The ARIEL Arts Space and therefore the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre will have extended hours in the month of December. The extra operating hours are to ensure that there are convenient visiting hours for all Elliot Lakers. The 40 painting touring exhibition includes one piece by our local artist, Lillian Asquith.

The exhibit opens Saturday, December 7 at 10 AM. The Arts Space will be open three Sundays in December, the 8th, 15th and 22, from 11 AM to 3 PM.  Thursday and Friday the gallery is open from 10 AM to 9 PM, on December 12 and 13; and 19 and 20. 

The building is closed on Mondays per usual.  We will close at 3 PM on Christmas Eve and New  Year's Eve. Of course we are closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

A visit to the gallery is free.  Everyone is welcome. We are located at 14 Elizabeth Walk.

The March 08, 2025 Open House ticketed activity is a lesson in calligraphy technique.  The skill will can be applied to making  handcrafted wedding invitations for your big day! Gwen Goulet, one of Elliot Lake's fine craftspeople, will lead the class.  You may have seen Gwen's jewelry at a craft show in the District.

More details about the class will be released in January.  Mark your calendars and gather your posse!

The occupants of the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre are believers in shopping locally. So we've been working for weeks to add our own special touch to the event.  What event, you ask?  The City's annual shop local evening event will be November 28, 2024 between 6 and 9 pm.

At 14 Elizabeth Walk, we'll be offering free "after dark" tours of the facility.  If you've already visited the ELAHC, we can promise that on the 28th there is more to see than ever!

The tours begin at 6 pm, with the last tour beginning at 8:30 pm.  No reservations are required, but the tours are first come, first served.

If you been considering becoming a member of one of the three not-for-profits that call the building home, the 28th is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and learn more. You can pay your membership dues that night too!

Who are the building occupants?  The Elliot Lake Arts Club, the Elliot Lake Model Railroad Club, and ARIEL - that is us. Come see us on the 28th and you'll see our state of the art hanging system in place.  Thank you, Elliot Lake Retirement Living for donating the funds to purchase the system.

​See you then!

Finding work experience in the Arts for young people in remote communities like ours is difficult.  Often the solution is to suggest to your secondary school youngsters that they volunteer.  Volunteering has two benefits for secondary students:

1. Builds a resume, 
2. Satisfies the provincial regulation that a student must fulfill 40 hours of volunteering to graduate.

ARIEL is the missing link
ARIEL is the missing link between a future in the Arts and acquiring real world experience.  In addition, volunteering for ARIEL builds transferrable skills that look great on any resume.  One other benefit to your Art-loving teenager is the opportunity to earn a letter of recommendation for future employers and the post-secondary institute of their choice.

How to apply
What would it take for your loved-one to participate in our Arts Student Volunteer Program?  Any student interested should send an email to ARIEL using this link.  In the subject line type: Arts Student Volunteer Program. Address your message to Deb Landry,  She is our volunteer coordinator.

What qualities are needed to earn a position?
The number one quality is reliability. A letter from one of your youngsters teachers, or some other adult who can confirm that your applicant has that quality would be welcome.  A paragraph about why the applicant wants a career in the Arts should be included in the email.  A statement about the number of volunteer hours required to fulfill their obligations would be useful.  No applicant must need volunteer hours.  As long as the applicant is seeking to build a resume for entry into the Arts world, and is reliable, he, she or they are encouraged to apply.

What happens after the application is submitted?
Applications will be reviewed.  The strongest applicants will be invited to interview for a position, just like they would applying for any job. Once the interviews are completed, successful applicants will be invited to join the volunteer team, where training will be provided.

Please share this posting with someone you think would benefit from the opportunity.
For more details about the Arts Student Volunteer Program, or to apply, push the button below to reach Deb Landry.

Saturday, December 14, 2024, you will have an opportunity to try a watercolour class, without committing to a full course.  This rare opportunity to join a single workshop is available first come, first served starting November 14, 2024. The class covers the fundamentals of mixing watercolours.  The subsequent classes, December 19, January 9 and 16, explore primary, complementary, bright and muted tones.  Students will learn how to use colour to create mood and tone.

The introductory class is $40 per person.  The full course is either $120 or $140 depending whether you are member of the Arts Club or not.  Should you pay for the workshop, then decide to continue the course, you will pay either $80 or $100 dollars.

Everyone who pays for the December 14th class, will receive a discount of $10 off the Arts Club membership dues of $100.  Take advantage of your savings and join the club to be entitled to the members only workshop fee.

Space is limited so sign up early.

Did you know  the 68th annual juried exhibition of the Northern Ontario Art Association includes a painting by an Elliot Lake artist? Lillian Asquith is one of only 40 artists to be included in the touring exhibition that is coming to Elliot Lake in December. Congratulations, Lillian!

Lillian, a member of the Elliot Lake Arts Club, has taught classes in the City for many years. Read about her background on the Club website.  Learn more about the classes she offers here.

