April 12, 2025 at the Elliot Lake Arts & Heritage Centre, we are hosting another Open House.  This one has a spring theme. Our creators will be warm and cozy inside, painting, weaving, and potting.  The Elliot Lake Model Railroad Club will continue to work on their track layout.  You will be astonished at how much progress the members have made!  As always our Open House at 14 Elizabeth Walk is free of charge.

​There will be a family workshop. Twice!
Workshop 1 will be  from 10:15 M to 12:30 PM.  Workshop 2 will be from 1:15 to 3:30 PM.  Choose the time most convenient for your family, because the activity is the same in each.  You will be making a beautiful bird's nest, and colouring two hard boiled eggs to rest inside.  Spring has never looked so good.

The workshops are for families with children 8 years of age or older.  Each child must be accompanied by an adult.  The price per pair is $20.  Book your tickets by clicking the button below.

Linda Finn's Retrospective
Due to overwhelming demand, Linda Finn's Retrospective will be  held over until May 16, 2025.  Visitors to the ARIEL Arts Space explore twenty years of Linda's creative output. The exhibit was curated by her husband and sons. This exhibition is a very personal expression of her outstanding career.

In addition to Linda's exhibition, visitors to the gallery will see the pottery of Marlene Coggans.  Snowy Owl's jewellery is on display, as is Gwen Goulet's. Lillian Asquith, Cornelia Svela and Geja Upham have their paintings up for all to see.  Ever since the ARIEL Arts Space opened on February 1, 2025, the collection has expanded, embracing a variety of genres.  The gallery does not charge an admission fee.

Your personal invitation
On behalf of the Elliot Lake Arts Club, the Elliot Lake Model Railroad Club and ARIEL, we invite you to experience the creativity on display during our monthly Open House!

Q: Can beginners attend the traditional rug hooking workshop?
A: Absolutely!  This workshop is intended for beginners.

Q:  What will we make by the end of the traditional rug hooking workshop?
A:  A coaster which you can back with felt at home to match your decor.

Q: What will we make by the end of Knitting Workshop #1?
A: You will have made a head start on a wrist warmer, as depicted above.

Q: What will me make by the end of Knitting Workshop #2?
A: You will have completed a wrist warmer, as depicted above.

Q: Do I need to take both workshops?
A:  No, you don't.  Take either workshop to learn a new knitting skill. Each workshop teaches a different set of skills.

Q: Can beginners attend the knitting workshops?
A:  If you are enthusiastic in your desire to learn to knit, you may attend to learn how to cast on and off, a critical skill for first time knitters.  However, some previous experience is recommended.

Q: How much singing skill do I have to have to participate in the Jewels and Gents workshops?
A:  The only thing you need is a love of singing.  There are three different workshops; each focused on a specific type of singer.  Workshop 1 is for youth from Grade 7 to 12.  No experience or audition required, just a desire to sing. Workshop 2 is for shower singers, who have never performed in front of of an audience.  No audition required.  Just register and bring your enthusiasm.  Workshop 3 is for former singers, the one's who used to sing in a choir, but haven't sung in ages.  No audition required.

Q: Is the public concert on Sunday, April 27, 2025 really free?
A:  Yes, all you have to do is download a ticket.  We have a limited number of seats so, first come, first served.

Meet highly experienced knitter Juliette Proom, based in Victoria, BC.  A member of the Victoria Knitters Guild, Juliette teaches knitting techniques and judges at the Saanich Fair. In the summer of 2017 and 2018, Juliette travelled to Estonia to attend a craft camp. There she learned knitting techniques specific to the Baltic Sea region.  The photo to the right illustrates an edging in Latvian Braid.

Workshop 1 - Scallops and Latvian Braid
Workshop 1 will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 from 1 to 5 pm at the Elliot Lake Arts and Heritage Centre.  Workshop 2 - Estonian Wrist Warmer - will explain how to add Estonian motifs to toques, gloves, socks and sweaters. That workshop occurs Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 am to 2 pm.  Both workshops cost $65 per person.  per workshop. The price includes the necessary yarn. Please note that participants are requested to bring a pair of 2 or 2.5 mm needles to the workshop.

