Umbrella Fall/Winter 2023

Fall/Winter 2023 Vol. 32 No. 3

What's Under the Umbrella?

The photography of Jacob Côté o Artist, Harvie Brydon o Quinte en Plein Air o

Visual I Performance I Literary I Heritage I Education

Janet Jarrell, Executive Director janet@quinteartscouncil.org Kodie Trahan-Guay, Communications & Media Director kodie@quinteartscouncil.org Matilda Aide, Program Director matilda@quinteartscouncil.org Andrew Gray, Graphic Designer drewgraymatters@gmail.com Kim Lidstone, Bookkeeper qac@quinteartscouncil.org The Quinte Arts Council is a not-for-profit, charitable organization, registration number 107869448 RR 0001. Publications mail agreement number 40667523. Published by: The Quinte Arts Council, P.O. Box 22113 Belleville, Ont. K8N 2Z5.

Material may be reprinted only with permission.

The information contained within is believed to be reliable, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

We do not assume responsibility for any errors and/or omissions related to submitted content.

Janet Jarrell, Executive Director

A Message from the Executive Director As we stand at the threshold of a new year, I am re-energized with anticipation for the artistic journey that lies ahead. 2024 promises to renew our collective vision, reimagine our creative processes and reinforce the spirit of our arts community.

The past year has been a testament to our resilience and adaptability, showcasing the unwavering power of art to connect, inspire, and uplift. As we look to the future, let us carry forward the lessons learned and the strength gained, weaving them into the vibrancy of our creative endeavours.

Reimagination calls for bold ideas and innovative approaches. Let us challenge the boundaries of convention, encouraging artists to explore unchart-

ed territories and express their unique voices. By fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates creativity in its myriad forms, we can open doors to new perspectives and narratives that captivate and inspire.

Whether through strategic partnerships, enhanced outreach, or innovative arts educational programs, let us continue to be a catalyst for positive change.

Thank you to our generous sponsors listed at the bottom of this page, and the many artists, art organizations, local businesses and donors that support the work we do. Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors, and to the QAC team - Kodie Trahan-Guay and Matilda Aide - every day is an adventure!

Re-energization is the heartbeat of any thriving arts community. In the coming year, let's invigorate our programs and events with a renewed sense of vitality. By fostering collaboration, embracing diversity, and amplifying the voices of emerging talents, we can infuse fresh energy into every facet of our artistic community. Here's to a year of artistic excellence, community engagement, and the enRenewal is the key to sustaining our during magic of the arts. momentum and relevance. Together, let's assess and refine our strategies, ensuring that our initiatives align with the evolving needs of our community.

Cover: Harvie Brydon Back: Jacob Côté

John M. & Bernice

PARROTT F O U N D AT I O N

QAC programs are funded in part by:

Table of Contents

M.A. Simms, Reflections

Message from the Chair + Contributors Board of Directors

2 3

Arts Education QAC Bursaries

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Photography Jacob Côté

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Fine Arts Harvie Brydon Sam Sakr

12 14

Music Maple Drive Tony Vani

16 18

Literary Courtney Summers

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Quinte Arts Council Art Recognition Awards Seasons of Shows Quinte En Plein Air Cultural Hub

22 24 26 28

Heritage Ameliasburgh Museum

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Theatre Lennox Community Theatre

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Artist to Watch: Gerry Fraiberg Sponsored by the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board

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Embracing the Arts: A Message from the Board of Directors Chair Dear Quinte Arts Council Members and Community, It is an honour and privilege to assume the role of Chair of the QAC Board of Directors. As a not-so-recent import to the Quinte community, I am inspired by the landscape, creativity and artistic tenacity of its members. An artist myself, I am deeply passionate about the arts & culture sustainably and committed to fostering an accessible, barrier-free environment where creativity thrives for all. Together, with the invaluable brilliance of the QAC team, we will continue to elevate the Quinte Arts Council to new heights in 2024 and in years to come.

Brit Johnson, Chair

It would be a detriment to not acknowledge the past incredible work of our outgoing Chair, Andrea Kerr. We applaud Andrea for her generous spirit and courageous leadership. Under her direction, along with the governance committee, the QAC completed a fulsome Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Audit to evaluate our programming, physical spaces, policies and processes.

Having completed the DEI Audit, the QAC has directed much of it’s funding efforts towards addressing access barriers so that we may better serve the Quinte community. Thank you Andrea for your continued commitment!

In 2023 there has been so much to celebrate. The second annual Dinner Docs & Drinks, supported

by Loyalist college, was a success and will be back next year. In our commitment to accessibility, the QAC presented Lynda Todd, Migration: Land, Air and Sea Caribou, Monarch Butterfly and Salmon. Our first tactile, touchable show which welcomed blind and low vision visitors to experience visual arts. And of course, a huge thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us at the Arts Recognition Awards Gala.

To our readers; we want to express our deepest appreciation to our members, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and the entire Quinte community. Your passion and dedication are the lifeblood of our organization, and without your ongoing support, none of these initiatives would be possible. We invite you to continue this journey with us, as we strive to make the arts an integral part of our community's identity and a source of inspiration for generations to come.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the arts. I look forward to connecting with each of you in my new role.

Contributors

Janet Jarrell

Jennifer Shea

Kodie Trahan-Guay

Greg Ceci

Matilda Aide

Ardith Racey

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Quinte Arts Council Board of Directors

Ash Murrell

Brit Johnson, Chair

Andrea Kerr, Past Chair

Janet Jarrell, Executive Director

Rick Moulton, Vice-Chair

Rachael Lidstone, Director

Maury Flunder, Treasurer

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Arts Education

The Power of arts education

By Janet Jarrell Translation by Serge Moreau (Animateur culturel/ Cultural facilitator)

The arts were indeed

once thought of as a luxury - young students worked their way through math and science just waiting to pull out their big box of colourful crayons and create.

