Support the Arts in Hants County by attending our Annual General Meeting

Are you an artist or crafter living or working in Hants County who would like to contribute more to your local arts community? If so we currently have several seats opening up on our board of directors and we are looking for someone just like you to join our team!

As they say, many hands make light work, and we are specifically looking for volunteers skilled in the areas of event planning, web design, photography, public relations, sponsorship, funding development and/or social media management.

If you happen to have a passion for any of these areas, or simply feel that you have something valuable to contribute, then we'd love to have you on board!

All are welcome to join us on April 22nd at 7pm in the community room of the Windsor Superstore for our Annual General Meeting - come on out and support the arts in your community!

Save the Date: Artisans in Action!

This summer we are happy to once again present Artisans in Action, taking place at the Avon River Heritage Museum and Avon Spirit Shipyard in Newport Landing, nestled along the scenic shores of the Avon River.

 

Located 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 Spirit Shipyard now sits was the location of the Harvie and Mosher shipyards. Between them, they built and launched 165 sailing ships during the “Golden Age of Sail”.  Artisans in Action aims to celebrate the hardworking creative people of past and present whose work shapes our culture.

 

This interactive series provides an opportunity for Nova Scotian artists and artisans who focus on historical trades, crafts, and art forms done in both traditional and contemporary manners to share their skills with a wider audience. This craft centered group of events is an opportunity for artists to present informative and engaging demonstrations of their craft, while offering their products for sale. 

 Artisans in Action takes place the first Sunday of the month, June – October, Noon until 4pm.

 

We are currently accepting artists for this year's series, thanks to the ArtsVest program and support from the Bread Gallery, we are able to lower the entry fee for this year’s series to $20 per person/per event.

 

June 7th, Wood/Leather/Stone



 July 5th, Metal/Glass/Jewellery



August 2nd, Fibre/Pottery/Textiles
 



 September 6th, Paint Avondale

 



 

 October 4th, Traditional Nova Scotian Crafts and Techniques

 

 

Applicants are accepted on a first come first serve basis, with a limit of 3 artists per medium (with the exception of Paint Avondale, which is unlimited). The first 10 artists to reserve a spot before April 15th are also invited to participate in our Artisans in Action showcase at the Hants County Exhibition’s 250th anniversary “Art in Agriculture Festival” taking place May 23rd and 24th in Windsor. There is no additional fee to participate in this special event. Participating artists are encouraged to demonstrate interactive projects so visitors can partake.To book your spot please contact us by Email: infoavonriver@gmail.com
or Telephone: 757-2233

 



Support the Arts in Nova Scotia by Advertising in our 2015 Arts Digest

We are once again seeking local artists, artisans, designers, musicians, galleries, studios and culture & heritage related organizations and businesses to be featured in our 2015 Arts Digest.

We aim for this to be an affordable way to promote cultural activities taking place in our community. Thanks to the ArtsVest program we are now able to lower our advertising rates to better server our members. The Hants County Arts Council is open to all who work in or support the arts and is not exclusive to artists residing in Hants County.
 
As HCAC members your listing will appear for free. Membership runs annually from the date of purchase and costs $25. You may add a square image or logo to your listing for an additional cost of $12.
 
Each listing includes your name, phone/email and website, as well as your civic address if you have a business or studio. Also included is space for a 40-word write-up to describe your artistic practice or business.
 
If you know of someone who you think would benefit by becoming a member then please feel free to forward this information.  Membership forms and details on the perks of being a member are available on our website   www.hantscountyartscouncil.ca
 
This year we are collaborating with the Grapevine, an independent community and culture related publication, to help spread the word about the council and our talented members. Over 5000 copies of our directory of members, events and arts related businesses will be delivered to homes, businesses, galleries, studios, museums, tourist bureaus, hotels, the airport and other local attractions in the Annapolis Valley, Hants County and throughout HRM.
 
If you have an event planned for 2015 or 2016 that you would like included in our Calendar of Events, then please send along all relevant information and we will include it at no extra cost. This is a great opportunity to help spread the word about your event, performance or festival. Please include event name, date, location and a brief description.
 
You may also choose to increase your visibility by purchasing an advertisement. Ad space is limited and will be filled on a first come first serve basis.

