Cobourg hosts Northumberland Hills Studio Tour Artist Gala
Collin Whitehouse
By Cecilia Nasmith
The Town of Cobourg's Community Services Division is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Northumberland Hills Studio Tour to host an Artist Gala Aug. 23 at the Cobourg Community Centre.
The gala will serve as a prelude to the 2019 Northumberland Hills Studio Tour, a free event showcasing samples of the participating artists' work.
The town's press release quoted Councillor Adam Bureau (Co-ordinator of Arts, Culture and Tourism) expressing his delight with the new event.
“Over the past year, the Cultural Master Plan Steering Committee and Community Services Division staff have worked very hard on the development of the plan, and are continuing to identify ways in which to align and promote creative talent within the community,” Bureau said.
“By partnering with the Northumberland Hills Studio Tour, we are strengthening our connections with local artists and helping to bring those talents to the forefront.”
A long-standing fall tradition for this area, the Northumberland Hills Studio Tour has been a forum to showcase, promote and support innovative and creative local artists by inviting them to open their homes, studios and galleries for a weekend to share their talents with visitors. This year, on Sept. 7 and 8, 43 artists representing 16 different media (including painting, glass, pottery wood, fabric, stone, photography and metal art) will exhibit at 34 locations.
Some of the participants are internationally known, such as award-winning portrait photographer Alana Lee and painter-sculptor-virtual-reality creator Brynley Longman, who has been featured in Vogue magazine.
And if you've enjoyed those amazing murals in the Henley Arcade across from Victoria Hall, you can meet their creator – Heather Cooper, who is also known as the creator of the Roots Beaver logo.
The tour is an ideal opportunity to enhance awareness of the wealth of creative talent at our doorstep, commitee member Petra Dettmann said in the press release.
“Northumberland County is one of the most vibrant and diverse arts communities in Ontario,” Dettmann continued.
“The tour provides participants with a unique experience as they are welcome into our artists' homes and studios to explore and purchase art – but also receive a demonstration and opportunity to learn about the working process in each medium.”
The Artist Gala at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 is open to everyone at the Cobourg Community Centre (750 D'Arcy St.), with cash bar, snacks and refreshments available.