Now, the arts are integral in our schools, they are integrated into everyday learning as a way to teach a variety of academic subjects in a more connected, creative and engaging way.

Music helps solve math problems; creating sculptures leads to a better understanding of architecture and engineering; drama is used to help students learn science. The arts stimulate children's development, creating millions of connections in their brains. The arts make learning more accessible (not to mention more fun!) to those who might not otherwise absorb traditional classroom methods. Young students are exceptionally good with imagination; add the arts and you are building confidence and creating a sense of belonging and pride.

It is that sense of belonging and pride that shines when the arts are used, connecting students with their culture as well as with the wider world. “Art also allows our students to express their emotions by creating unique works, specific to their personalities.” says Moreau.

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Quinte West

“The PassepART program represents an incredible bridge between the cultural community, community arts organizations and our Frenchspeaking schools in minority settings.”

Arts Education Launched in September 2019, the PassepART program is an initiative funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage that has created a partnership between our local French-speaking schools

and the Quinte Arts Council (QAC). Participating schools include École Élémentaire Publique Cité Jeunesse and L'école secondaire publique Marc-Garneau.

“The PassepART program represents an

incredible bridge between the cultural community, community arts organizations and our French-speaking schools in minority settings.” says Moreau.

Working with cultural facilitator Moreau, you can feel the excitement and pride these schools have in bringing arts experiences to their creative student body.

The PassepART microgrants are providing the funding to bring professional artists into the classrooms - the students are exploring new experiences in French through artistic, cultural and heritage activities. All these experiences have a long lasting, positive impact that go well beyond the classroom.

“The contribution of the arts to schools is essential. We are grateful for the PassepArt program and our partnership with Quinte Arts Council. Says Director, Chantal Paquin-McAlpine.

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Arts Education

Le pouvoir de l’éducation artistique Par Janet Jarrell Traduit par Serge Moreau (Animateur culturel/ Cultural facilitator)

Les arts étaient autrefois considérés comme un luxe : les jeunes étudiants parcouraient les mathématiques et les sciences en attendant simplement de sortir leur grande boîte de crayons de couleur pour laisser place à la créativité. Désormais, les arts font partie intégrante de nos écoles et sont intégrés à l’apprentissage quotidien comme moyen d’enseigner une variété de matières académiques de manière plus connectée, créative et engageante.

La musique aide à résoudre des problèmes mathématiques ; la création de sculptures conduit à une meilleure compréhension de l'architecture et de l'ingénierie; le théâtre est utilisé pour aider les élèves à apprendre les sciences. Les arts stimulent le développement des enfants en créant des millions de connexions dans leur cerveau. Les arts rendent l’apprentissage plus accessible (et plus amusant !!!) à ceux qui, autrement, n’auraient pas pu assimiler les méthodes traditionnelles en classe. Les jeunes étudi-

ants sont exceptionnellement imaginatifs; ajoutez les arts, renforcez la confiance et vous venez de créer un sentiment d’appartenance et de fierté. ‘’L’art permet aussi à nos élèves d’extérioriser leurs émotions en créant des oeuvres uniques, propres à leurs personnalités.” dit Moreau C’est ce sentiment d’appartenance et de fierté qui brille lorsque les arts sont utilisés pour relier les élèves à leur culture ainsi qu’au monde en général.

Lancé en septembre 2019, le programme PassepART est une initiative financée par le ministère du Patrimoine canadien nous permettant de créer un partenariat entre nos écoles francophones locales et le Quinte Arts Council (QAC). Les écoles participantes comprennent l'école élémentaire publique Cité Jeunesse et L'école secondaire publique Marc-Garneau, toutes deux du Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO).

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Quinte West

Arts Education En travaillant avec l’animateur culturel Moreau, vous pouvez ressentir l'enthousiasme et la fierté de ces écoles à offrir des expériences artistiques à leurs créatifs apprenants. Les microsubventions PassepART fournissent le financement nécessaire pour amener des artistes professionnels dans les salles de classe : les étudiants explorent de nouvelles expériences en français à travers des activités artistiques, culturelles et patrimoniales. Et ces expériences ont un impact positif et durable qui va bien au-delà de la salle de classe. ‘’Le programme PassepART représente une incroyable passerelle entre le milieu culturel, les organismes artistiques communautaires et nos écoles francophones en milieu minoritaire’’ dit Moreau. ‘’L’apport des arts en milieu scolaire est indispensable. Nous sommes reconnaissants du programme PassepArt et de notre partenariat avec Quinte Arts Council’’ dit Director, Chantal Paquin-McAlpine.

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Photography

Jacob Côté

Jacob Côté is a photographer who specializes in commercial photography specifically in architecture, food and people. A professional photographer for over a decade, his work has been published nationally and internationally.

Côté is from a family of photographers, he’s the third generation to be passionate about the artform. He began his craft at a young age using his father’s 35mm Canon AE-1 and hasn’t stopped. Côté enjoys focusing on areas he’s personally interested in, although he’s a professional and is an asset for your marketing campaigns, business image banks and Linkedin headshots.

