‘A real sense of community’
Valley artists’ work showcased in Margaretsville Gallery
A community of Valley artists has banded together to share their experience of painting wildlife, seascapes and landscapes and showcase their work on the shore of the Bay of Fundy.
According to Kentville artist Dan Bertrand, The Artist’s Circle is a co-operative of nearly 30 contemporary artists living and working in the Annapolis Valley. It brings together artists of all abilities, disciplines and backgrounds.
Bertrand, president of the coop, said The Artist’s Circle began more than 30 years ago as a small group that met at the Greenwood base. It soon outgrew that location and moved to a spot on the Fundy shore.
The Art Shack, a co-operative gallery in Margaretsville, Annapolis County, was established more than 30 years ago by members of The Artist’s Circle. During the summer, members open the Art Shack to the public at 37 Haddock Alley in Margaretsville.
“It has become a noted tourist attraction. We draw new visitors to the area and people return every year to add to their collection of original art created by local artists from the Annapolis Valley,” Bertrand said.
“Most of the art is sold at very reasonable prices because we don’t really do it for the money. We just do it because we love to paint and this is a great way to be able to show our work.”
According to Bertrand, sales at the gallery have tripled over the last year since pandemicrelated health restrictions were lifted.
“A lot more people are coming through our little Art Shack,” Bertrand said.
Professional artist Ann Marie Lowe of Aylesford is a retired accountant and has been a co-op member for seven years.
Lowe said the art sold at the Art Shack belongs to the artists. The Artist Circle charges a 15 per cent commission for expenses, maintenance, repairs and upgrades to the gallery building, which the Margaretsville Shore Society owns. The co-op maintains the building in lieu of paying rent.
Lowe enjoys socializing and sharing tips with co-op members and discussing art with gallery visitors.
“We are always interested to see where visitors are from … When it’s my turn to volunteer in the gallery, I always enjoy it over there. The atmosphere there its very relaxing,” Lowe said.
“I think being an artist is kind of a lonely life. It’s hard to find a gallery to take your art so the co-op is a win-win for everybody because you get to interact with other artists and the public.”
Artist Aprille Janes lives in Margaretville and has been a co-op member for six years.
“It brings to me a real sense of community. When we moved here we were brand new to the province and it was a group of people with like interests that I could connect with and had something in common with … Art is about communication. If we don’t have an audience, no one we can communicate, then what is the point? We are not finishing what we began,” Janes said.
“So, the Shack gives us a place to have that conversation with an audience.”
The interaction with her peers is also important to Janes.
“We can bounce our ideas off each other. We can learn from each other.”
Janes said the Art Shack had been a fixture on the Margaretsville shore over the decades, attracting local cottagers, Western Canadians visiting family and travellers from as far away as Europe, Australia and Asia.
“Some of the artists have a fanbase that come back every year. It’s something for people to do when they come down to the shore. They like to come in to see what’s new in the Art Shack,” Janes said.
The building which houses the Art Shack was donated to the Shore Society by a local fisher whose wife was one of the original members of The Artist’s Circle.
Heber Janes of the Margaretsville Shore Society said the presence of the Art Shack, as well as improvements to the wharf, construction of a boardwalk and picnic areas, combine to draw between 60 and 100 visitors a day during the tourism season.
“It becomes very active in the summertime,” he said.
“It is very much a symbiotic relationship between the Art Shack and the Shore Society,” Janes said, adding the co-op is planning renovations and improvements to the Art Shack to enhance the experience of people who come through, including in the area of accessibility.
More information about the co-op is available on Facebook or danbertrand54@outlook.com.