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Arts Week -- `Go out and embrace it' BRENNA MOORE Special to The IFP Get in touch with your artsy side by coming to discover the wide variety of arts that are right here in Halton Hills. Halton Hills Arts Week, a 10-day festival in celebration of the arts in Halton Hills, will return for a third year beginning April 27 to May 7. The festival offers the opportunity for residents to explore the work of the many talented artists and artisans in Halton Hills. About four years ago, a committee was organized by Carol Ann Michaelson with hopes of getting the abundance of artists in the area together and present them as a group. The goal was to combine both visual and performing arts and demonstrate to the community there is an impressive art culture in Halton Hills. "Those of us who live here are spoiled," said Lois Fraser, an Arts Week committee member and sponsor. "The size of the artist community in a town of this size is rare." Fraser said that many people are unaware of the broad range of artists that Halton Hills is home to and the Arts Week committee wants to encourage people to come out and taste that culture. "It's all right here, go out and embrace it," said Fraser. Arts Week will kick off with The Perils of Persephone presented by the award-winning Georgetown Little Theatre with shows running April 20-22 and April 26-29. The celebration will close with Once Upon a Mattress presented by the award-winning Georgetown Globe Productions from May 4-13. Tickets are available for both at the John Elliott Theatre Box Office, 905-877-3700. The first two years of the festival featured studio tours of the various art studios that span across Halton Hills. The tours had good attendance, but the committee wanted to reach people who were unaware of the art community. They decided to take the art to the people. Thus the newest addition to Arts Week is ArtsVenture, which brings more than 20 artists together under one roof. The committee is excited to present a wide sampling of the arts in one convenient location. "The idea is that if you don't have time to travel to all the studios, they are put in one spot," said Fraser. ing in Halton Hills for 42 years and is described as being a "top organization in their field" by art enthusiasts. Bronze castings created by Artcast Inc. can be seen on Parliament Hill, Juno Beach and at Sick Kids Hospital. Visitors can tour the plant of this prestigious company and watch the casting process. Due to safety reasons, visitors are asked to make reservations and must be at least 16 years old. Call Artcast Inc. for information and reservations at 905-877-5455. The John Sommer Juried Art Show will exhibit work entered by the local artists from April 25 to May 7 at the Cultural Centre. Entries will be judged by a panel of three jurors of a professional art status. The grand opening reception will be Thursday, April 27, 7-9 p.m. Visitors are welcome to attend and help select the People's Choice award. The weeklong festival will also feature musical performances by local choral groups. The Georgetown Choral Society, a 150-voice choir twill perform the world's second-most performed choral work, Mendelssohn's Elijah on May 5 and 6 at the Christian Reformed Church. Tickets are available at The Freckled Lion or Bergsma's. The Georgetown Bach Chorale will present their Gala Concert May 6 at St. John's United Church in Georgetown. The performance will include vocal soloists, a chamber orchestra and piano soloists. Tickets are $25. Visit www.georgetownbachchorale.com for further details. "The culture that we have in this town is amazing. People come from the city because they know what we have is special. It'd be nice if people living here could realize that," said Fraser. "We hope people will come out and see the fruits of our efforts." A complete overview of events and participating artists is available at the Arts Week website www.haltonhillsartsweek.ca.