“As a creative person, being creative is oxygen to me; without it, I'd die,” says Côté. When I'm approached with a new project, I thrive on the challenge, and it drives me to create the best images for you each and every single time.” jacobcotephotography.com 08 04

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Photography

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Photography

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Photography

Harvie Brydon: an artist from birth

Photography Fine Arts

By Jennifer Shea

Belleville Lonely House

Harvie Brydon was destined to be an artist. When he was born, his father contacted an expert in Kabalarian Philosophy about the baby’s birth path based on the date and time of his birth. The expert determined that the baby would be a creative and artistic person.

Brydon grew up with the understanding that he was creative and artistic, but he did not truly feel like an artist until he graduated from the Ontario College of Art after high school. “I guess after 4 years of art school, I felt I could do it on a whole different level than when I was a kid.”

After graduating, he had a full and varied career in the movie industry, publishing industry (as a book illustrator and designer), and arts industry (as an 12

artist agent). He also owned a design firm and a publishing company. When he became a single father with two young boys, he realized that less time on the road for work was a necessity.

“Painting, sculpting, or writing – for me – is more about the process, the experimentation" He settled into a tenured professorship in advertising design and marketing communications at Loyalist College where he remained until retirement.

Fine Arts As a retiree, Brydon is busier than ever with his creative pursuits. He truly works at his art, whether writing, painting, sketching, or sculpting, every day.

“When I go at it, I’m so focused. I don’t set goals for myself, other than I always want to be working. I start my day early and by 4 o’clock, I stop for wine.”

Brydon’s home is full of his work, and the works of other artists he admires.

He is also a collector of a variety of items, most of which he picked up because they inspired him to create something. He keeps handwritten notes here and there with a word or a phrase he wants to write about. He has numerous rough sketches, but also completed artworks that he wants to further develop.

“Painting, sculpting, or writing – for me – is more about the process, the experimentation,” he says. “I’m always curious as to

the somewhat metamorphic aspect of how painting or sculpture goes through stages of development and transformation, kind of evolving and revealing itself.”

… and he’s not finished learning. “I’ve always wanted to learn welding so I could do metal sculpture. I would love to. I’d have to build a space for it.”

Many of Brydon’s pieces are parts of a series. For example, his patrons’ series of portraits painted in acrylic feature individuals he considers patrons of the arts; behind-the-scenes influencers like Vincent van Gogh’s brother, Theo, who supported Vincent throughout his artistic career (before he was famous).

It’s hard to know what’s next for Brydon, but you can be sure that whatever it is, he’ll put his heart and soul into it.

Brydon is a member of the Vancouver-based Federation of Canadian Artists and frequently displays his work in Vancouver art shows. His work appears in private collections around the world, primarily in the homes of people who know him, but he doesn’t create to make a living. His goal is to follow his inspiration and embrace the creative process 13

Theo Van Gogh

Sam Sakr: Around the world and to the County pursuing his passion Photography Fine Arts

By Kodie Trahan-Guay

Prince Edward County

Sam Sakr has been

creating for as long as he can remember by himself and collaboratively. A graduate from Ontario College of Art & Design University, majoring in Experimental Art and Queen’s University Faculty of Education, Sakr believes his artistic style developed organically but that the schools helped foster a sense of creativity.

“I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. In my childhood I made marionettes out of cardboard, rockets that nearly set the house on fire as well as a cardboard television with a series of watercolour “stories” in collaboration

with my childhood friend,” says Sakr.

“I didn’t really take conscious steps to develop an artistic style. It just developed organically. In terms of education, just being with my peers inspired me to keep going. I feel I really followed my own path within the schools. The schools provided the creative environment and different materials. I did the rest.”

Sakr has lived all over the world.

Growing up in Cairo, Egypt and then living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands for a few years before moving to Canada, he feels that living globally has had a big impact on his work.

“My last show at the Parrott Gallery was the Housing Project which is a combination of my journey from Cairo, then a couple of years in Amsterdam before coming to Canada where I have always lived in urban settings until moving to the County. You can clearly see the conglomerate of the chaos of the city juxtaposed on the calm of the rural setting in these fictionalised scenes.”

Houses

Having spent his childhood in Egypt, the iconography of Egyptian art has featured in his work, but having spent so much time in so many cultures has left Sakr expressing his feelings of nonbelonging through his art.

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“In previous figurative work I used Egyptian eyes, drawing on ancient imagery. However, I feel that now I have a foot in several cultures but belong to none,” says Sakr. “You can see this in my images of fish out of water. If I were to describe my work I would say it is expressionistic, naive outsider art.”

A lifelong city dweller, Sakr wanted to pursue the quiet that comes from country living. Luckily Prince Edward County has a robust art scene including the Rednersville Road Studio Tour which Sakr now participates in.

“It was my dream to move to the country.

After I retired from teaching high school in Toronto, I was able to realize that dream when I found a home in PEC and a community of artists participating in the Studio Tour.”

The County has been a source of inspiration for Sakr. A mixed media artist he uses whatever materials happen to be on hand. Sometimes that includes materials provided by Mother Nature herself.

“When we first moved here, a windstorm blew down lots of trees so I made a series of sculptures from branches. Unlike the city, here in the County it’s not easy to get rid of old

Housing Project

Fine Arts

furniture. I turned some old room chairs into a series of towering sculptures by adding branches.

Subsequently, a lot of those sculptures blew down in windy Wellington.”

Sakr doesn’t consider himself a professional artist; he believes it’s a passion and a way of being, although one that brings many challenges - but he thinks if you love art you need to support that creativity.

“During my last few years as a high school art teacher I used to warn students who contemplated art careers of the trials and the hard life they could expect. By the same token, I would encourage them to follow their passion. They could not go wrong with that.”

Walking Fish

City Islands

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Music

Maple Drive – Canadian Made, Eh!

