Alana Boyd and Chris Hundley stand in the Blue Canoe, soon to be South River’s newest art gallery.
SOUTH RIVER – Thanks to the annual Festival of the Arts, South River is developing a reputation for its arts community. But much more can be done, and the folks behind the festival are poised to turn it from a one-week wonder to a year-round attraction.
This is not a new idea, according to Chris Hundley, of South River’s Association for the Promotion of Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC), an umbrella organization for the festival and other annual local events.
“We wanted to try and have something going all year round, but we never had the time,” said Hundley.
That recently changed, thanks to some government funding. PARC has hired local artist Alana Boyd to promote the arts on a full-time basis during the coming year. This will include developing opportunities for Almaguin artists to display and promote their work.
“Alana’s goal has always been to run a gallery and work in the arts full-time,” said Hundley. “This will help her reach her goals, and help us reach our goals with the PARC Association as well.”
Boyd was also recently selected at the featured artist for the 2008 South River Festival of the Arts. Trained in painting techniques from an early age, Boyd works with an almost compulsive creativity. This total immersion in her work was one of the reasons she stopped painting in the early 1970s, as it left little room for other responsibilities. Boyd returned to painting with a vengeance in 2002. Now she is ready to make the move to full-time artist.
“I had to make a career change from serving the public to serving the arts,” agreed Boyd, who is already putting together themed art shows to run year-round at the Blue Canoe.
Northern Edge Algonquin will continue to use the floor space for workshops, but the storefront on Ottawa Avenue will soon become an art gallery, and home to various classes and workshops related to art and other areas of interest. Boyd said that the Blue Canoe name will remain, due to its connection to art history.
“Tom Thomson had a blue canoe, so it goes all the way back to the Group of Seven,” she said.
Boyd is currently seeking out artists from Callander to Novar to participate in gallery shows, and provide suggestions. She said that art shows can be a great motivator for artists.
“It’s going to stimulate creativity,” she said. “ It gives people something to work toward.”
The first show at the Blue Canoe will feature a single artist from outside the area, giving locals an opportunity to see how the shows will work.
The work of Ottawa Valley artist Andrew Adach will be on display from May 15 to May 24.
In addition to providing stimulation and exposure for the artistic community, the Gallery at the Blue Canoe is expected to also serve the business community as a local attraction.
“Hopefully we’ll bring more people into the area for business, and create a positive atmosphere,” said Boyd.
For more information, contact Alana Boyd at southriverarts@onlink.net or call 498-2202.
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