The 75th anniversary celebration will be on display at the ARIEL Arts Space in the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre, 14 Elizabeth Walk.  The exhibition opens in December and runs for about four weeks.  Exact dates and times will be confirmed later this month.

Lillian will also participate in the ELAHC Open House on December 14, 2024.  She is offering an introduction to Watercolour painting class from 1:30 to 3 PM.  Tickets ($40) will go on sale November 14, 2024.  There are a limited number of spaces, so be sure you purchase your tickets in advance at ELAHC.

In eight weeks, the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre will be hosting a holiday Open House. In addition to the gingerbread house decorating activity already announced,  visitors can learn about watercolour, in a 90 minute workshop. Both activities have limited capacity and require the advance purchase of tickets.

Two new free activities have been added.  Local musicians will perform.  Harmonium is an instrumental ensemble and Pretty Sharp is a vocal quartet. Holiday music will be performed, of course!

Tickets
Tickets for the gingerbread house decorating ($20) and the watercolour workshop ($40) go on sale November 14, 2024 at the Elliot Lake Arts &  Heritage Centre, 14 Elizabeth Walk.  Children 11 and under are free for the gingerbread house decorating, when accompanied by a paying adult. The watercolour activity is appropriate for people 16 years of age and over.

Selfies and Model Trains
By the way, we'll have a snow globe selfie station with a gingerbread house theme set up.  So bring your phones.  The Model Railroad Club will be unveiling their new train display as well. Both activities are free.

NOAA Exhibition
The 68th annual Northern Ontario Art Association's travelling exhibition will be on display in ARIEL's on-site gallery.  The exhibition will open at the gallery, the first week of December, and stay until the 24th of December.

The Open House is jointly sponsored by the Elliot Lake Arts Club, the Elliot Lake Model Railroad Club and ARIEL.

The Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre is hosting a gingerbread house decorating event. The December 14, 2024 event is the first of many Open Houses at the Centre. An Open House will occur every 2nd Saturday in the month.  The following Open House will be January 11, 2025, then February 8, then March 8 etc., etc., etc..

What you can expect to see and do
Each Open House will be free, with the exception of the hands-on activity. The Model Railroad Club will have their doors open, so visitors can watch the trains run. The Arts Club will feature one of their six disciplines - weaving, painting, printmaking, stained-glass, enameling or pottery. Visitors can talk to a practitioner and see samples of the craft or art form.  The Art Gallery will feature an exhibition by the Northern Ontario Arts Association.

In addition, a limited number of tickets will be sold for one hands-on activity. Each month will be different.  Our current schedule is

• December - gingerbread house decorating
• January - making friendship bracelets
• February - making Voodoo dolls.

Buy tickets for the hands-on activity in advance
To ensure no one is disappointed, tickets must be bought in advance.  We have to purchase the supplies, you see.  Space is limited too.  You can buy tickets for the gingerbread Open House, starting November 14, 2024, between 10 AM and 4 PM, at the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre, 14 Elizabeth Walk. First come, first served.

The details for December 14, 2024
Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult for any hands-on activities.  For December 14, 2024, the admission price will be $20 per person.  One child under 12 can participate at no additional charge as long as the accompanying adult has a ticket. However, when you purchase a ticket, you must inform us that you are bringing a child.  There will be one house to decorate per adult/child combination. There will be 1 house per full paying builder.

If you want to learn more visit the ELAHC, between 10 AM and 4 PM, Tuesday through Saturday. Or email us.
​

I took this photo through one of the entrance doors of 14 Elizabeth Walk, aka the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre.  We are doing our part this weekend to support Arts on the Trail, an Elliot Lake Arts Club annual event.  On Saturday, forty-seven artists and artisans will be exhibiting their work in four venues around the city.

Did you know that there will be a free shuttle bus running from 9:30 AM to 5 PM, on Saturday.  In addition to the four venues, the shuttle will stop at ELAHC.  Although the building is open only to members at the moment, we are opening the foyer so guests who want to hop on and hop off the shuttle can park close to a shuttle stop.

So if you have visitors coming from out of town, recommend they park near the ELAHC and meet you there so you can take advantage of the free transportation.  While waiting for the shuttle you can pick up a copy of the Arts on the Trail brochure.  Our sponsors include a number of fine eateries in town.  Plan to include a lunch stop near one of the venues.  Make a day of it!

Applications to exhibit will be open year-round.  But there will be only one grand opening of the gallery in the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre. Take advantage of the extra marketing and advertising to get your work in front of the community.

How do you do that?  Submit your application to exhibit by October 15, 2024 - a month from now.  The grand opening date has not been set.  But, as you can imagine, we need to ensure the first works are displayed to their best advantage.  That takes time,

You can apply on line through this link. Application to Exhibit in AAS (arielgroup.ca)

Download the handbook that tells you all you need to know about exhibiting at the link above.