By Greg Ceci

Our country consists

of many things including polite people, hockey, toques, loonies and May two-four. Canada is also steeped in great music and Maple Drive aims to represent The Great White North with their own brand of Canuck Rock. In fact, the band moniker pays homage to our

the home grown bands that came before them.

The recent pandemic permitted many folks time to pause and reflect. Drummer Jay Carroll and vocalist and rhythm guitar player Kent Allin are life long friends and filled the downtime jamming in Allin's basement. Lead guitar player

Belleville and vocalist Jay Kerr happened to overhear one of their jams while at the neighbours and hopped on board. A serendipitous meeting in a parking lot gave them bass player and vocalist Collin Parr to round out their line up.

Their sound was born from 1990's and early 2000's Canadian rock.

They share the daunting load required of bands today and approach decision making in a true democratic fashion.

Everyone has a role, a voice and everyone is heard. Their sound was born from 1990's and early 2000's Canadian rock. More specifically the Big Shiny Tunes CDs, The Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts, Matthew Good, Big Wreck and the Sheepdogs. Best described as beat oriented, edgy riff rock, Maple Drive released their de-

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Music but album in early 2023 garnering attention and radio play on several stations. Many songs were conceived on a weekend getaway sequestered at a cottage and quickly snowballed from there to a full album released on both vinyl and streaming platforms.

Songwriting for Maple Drive is directly tied to what's going on in the band's lives. Allin explains, “In The Grey is about understanding that the world is not always black and white and the richness of life is in the grey. Faded Green and New Heights are little nods to our wives and our lives. Spot Where No One Knows is about the little moments in life and the secret places that make it unique and special. All Their Children is really our only political song. It has been described as our call to action song.”

have played a huge role in encouraging and supporting the band. The group notes, “Our friends and family are the reason there is a band in the first place.

They have been the driving force to the continued successes we have.”

a sophomore album, open for a big name act and tour outside of the Quinte region. One thing is certain. Maple Drive are unabashedly Canadian and they're coming on strong like a warm Chinook wind.

There's no denying the future looks bright for Maple Drive with goals to release

So, like don't be a hoser eh - check them out!

Carroll functions as manager, marketer and promoter for the band. Parr serves the role of technician for set up and live sound. Kerr is essentially the band's musical director and Allin jokes that he just likes to show up and have fun! As with most artists, those closest to them 17

Tony Vani late bloomer

Music

By Greg Ceci

Belleville

N ot all musicians

flower early in life and like many before him it took Tony Vani time to blossom into one of the most respected and beloved musicians in the region. His was a journey that was marred with much self doubt and earnest soul searching.

The son of Italian immigrants, Vani spent an introverted childhood feeling awkward and out of sorts. Having a learning disability, he abandoned scholastics early and headed west to find himself. It was in a Vancouver club he had an epiphany that solidified his trajectory when he saw master harmonica player Charlie Musslewhite. Arthur Baxter, another pivotal figure out west, encouraged Vani and convinced him to join his band. That was the first of a slew of bands spanning his music career.

Playing in ensembles gave the selftaught Vani confidence and foundations in guitar, vocal, harmonica and performance to play any style of music including funk, reggae, rock and jazz,

Vani was also the brainchild behind the first annual Belleville Blues Festival. but his heart will always bleed blue.

Vani remarked, “I especially dig playing the blues. There is something raw and earthy about it that really appeals to the inner soul. It saddens and excites me at the same time.”

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Like many experienced performers, Vani endured unappreciative crowds, shifty venue owners, musician's cliques and little or no pay. Through it all, Vani flourished by writing, producing and releasing five albums with another on the way, as well as opening for rock band Dr. Hook and performing at the Kingston Blues Festival. He has written over a hundred songs and his partner Debbie Hoskin helps with lyrics. Vani proudly beams, “Debbie is an amazing singer and musician in her own right but is now retired” Eventually returning to scholastics, he emerged as an educator. Vani notes, “My training and background in education is broad. My degree is in Social Development Studies and in addition, I have four certifications in relation to my work with students with intellectual, emotional and developmental exceptionalities.”

Music

Although now officially retired, Vani continues to work privately with adults with exceptionalities and often uses music to bridge the gap. He also continues to nurture relationships with former students by periodically taking them on fun outings and activities.

Vani was also the brainchild behind the first annual Belleville Blues Festival.

Forever modest, he's quick to downplay his role and defer praise to Carol Feeney - who according to Vani, did all the heavy lifting. An ongoing blues festival is a fitting legacy for a bluesman who loves developing and encouraging a new generation of musicians.

He is enjoying retirement with his loves Debbie and their six poodles, who he calls his muses. He practices every day and gigs for the sheer love of entertaining a crowd. His advice to other musicians, “Practice, practice, practice. It takes ten thousand hours to master your voice or instrument.”

Deeply rooted in the blues, Vani is a perennial performer pedalling an infectious smile and stage presence who also softly serves his community and humbly inspires an entire music scene.

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Literary

Reading, writing and fighting anti-intellectualism

Book bans are increasingly becoming a problem across North America and Belleville born author Courtney Summers has been feeling the heat.

A lifelong storyteller, Summers turned to novel writing when she was 18 and her debut novel, Cracked Up To Be, came out in her early 20s. She felt like novel writing was the best fit for the stories she wanted to tell, having first tried her hand at screenwriting.

Her books are in the Young Adult (YA) genre and focus on very dark topics; things that can happen in the real world, but when they do the people who are involved with them are turned into characters on the news, keeping people from seeing the humanity behind issues. Summers has brought humanity to the page with her fully-formed depictions of girls and women experiencing traumatic situations.

