Special Opening Weekend - June 4 & 5, 2016

Please join us in beautiful Portage Du Fort, Quebec

Saturday & Sunday - June 4th & 5th, 2016 - 11-4pm

Open Studios
Visit our art studios around town featuring artists working in
painting, sculpture, glass, pottery, furniture, mosaics, jewelry, photography, textiles and more!

Community Mural Painting with 'Get Art' 
Come and join us in painting a mural for the park, we will have supplies, children and those new to art are more than welcome to participate
Saturday 11-3pm
Parc Brosseau (corner of Rue Mill and Rue Usborne)

Plein Air Painting

Community outdoor painting/drawing session, no experience needed, bring anything you have on hand to draw, sketch, paint or sculpt
Sunday Parc Brosseau (corner of Rue Mill and Rue Usborne)

Youth Artists' Exhibit
Featuring the work of local talented high school students
Saturday & Sunday
17 Rue Mill

Historical Walking Tour
Saturday at 11am, Lady Head Monument
Meet at the end of Rue Main near the monument by the water

Charity Lunch & Bake Sale with Live Acoustic Guitar
Enjoy lunch on the lawn of a historic home, proceeds from the lunch and bake sale are for the playground in Portage du Fort
Guitar will be performed by Larry Evans
Saturday & Sunday 11-2.30pm
16 Rue Mill


Members of Artistes de la Rivière:

Frances Shea

Glasswork
Stone Stable,16 Rue Nancy

Geraldine Classen

Mixed Media

Art Barn, Rue Nancy

Veronica Classen

Paintings & sculptures
Art Barn, Rue Nancy

Sher Moscaliuk

Ceramics

16 Rue Nancy

Martina Evans

Mixed Media

Rue Nancy

Larry Evans

Paintings

Rue Nancy

Kathleen Ranger

Paintings

Rue Nancy

Andy Nicoll

Industrial Art

Tin Shed, Rue Nancy

David Lawrence

Drawing

Rue Nancy

Ellen Schowalter

Art & Unique Jewelry

Rue Nancy

Janet Springer

Fused Glass, Mixed Media

Summer Kitchen, Rue Nancy

Guest Artists for June 4th & 5th weekend

Melissa Soulière

Paper Art

20 Rue Water

Kathy Freamo

Intricate Doll Clothing

20 Rue Water

Leonard Denault

Furniture

Log Building, Brosseau Park

Leo Lanois

Soapstone Carver

18 Rue Church

Venetia Crawford

Author, historian & Artist

Rue Nancy

Jamie Cameron

Photography

Stone School Library, 28 Rue Mill

Kate Aley

Artist, Community Mural Painting
Brosseau Park

Stephan Scrak

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we said farewell to our dear friend and fellow artist. His spirit lives on in our memories and his wonderful paintings, some of which are on display in the church hall of St James Catholic Church Hall - 23 Rue de L'Église in Portage du Fort, Quebec. Our group is also planning a visual memorial this summer for Stephan. 

Stephan Scrak passed away October 19th, 2015.

Studios will reopen in June 2016

In the meantime you may contact us by email. We had a successful 1st year, here are a few photos from last summer.

Last chance to visit our open studios this weekend.

We would love to share our plans for next year so come by or email your comments.

Still open this weekend

Studios 1,2,3,4  will again welcome visitors to see our work and enjoy a walk around town.
New plans are being made for next summer.we would love to have your ideas,join us.

Open studios this weekend

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11th of August
Studios 1,2,3,4 featuring 8 artists will be open.
In addition visit the Stone School gallery.
Please see map for locations

Upcoming Events - Aug 1 & 2

Please join us, download the map here!

Studios open - July 25 & 26

There will be 4 studios open on Rue Nancy and Rue Mill this weekend 10 until 4, look for our signs.
Please see our map in the following post.

Upcoming Exhibit - Veronica Classen at the Stone School Gallery

Please join us for the vernissage on Friday, July 31st 18h-20h

Studios open - July 18 & 19

Join us this weekend in Portage du Fort, our three studios are all open. Also, the Stone School Gallery is open 11-4pm.
Look at the map in our previous post or just come and keep an eye out for the signs off Rue Mill.

Today - Sunday, July 5th

Today we will have many events happening again in Portage du Fort!

Café Thé Fundraiser
Yesterday was such a success that we will have tea in the garden again! Today, Sunday 11-15h at 29 Rue Mill. The event is to raise money for an orphanage in the town of Kimilili, Western Kenya. Join us for tea, coffee, snacks, or luncheon - cost is by donation only

Music
Larry Evans will be performing live with his acoustic guitar along Rue Nancy from 12-14h

Open Studios
Our regular studios will be open, plus additional studios for this weekend. Walk around town, download our walking map here.
Stone Stable Studio - 16 Rue Nancy
Art Barn - 8 Craig Street (behind the house, also accessible via Rue Nancy)
Harbour Square Studio - 16 Rue Main
Catholic Church Hall - 23 Rue de L'Église (behind the Catholic Church)
29 Rue Mill

This Weekend's Events! - July 4 & 5

Visit Portage du Fort this weekend for our special events

Café Thé Fundraiser
Saturday from 11-15h at 29 Rue Mill, join us for coffee & tea in the garden.