 
Please mail payments to Hants County Arts Council, Box 905, Windsor, NS, B0N 2T0
 
Up to date contact information, biographies and any artwork, ads or event listings may be emailed to hcacartsdigest@gmail.com
 

Please contact us by March 30th to book your space; all ads must be received by 5pm on April 3rd.

Now Accepting artists for the 17th annual Great Little Art Show

The Avon River Heritage Society (ARHS) invites you to once again attend this year’s Great Little Art Show at their museum in Newport Landing.

Organized by the Hants County Arts Council, the Great Little Art Show is a major attraction in the community and is a significant fundraiser for the Avon River Heritage Museum and Avon Spirit Shipyard. This year we have extended the length of the show from 3 brief days to every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month of May.

The opening will take place Friday, May 8th, from7pm to 9pm with a wine and cheese reception where we will open the silent auction for a rug hooking depicting the “Old Stone House” in Poplar Grove, which was built in 1699 by the early french settlers. Proceeds from the auction will go towards supplies and programming for the arts council's Artists Landing Studio & Gallery.

Viewing times throughout the rest of month are from 10 am to 5pm, every Saturday & Sunday.

Visit hantscountyartscouncil.ca to download a copy of the 2015 EntryGuidelines and an Entry Form.

Weekly Painting & Knitting Circle!

Taking place in the upper studio of the Bread Gallery every Tuesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm, the Hants County Arts Council is happy announce the relaunch of our weekly Painting and Fibre/Knitting Circles, a collaboration made possible through support from the ArtsVest program.

These drop-in sessions are open to the public and there is no fee to participate.

Please feel free to share this information with anyone who you think may be interested.

Activities begin February 10th with our first Painting Circle of the year, hopefully we will see some of you out to take part!

The Bread Gallery, 7778 Highway #14, Brooklyn Hants County

(902) 757-3377

hcacinfo@gmail.com

4th Annual End of Winter Group Show

 

 

Opening Saturday February 7th at 2pm, our 4th annual End of Winter Showcase is a juried selection of recent works by members of the Hants County Arts Council.

 

Continuing at the Bread Gallery until March 29th, this showcase features a variety of paintings, sculpture, fibre art, carvings and folk art.

2015 Participating Artists:

 

Will Cooper

Gail Davis

Brian Fraser

Terrie Greencorn

Nick Haentjens

Lynn Johnson

Jean Lohnes

Rose Marie MacDonald

Tacha Reed

Elizabeth Robinson

Sue Robinson

Al Simm

Jim Tracey

Dora Warren Davis

Yoko White

The Bread Gallery,

7778 Highway 14, Brooklyn, Hants County

(902) 757-3377

http://www.breadgallery.blogspot.ca/

FAQs for artists about our 4th Annual Group Show

Reminder to all local artists that the deadline to enter the Hants County Arts Council's 4th annual group show at the Bread Gallery is this Sunday at Midnight!

We've had a very nice variety of work submitted so far, but we still have lots of room to include much, much more!

For those of you who have been on the fence as to whether you should submit something, here are a few FAQs that might help motivate you to enter:

 

Q) Can I show artwork that was previously shown at the Harvest show?

A) Yes, artists are welcome to submit any work that has been created within the last year and that has not already been displayed at the Bread Gallery.

 

 

Q) I don't have the best camera, will my photos be good enough?

A) Ideally we would like to see images measuring at least 6 inches at a DPI of 300. We will accept images taken on a tablet if the image is sharp and the colours are accurate, however these images will not be considered for the handbill and advertising because the image quality is too poor for print.

 

 

Q) How many pieces can I submit?

 

A) Each member is encouraged to submit up to 7 pieces; please include titles, medium and sizes with your attached images.

 

Q) Who makes up the jury?

 

A) Gallery owner Joan McKenzie has invited establish artists from the area and a curator from another reputable gallery to join her in curating this year's showcase. The process will be moderated by HCAC president Tacha Reed.

 

Q) I'm still not quite finished a few pieces, can I still apply to be in the show?

A) Yes, for any work that is still in mid-production, please send us an image of the in-progress work with a brief description of your intent and we will include the work for consideration.

 

 

Q) My work is really different than many of the other members, do you think it will fit in?

A) Yes, we want to show off the full spectrum of the arts community here in Hants County and there are many of us who don't fit into the box, and that is something to be celebrated!

 

 

More information on the Hants County Arts Council's 4th annual group show at the Bread Gallery HERE