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Arts and Entertainment Page 2022 Year in Review 2/2

January 27, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Happy New Year to you and the widespread, marvellous arts community in this whole region. What follows is our review for the many shows, events and accolades over 2022. This is part two of the 2022 Arts Review. Part one ran on Page A13 last week.

January through December: HA – staged nine art shows featuring a wide variety of visual artists using many mediums and themes.

2022: A dazzling list of awards to sumi-é artist, Roslyn Levin, who has a mini studio at Dragonfly: From Sumi-é Artists of Canada, the Ruth Yamada Award; the Modern Ink Painting Art Award from the International Chinese Calligraphy Ink Painting Society (ICCPS), adjudicated in Japan; from the Sumi-e Society of America, the Shozo and Alice Soto Award for Best All-Ink Sumi-e Painting. 

May and every month for the year: Dragonfly Arts on Broadway – there was a good showing in the Dragonfly windows, changing monthly, by artists Tanya Zaryski, Jack Zhou, John Adams and Kathryn Thomson and others. Two new jewellers were added to the fold inside: Emily Kowalik from Dufferin and Tony de Luca from Fergus.

May 15: Achill Choral Society (ACS), having worked together on their music over Zoom during January to March, then in person thereafter, offering video streaming to members at home, ACS was ready to perform a spring concert at the Avalon Retirement Centre.

May 21 – 22: AMAC- Arts in the Annex – a market place for a weekend of artists displaying their fine work in the Annex under the tent for the first time. Very well received by patrons.


Summer: Headwaters Arts (HA), based at the Alton Mill Arts Centre, spent the pandemic applying and receiving grants from Ontario Trillium Foundation (Resilient Communities Fund and Community Building Fund) “to install an outdoor art space, a seasonal, tented roof over the historic Annex Courtyard, purchased stage risers, and window coverings” for the purpose of safely presenting outdoor events. Additionally, funds to pay and engage staff for the expansion of social media and promotion. The tent was installed in the summer of 2022.

Finally, a Grand Prize for her Japanese Calligraphy piece in the 2022 Shodo Canada exhibit, adjudicated in Japan. Congratulations, Ms. Levin.
Likewise, congratulations to Dragonfly for 20 years as a valued arts business at the same address at 189 Broadway.

June 3 to 5: The 18th Blues and Jazz Festival, award-winning festival, known internationally, as thousands of people flocked to Orangeville to see the Blues Cruise on Broadway on Friday, featuring over 300 classic cars. Through the weekend, four stages, restaurants, pubs, the launch of the TD Broadway Stage and the Opera House brought some of the top stars in the Blues world and presented young rising stars to strut their talent too.

June 11: Museum of Dufferin staged Dufferin County Annual Multi Cultural Event, where the ACS performed. The event included exhibits and a lovely market place.

June 18: Orangeville – Celebrate your Awesome returned in-person to raise the rainbows and enjoy the bands, the food vendors, local artisans and a wonderful time.

July 13: AMAC – Concert under the Tent – Joel Plaskett played his brand of blues and folk music to the delight of the audience.

August: BookLore – presented Annual Arts in Mulmur event with the Arts in Mulmur Committee producing “From the Farm to the Table.” This featured four cookbook authors: Joshna Maharaj (Take Back the Tray); Mairlyn Smith (Peace, Love & Fibre); Trish Magwood (My New Table); Deirdre Buryk (Peak Season).

Aug. 4: AMAC – Matt Andersen playing under the tent, guitarist and blues singer/songwriter gave a robust performance to an enthusiastic audience.

Aug. 7: AMAC – Annual Caledon Music Festival – very brilliant classical music concert featuring some of the best musicians in Canada.

Aug. 10 to 14: TOV – Summer Arts Festival, at the Mount Alverno Luxury Resort: an arts festival over five days, including visual artists, Young Company performers, drag shows, stand-up and Best of Fringe. 

August 17: AMAC- Kathleen Edwards, Canadian singer/songwriter and musician played her music and charmed the crowd under the tent in the Annex.

Aug. 27 – 28: TOV – Young Company performed She Kills Monsters at the Opera House, as the finale to their month of August rehearsal and theatre arts. Fantastic production.

