Although meetings are not yet taking place, the majority of A.S.K. members remain active with paintbrushes, canvases, paper, hands and minds.
We regret the annual general meeting normally held in April was cancelled during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our present executive will continue with a few changes.
Andrea Kubis has agreed to be the new Vice President for the 2021-22 year replacing Val Read. Val will continue to update our Facebook page. We extend a huge thank you to Val for her tireless continued support of the organization.
Annual dues are still needed and an email has been sent out to members accordingly. All dues collected in 2020 will be credited to the 2021-22 membership dues normally due April 30, 2021.
Facebook pages have been kind to us. Our president, Ann Ducharme, has encouraged visual and verbal interaction through the creation of “art for art’s sake” on Facebook, where members post artwork in process or completion, inviting comments and compliments.
Several members have displayed work at the Gibson Gallery, Amherstburg, where pop- up shows have developed outdoors as well as the usual indoor displays.
Others submitted paintings in various categories at the annual Paint Ontario show held at Grand Bend.
Elaine Van Loo was awarded with an Honourable Mention in one competition entitled Faces of Ontario. Her painting depicted a striking young girl (her granddaughter) looking away from her artwork on an easel and into the faces of you, the viewers, awaiting feedback on her work, brush held in her hand.
Another A.S.K. member, Denise Sutherland Antaya won the Sponsor Choice Award for her painting of a beautiful tree overlooking a river. The Art Society of Kingsville has amazing artists!
Ann Ducharme’s painting of an explosion of Monarch butterflies on a background of sunshine glittering through stems and leaves was recently chosen for the cover page of an online group called “Canadian Art Association.”
Another outstanding development by A.S.K. member Andrea Kubis is her series of “Paint Escapes” during her family’s visits to various Ontario provincial parks this summer. On YouTube, you see their campsite set up next to rivers and lakes among woodland settings. And you see how she sets up her easel and paintbox on a daily basis to capture the scenery.
In three minutes you see the beautiful finished painting, all set to matching music and her narration of where their travels and hikes have taken them.
Andrea also produced a YouTube video showing the development of her painting entitled “Standing Together.” On video, she explains her own experiences and those of friends at a time when she was a young person entering adulthood. She knew firsthand of discriminative and prejudiced behaviours that hurt and damaged people she knew.
Her painting portrays a lower level of suffering unnamed individuals from the past who are trying hard to show young people to stand up for social justice and value themselves. The video shows the process she went through to develop this painting during the global Black Lives Matter movement. Andrea Kubis is commended for this accomplishment.
The final word of this edition of Art Scoop is all about the efforts and ingenuity of A.S.K. members Elaine and Layne Van Loo who are spearheading a brand new art event for artists both local and “from away.” It is called The Great Migration Paint Out.
It is an event inviting artists to paint outdoors, also known as painting “en plein air,” of scenes found in and around Kingsville during the Migration Festival, beginning on Wednesday, October 15 and ending on Saturday, October 18.
Suggestions for some painting sites include Canadian geese, of course, at the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary, historical buildings in town, quaint farms and barns, marinas, and lakeside vistas in and around the municipality.
For more on the Great Migration Paint Out click here and scroll down the page. Pre-registration is required. Forms can be found online on the Town of Kingsville’s website at https://forms.kingsville.ca/Parks-and-Recreation-Forms/Great-Migration-Paint-Out-Registration-Form-2020
There is a form to be signed by the participant. Payment by cheque or money order should be made out to The Town of Kingsville. An alternative is to register online and email forms, and pay using PayPal. Artists are encouraged to pre-register as soon as possible. The cost is $35 no later than September 25. After September 25, pre-registration is $55.
Then, the grand finale of this event is held at the Grovedale Arts and Culture Centre at 103 Park Street by the Mettawas Park. Each artist is encouraged to display up to three finished pieces of artwork, complete with frame and hanger.
This show will be open to the public for viewing here on Sunday, October 19th where COVID-19 protocols are expected (washed hands, mask on face, limited number of viewers at onetime).
Judging will take place by qualified people.
First prize: $1,000
Second Prize: $500
Third Prize: $300
Posters advertising this event will be posted soon throughout town. Please make an effort to attend the Art Show on Sunday, October 19th from 1-5 p.m.
If you are willing to volunteer for The Great Migration Paint Out, please contact Ann Ducharme at annducharme11@gmail.com
Photos provided by A.S.K.
