Business duo staging art show
Downtown Ridgeway is lined with unique shops and establishments enjoying plenty of success, but it’s also the home of a colourful arts community.
In some cases, it’s the people who operate the local stores who set aside their business savvy for creative energy and two of those people are Mary Friesen and Janet Montgomery.
Friesen is part owner of Lakeside Books and Art as well as the proprietor of a home furnishings store and Montgomery operates Tulip Tree Floral, all in downtown Ridgeway.
Both are collaborating with their artwork for an exhibit taking place at Lakeside Books and Art, which kicks off with a reception on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will run for all of March.
Friesen, a Niagara Falls resident, has been painting since 1994 and feels she has a come long way from the time she began exercising her artistic side.
“When I started, I felt like I couldn’t draw stick person — it was totally intimidating,” she said.
Friesen has released books of her work with a focus on Niagara and its beauty throughout all four seasons and says that landscapes are her forte.
Montgomery worked on her craft for many years but put it on hold when she started a family and put more of her attention on her business.
Today, her catalogue consists mostly of acrylics and encaustics, an ancient art that involves beeswax and she is looking forward to the upcoming show alongside her friend.
“It’s a branch for both of us,” she said.
Friesen said that with all the positive attention downtown Ridgeway has been receiving lately — it’s something she is very proud to be a part of.
“Ridgeway is booming — we have so many people coming into town. It’s a great business place,” she said.
But it’s not just the commerce in the area that’s turning heads. There are regular art exhibits at the book store, the headquarters of the Fort Erie Arts Council up the street at the Sanctuary, and studio tours twice a year — to name a few of the things going on.
On March 24, the Fort Erie Arts Council will host an art battle at the Sanctuary. Lakeside Books and Art is located at 341 Ridge Rd.