RIDEAU LAKES ARTISTS ’ ASSOCIATION

January 1994 – 2009

By Theresa Farnel

  In the fall of 1993, St. Lawrence College of Brockville held a watercolour class in Westport . As part of the course curriculum Marg Grothier had her students present and participate in an art show. Pleased with their efforts, an idea came to the classmates. Why not create an art club?

  The ten people present at the January 12^th organizational meeting agreed on the name of the club, membership fees and selected the first executive and committee chairs.

President            Shirley Johnson

Secretary            Jody Boyer

Treasurer            Sandra Yaxley

Suggestions for possible future group activities included; exhibitions, workshops, newsletters, exchange of books and videos, and the purchase of bulk art supplies.

That inaugural year the associations’ artwork was displayed on an ongoing basis at The Cove Inn, in Westport, and an exhibition was held at the Old Fire Hall, in Perth . A successful grant application paid for a student to help man the month long show. Workshops with Martina Field and Ed Cronk were arranged and classes with Marg Grothier continued. A club logo was chosen and membership rose to 49 by the end of the year.

Classes and workshops over the years have been taught by notable artists such as Henry Vyvfinkle, Jack Reid, Margaret Rosemond, Evangeline Munns, Charles Spratt, Art Cunanan, Nora Brown, Andrea Green, Linda Kemp, Barbara Greene, Hanna Olszewski, Stewart Beatty, Bonnie Brooks, Stephen Rothwell, Mary Chaikowsky, Linda Banfalvi, Suzanne Powell and Judith Versavel, Doug Mays, Bonnie Steinberg, Donna Lynd, Debbie Ottman Smith and Sharon Fox-Cranston, etc. As well as the more common mediums of watercolour, oil and acrylic, the members were given the chance to try diverse art forms such as, painting on silk, crayon pencil, flower arranging, print making and pysanka.

Guest speakers at the monthly meetings have been artists, framers, gallery owners, suppliers of artist materials, prink makers, etc. Some club members shared their knowledge of negative painting, perspective, and so on., or they talked about their travel experiences.

R.L.A.A. members met a scenic Rideau Canal lock stations, parks, museums, conservation areas, waterfalls, and old mill and other member’s country and lakeside homes for paint-outs. Sketching excursions of a longer duration took artists to Algonquin Park , Charlevoix and Val David. Bus trips were arranged to see special exhibitions and private viewings at the National Art Gallery .

Art shows and ongoing exhibits were held at The Town Hall Complex, The Cove Inn, Threes Company Restaurant, the United and Anglican Church Halls in Westport, The Old Fire Hall, Stoney’s, The Crystal Palace, Fiddle Heads and Codes Mill in Perth, Smiths Falls Railway Museum and the Smiths Falls Golf Club, the Stage Coach Inn and Community Hall in Newboro, Balderson Art Gallery, Brockville City Hall and Brockville Arts Centre. For 12 years the very popular Art-The-Lawn Show has taken place in Perth . Proceeds from a donation jar at the gate and 5% of sales have been given to The Great War Memorial Hospital in Perth each year.

Monthly meetings, paint-ins, classes, workshops and several art shows were held at the Town Hall Complex in Westport for 15 years. This January the R.L.A.A. moved to a larger and better illuminated space in the North Crosby Community Hall. The membership is now at almost 100 artists.

The Rideau Lakes Artists’ Association continues to provide information on gallery spaces to buy artists supplies and upcoming events. They encourage artists to exhibit their work and provide educational opportunities for them.

 

The Rideau Lakes Artists’ Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and development of its members who are actively involved in producing original, two-dimensional art works and who reside in the Rideau Lakes region. Anyone, novice to professional, interested in developing their artistic abilities is welcome.

 
The Association comprises of a membership residing in the Rideau Lakes/Canal region. This includes Westport, Perth, Kingston, Brockville, Smiths Falls, and beyond.