marketing, public relations, fund developer, web designer, sales and workshop coordinator. We are looking for team players who are willing to devote an hour or so a week to growing the HCAC so that we can better serve our membership.

On January 19th the second edition of our Arts Digest was delivered to 17 000 homes in Hants County. Before we can distribute the remaining 2000 copies to local business, galleries, boutiques, tourist bureaus and the airport the digests must be folded and packaged.

On February 18th Liz Robinson will be hosting a get together at her home in Garlands Crossing so that we can meet as a group and package the digests while also brainstorming on where we would like to take the HCAC over the next few years. Members are encouraged to bring a list of ideas along with a snack to share while we sit down and plan for our future. The gathering commences at 1pm at 150 Underwood Road, all members and potential members are welcome!

2012 really does present a world of opportunities for the HCAC and we hope that you will all join us on this wonderful ride as we grow!

Over the last few years the HCAC has taken that first giant leap into the 21st century by joining the world of Social Networking and beginning our blog to promote our artists and the events that we host. Our blog has become the home for our seasonal newsletters and we would love to see our members contributing content. Whether that is coverage of local events, promotion for upcoming shows, art reviews – anything art-related is welcome! You can also keep up to date by following us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hantscountyartscouncil or on Twitter @hantscountyarts

Don't forget that our website also has room to display YOUR events. All you need to do is let us know the details and we'll be happy to do what we can to help publicize your arts-related events.

Festival of Art: Our Creative Community

Pure chance brought the Hants County Arts Council to the Vaughn Shand Centre as a venue to host this year’s Festival of Art. This historically rich building, known better as the former Hawboldt’s, is being rejuvenated thanks to the inspiration and determination of one Matthias Jaepel.

In the Spring, while researching sites to open her own business, current President of the HCAC Tacha Reed met with the Vaughn Shand Centre’s April Griffin and got a firsthand peek at the plans for their transformation of the space into a wellness centre. After exploring the building and learning of Dr Jaepel’s great passion for community, the arts, architecture, fitness and health, April and Tacha were both certain that this setting was perfectly suited for the HCAC’s next Festival of Art!

The Council’s increase in interest over the last year meant we were going to need much more room for this year’s event, and we’ve certainly found it with the open and welcoming space that is the Vaughn Shand Centre. We are delighted to be working along with April and Matthias who believe that by including all aspects of health, healing, community and culture we all will become happier, healthier individuals.

Being new to the community herself Tacha inquired about the naming of the soon to be opening community centre, which it seems has quite the history:

Dr Matthias Jaepel

In the midst of "trying on" names for the Centre we felt a strong desire to pay homage to the local Shand family, knowing that Mr. Andrew P. Shand was part owner of the original Windsor Furniture Factory (Vaughn Shand Centre, 69 Cedar St).  As we started to research a bit deeper we found more than one of the family members contributed to the community in ways that support our Vision. In honour of the feminine side of the family (Henri Vaughn Shand) we decided to join the two names to create "Vaughn Shand Centre”.

Andrew Shand was known as being an "idea man". His son Clifford Shand was a local businessman and an early bicycle enthusiast during the bicycle craze of the 1890's. It is said that Clifford practiced riding in the empty upper floor of the building. 

Henri Vaughn Shand, wife of Clifford studied Art at the Boston Conservatory and later at the Ladies Seminary in Wolfville (Acadia University).  She painted at a Studio at her former Vaughn home.   Pieces of her work can be viewed at the Shand House Museum, Windsor.

Gwendolyn Vaughn Shand, daughter of Clifford and Henri achieved degrees from Acadia University, McGill University and later on studied Anthropology at the London School of Economics in England.  She worked for various welfare and charitable organizations and was a pioneer in the establishment of the Maritime School of Social Work and Charity as well as a published author.  The ladies echo our concern and commitment to community and the arts. 

Commitment to community and paying homage to the past seems to be a running theme with this year’s event, something that is echoed again with the welcoming aboard of local winery Avondale Sky, who too has its own story of transformation and rejuvenation.

