Supporting literacy through art
by Shannon Binder Bray
Purple balloons marked the roadways and fresh picked bundles of lilacs permeated the air at the Tyendinaga Township Library's 2nd Annual Lilac Tea and Art Show held Sunday, May 25.
Local dignitaries MPP Leona Dombrowsky and Tyendinaga Reeve Margaret Walsh were among those received at the show which featured the artistic talents of ten Quinte Region artists. The Library's main room and meeting room displayed an outstanding collection of colorful landscapes, vibrant abstracts, dramatic still life, intricate florals and delicate fibre art. All were courtesy of artists Anne Buckley (rug hooking, spinning, weaving, fibre artist), Suzanne Cavers (acrylic and oil artist), Jan Coombs (water color artist), Joyce Empey Smith (impressionistic water color, stained glass artist), Roberta Fisk (poet, oil and charcoal artist), Cynthia Guthrie (impressionistic acrylic artist), Mona Morris (floral and landscape oil artist), Tina Osborne (various media abstract artist), Saga Sabin (acrylic, water color, fibre artist) and Alta Vance (acrylic, water color artist).
Organized by Tyendinaga Township Library's Art Coordinator and Friend of the Library Cynthia Guthrie, this year's show welcomed approximately 100 guests and raised over $400 for the library through the Lilac Raffle. Involved artists donated a piece of their work to the raffle and the generated funds support the library's literacy programming. This year the funds will provide tutoring and reading partnerships for students who are recommended by their teachers. "This provides children with a positive experience and they will carry the benefits of the Library's program back to their school" said Guthrie.
Guthrie would like to see the annual Lilac Tea and Art Show generate a goal of $1,000 in the near future. "Friends of the Library and volunteers will continue to work towards that objective" she said "The artists that donated art in support of Literacy at the Library were invaluable in our ability to fund raise and The Friends of the Library thank them." Guthrie stressed the importance of art promotion and support within all communities and has also been instrumental in establishing an artist of the month, Art for Literacy exhibition within the library.
Township Librarian Frances Smith said the Lilac Art Show brings a sense of "cultural realization" to the community in that there are so many artists in the area that are virtually unknown by Tyendinaga residents. The show and other community events held at the Library, largely supported by Friends of the Library, also "open up the doors of the library" Smith said "to more than just the library itself" attracting various members of the community as well as traditional library patrons.
The show also allowed the library to display it's collection of art history books including their newest editions, donated by Nancy MacDonald. MacDonald made the donation in memory of her late husband, Tyendinaga's Dennis Allan MacDonald, described as "an artist in his own right." Approximately thirty books from Dennis' personal collection, art and otherwise, now grace the Township's library shelves in honor of his memory. The Tyendinaga Township Library extends their heartfelt thanks to Dennis' family for their generous dedication and contribution.
cutline sbb_artists
Posing with MPP Leona Dombrowsky and Tyendinaga Reeve Margaret Walsh at the Tyendinaga Township Library's 2nd Annual Lilac Tea and Art Show on May 25th were artists (from left to right) Cynthia Guthrie, Anne Buckley, Saga Sabin, Jan Coombs, Roberta Fisk, Joyce Empey Smith, Suzanne Cavers, Alta Vance, Tina Osborne and Mona Morris. Photo by Shannon Binder Bray.
