A splash of colour for Mother’s Day
Whether you’re in the early stages of appreciating art or someone with many years of experience in interpreting the meaning of a painting, the Pelham Art Festival has something for everyone.
This is how the 32nd annual event was described by artist Mary Pawley on Sunday, the final day of the weekend-long soiree of creative minds and the people who admired or purchased their work.
“There’s landscape, still life, abstract — we have it all,” said Hawley, also president of the Pelham Art Association.
“It’s a beautiful art show, one of the best in Ontario,” she added.
Other fine art mediums on display at the Mother’s Day weekend exhibit and sale included acrylics, sculpture and jewelry.
Heidi TeBrake, chairwoman for the 76-artist show, said having the work juried before doors open Friday night is key to mak-
ing sure work on display is of a high standard.
Over more than three decades, the event has supported several causes — raising funds for programming at Pelham Public Library and local arts organizations, as well as establishing bursaries for students at E.L. Crossley Secondary School, Notre Dame Catholic High School and Niagara College.
Artist Lorraine Stapley, a Peterborough-based artist who grew up in Fonthill, has shown her work for more than 12 years at the festival, an occasion she appreciates for its contributions to the local library, but also because of the dedicated people who organize it.
“The volunteers are terrific and support the artists very well. It’s just a really nice atmosphere,” she said.
The festival was staged at Pelham Arena.