Great Little Art Show

This weekend I'll be showing a few of my new hookings at the Great Little Art Show held at the Avon River Heritage Museum, 17 Belmont Road, Newport Landing, near Avondale, Hants County   Friday April 27- Sunday, April 29

Baby Blue by Tacha Reed - 2012

For longer than a decade, this show has been an important means for promoting visual arts in Hants County.

Lead the Way by Tacha Reed  - 2012

Casually the organizers say it's "a great little show with a lot of great, local art!"





Love, True Love by Tacha Reed - 2012

More officially, it is a venue for both professional and novice local artists to display and sell their work in a semi-formal environment. Each spring we look forward to seeing the work of participants and the blossoming of new talent.


"The Great Little Art Show is our most important fund raising event. Sales of the exhibits provide the Avon River Heritage Society with the needed capital it requires to keep our community museum operating from year to year."




The show will get under way with a wine and cheese reception on Friday, April 27 from 7pm to 9pm with a special guest speaker sculptor Alison MacNeil.

The show continues over the weekend with viewings at the following times:
• Saturday, April 28 10am – 5 pm
• Sunday, April 29 11am – 3pm

Admission: $7.00 for Friday night opening; $2.00 Saturday and Sunday; Children under 12, free.

The Smell of Art is in the Air!

Many of us artists and artisans are relieved by winters arrival because it means a break from the constant back and forth between production and sales. This time allows us a chance to relax and experiment again, taking us down new paths, creating brand new work. After several months of a slightly more relaxed schedule I know that I suddenly have the spring itch to get out there and show the world what I've been making during my hibernation.

This spring there are a lot of great shows scheduled and many have application deadlines coming up quickly.

 

With only 2 days left to apply, interested young folks should get themselves in motion for a chance to take part in a Gifted Young Artist Retreat hosted by Ross Creek Centre for the Arts. The centre is inviting talented high school students to apply for a unique opportunity for young Nova Scotian artists to collaborate across the arts. Nova Scotia educators (including the Department of Education and the NS Teachers Union) will be holding a Summit on Gifted Education and Talent Development at Mount St. Vincent University on May 23–25. Ross Creek Centre for the Arts is inviting NS high school aged arts students to apply for a week-long experience to collaborate with their peers under professional guidance, culminating in a presentation at the Summit. This is an amazing opportunity for young creative individuals! If this sounds like a perfect fit for you, then quick, ask a teacher and and an artist for their endorsement so you can take advantage of this amazing experience! DEADLINE MARCH 9th

 

One event that has been creating a great deal of excitement locally is the Avondale Art Fair. This juried show will be accepting 100 artists for their one day outdoor event being held in pastoral Newport Landing, overlooking the Avon River and its spectacular tidal bore. On Saturday, June 16th this charming little village will burgeon into the best art fair venue around! The organizers are looking to showcase exceptional artwork that will include paintings, jewelry, pottery, glass, sculpture, fiber, leather, photography and more! DEADLINE MARCH 15th

 

 

Another event I'm personally really looking forward to is the 2nd Annual Art vs Craft, taking place in Halifax July 21st & 22nd at the Forum. This show is for the more quirky creative folks, like myself, who might be a little bit out there with our creations. Since this show is held in such a large space it has the ability to feature a wide variety of artists and there will definitely be an emphasis placed on including really unique creations. DEADLINE MARCH 23

 

 

Another wonderful local show, now in it's 14th year, is The Great Little Art Show. This 3 day show running April 27th-April 29th has proven itself an important means for promoting visual arts in West Hants, creating a venue for both professional and novice artists to display and sell their work in a semi-formal environment. Sales of the exhibits provide the Avon River Heritage Society with the needed capital it requires to keep the museum operating from year to year. DEADLINE APRIL 10th

 

So, those of you, like myself who have enjoyed a winter of creating - it is now time to photograph all that work and start applying so that you too can share your creations with everyone else this spring!

 

Good luck!

Join us this weekend for The Festival of Art!

Over the last few months I've been spending all of my spare time organizing this year's Festival of Art in Windsor. Now in it's fifth year, this annual fundraiser for the Hants County Arts Council is bigger and better than ever.

With so much added interest from members this past year, the event has moved to the spacious Vaughn Shand Centre. This large and open venue allows for plenty of breathing room for both the artwork and viewer; so that each and every piece can really shine.

Tonight at 7pm we will be kicking off the event with an opening gala featuring an inspirational speech by artist Kelly Mitchelmore and the awarding of our first ever "Hall of Fame" award to David Howells.

This evening looks to be shaping into something really special; we have received many generous donations from the community including tea and coffee from Just Us, tasty treats from Yum bakery, fresh apple cider from Mason's and beautiful flower arrangements from Blossom's Flower Shop. We are thankful to all our sponsors for helping to make this a night we can all remember.

The festival continues on Saturday and Sunday with the showcase open to the public to view at their leisure. I will be on hand for the weekend portion of the event revealing my mini "Cloud" kiosk which features the work of over 20 artists. Together with fellow Flying Cloud Boutique artist Jaki Durocher, I will be providing free art demonstrations as a part of Culture Days .

As if the Festival of Art wasn't enough of a reason to celebrate, we are also jumping with joy over the launch of our  online storefront! With Winter quickly approaching we are moving Flying Cloud online, so that everyone can still have access to our collection of wonderful Nova Scotia art and artisan products (while Silver Sue hibernates for the season).

So if you happen to be in Windsor this weekend, please stop by and take in some of the wonderful creative talent that our lovely province has to offer!

Friday September 30th 7-10pm
Saturday October 1st 10-5pm
Sunday October 2nd 10-3pm

69 Cedar Street, Windsor, Nova Scotia

Believe

 

Thank you stranger for the sweet little poem you threw away on our lawn... thankfully I can't help but read lost notes when I see them on the ground. This was a pleasant surprise, normally I find grocery lists and crumpled failed tests. This little rhyming message of hope and faith was a perfect summary of how I try to live my life.

Apparently "Believe" is a very popular piece by poet Emily Matthews, so I can't give credit to my anonymous litterbug for it's creation, but still it was a nice cherry on the top of a very awesome day! A day that was spent in meetings with vibrant folks like painter Kelly Mitchelmore and April Griffin from the new Vaughn Shand Wellness Centre, as we prepare to celebrate our local arts community with this year's Festival of Art. An easy flowing day spent following my dreams and listening to my intuition, letting it lead me to where I am meant to go.

Bryan sometimes walks around singing a little tune and ever ever since I first had my "Flying Cloud" dream (which I promise I will share with you all one day) it has become my motto. When ever things start to stray from my "plan" I repeat these words and remind myself that this is my path and that "everything works if you let it, if you let it all work out!"