Additional artists!
This weekend, in addition to our three regular studio being open, there will also be many more artists and studios open, see below:

Stone Stable Studio - 16 Rue Nancy
Artists: Frances Shea - glasswork, Matina Evans - mixed media, Larry Evans - paintings, Sher Moscaliuk - ceramics, and Melissa Souliere - paper art

Art Barn - 8 Craig Street (behind the house, also accessible via Rue Nancy)
Artists: Geraldine Classen - paintings, Veronica Classen - sculpture & paintings

Harbour Square Studio - 16 Rue Main
Artist: Stephan Scrak - paintings, he also has a wonderful collection of mid-century modern collectables.

Catholic Church Hall - 23 Rue de L'Église (behind the Catholic Church)
A large exposition of local art
Bill Fleming will also be exhibiting his wood carvings

29 Rue Mill
Artists: Venetia Crawford - books & painting, Andy Nicoll - industrial art

Map of Portage du Fort

Portage du Fort is a small, historic village located on the Ottawa River just an hour outside of Ottawa. This village is a picturesque example of limestone architecture from the mid 1800s with several historic buildings.

In recent years it has also become notable for the arts with an influx of artists to the region and the Stone School Gallery, which exhibits artists on two floors and is open every weekend in the summer. The Pontiac School of the Arts also offers a variety of classes, visit the websites here.

Artistes de la Rivière currently has three studios exhibiting the work of nine distinct artists, we are open on weekends and are located within short walking distance of one another; the Stone Stable -16 Rue Nancy, the Art Barn - 8 Rue Craig, and Harbour Square - 16 Rue Main.

Download the walking map here or view google map here.

Andy Nicoll - Industrial Art

'Lukewarm Water   .   '3 Minute Hero'   .   'Spring Light'

Andy Nicoll is an industrial artist based in Bryson, and is one of the additional members who will be exhibiting this weekend (July 4th & 5th) in Portage du Fort. He will have his work on exhibit in the barn behind 29 Mill Street. Inspired by the rural Pontiac region, his work uses recycled items as a base, incorporating antiques and found objects to create unique and functional pieces. His work can also be seen on his website here.

Stephan Scrak - Painting

Café Saint James oil on canvas 12x24   .   Harbour Night oil on canvas 16x20                                                                                                                                 

A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Stephan Scrak was a frequent visitor to Montreal before moving there in 1986. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant city he rediscovered his love of painting and explored his unusual style. Stephan yearned for a place where he could paint full time, a visit to the Pontiac was all it took. Stephan now lives and paints in a small cottage a stone's throw from the Ottawa River in the historic village of Portage du Fort, gaining new inspiration from its quiet shores and stone buildings. He welcomes visitors to his home which is also his studio, displaying his newer works and his collection of mid-century modern furnishings and accessories. His studio, Harbour Square, is open weekends in the summer, 16 rue Main.

Sher Moscaliuk - Ceramics

'Enigma'   .   'Sage'   .   'Coyote'

Sher Moscaliuk is an experienced ceramicist and high school art teacher. Her mask work is primarily sagger-fired clay. Each firing brings different and sometimes unusual, surprising results. She likes creating masks because of their duality - they can hide and reveal simultaneously. It is this force that interests her.  Sher's home and studio are in Portage du Fort, she is exhibiting at the Stone Sable, 16 rue Nancy, Portage du Fort.

Veronica Classen - Sculpture & Painting

'Anybody' 15"x22"x12" cotton rope & thread   .   'Cave' 14"x9"x6" cotton rope & thread    

Veronica Classen is a visual artist, teacher, and a designer for performance. Her recent project, Carapace is a series of sculptures exploring the themes of protection, shelter and possession. She has an upcoming solo show at the Stone School Gallery - 28 Rue Mill, please join her for the opening on Friday July 31st from 6-8pm. The show will be up for the month of August on weekends from 11-4pm. Her work, including paintings, are also in the Art Barn studio where she does the majority of her work in the summer, 8 Rue Craig (behind the house). She can be contacted at veronicaclassen@gmail.com her work can also be seen here.

Geraldine Classen - Painting

Geraldine Classen is a Canadian artist who lives in Portage du Fort in the summer and Chapala, Mexico in the colder months. Wherever she travels, she spends her time drawing, and often develops work in her studio using oil and acrylics. She also works intuitively using found materials and wax to create collages. Geraldine's studio Art Barn is open weekends in the summer and is located behind the house at 8 Rue Craig in Portage du Fort, the barn can also be accessed via Rue Nancy. She can be contacted at geraldineclassen@gmail.com

Larry Evans - Painting

'Stone Schoolhouse Front' 24"x28"   .   'Hannah Road' 18"x24"                                                                                                 

Larry Evans paints scenes of the outdoor world, and chooses a range of colours to try and outdo what is visible in nature. He fortifies his acrylic paint with modelling paste to create thick, 3D textures. His inspiration comes from Claude Monet whose techniques he uses as a starting point to develop his own distinct style. Larry is exhibiting his work in Portage du Fort at the Stone Sable, 16 rue Nancy. He can be contacted at martina.larry@gmail.com

Martina Evans - Mixed Media

Martina Evans is a mixed media artist living in Pontiac Country, on Calumet Island. She works with acrylic paint on wood and incorporates collage and mixed ephemera into her whimsical creations. Martina is exhibiting her work in Portage du Fort at the Stone Stable, 16 Rue Nancy. She can be contacted at martina.larry@gmail.com