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Artisans celebrate 15 years Story and photos by Ted Brown It was 1995, and two colleagues at Stewarttown Middle School had an idea. School secretary Marion Boudreau and French teacher Edie Davidson had a concept that would allow them to promote and sell their art, which they had been working on for years. The concept was to have artists co-operatively share a location where they could show off what they had created, and also be able to sell it to the general public. To carry the idea, they required more artists and Susan Pippy was invited to join the group. Pippy, in turn, invited Laura Kingsbury to come onboard and before long the store was up and running. Originally located in the right-hand side of 115 Main St. South in Georgetown, opposite the Ivy Tea Room at that time, the members took turns manning the shop, often working on their crafts and artwork while waiting on customers. A year into the project, artists Susan Little and June Snyder joined in and before long, the facility was becoming too small to accommodate all the artists. In 1999, they moved to their present location at 73 Main St. South and eventually their numbers grew to 10 artists, until recently when one left the group after moving away. Artists have come and gone, and today there are nine working together, collectively sharing the costs, the rent, the utilities and any other expenses they might incur, as well as sharing the hours it takes to have the shop open. And since 10 partners seems to work the best, the membership is looking for another artist to join in. As in the original location, many of the artists bring their work with them, when possible, to not only keep on top of their projects, but to also educate the people who enter the store by being able to illustrate their particular craft. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday the shop is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and leading up to Christmas, is open for a few hours in the afternoon on Sundays. The shop is located at 73 Main St. South, and the telephone number is 905-8777065. Andrea McClure Andrea McClure doesn't consider herself a photographer. Instead, she calls herself a `digital artist.' Acquiring a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Toronto, she has been photographing nature, architecture and people for more than 20 years. With the influx of digital photography, she found she could create new images by manipulating them to give them a different personalized look. "I like to say I `paint' with my computer, and explore various ways of making them unique," said McClure. "I used to paint and sculpt when I came out of university, but when I became a mother, the paint and sculpture went away." Her images are all limited edition prints, some with unique approaches, including printing the image on watercolour paper using an ink-jet printer. Not only does she create prints and wall hangings, but also applies photos to various items, like shopping bags, greeting cards and gift tags. Visit www.andreamcclure.com Carolyn Filter In 1997, Carolyn Filter decided to take a ceramics course at Credit Valley Artisans (CVA). She had recently lost her job as a graphic artist, and thought she'd work with ceramics until something came her way. While at CVA, member Janice Sukhiani persuaded her to sign up for the three-year ceramics course at Sheridan College. The rest, as they say, was history. In 2004, Filter and husband Reinhard set up a studio and kiln at Williams Mill in Glen Williams, and joined the Artisans' Attic in 2006. Today, she finds pleasure in creating one-of-a-kind pieces, and is known for making playful and ornate teapots and tureens. She also enjoys making pottery for everyday use, pieces that are both thought-provoking and beautiful. Her work is labelled `c + r pottery', in tribute to her husband, who works tirelessly beside her at their studio in the Glen. "It's so inspiring being part of Artisans' Attic," said Filter. "When so many creating people come together, we can't help but inspire each other with our work." Email: filterc-r@aztec-net.com WINTER · 2010 15 S I D E R O A D S O F H A LT O N H I L L S Bratin Auto 82 Main St. N., Georgetown Is your vehicle ready for Winter? WINTER MAINTENANCE SPECIAL $ 905-873-6127 Includes oil change, tire rotation, battery test, 30 point inspection Expires March 31st, 2011 39 95