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Alton Mill Arts Centre: Headwaters Arts opens new show and The Trews perform tonight

October 7, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

The last of the Proposal Art shows in the Headwaters Arts Gallery (HWA) at the Alton Mill Arts Centre opened this week on October 6 and runs until November 7.

The theme for this show is Journeys, Dreams and Fantasies. Come and enjoy a Headwaters travelogue from British born Susan Kelly of landscape oil paintings; the delightful bird in blown glass with a tail that needs to be seen to be appreciated, by Jolanta Jung, living here from Poland and the dream-like abstract by Marnie Cooke, featuring a bird of colour that you may wish to visit you in your own dream.

Media Manager for HWA, Susan Powell, told the Citizen, “This is the last Proposal Show of the year. Next, in November, Artful Giving is coming up – a pre-Christmas opportunity to shop for gifts but there will be more details about that closer to the time. 

“Proposal,” she said, “Means it’s a theme of what their show and their work are about.”

She explained, “Each year we make an outline for the gallery shows, how many Proposal shows in a year, see what the artists – you know – propose. Generally, a few artists come together and then, we see a sculpture, the walls with paintings and the three-dimensional. Sometimes, first time artists show their work in these exhibitions too.”

Artist Marnie Cooke spoke to the Citizen briefly about her interesting career as a ballet dancer, choreographer and, eventually a teacher, leading, as things might, to her current interest in and success as an abstract artist.

“My dance career started with studies in dance most of my childhood, doing Royal Ballet technique,” she said. “I just kept working on my technique, along with my love of classical music and my interpretation of it. I studied at the Royal Academy of Dance.”

Going through all the grades and levels. Ms. Cooke also studied at the Theatre Department at Ryerson.

“I performed, choreographed and taught with Ballet East in the late ’70’s, early ’80’s, Ballets Jazz in Montreal and National Ballet School,” she said.

Ms. Cooke eventually choreographed for the Canadian Opera Company and likewise for with the Alberta Opera Company and Winnipeg Opera.

“I lived for nine years in Winnipeg, teaching at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.”

Throughout all that, she said, “Painting was always a passion of mine but I didn’t have time. I always loved art galleries.

Moving to Mono, “I have been teaching Pilates, yoga and dance in my local community centre but with Covid, I’ve been painting more. When I was in Calgary, I took courses from the Art College there. It was wonderful to have professionals helping you – it was a great honour to be back in school as an adult.”

This week and weekend are a few busy days at the Alton Mills Arts Centre. The Journeys, Dreams and Fantasies, opening yesterday, October 6 will run into November.

Rock fans will be happy to learn there is also a concert tonight, October 7 in the Tent on the courtyard, with the Trews, the Canadian Rock Band. They are appearing this evening at the Alton Mill Arts Centre.

On Saturday, October 9^th Headwaters Arts Gallery is hosting the Opening Reception, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., which is a fun chance to meet the artists. The Gallery is open on Sunday as well. 

Co-owner, with his brother Jeremy, Jordan Grant talked to the Citizen about the success of the newly installed Tent over the courtyard outside the Mill. Set up for the first time at the end of June this year, the tent is truly a three  season cover that has provided a safe space for art shows and numerous events.

“The way it feels and looks and the acoustics are top notch. Including the musicians who have performed there, the tent has transformed the space because it’s such a dramatic space with the top that was custom made for the space,” said Grant.

“It’s a three-season installation and for weddings, it’s been a huge success. The Trillium funding has does done exactly what was it was set up to do. As a Covid safe space, this is a new venue for the community that was not there before.”

He told the Citizen, “The Green and Liberal parties both had functions. It’s been great for Headwaters Arts to hold their shows.

“The first music event was wildly popular among the neighbourhood – the Alton folks really liked the first performer. That was Country and Western singer, Tim Hicks.”

Several private functions have taken place under the shelter of the large space. “The Caledon Music Festival was held here,” Mr. Grant enthused. “Not indoors, so, they were able to hold it because of the tent. Other years, they were indoors. The people who attended loved it and the performers loved it and the acoustics are really good.

Headwaters Arts had their first show at the beginning of August.

Four consecutive weekends were busy for those who had scheduled weddings but could only invite very few people because of Covid restrictions but were able to have weddings with reasonable numbers under the tent at the Alton Mill. 

“The tent capacity, seated as a concert is 120 people, based on seating six feet apart in groups.”

He said, “This place is special and the performers really seem to get a lot out of the setting with the forest behind them.”

Susan Powell praised, “Reciprocity with Alton Mill and Headwaters, working with the Tent and the Artists through their entertainment – there’s really been a good benefit to both. Headwaters Art benefits and contributes from the tickets sales – they [the Mill] book and sell tickets – and benefit from the return; HWA gets a percentage, so, it’s kind of nice.”

Talking about mounting the Journeys, Dreams and Fantasies show, Marnie Cooke commented, “It is very interesting to work with other artists. We mounted the show together and we worked hard to get it right. Even though I consider it a small gallery, there is plenty of room. It is nice to monitor the show and I admire people who can give the clarity even in abstract.”

Although her habit has been to use large canvases, Ms. Cooke commented, “I now know with a small canvas – you don’t have to make small strokes.”

All the details at www.headwatersarts.org and www.altonmill.ca.

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