Summers found that the books she read as a teenager had a lasting impact on her and believes that in writing

Belleville

By Kodie Trahan-Guay

Signing Sadie in 2018, PC: St. Martins Press

for teens, she has a responsibility to help them understand the world.

pire in people, is an instinct to be kind and empathetic, to meet these challenges with the best part of themselves.

To fully engage in our capacity to be good we have to confront the parts of ourselves that are not so great.”

“We all have different parts of ourselves that make us uncomfortable, that we’re not willing to look at and particularly writing for teens you want them to know it’s ok to have these aggressively angry thoughts, to feel disconnected from the world, to not feel sure about yourself,” says Summers. “There’s that kind of darkness and you put it against the larger, more brutal darkness of the world and you want to explore the complexities and the conversations you’re having with your identity.”

It’s been a tough past few years and Summers uses her writing to address those problems. Not just to focus on tough topics, but to help inspire people.

“It’s a challenging time to be a human, in your skin and living your life and I just want to address those challenges in the extreme. There’s always a kernel of truth, something that can be applied in our day to day existence,” says Summers. “I actually hope what it does ins20

As many of her books deal with dark topics they have faced controversy. In Indiana, USA there is currently a motion to move many YA books to the Adult sections of bookstores and libraries, making them harder for the intended readers to find. Summers’ most recent release I’m The Girl is a book currently facing much backlash for its content. The book is the story of Georgia and how she is trying to navigate a world with a power structure meant to control and oppress.

“I’m The Girl was specifically written to give teenagers access to language and experiences that they might not have safe spaces to talk about, to internalize, to understand what is happening to them,” says Summers. “It’s a book that is deeply ingrained in the perspective of a 16-year-old protagonist who is being groomed by a Jeffrey Epstein ava-

tar and she doesn’t understand what’s happening to her but as a reader you understand that dissonance is very upsetting, very unsettling and the more you feel that opposing tension the more you start to realize the machinations that are in place to hurt young women who are vulnerable and who really want to believe and better their circumstances.”

“I really think it is an antiintellectual move, that’s basically what it is, these soft censorships.”

Summers believes that banning stories from people will only cause further harm. One reason storytelling was cre-

PC: Megan Gunter

ated was to pass on lessons, to teach and help instruct people so they could safely navigate the world, but when a story is difficult or dark, some may be inclined to ignore or get rid of it.

“People don’t like that these stories, first of all, exist in reality. They think fiction should be an escape, but it can also be a place to empower yourself by worrying about these things that we keep hidden,” says Summers. “We do not employ the tools to educate young girls about what’s out there and how to identify these kinds of warning signs. We lean on whisper networks and not everyone has access to whisper networks and I think it’s really important that books can be a tool to help teens very safely understand that the world that they’re operating in is not always so kind.”

Book bans and book restrictions are a form of censorship that happens when people, the government or other organizations remove or restrict access to books in schools, libraries or bookstores because they object to the content of the books.

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A problem globally, but especially in the United States, book banning and restriction prevents access. If a young person is going through a distressing situation they are not as likely to find material that could help them. However, Summers has hope as many people are actively working against book banning.

“What I’m really heartened by is the response against these moves, how quickly everyone is rallying to vocalize and stand up against this kind of soft censorship. It does go a long way to destigmatizing books that have been put in this position and it helps spread word about them.”

Courtney Summers books are available everywhere books are sold. To learn more about the award-winning author visit her website, courtneysummers.ca.

John M. & Bernice

PARROTT F O U N D AT I O N

Literary

PC: Courtney Summers

An evening for The Arts Quinte Arts Council

By Matilda Aide

"An evening of fantastic

music, daring acrobatics, beautiful ballet- that is a taste of what the attendees witnessed at the 29th annual Arts Recognition Awards on October 13th, 2023. Previously held during the Mayors Luncheon, the QAC kicked things into gear this year, turning the Arts Recognition Awards into a fundraising gala held at The Grand in Belleville. The event raised $42,000 for the QAC Arts Education Bursary program and the publication of Umbrella Magazine. The night honored seven deserving winners and highlighted some amazing talent here in the Bay of Quinte; The Dan Douglas Band, Quinte Ballet, Quinte Youth Theatre and The Impish Grins dazzled the crowd throughout the evening!

“The Arts Recognition Awards are a chance for the community to come together to witness the extraordinary talent here in the Quinte region,” says Janet Jarrell, Executive Director of the Quinte Arts Council.

“We are on the flipside of a few years of isolation and quiet; it was time to celebrate together and honor the recipients of this year's awards, while raising funds for arts education, and enjoying a fantastic lineup of live entertainment.”

Photography by Travis Kerr

Our community has nominated seven recipients for their artistic excellence, cultural leadership or contribution to the arts in the Quinte region.

Dan Douglas “The Musical Community Builder” Dan Douglas is a musician who has been performing and honing his craft for over four decades! He has a passion for passing on the love of music to others and has been a music instructor, clinician and adjudicator for Drum Corps and marching bands across North America. He performs both jazz and commercial music and is a member of Quinte Symphony. He founded the jazz band, The Dixie Demons, who perform across Ontario and recently had a sold out show at the Belleville Club.

Hannah Georgas “Canadian Indie Rockstar” Hannah Georgas is relatively new to the Quinte region. A Juno nominated Indie musician with a passion for community she is already making waves here. She recently completed an international tour performing her latest album “I’d Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Care”.

Nominator Sam Brady says “Hannah is an incredibly talented Canadian music icon and she's giving back to her new community through her time and efforts.”