September: AMAC – open house weekends with tenant artists all in attendance looking forward to meeting patrons and new visitors to the Mill.

Sept. 4 to 18 (weekends): CCT – 39 Steps and this version of the famous Hitchcock thriller mystery movie was described as a mix between Hitchcock and “a dash of Monty Python.” Theatre members were sad to announce the co-founder and very active member of the Century Church Theatre, Jo Phenix died on Oct. 7, 2022. Our condolences.

Sept. 9 and 10 – CTHP- produced South of Hope, written by T. Gregory Argall, a tribute to his memory and a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, collecting $2,500.

Sept. 15: AMAC – with the “Opening Night Soiree” for the 26th Annual Juried Fall Festival Juried Art Show and Sale, running through September to end November. Titled “WE ARE HERE,” the show featured 75 works by 55 artists from across the Headwaters region and southern Ontario.

Sept. 15 – 18: TOV – produced Suddenly Single! Written and performed by Anne Marie Scheffler gives advice to ladies who are open to a life as a single woman (again). A little raunchy and a lot hilarious.

Sept. 17: AMAC – Arts open air market in the Annex – a beautiful day of invited artists from around the area.

September 27: BookLore and TOV –presented Dr. Gabor Maté, interviewed by Lindsey Shapiro MSW to a sold-out audience about his new book, “The Myth of Normal.” 

Proceeds were donated to TOV’s New Play Development.

Sept. 30: AMAC – Concert in the Annex from the Campfire Poets, a local band, popular for more than 20 years. They covered a wide variety of selected music.

Oct. 2: BookLore with Headwaters Arts Festival presented “A Bookish Afternoon” in the Annex at the AMAC. Authors were Bianca Marais (The Witches of Moonshyne Manor); Eva Stachniak (School of Mirrors); Steve Burrows (A Foreboding of Petrels), Bernadette Hardaker as moderator.

Oct. 6: Booklore launched a new thriller series, On the Edge by Marina Reed and retired OPP Don Hawkins.

Oct. 12 – 30: TOV – They’re Found in Trees by Norm Foster, world premiere. Two bird-watching men decide to advertise for a third member to form a club but are surprised when only one woman replies. Dependably high humour and food for thought from Mr. Foster. 

Oct. 22: Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS) – world premiere of Canadian composer Timothy Corlis’ new composition, Om Saha Navavatu, (Sanskrit) in Toronto at Eglington St. George’s United Church on Oct. 22, 2022.

Oct. 30: BookLore – Launch of Shadow Life, a new novel by area resident Michael Decter, which was listed on the CBC’s Best Books.

Nov. 1, 4, 6 and 9: EIS- also performed Om Saha Navavatu, at venues and churches in towns in and around the GTA, as well as joining other choirs in Thornbury and Brantford.

Nov. 10: BookLore – with Orangeville Public Library to produce Words the Orangeville Way (WOW). In the Town Hall Atrium they secured the authors: Carol Newal (Outside the Gate); Eva Jurczuk (The Department of Rare Books & Special Collections) and illustrator Laurie McGaw (The Unsinkable Lucille). Moderated by Bernadette Hardaker.

Nov. 12: TOV – back in-person for the largest fund-raiser of the year with the annual gala, renamed ‘Twas the Night Gala. Great: silent and live auction items and entertainment with a special appearance of Mark and Elisabeth DuBois. Ms. DuBois’ appointment as music director of T.O.Y.S. means the kids are welcomed back to sing.

Nov. 12, 18, 19: CTHP – A Christmas Tail by Joe Simonelli about a mystical cat named Gus and the people he helps for Christmas. The backdrop is a butcher’s shop.

Nov. 19 and 20: AMAC – Holiday Open House at the Mill. Shopping excellence.

Dec. 3: AMAC: The Competition Volume Two – 12 more artists take their turn amid admiring folk who later vote for their favourites with the panel of judges.

Dec. 10: ACS performed a concert titled A Winter Day at Westminster United Church, their new home for rehearsal and concerts. Splendid performances to bring in the coming season were very enthusiastically received by one and all.


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