Opening Postponed to Feb 12th!

Due to the snowstorm our opening reception for our 5th annual group showcase has been rescheduled for Friday, February 12th, from 6 until 8pm.

Hants County Arts Council 5th annual Group Showcase

All are welcome to join the Hants County Arts Council on Friday February 5th from 6pm - 8pm at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn as we celebrate the opening of our 5th Annual Group Showcase, which features work by our members including paintings, metal sculpture, fibre art, leather work and folk art.

17th annual Great Little Art Show

 

Organized 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 brief days to every Saturday and Sunday 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. A sampling of hors d'oeuvres will be provided by the Flying Apron Cookery, there will be live entertainment from George and Gail Symonds and a cash bar serving the latest from Avondale Sky Winery and Meander River Farm Brewery. Tickets for the opening are $8 for adults; children under 12 get in for free.

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 Studio & Gallery.

 

Viewing times throughout the rest of month are from 10 am to 5pm, every Saturday & Sunday, at a cost of $2 per person.

 

On Saturday May 30th there will be no charge to view the showcase as we welcome author Daphne Greer for the launch of her latest book, Jacob's Landing. Join us between 1pm & 3pm for a reading by the author.

Artists are still being accepted, although late registrations may not make it into the promotional material. Register online at http://hantscountyartscouncil.com/

Celebrate Culture Days at the Harvest Festival of Art!

 

Now in it’s 8th year the Harvest Festival of Art is the Hants County Arts Council’s biggest show of the year!

Once again we are taking over 69 Cedar Centre to celebrate Culture Days with a pop-up gallery show and live demonstrations.

Join us at 7pm on Friday September 26th for an opening reception and the presentation of this year’s Hall of Fame Award. 

The showcase continues Saturday the 27th from 10am - 5pm and Sunday the 28th, 10am until 3pm and members of the Needles and Hooks fibre group will be on-site working throughout the weekend on their rug hooking of the "Old Stone House".

Built in 1699, this Acadian house located in Poplar Grove is the oldest in Canada, east of Montreal, and once served as a mission.

 

Right now this historic gem, currently owned by photographer Sherman Hines, is listed for sale, and could be yours for 2.195 million dollars!

Needles and Hooks plan to have the rug completed for the next Great Little Art Show scheduled for May 8th - 10th, 2015, and together we will be auctioning the piece off as a fundraiser for the Arts Council and the Museum. For updates on the progress of their rug and all of our many activities, be sure to follow the Hants County Arts Council on facebook!

 

This weekend, while on your Culture Days tour, be sure to stop into 69 Cedar Centre for a chance to see what our members have been up to this past year!

 

 

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

HCAC Member's Group Showcase at the Bread Gallery, Feb 15th - March 30th, 2014

 

All are welcome to join the Hants County Arts Council on Saturday February 15th from 2pm - 5pm at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn as we celebrate the opening of our 3rd Annual Group Showcase featuring work by 20 of our members. 

 

 

Show continues February 15th - March 30th, 2014 

 

Participating Artists:

Sandra Aucoin
William Cooper
Claudia Dobson
Jaki Durocher
Phil Durocher
Brian Fraser
Terrie Greencorn
Andrew Harvie
Karen Harvie
G.A. Jank
Dawn Josey
Diane Lamonthe
Rose Marie MacDonald
Kelly Mitchelmore
Carol Morrison
Tacha Reed
Liz Robinson
Sue Robinson
Cara Sawka
Jim Tracey

Please visit www.hantscountyarts.blogspot.com for more information.

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

Open Tuesday - Saturday 8am - 5pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm.

Paint Windsor 2013

Once again Phoenix Hollow B&B invites you to enjoy a day of art, and charity with the 5th annual Paint Windsor. While the artists preform and create throughout Windsor their art is for sale at the B&B and treats are provided by the local restaurants. 

Part of all proceeds go to the Hants Community Hospital Auxiliary Society and the rest to the artists. Come to the B&B to view the work, visit your artist on location and enjoy. 

This year's participating artists are:

Kelly Mitchelmore - Painter
Laura Uhlman - Watercolour Painter
Brittney McIsaac - Acrylic & Oil Painter
Jessica Uhlman - Mixed Media Painter
Al Simm - Iron Sculptor
Mary Lou Bennett - Jewellery
Liz Robinson - Acrylic Painter
Jim Tracey - Folk Art
Beverly Hubley - Acrylic Painter
Jaki Durocher - Painter & Potter 
Tacha Reed - Fibre Artist
Claudia Dobson - Acrylic - Realism Painter
Sandra Aucoin - Chalk Pastel
Karen W. Harvie - Acrylic & Watercolour Painter
Andrew Harvie - Wood Carver
Angela Riley - Musician
Terrie Greencorn - Acrylic / Mixed Media Painter
Hugh A.Sweeney - Jazz Musician

Heritage Artisans in Action; Painting!

All are welcome to join the Avon River Heritage Society Museum (ARHS) and the Hants County Arts Council (HCAC) in welcoming six painters who works in a variety of mediums and styles for the sixth installment of Heritage Artisan in Action, taking place throughout the ARHS museum in Newport Landing on Sunday August 11th from 10am – 5pm


Sandra Aucoin
Sandra has been sketching and painting ever since she can remember. She is a self-taught artist, originally from Cheticamp, Nova Scotia. Sandra works mostly in pastels and is known for her detailed portraits of horses.



