Studio tours offer unique opportunities to get up close and personal with local artists and their creations
by Janet Lees
photography by Doug Burlock
In May 2000, as a new transplant to Southern Georgian Bay, one of my first forays into the local arts and culture scene was the artists’ studio tour in Thornbury. I was no stranger to art appreciation, but hitherto my relationship with art had consisted of silently wandering around galleries in Ottawa and Toronto, viewing masterpieces at a respectful distance.
By contrast, the studio tour was interactive, social – even celebratory. Not only was this art I could afford; being able to connect with the work through the artists themselves made it less mysterious and more accessible. Seeing the artists in their natural habitat, talking to them, getting to know them and their art, was a refreshingly intimate and highly rewarding experience. Creating art is a solitary endeavour, so I felt honoured to be welcomed into the artists’ deeply private, deeply personal worlds.
I still love galleries, and we are blessed to have so many boutique galleries in our region that display and sell the work of local artists. But I’m hooked on studio tours and make it a point to take in several tours across the region annually. As a result, I’m very attached to my small collection of local art, and some of the artists I’ve met on various tours have become friends.
Now in its 23rd year, the Thornbury tour has expanded to include Craigleith, Clarksburg and Kimberley, and is known today as the Blue Mountains Tour of the Arts. Held twice a year on the Victoria Day and Thanksgiving long weekends, the Blue Mountains tour this year includes 10 artists and galleries, featuring works from paintings and pottery to sculpture, jewelry and even hand-blown glass.
The website (tourofthearts.ca) has a map and downloadable brochure, as well as descriptions of each artist and their work. Printed brochures are also available at locations throughout the tour route.
This year also marks the launch of a free app – just download it to your phone or device and follow the GPS directions to the various studios and galleries on the tour.
“In Thornbury and Clarksburg, the studios are in close proximity, so a lot of people like to park their car and get out and walk,” says tour organizer Louise McFarlane. “We have a mix of people – families, couples, individuals, people looking for a specific item or a specific artist. It’s a great way for people to become aware of what’s happening in the community in terms of what kind of art is being produced in the area.”
Another tour at the west end of the region is the Autumn Leaves Studio Tour in late September, which covers a huge area stretching from Mount Forest to Hanover, and encompassing Durham, Flesherton, Elmwood, Markdale, Walters Falls and Eugenia. Now in its 25th year, Autumn Leaves is a juried tour that includes almost 40 artists at 18 different studios. The work on show includes paintings, pottery, metal, glass, furniture and more.
“It’s a beautiful tour with scenic routes,” says organizer Ofra Svorai, who is also on the jury committee. “The time of year is perfect for viewing the fall colours changing, and we get a mixture of people from the area and also people from London, Barrie, Owen Sound and Toronto.”
Svorai, herself an artist who paints on silk and in oils, has been on the tour for more than 20 years. She says she enjoys the opportunity to talk about her art and show off her work and her space.
“The feedback is so important,” she says. “I’ve been showing my work for about 40 years, and if your work is only in galleries, you don’t really get to meet the public. It’s great to see how people react to your work, and you can also get commissions – people who like your work and want you to create something special for them.”
Information, maps and brochures can be found on the website (autumnleavesstudiotour.ca), and printed brochures are available at studios, restaurants, galleries and libraries throughout the tour route.
At the other end of Southern Georgian Bay is the Creemore Festival of the Arts, held the last weekend of September in partnership with the Clearview Small Halls Festival. For 20 years the Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society mounted the Purple Hills Studio Tour in the Creemore and Clearview area before revamping to create the Creemore Festival of the Arts eight years ago.
“We wanted to change the format,” says organizer Sara Hershoff. “For years we did a studio tour that took people all around the area, but eventually we found that people were less interested in spending time in their cars and driving around.
“We had an environmental commitment and also there were a lot of other studio tours, so we wanted to differentiate ourselves and condense the artists into a smaller area. We now have what we call our Artist on Location program, which matches artists with venues in the village of Creemore.”
About 30 artists and their work can be found in venues ranging from shops and galleries to outdoor locations in downtown Creemore during festival weekend. There are also “marquis” (commissioned) shows at Station on the Green and the Creemore Log Cabin. The main street will be lively all weekend, with artists and artisans offering displays and demonstrations in local businesses, studios and galleries.