​Space is limited to 15 knitters per workshop, so book early to avoid disappointment. Scroll to the button below to book your place in her workshops. If you need more information about each workshop, click on the photos to download a free fact sheet.

Juliette is looking forward to her first visit to Elliot Lake.  To learn more about Juliette visit her website.

After the long dark period that followed the closure of the Pearson Centre, ARIEL rose from the rubble on June 8, 2023. The Annual General Meeting was crucial.  Our membership was asked to support the organization's rebirth. If the membership voted no, ARIEL would have closed for good. The membership chose the tough path, rebirth!

Promises made
ARIEL's newly elected Board of Directors made two promises to membership at that meeting:

1. To get our gallery back
2. To produce an event at the end of April 2025, tentatively called Cabin Fever Arts Festival.

Promises kept
The gallery, at 14 Elizabeth Walk, is open in what we call the ARIEL Arts Space. The items on display in the gallery are expanding. Just this past week, we added hand-thrown pottery and indigenous beaded jewellery to the display shelves.  At our May 26, 2025, we will confirm that we delivered on that promise.  Although the gallery will be an ever evolving commitment.

Just yesterday, tickets went on sale for what has become known as the Cabin Fever Creative Expo.  Our simple idea of two years ago, has evolved into an interactive event.  We decided to share the joy of creating with everyone in Elliot Lake through singing and traditional artisan crafts.  If the 2025 version is a success, the offerings can expand to include theatre, fly tying, or jewellery making.  Creativity applies to a wide range of activities, only limited by imagination.

Shaping the future of the Arts in Elliot Lake
​The term of office of ARIEL's Board comes to an end in May: Two years is the term limit.  It is time for new ideas and new enthusiasm. We are recruiting prior to the membership vote at the AGM.  You must be a member in good-standing to run for office. Purchase or renew membership here.  To put your name in the running for a Board position, please send an email with your qualifications and reason for volunteering.

Do you have a closet full of hand-crafted items that you created over the winter? Do you need to clear it out so you can continue to create? You might be ready to start a business. If the thought of starting a business overwhelms you, the Elliot Lake Arts Club is offering a series of lectures titled The Business of Art.

There is an introductory special of $10 for the first lecture: Turning your artistic talent into a business. The subsequent lectures cover a broad range of topics that will be of value to entrepreneurial creators as well as novice business people.

William Elliot of ELNOS will discuss setting up a business. Lynn Gemmell of Shelridge Farms will provide hints for selling online. Gwen Goulet returns to take the mystery out of craft fairs and artisan events.  The final lecture is about marketing for success.  Whether your marketing budget is zero or infinite, participants will leave with the why of marketing, and some understanding of the how. Prisca Campbell of ARIEL will deliver that talk.

By purchasing a lecture or five, you are not committing to creating a business.  You are committing to gathering valuable information to inform any decision you make that relates to the business of your art.

Over three days, April 25, 26, and 27, 2025, the inestimable Jewels and Gents A Cappella Chorus will teach the world to sing. Their three interactive workshops will culminate in a public concert, during which their Cabin Fever students will showcase what they have learned.

Friday evening, young people from Grade 7 to 12 will gather at Grace Christian Centre in the new subdivision.  They will learn the secrets of harmony; how to carry a tune; and just how much FUN singing together can be.

Saturday, in the morning, Jewels and Gents will create a safe space for shower singers to dry off and demonstrate their talent. No previous singing experience is necessary.  Harmony, melody and camaradarie will result.

The afternoon is for experienced singers.  Even experienced singers who haven't sung in awhile.  You already understand harmony and melody, and you want to share your voice with others.

On Sunday, all three groups will gather for a rehearsal after lunch.  The rehearsal ends in a public concert for family and friends. Every member of every workshop will sing together for pure joy.  Audience members will en-joy!

Tickets go on sale March 15 for workshop participants and audience alike!  The Jewels and Gents have a cure for cabin fever.