Alton Mill Arts Centre - Shops, Studios and Galleries

Made of Wood Show Comes Full Circle

In 2001 Carl Bergstrom and Jim Lorriman held the first Made of Wood Show at the Alton Mill as a way to elevate the perception of woodworking to an art form. The show has expanded over the past 11 years to not only include wood artists from across Canada, but also to feature demonstrations and seminars in wood turning, sculpture & carving, portable sawmill, tools and wood. This year the show comes full circle, returning to its roots at the Alton Mill. The Made of Wood show will runs from April 21 until May 13, and will be hosted primarily within The Bartlett and Crimson Feather galleries. The opening reception will be Saturday April 21 from 1 – 4pm.

On the Spring Awakening weekend there will be live outdoor demonstrations of wood carving, turning and even a sawmill all weekend. Visit the Made of Wood Show website for more details...

Paul Morin Gallery Coming to the Mill

We are pleased to announce that the Paul Morin Gallery is moving to the Alton Mill. Paul Morin is an established artist, musician, photographer and illustrator. His gallery is moving from the town of Erin to the former Pond Gallery on the upper floor overlooking the mill pond. Visitors can get a first glimpse of the newly renovated gallery with a Preview Show featuring the abstract of nature and the nature of abstract in the art of Paul Morin from March 31- April 22.

The preview will be followed by the final Pond Gallery show: Grande Gardens and Petite Cafes by guest artists, Tim Murton and Richard Worthington opening April 25.

The gallery officially opens with Watermark by Paul Morin. The opening reception is on Friday May 25 from 7-10 pm and will feature a screening of new video works and original music by Paul Morin and friends.

Andrea Bird: Conveyed

Conveyed: Visual Interactions between Art and Text - Mad & Noisy Gallery in Creemore, ON... April 7 - 30th/2012

Studio Artist, Andrea Bird is taking part in a seven person show that opens with a reception on Saturday, April 7th from 2 - 5pm. The other artists taking part: Jill Price, Michael Coughlin, Roy Hickling, Gavy Swan, Roz St. Clair and Ray Kundinger. This show examines how the juxtaposition of imagery and text can create a story, evoke memories and/or create a picture in the viewer's mind. Through the mediums of encaustic, metal, clay, collage and assemblage, this narrative collection of works celebrates the art of storytelling. www.madandnoisy.com for directions/details.

Alton Mill Artist at Art Gallery of Hamilton

Studio Artist, Julia Vandepolder will have six paintings featured in this year`s upcoming Spring Art Show & Sale at the Art Gallery of Hamilton the weekend of Thursday,May 3 - Sunday, May 6th, 2012.

There will be works by over 50 different artists and admission is Free for the event. More information can be found at http://www.artgalleryofhamilton.com/as_shop_art_sale.php

Janet Simmons Sweet at the Rose Theatre

Alton Mill artist Janet Simmons Sweet, in Studio 204, has been accepted as the Artist in Residence with a solo exhibit at the Rose Theatre in Brampton. The collection, 'Four Seasons', is comprised of 22 artworks from the many changing colours in the Hills of Headwaters. Show runs to March 3rd, 2012.

Taste of Tourism - Artisan of The Year!

TASTE OF TOURISM AWARDS ~ On Wednesday 16 November, The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association celebrated excellence in tourism and hospitality at their annual tourism awards ceremony. The evening honoured those businesses and individuals that exemplify business and customer service excellence, and who help profile the Hills of Headwaters region as one of Ontario's premier tourism destinations.

Congratulations to Ann Randeraad, a talent potter who has a studio here at the Alton Mill Art Centre was awarded Artisian of the Year.

Welcoming Back Julia Vandepolder

Julia was recently away from her studio for the month of September, attending a 4 week residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont. Vermont Studio Center is the largest international artists' & writers' residency program in the United States, hosting 50 visual artists' and writers' each month from across the world.

Read about her experience here on the Telephone Booth Gallery blog.

Award Winning Artist in the Crimson Feather Gallery

Featured Watercolour Artist Yaohua Yan, in the Crimson Feather Gallery's current show, Still Waters, Flowing Bronze - has just been awarded the Curry's M. Graham & Co. Award for his entry into the Canadian Watercolour Society's 86th Annual Open International Juried Art Exhibition. Yaohua's work will be on display until November 27th.

Andrea Bird Honoured with Two Awards at SGI Show

Alton Mill master encaustic artist and teacher Andrea Bird was honoured with not one, but two coveted awards at this fall's Headwaters Arts Festival annual juried show held at the SGI-Canada Caledon Centre.

The awards included the Jurors Choice Award, and the Artists Choice Award for the body of work Andrea submitted to the show. Needless to say, she "was thrilled".