Like Creemore, Collingwood has transformed its studio tour into a more cohesive event: The Collingwood Arts & Music Festival (CAMF), presented by the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts (BMFA) on Civic Holiday weekend (Aug. 4 & 5). Previously held outdoors on the grounds of the Collingwood Museum, this year the juried art show and sale will be moving indoors to the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena, with more than 40 artists showing their work, accompanied by live music.
“There will be artists of every genre, and live music all weekend long by local and emerging musicians,” says organizer Yvonne Gibson. The artists, both local and from across Ontario, will be on hand to show and explain their work, and some will be conducting demos and live painting sessions. There will also be a youth artist area. Entry is free, and donations to the BMFA youth programs are welcome, says Gibson.
Also in Collingwood is the annual Art Crawl, a self-guided “art walk” with live music, featuring more than 100 artists at 40-plus venues in downtown Collingwood. The September 22 event allows you to meet the artists, view their work and watch them in action, with live glass blowing, mural painting and Battle of the Brushes, a live art competition in which several artists are given just 20 minutes to create a painting.
If you want to travel a little farther for a day trip or even a weekend art getaway, there are several other studio tours within a short drive. The Bruce Peninsula 22nd Annual Studio Tour covers the peninsula from Ferndale to Pike’s Bay, Miller Lake and Lion’s Head. The Bay Studio Tour includes artists in Penetanguishene and Tiny Township, while The North of 89 Studio Tour covers Dufferin County, as the name implies, north of highway 89. The Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour is celebrating its 40th year this year, taking in Gravenhurst, Muskoka, Bracebridge and Huntsville. And on the evening of August 25, the streets of downtown Orillia will be closed to traffic as the town holds its annual Starry Night Studio and Gallery Tour.
No matter what your artistic fancy, there is sure to be something to make your jaw drop and your pulse quicken on any of these fabulous tours. Meeting the artists will only make the experience that much more special.
As Emerson said, “Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.” For those of us who can only aspire to taste, it’s a thrill to be able to rub shoulders with those who create such beauty for us to enjoy. ❧
Take a Tour!
There are plenty of artists’ studio tours to choose from in Southern Georgian Bay. Or make a day of it and venture a bit farther afield. Here are some of the many upcoming tours in our area and beyond.
Aug. 25 & 26, 2018
Bruce Peninsula Artists’ 22nd Annual Studio Tour
brucepeninsulaart.ca/studio-tour
Aug. 25, 2018
Orillia Starry Night Studio & Gallery Tour
orilliastarrynight.weebly.com
Sept. 5 – 8, 2018
(Thanksgiving Weekend)
Blue Mountains Tour of the Arts
tourofthearts.ca
Sept. 15, 16, 22 & 23, 2018
North of 89 Studio Tour
northof89.ca
Sept. 22, 23, 29 & 30, 2018
40th Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour
muskokaautumnstudiotour.com
Sept. 22, 2018
Collingwood Art Crawl
collingwoodartcrawl.com
Sept. 28 – 30, 2018
The Art Map 8th Open Studio Weekend
theartmap.com/open-studio-weekend.html
Sept. 28 – 30, 2018
25th Annual Saugeen Autumn Leaves Studio Tour
autumnleavesstudiotour.ca
Sept. 29 & 30, 2018
Creemore Festival of the Arts
phahs.ca
Sept. 29 & 30, 2018
The Bay Studio Tour
thebaystudiotour.com
Oct. 5 – 8, 2018
Images Thanksgiving Studio Tour
images-studio-tour.com
Nov. 3 & 4, 2018
26th Annual Innisfil Studio Tour
innisfilstudiotour.ca
Nov. 24 & 25, 2018
Midhurst Arts and Crafts Home Tour
midhurstartsandcrafts.com
April 27 & 28, 2019
Barrie Spring Art Tour
barriespringarttour.ca
May 18-20, 2019
(Victoria Day Weekend)
Blue Mountains Tour of the Arts
tourofthearts.ca
June, 2019
Coldwater & Area Studio Tour
coldwaterstudiotour.com
For more on these and other studio tours around Georgian Bay, visit theartmap.com