Michelle Hauser “The Creative Space-Maker” Michelle Hauser created the non-profit Harmony Lounge and Music Club in Napanee. It is a youth-oriented program that provides mentorship, a gathering space, and professional-quality music lessons for high-school-aged students from Greater Napanee and surrounding area as well as employment opportunities for high school students and other members of

Gabrielle Edwards, student bursary winner 22

QAC Board Members and Staff

the community. Hauser developed the program after observing the effects of isolation and anxiety due to the pandemic on high school children.

dinary amount of time and effort into helping organizations both as a Board member and as a volunteer.

She is a wonderful credit to our community.”

Carlyn Moulton “International Gallery” Carlyn Moulton is the owner and curator at Oeno Gallery. About Oeno Gallery’s impact on the arts community nominator Dana Charles says, “This year, Oeno Gallery celebrates its 20th Anniversary and its history of enriching the local arts community with monthly gallery exhibitions, artist talks, community events, and the Sculpture Garden, which sees 30,000 visitors a year.

Carlyn has established relationships with art buyers worldwide, garnering an international reputation and furthering the growth of the local tourism industry.”

Sarah Winn “The Artistic Powerhouse” Sarah Winn is a well-respected member of the Quinte arts community both as an artist and as a supporter of the arts. She is always willing to donate her time and expertise in order to support the arts community.

She has taught several classes over the past year.

Many know Winn thanks to her impressive feat “The 100 Day Project” that has been shown two years in a row in the QAC Cultural Hub.

Randy Stewart “The Musical Force” Randy Stewart is a singer songwriter who works and plays throughout the Quinte Region. Nominator Ron Marshall says Stewart is a musical force in the region.

“He just wrapped up a year where he organized over 40 musical events around the region that put more than 120 musicians in front of an audience,” says Marshall. “Randy performs solo on stage regularly and in a variety of venues, from bars and coffee houses to outdoor stages to concert venues.”

Christina Taylor “The Mentor of Movement” Christina Taylor is the Board Chair at the Quinte Ballet School of Canada and a dedicated volunteer to arts organizations in Quinte, including the Quinte Symphony. In a letter of support QBSC Board member Dan Atkinson says “She is a continuing supporter of arts and culture in our community and puts an extraor-

These fantastic individuals have dedicated their lives to the arts, through sharing their talent, teaching and supporting others to flourish. The QAC is proud to honor each of them. From attendees to sponsors the night would not have been a success without the generosity and participation of everyone involved. With a special acknowledgement to Ralph Johnston who donated $10,000 at the evening for the arts!

Thank you to the event sponsors Elexicon Energy, McDougall Insurance and Financial, Ralph Johnston, The John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation, and The City of Belleville and a special thank you to emcee Dug Stephenson and local artist Mark Armstrong for designing the awards.

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Quinte Arts Council

Dan Douglas and friends

Impish Grins

Quinte Arts Council

Season of shows

By QAC Staff Valerie Kent, Harmony of Birch and Sky

T h e Quint e A r t s

Council (QAC) Cultural hub and exhibition has been an active community gathering space all year. The space is directed by our dedicated volunteer gallery attendants who guide visitors through the exhibits of painting, sculpture and craft.

The year opened with a collaborative exhibition by Arts Quinte West entitled, We are the North, featuring art

by Rebecca Llewellyn Boland, Donna Bonin, Hilary Dorricott, Edith LePage, Kathryn Moores, Betty Raymond, William Richards, Beverly Shepherd, James Walt, Angela Wiggins.

That was followed by a Student Photography exhibition. Photos from the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board’s student photography contest.

Over 150 photos were submitted from youth around the region.

DUET with Bev Shepherd and Hugh Perry was the first exhibition for these emerging artists. Sarah Winn was the featured artist in The 100 Day Pet Show. 100 paintings in 100 days, all commissioned by pet-owners.

Annually, the QAC hosts a number of signature exhibitions. In March, we celebrate RISE: Because We Are Equal in honour of International Women’s Day. The exhibition features the work of those who identify as female.

In June the Cultural Hub hosts a 2SLGTBQIA+ exhibition which celebrates everyone under the rainbow with PRIDE. August brought Valerie Kent to the QAC with The Love of Birch exhibition dedicated to the mysterious and magical nature of birch trees. There was even a chance for visitors to win one of her paintings!

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Sarah Palmer

September brought us A Different Kind of Love: The Art of Sarah Palmer featuring her take on the nature of love and relationships in Palmer’s signature style of German Expressionism.

October featured an exhibition like no other; a tactile art exhibition where visitors were encouraged to gently touch the paintings! Created by blind artist Lyn-

Migration: Land, Air and Sea Caribou, Monarch Butterfly and Salmon exhibition

da Todd, Migration: Land, Air and Sea Caribou, Monarch Butterfly and Salmon allowed visitors to feel the effect of climate change through touching Todd’s paintings. The QAC welcomed representatives from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) at the opening, along with many members of the CNIB community both locally and from as far east as Ottawa and west to Cobourg!

This exhibition connected our local audience with the CNIB community for an extraordinary experience of touching art.

November brought the second community collaborative exhibit Scenes of Quinte to the QAC. Artists showcased their interpretations of the Quinte region. Painted both en plein air and in studio, this exhibit gave new artists a chance to participate in an exhibition, artists were able to network and mentor and shoe off the beauty of this region.

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Thomas Harrison, Athol Hay Day Delivery

Quinte Arts Council

Lynda Todd

Quinte Arts Council

Quinte en Plein Air

By QAC Staff

Belleville Steven Snider, Belleville Marina

T he 8th annual Quinte en Plein Air

hosted by the Quinte Arts Council brought artists from all over Ontario to Belleville and the Bay of Quinte from June 22-25 for our biggest festival to date. Artists took their canvases out into the community to paint the views in the open air and compete for almost $5000 in prizes!