Claudia Dobson
A realist painter and nature photographer, Claudia constantly finds inspiration in her surroundings and enjoys capturing the vivid colours that can be found in nature, both through the eye of her lens and her brush.

Terrie Greencorn
As a multi-media painter, Terrie often incorporates sculptural textures into her designs, using subjects researched then reinvented with brush and paint. An award winning designer from Dartmouth, she also teaches locally and across Canada, sharing her passion for art.

Karen Harvie
Karen, a member of the Annapolis Valley Decorative Artists, prefers to paint in watercolours but also enjoys oils and acrylics. She likes to experiment, working with texture and painting on different canvases such as window screens and fabric.

Kelly Mitchelmore
Kelly is an acrylic and oil painter with a flare for the dramatic and a love of saturated colours! Specializing in knife work with thick layers of bright contrasting colours, Kelly adds texture and vibrancy to her canvases - allowing for more dimensions and luminosity.

Elizabeth Robinson
Liz finds total solace in painting, yet a wonderful sense of adventure in starting each new piece. She works mostly with acrylic on canvas. Her preferences are nautical scenes and landscapes, but recently has begun painting portraits. This has given her a chance to really see where her painting can take her, and she’s loving it!
For our full summer schedule of these free Heritage Artisan in Action events please visit www.avonriver.ca

HCAC 2nd Annual Spring Showcase

All are welcome to join the Hants County Arts Council next Friday March 15th from 6-8pm at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn as we celebrate the opening of our 2nd Annual Spring Showcase and the launch of our 2013 Arts Digest. 

Show continues until April 28th.


This year's participating artists are:

Sandra Aucoin, Pastels

Mary Lou Bennet, Jewellery

Jaki Durocher, Pottery

Sylvia Fullerton, Painted Furniture

Susan Geddes, Paintings

Terrie Greencorn, Paintings

Karen Harvie, Paintings

G.A. Jank, Metal Sculpture

Kelly Mitchelmore, Paintings

Tacha Reed, Feltscapes

Elizabeth Robinson, Paintings

Sue Robinson, Paintings
Naomi Slater, Photography

Jim Tracey, Folk Art

Dora Warren Davis, Paintings

Bread Gallery
7778 Hwy #14
Brooklyn, Hants County

A Look Back at the 14th Annual Great Little Art Show

On Friday April 27th the Avon River Heritage Museum played host to the 14th Annual Great Little Art Show.  24 local artist's work was on display for this annual fundraiser. Here is a selection of images from opening night.

Patrons admiring a painting by Kelly Mitchelmore

Sculptures by Alison MacNeil

Sculpture by Carmen Dalrymple

Chief by Jim Tracey

Various works by Mira MacNeil, June Brown, Tacha Reed and Linda Barkhouse

Metal work by Al Simm

Pottery by Elspeth MacKenzie

Rug hooking by Rose Marie MacDonald

Various works by Greg Dickie

Boat Builders by Jim Tracey

A Look Back to the 5th Annual Festival of Art!

In the days between September 30th and October 2nd 2011, members of the Hants County Arts Council transformed the the vacant second floor of the Vaughan Shand Centre in Windsor, Nova Scotia into a beautiful and inviting art gallery.  

This year's collection featured a wide variety of paintings, sculpture and fibre pieces by 20 local artists. 

Opening night drew in over 100 people for a lively evening of art appreciation. 

A motivational speech by fellow artist and entrepreneur Kelly Mitchelmore and the awarding of the first ever HCAC's Hall of Fame to artist and volunteer extraordinaire David Howells all added to the evening's excitement. 


We are proud to announce that sales greatly increased from past years,with HCAC newcomer folk artist Jim Tracey kicking things off with the evenings first sale, a wood carving called Big Bird!

Overall the event was a success! The rain may have been working against us Saturday and Sunday, but many folks still manged to brave the elements and take in the show at their leisure. 




Those who made it out for the weekend portion were able to enjoy the live artist demonstration's provided by Flying Cloud Boutique's Tacha Reed and Jaki Durocher.

Now that we have all recovered from this year's Festival of Art the Hants County Arts Council's Board of Directors would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to join us in this annual celebration of our local artistic talent.

Thank you to all of our sponsors who helped make the weekend just a little bit more special! A huge thank you to Yum Bakery for all the tasty treats, especially the carrot cake.

Thanks to Just Us! coffee roasters for providing the hot beverages, Mason's for the tangy apple cider, Blossom Shop for the lovely flower arrangements, Flying Cloud Boutique for designing and donating all the posters and brochures and thanks to the Grapevine, The Hants Journal and What's Going On! for helping to spread the word.

A thank you should also go out to Kelly Mitchelmore for her moving speech on the importance of self promotion; I hope everyone was left with the inspiration to become their own biggest fan!

Last, but not least, a big thank you to our membership, volunteers and the local community for coming together to help make this annual event something special. We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to seeing you all at our next event!


In the meanwhile, here is a trip down memory lane :)

Photographs courtesy of John Webb and Tacha Reed

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!