Art in the Valley Studio Tour celebrates Canada’s 2015 Craft Year

Next weekend, June 6-7, 2015, the Art in the Valley Studio Tour is saluting Canada's Craft Year with special events and open houses from the Grand Falls area to Woodstock and points between and beyond. Some of the highlights: From top left, Francine Simard Levesque’s 7-foot sculpture (a portion of which is shown here) at her studio in Rowena demonstrates her meticulous technique; necklace and earrings inspired, according to Perth’s Japheth McKinney, by a sudden “craving for watermelon”; a particularly fine ceramic piece by Wendy Johnston (formerly of Woodstock), part of an extraordinary show at the McCain Art Gallery in Florenceville; pigs do fly, occasionally, on the broad lawn in front of sculptor Kerry O’Toole’s gallery in Grafton; wood-turner Randy Hathaway’s lighthouse-inspired showroom on the banks of the Tobique. Bottom: necklace by Sarah Smith Stewart recently on display at the Creek Village Gallery in downtown Woodstock.
 (These items subject to prior sale or may not be available for purchase.)

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The current show at the McCain Art Gallery
in Florenceville is definitely a must-see.

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The last Canada-wide Craft Year celebration, almost a decade ago, was a blockbuster hit with more than 700 events held from coast to coast to coast. And there’s no lack of highly talented artisans right here in the Upper St. John River Valley where agriculture, lumbering and craft have co-mingled for generations.

As part of the national event, the Art in the Valley Studio Tour will give you a rare opportunity to visit many of these craft studios over the weekend of Saturday, June 6 and Sunday June 7, 2015 ─ and possibly witness how all that magic is created.

This year, the Studio Tour, conceived as a “arts safari” (primarily along the riverside Route 105 Heritage Corridor), invites explorers to discover the Grand Falls area, the Tobique, Perth-Andover, Florenceville-Bristol, Woodstock and points beyond. It makes a fascinating group outing or a fun half-day family excursion. A guide and map is available from the McCain Art Gallery and other locations along the route.

You might decide to start your tour in the Woodstock area where there are several galleries that are highlighting craft and may be staging demonstrations or inviting visitors to chat with the artisans. These venues ─ the Creek Village Gallery & Café in downtown Woodstock, O’Toole Gallery in Grafton as well as the new River Art Centre & Studios on Main Street in Florenceville-Bristol (with carver James Buxton and artist Colin Smith) ─ plan to open their doors on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday from about noon to 4 p.m.

Drive the 105 Heritage Corridor
As you head further north on Route 105, a stop at the Two Loose Screws Studio (31 Beech Glen Road in Perth-Andover) could be most interesting. In a recent interview, artist-jeweller Japheth McKinney marveled at the success of his clay-based jewellery at the Atlantic Craft Trade Show in Halifax. (See photo at top.) “Despite the bad winter weather, I was very happy with the orders I got. Now my earrings, necklaces and bracelets are in gift shops from Cape Breton to Charlottetown to Shediac,” he says.

Arriving in the Grand Falls-Plaster Rock area, three acclaimed crafters are being particularly recognized for this Tour. Two studios are found on Pokiok Lane in Rowena: wood-turner Randy Hathaway who displays his fine bowls (shown at left) in a picturesque riverside showroom on the Tobique (see top photo) and sculptor Francine Simard Levesque (her work at left in top photo) who specializes in Saint Nicholases. Rounding out the talented trio is Denise Violette Michaud in Drummond (150 Violette Station Road), known for her intriguing soft-sculpture. A ceramic piece by Denise is also on display at the McCain Art Gallery.

Hungry for more?
The current show at the Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery (8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol), entitled “The Thing That Happened”, is a must-see. Presented by the New Brunswick Crafts Council and curated by the Canadian Crafts Federation, the exhibit is all about discovering the story behind the art. According to one of the curators, the stories “range from having very personal, introspective meanings to [sharing] moments sealed in our collective memory.” Allow 45 minutes for viewing. (The gallery is open Saturday and closed on Sunday but the exhibit continues through June 24.)

With half of its 35 members devoted to craft, the new Creek Village Gallery & Café in downtown Woodstock (119 Connell Street near Main) delights the eye with a wide range of work in wood, metal, glass and fiber including a fine selection of better hand-crafted jewellery. Several of the artisans will be on hand both days to welcome visitors.

This co-operative bills itself “a delicious downtown arts experience” and the waterside café will be offering a full menu on Saturday, baked goods on Sunday as well as select teas and coffees both days.

The Art in the Valley Studio Tour is presented twice a year by the Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery in partnership with the Saint John River Valley Tourism Association and, of course, the participants. The next tour is planned for September 26-27, 2015.