New this year was a two-hour paint off competition! Sponsored by Belleville Downtown District BIA, artists had two hours to paint the same historic downtown scene in their artistic style and medium. Kishor Sonawane won $200 with a completed watercolour image of downtown featuring City Hall in the background.

There were events for the whole community; professional artist and instructor, Andrew Hamilton led a Plein Air Demonstration to showcase techniques used in en plein air painting in downtown Belleville on the Saturday. Hamilton then led a group of excited artists out to the Moira River to learn how to paint en plein air in Brush with Nature. There was also a chance for those who wanted to get their hands dirty and brush the sidewalks with chalk located outside the QAC - thanks to the QAC Summer Students for facilitating this project.

Andrew Hamilton

It was a full house for the final reception, awards and sale. Professional artist and juror, Valerie Kent, made the presentations. The complete gallery of work is available on the QAC website. If you are interested in owning any of these beautiful works of art, send us an email and we will connect you with the artist. Thank you to the City of Belleville and to the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board for their ongoing support of this festival.

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Lisa Leskien, Diva's Hats

Kishor Sonawane, Front Street

David St. Pierre, Above the Dock

David St. Pierre, City Hall

Two Hour Paint Off artists with final paintings

Briana Godden, Beer Interlude

Winners:

Honourable Mentions:

First Prize $1000: “Belleville Marina” by Steven Snider

Harriet Philip’s House, Ted Yao

Second Prize $750: “Roses in the Vineyard” by Linda Barber

Banks on the Moira, Roderik Mayne

Pathways, M.A. Simms

Third Prize $500: “Diva’s Hats” by Lisa Leskien

Meyers Mill with St. Michael's Church, Roderik Mayne

Best Bay of Quinte $500: “Above the Dock” by David St. Pierre

Front of Paulos, Stephen Snider

Best Downtown $500: “Front Street” by Kishor Sonawane

Waiting for the Weekend, Linda Barber

Mayor's Choice $500: “City Hall” by David St. Pierre People’s Choice $150: “Evening Reflection” - Yuriy Omelyankenko

Pretty Path, Jane Robertson Reflections, M.A. Simms Green in the Ally, Bev Shepherd Glanmore, Daniel Fobert Driftwood, Foster Park, Frank Cruzet On the Rocks, Chris Finkle 27

Quinte Arts Council

Yuriy Omelyankenko, Evening Reflection

Linda Barber, Roses in the Vineyard

Quinte Arts Council

The QAC Cultural Hub is the place to be in Quinte!

By Kodie Trahan-Guay

Like many, the Quinte Arts Council (QAC) took pandemic lockdowns as a chance to do renovations, creating an inspiring space for cultural gatherings, artists professional development and a space to connect the community to arts and culture.

The QAC has been active since 1967, and the former space housed an archive of arts history. Those archiving materials include things like historic photographs,

cultural plans and every back issue of 30 years of Umbrella. Thanks to a partnership with Amanda Hill at the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County, those materials are all now safely stored and digitized!

Thanks to grant funding from the Ontario Arts Council and with ongoing support from the Parrott Foundation, the space has been transformed into a cultural hub. The hub allows for the QAC to have dedicated space to host master

Belleville

classes and seminars for the community to attend, for visual arts shows, a screen where digital art can be displayed, and a space to record a podcast interviewing creators in the community. Members of the QAC can apply to use this community hub to host their own events.

Artists and cultural groups are invited to apply to use the space online or by emailing the QAC team.

“Art and culture are wonderful ways of preserving and strengthening a community's sense of place, forging an artist's identity, and showing their creativity. Artists need a place where they can come

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spots are full for 2024 with an exciting lineup but there are a few spaces still

Early in 2023, writers Joy Goddard and Linda Bond used the space to host a writers workshop, teaching their art to budding authors. Every Monday night the space is taken over by jazz musician Howard Rees as he hosts a masterclass on the musical genre.

Monthly art shows open with crowds flocking to the space to see the art and speak with the artists involved.

Artists and cultural groups are invited to apply to use the space online or by emailing the QAC team. The gallery 29

open in order to use the space to host your workshop or cultural event.

Quinte Arts Council

together to connect. After emerging from the lockdowns, we realized people were missing their “third spaces” - spaces that are not work or home, where they can gather to connect and learn new skills,” says Janet Jarrell, QAC Executive Director. “We renovated the former gallery/ shop space to create a third space for our artists; a community hub where they can connect. We hold master classes, professional development workshops and we still have dedicated space to use as a gallery.”

Ameliasburgh Heritage Village: A respite from the wineries Heritage

By Ardith Racey

Today Prince Edward

County has over 40 wineries, but this was not always the case. The county has always been an agricultural hub, and in the 1930’s and 40’s when it was called “the Garden County of Canada”, there were 77 canneries in operation. The history of the canneries forms only a fraction of the extensive memorabilia that featured at the Ameliasburgh Heritage Village.