Alton Mill Artist Featured at the Telephone Booth Gallery

Julia Vandepolder's paintings are featured in the latest exhibition at the Telephone Booth Gallery in Toronto. According to the curator of the gallery "The rich surfaces of [Vandepolder's] paintings capitalize on the tension between representation and abstraction, inside and outside, what is hidden and what is visible. Abstract accumulations of line, colour and texture tentatively coalesce into the jagged contour of a beam, a corroded pipe or a pile of bricks." The exhibition runs from Oct. 12 to Nov. 26 with reception Friday Oct. 21, 7-10pm. For more information...

Photo Walk in Alton!

For the third year in a row, Craig Bell will be leading a group of local photography-lovers as a part of the World-Wide Photo Walk, Sunday October 2. Craig will lead the group on a walk I titled "Two Mills, One River". Starting at the Millcroft Inn, photographers will walk around the Inn, then down Queen Street to the Alton Mill.

Meet Renowned Wildlife Artist George Mclean

Red-Tailed Hawk Mantling" by George McLean The Headwaters Arts Festival is hosting a talk by renowned wildlife painter George McLean on Sunday Oct. 2 at 2:00 pm in the Pond Gallery at the Alton Mill. Please join us to hear McLean share his journey from humble beginnings to acclaimed illustrator and artist. Tickets $20 + HST (HA members) and $25 + HST (non-members) - all proceeds to support Headwaters Arts.

James Gordanner's No Hold Barred

No Holds Barred is a seleciton of work from the past decade of James Gordaneer's work. No Holds Barredruns from October 2 to October 23 in The Bartlett Gallery.

Prarie Skies in the Pond Gallery

In Big Sky, Alton Mill artists Bonnie Eskelson and Dawn Friesen evoke their common roots in the Canadian Praries. Big Sky runs until August 28 in the Pond Gallery.

Alton Mill Artist Wins Award at Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition

Julia Vandepolder received the Founding Chairman's Award at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition held in Nathan Phillips Square on July 8 to 10.

Guelph Jurors' Awards

Three Alton Mill artisans win Jurors' Awards from Guelph Creative Arts Association. On June 12 Kathy Crain, Bridget Wilson and Ann Randeraad were awarded honourable mentions in the fibre, glass and pottery categories respectively at the "Painting On the Green 2011" show. The awards were presented by Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge.

Time Frame Jurors' Awards

On June 2, the mill was swarming with people as Heritage Caledon combined its annual soiree with the Opening Reception and Award Presentation for Time Frame, the largest art show held at the Alton Mill to date. The main juried show drew an eclectic mix of art from around the province, all celebrating Ontario's cultural and natural heritage and is accompanied by an exhibition of student work in the Pond Gallery. Jurors' awards were given to...

Resident Artist at AGO!

Four of Darlean Morris' paintings have been accepted by the Art Gallery of Ontario's Art Sales and Rental Gallery, including "Resplendent" which has been on display in her studio at the mill. Darlean's work can also be seen in "Inspirations" at the Studio Vogue Gallery in Toronto, June 1 to June 22, reception Thursday June 2nd 6-8 pm.

Alton Mill's Andrea Bird online radio interview

Resident encaustic artist Andrea Bird was interviewed recently by Mark Lipinski for Creative Mojo.

Click here and go to the June 8 broadcast to listen to Andrea 'wax' on about encaustic and the conference that she just came home from in Provincetown! .

Julia Vandepolder Art Show

The Alton Mill's Julia Vandepolder is featured in a two-person show, Parallels, with Laura Kreviazuk at the vsvsvs*/G Gallery in Toronto. The show runs from Thursday June 2nd – July 2nd. Reception: Thursday June 2nd, 7-10pm . In conjunction with Parallels, Julia has a solo exhibition, Remnants, on display at the nearby VSVSVS Gallery.

Spring Awakenings Peoples' Choice Awards

Congratulations to Bridget Wilson for winning the People Choice award for her glass piece "All Meshed Up" in the Art Fit for a King exhibition currently on display in the Millrace room. Second place award goes to Mark Grice for his acrylic painting "Kate Walk", and third place was a tie: "Fit for a Princess", an encaustic wax painting by Andrea Bird and another glass piece by Bridget Wilson, "Royal Black Magic".

Fire and Ice - People's Choice Award Winners

A special Fire & Ice themed art exhibition by the Alton Mill studio artists has been mounted in the Pond Gallery as part of our annual winter festival. On the opening weekend, the general public had their say. A total of 20 different works received votes for the People's Choice award, and in the end only three votes separated first, second and third places. The winner is "Warm Up" a painting in acrylic on canvass by Mark Grice. Second place by one vote is "Ice", a large bowl composed of glass shards by Bridget Wilson, closely followed by "With Wings Outstretched" a beeswax encaustic painting by Andrea Bird. Congratulations to the winners and all those who participated. Thanks to the public for your feedback. The show continues until the end of February.