The Mayo Clinic Press website has an interesting article about mental well being and the Arts; not just the prescribed clinical kind of Art known as creative art therapies.  Participating in the Arts in any form will benefit your mental health.

As we approach the holiday season, when nights are long and expectations are not always met, Art participation should be a priority for everyone. If choral singing is your thing, follow Jewels and Gents on Facebook. The choir is comprised of 20 local residents with a passion for song.  Recently updated, their Facebook page is the place to hear about their public performances.

Elate is one of our local am-dram groups (that is Brit for amateur dramatic club). They too can be followed on Facebook.   Elate is presenting Two for the Show this month (November 2023).

The annual Santa Claus parade kicks off at 6 PM, December 1, 2023.  The theme this year is Christmas songs.  More music for more feel-good fun!  You can read more about the parade on the City's website.

The lobby of the new arts centre seen before sunrise, October 11, 2023. 

The fencing and hoardings are in place for the installation of the new facade.

The Ontario Street side of the facade.   The sidewalk is blocked for construction.

If you have paged through this site, you may have landed on our organizational mission.  Comprised of four-parts, the mission has not changed since we were incorporated in 2009. We continue to challenge ourselves to:

• Provide a strong voice for arts and culture in the City of Elliot Lake;​
• Facilitate collaboration between artists, organizations, business and government;
• Support the economic well-being of the community;
• Contribute to the quality of life in Elliot Lake.

A recent development on the Elliot Lake Arts scene is the purchase of the former United Church by the City. I'll admit had ARIEL the wherewithal we would have purchased the property for a performance venue. Our membership is comprised of visual artists, thespians, and musicians.  The Art Gallery we are developing will service only one of our audiences, as it is too small to be a flexible space.

ARIEL was not the only group interested in the future of that former church.  Every choir, acting troupe and dance group wanted that building.  There was one City department, however, that was as eager as the rest of us to acquire that space - Recreation and Culture.  When the former arts centre closed, due to the collapse of the roof, Elliot Lake also lost its museum.

ARIEL supports whole-heartedly the plan to re-establish our heritage museum in the new purchase.  That said, we wonder if it is possible to do more with the building than house the museum. Could it become a flexible space that would allow performances too?

So the Board of Directors of ARIEL, inspired by its mission, is hosting an Arts Summit, October 22, 2023 at Collins Hall from 1 to 5 PM.  We are inviting all stakeholders to bring their best ideas, questions and concerns to the event.  What we share will be captured.  ARIEL will write a report based on the information gleaned and present it to the Department of Recreation and Culture for consideration.

The City has not asked us to do this.  The meeting is not authorized by the City.  However, the City owns the building now.  So if there is to be a dialogue about the building and its use, the City must be included.

You don't have to be a member of ARIEL to participate.  You just have to have a passion for the arts scene in our City.  The event is free to all.  Please RSVP because that will aid us to plan an effective event. ARIEL ARTS SUMMIT (mailchi.mp)
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How the arts contributes to a strong economy
3.3% of Ontario's GDP is generated by the Arts, that is a whopping $27.5 billion, with a b, annually. 4.1% of the work force of Ontario is employed by the culture sector or 288,306 people.

How the arts contributes to community revitalization
A 2010 survey of 18 mid-sized communities in Ontario discovered that ALL of them used their Arts and Culture infrastructure to revitalize the downtown. 83% said it worked!

How the arts attracts and retain employees to communities
To attract more easily top talent to a community, say 65% of Ontario business leaders, a community needs a thriving arts and culture scene.

Skilled workers, 65% of them, agreed, according to the OAC.  It is a criteria for moving to a new community, they said.

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In September 2023, Elliot Lake City Council's Standing Committee for Recreation and Culture voted to allow the Department of Recreation and Culture to negotiate with ARIEL to open an Art Gallery. Currently that department is renovating the former cinema to become the home of the Elliot Lake Arts Club and the Elliot Lake Model Railroad Club. Adding a gallery will enable the artists creating works in the building's studios to display and sell their work.

Both clubs supported the proposal ARIEL presented to Recreation and Culture.  ARIEL thanks them for their support. 

A number of steps must be taken before the final proposal for the gallery can be presented to Elliot Lake City Council for approval. Those steps are currently being taken.  As there is due diligence to be done, approval is still some time in the future.

But that hasn't stopped ARIEL from fundraising.  Outfitting the gallery is going to entail some serious shopping. We have to purchase a hanging system and a lighting system, so the art work can be displayed properly.  Like any retail shop, we have to purchase supplies like wrapping and advertising materials. Display racks need to be refurbished. We were able to salvage some when the roof collapsed on the former Arts Centre, the original home of the ARIEL gallery.

There are two ways you can help us get our gallery back.  Donate to our GoFundMe campaign or become a member of ARIEL - your membership dues contribute to the bottom line.  As a member, you can be as active as you like, chairing committees, being a committee member, or volunteering in the gallery. 

The future of the Arts in Elliot Lake is looking good, and we are looking forward to helping shape it.

This soft launch for our website is to identify glitches and to learn what you, our users, like and don't like. So please leave a comment.  Just as ARIEL shapes the future of the Arts in Elliot Lake; you will be shaping the future of this blog.

Do you want to become a member of ARIEL?
You may pay your dues online at this link.

What is the advantage of becoming a member of ARIEL?
If you are a visual artist or performer, you will have preferred status when we select artists to exhibit in our gallery or perform at an ARIEL event.

Just select the appropriate membership category - individual or group, check out of the cart and you are good to go.

We exceeded our goal of $1,000! Now we are going for $2,000. The funds are to cover the start-up costs needed to re-open the art gallery that ARIEL ran for a number of years.  The gallery and ARIEL's office were lost when the roof collapsed on Elliot Lake's Arts Centre in 2019.