Janice Hubbs, curator of the ‘Village’, is a storyteller who has learned the stories of the county through donations of local artefacts – the place is now more than a museum – it’s a themed grouping of replica buildings brimming with history that offers a reprieve from the wineries and beaches for which the County is better known. Tucked away in the village of Ameliasburgh and situated close to Roblin Lake, the ‘Village’ offers a fascinating look at life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

and which boasts the “highest steeple in Prince Edward County. It now houses everything from quilts to old pianos, as well as a ‘barn loom’. Over the years, additional buildings have been added – there’s a furnished log cabin, several display barns that showcase old buggies, sleighs, and farm equipment, an operational blacksmith shop, a carpenters’ shop, maple syrup and beekeeping buildings, and an impressive engine house that houses a huge flywheel once used to power the Hancock Lumber Co mill in Carrying Place. Two of the build-

In 1968, the Ameliasburgh United Church was designated by the community as a museum: it was formerly a Wesleyan Methodist Church built in 1868 30

Prince Edward County

ings were constructed from limestone taken from the crumbling Roblin’s Mill which was originally built in 1842.

In addition to the donation of “so many old things”, local support for the ‘Village’ has been extensive. The ‘Honey House’ is one of those buildings which was moved to the site in 1978 via support of the Quinte Beekeepers Association. The ‘Log Cabin’ is an original cabin from Ameliasburgh Township which was reassembled on site in 1969 with support of the Loyalist Timber Framing company.

Heritage

Hubbs estimates that in addition to about 15 school group visits, roughly 7,000 people visit the site annually, “usually on days when they can’t go to the beach.”

There’s a strong sense of community that values agriculture as a way of life evident in each of the buildings’ exhibits.

Hubbs dresses in period costume each day and tries to make the school tours engaging and interactive but leaves the ‘tourists’ to self-guided meandering.

With the occasional support of a student in the summer, Hubbs has single-handedly created a venue that is sure to fascinate history buffs, agriculture enthusiasts, as well as anyone interested in taxidermy. The Devries Natural Heritage Collection is an impressive preservation of the biodiversity of the area which was supported, in part, by the Parrott Foundation. The collection contains hundreds of lifelike representations of birds, mammals, and fish which were created by the late Jake Devries. It’s truly something else!

So, if you’re looking for a respite from the county’s wineries, beaches, and art galleries, a few hours in the ‘Village’ will ignite your sense of heritage.

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Theatre

The Lennox Community Theatre: Where stage & history knit community

By Ardith Racey

What keeps a village theatre

group going for almost 90 years? Andy Palmer, Secretary of the Lennox Community Theatre group in Selby, ON, credits the group’s founding members, as well as the community’s generosity and passion for theatre. Palmer’s been personally involved with the group for 27 years as an actor, playwright, and board member.

“The group goes back to 1937 and has existed in a variety of locations,” says Palmer. Its home today is a quaint, brick, former Methodist church, built in 1875, and although the lancet windows have been painted over, the space has a strong spiritual essence. The church later became the Richmond Township offices which were relocated in the late 70s, after which it was leased to the group for a nominal fee. In the early 90s, the group began fundraising for renovations, and with the help of a ‘Wintario’ grant, the volunteer labour of community members, which included inmates of the Quinte Detention Centre, the church was trans-

Napanee

formed into a theatre. Its 80 maroon seats (with vintage wooden arms) were purchased from a movie theatre in nearby Deseronto.

A sophisticated lighting system (with a travelling spot) was added, as well as a sound system which is rarely used given the excellent acoustics of the space. When the township became part of Greater Napanee, the group purchased the building in 1998.

“We try to have a finger on the pulse of what our viewing community would like to see, and we encourage multi-generational interaction and participation at every level – on stage, backstage, with administration, costuming, sets, lighting, sound,” says Palmer.

They do four or five productions each year, which adds to more than 120 shows, and although they’ve done musicals such as Godspell, and serious works such as A Walk in the Woods and Wait Until Dark, they try to stay with works that are lighter, as well as at least one large cast production that includes children and teens. In fact, Avril Lavigne starred in a production of Charlie Brown when she was eleven years old.

Over the years, they’ve done several Nunsense series, Christmas pantomimes such as Cinderella and A Christmas Carol, as well as dramatic plays such as Proof, Steel Magnolias, The Sunshine Boys and Educating Rita. They use Canadian playwrights as much as possible: their most recent production last September was Norm Foster’s The Ladies Foursome (they did

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Theatre the male version of the same play twenty years ago) directed

by Chris Newton. Local playwrights such as John Corrigan, Richard Linley, Michelle Dorey Forestell have been strongly featured. Auditions are open to all and “almost always the actors are local,” says Palmer, who has been in at least 37 different productions. The seven-member board decides on the play.

That this theatre has survived for so long is due to its community support. Its founders (Ron MacPherson, Wes & James Alkenbreck, Judy Dowling, William Smith), together with the staunch support of people such as Jean Morrison (former owner of The Napanee Beaver) have pillared a tremendous loyalty. The local drugstore – Gray’s IDA – acted as their ticket agent until just before COVID. Tickets can now be purchased online on their website.

Given the group’s mandate to be as inclusive as possible, together with a very dedicated band of volunteers – the backbone of every community theatre – and a history of support that knits together the Selby community, theatre in this village is very much alive, collected and connected.

For tickets and more information check out: lennoxtheatre.ca

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Ge r r y Fra ib e rg

is a retired broadcaster with 20 years of radio news experience in Belleville, Sudbury, and Montreal. He moved to Belleville from his native Montreal in the early 1980s where he enjoyed a long career as a morning newscaster with CJBQ News. He started his production company, Vision and Voice, in the 1990s. An accomplished videographer, he has produced many educational, marketing and public relations videos, in addition to documenting events with video and photos.

Look for the beauty Gerry’s passion for photography developed not long after he moved to Belleville. He was struck by the natural beauty of the surrounding area. “Look for the beauty” is his mantra, and he likes to share vision through photography.

For more of his work check out: visionandvoice.ca

Content created in collaboration with the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board © Gerry Fraiberg