By adopting a farm on the Avon Peninsula , the owners of Avondale Sky have been able to follow their hearts and create their own dream job as producers of fabulous wine:

The vineyard is one of the oldest in the province but our winery is among the newest. The evolution from vineyard to winery has been a journey. Rather than construct a new winery, the decision was made to salvage an old barn which was looking forlorn on a dike along the St. Croix River ten kilometers from the vineyard. While it was being dismantled to be transported to its new home, offers to rescue other barns began to trickle in. Then churches. Then the trickle picked up momentum.

Of the buildings we had an opportunity to purchase, St. Matthews Church from Walton, was the one for us. The simple, elegant structure exuded a calm strength. We couldn’t stand to know that if we couldn’t give it a new home, it would be destroyed. Moving it wouldn’t be easy, but we were confident it would be worth the effort.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE ENTRERPRENEUR!

The folks at Avondale Sky and Matthias won’t be our only ambitious entrepreneurs on hand for opening night, another soul always finding creative ways to follow her dreams is our guest speaker for the evening Kelly Mitchelmore.

Successful artists are the ultimate entrepreneurs, and Kelly certainly lives her life by example, making use of her many talents, combining them for a very unique and fulfilling lifestyle.  

Kelly’s mantra is “You paint because it feels good, so swing easy kid” a simple statement passed on by her grandmother and teacher Jean Mosher. From a life in the Canadian Navy to running a B&B Kelly has toured the world, celebrated diversity, painting all along the way:

Kelly Mitchelmore

I moved to Windsor in the Fall of 2007 and hit the ground running; renovating the house to open as the Phoenix Hollow B&B and then becoming an active part of the arts community. I made over 20 easels and canvassed supporters and sponsors to host the first annual Paint Windsor in 2009. This show created a venue for artists to show their works, paint around the community and also help out the Hants Community Hospital Auxiliary Society as part of the proceeds from the sales went to that organization. I am very interested in the arts and cultural vitality in Windsor and will continue to promote it in any way I can.

I have often been asked about my style since it changes so much between works. Being self taught, I am still experimenting and I simply paint for the moment and what feels good.

Speaking of feeling good, Yum Bakery has ensured that we will be feeling good opening night thanks to a selection of tasty treats from their newly renovated bakery, housed just across the street from the Vaughn Shand Centre. 

Another inspirational local entrepreneurial story, the bakery which produces a variety of baked products including breads, bagels, muffins, cookies, squares, granolas and nut butters, has been successfully operating since 1975: 

For 36 years Yum Foods Limited has been making local food with local ingredients; supporting local producers is just something we do naturally. Over the years Yum Foods has shown growth. We started in a small space on Front Street in Wolfville and only hoped that all these years later we would still be growing, baking and providing employment for Valley families.

 



Bakery owner Dave Browning believes that being a local producer means being loyal to the agri producers in Nova Scotia. He continues to demonstrate that buying local is not only a viable business decision, but a way to say thank you to the community at large for their long standing support.

In keeping with Yum Bakery’s dedication to the support of agri based business in Nova Scotia, the Yum Foods’ retail store carries only Nova Scotia produced items which includes art by Members of the Hants County Arts Council.

Supporting the local community is one of the driving forces behind the Hants County Arts Council and we are happy to welcome along Flying Cloud Boutique as one of our Event sponsors. Showcasing the works of nearly 30 Nova Scotian artists and artisans in her renovated antique airstream camper turned shop on wheels, artist, business owner and President of the HCAC Tacha Reed will be revealing her mini “cloud” kiosk during the weekend portion of the festival.

Flying Cloud carries a variety of local handmade jewellery and accessories, house wares, clothing, toys, bath products, gardening and party decorations, art prints and more! Tacha along with fellow Flying Cloud Artist and HCAC member Jaki Durocher will be on hand Saturday and Sunday providing demonstrations on techniques such as needle felting and creating “cut-up” portraits:

I believe that as artists we should always be growing, exploring and sharing; whether that is trying out new techniques, materials or looking for alternate sources of inspiration; we are all creative beings and we should do our best to support each other. I find it hard to not promote all the wonderful talent that Hants County and Nova Scotia has to offer, if I could I’d announce it from the roof tops so that the whole world can know we are here!




With over 40 artists and artisans represented, this year’s Festival of art is shaping up to be an excellent display of our local arts and culture; we hope that you all can find a moment over the 3 day event to make your way over to the Vaughn Shand Centre and take in a little of what our local creative community has to offer!