HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-06-28, Page 11Ito
Every year about this
time I like to talk about
Art Mart -and how and-
why
ndwhy it was started.
1963 was the very first
one, held at the new Post
Office - a real success -
about 250 paintings
mostly from dabblers
with a very few "real"
rtts s •
Everyone a loye it and
our mayor, Mrs. May
Mooney, suggested we
should use Courthouse
Park "from now on". I
was worried about
trampling the grass but
she said, "We can always
grow grass!"
And so I have seen Art
Mart grow and improve
'over the years. Very
quickly we encouraged
the small groups to do
their- own thing - by not
accepting copy work or
crude nudes and that sort
of thing. I think art work
has improved 100 percent
because of this show.
It all started because I
really wanted to paint
and because I enjoyed it,
I encouraged others to
paint and enjoy.
When I was a kid,
everything I owned was
scribbled with faces and
little sketches. Drawing
and coloring in school
was not encouraged too
much and it was not until
I was in high school that a
teacher took notice and
started to influence me.
At 12 years -of -age I had
never seen an oil painting
that had been done by a
A
Auburn...
• from page 9 _
last Saturday. They will
be open next week,
Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, Sunday and
Monday until all articles
are sold. Keep up the
good work girls.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Powell returned from
their wedding trip and
have taken up residence
in the apartment above
the former variety store,
welcome to Auburn
Brenda.
Seventeen lovely flower
baskets bought by the
Auburn Horticultural
Society were put.yup by
James Glousher, Tom
Haggitt, Gordon Dobie
and Donald Cartwright
with Allan Craig assisting
with the tractor lift. The
arms were made from
the former street lights
and they are a work of
art.
AUBURN WI
The June meeting of
the Auburn Women's
Institute was held in the
Community Memorial
Mall with the president
Mrs. Eleanor Bradnock
in the chair. The new
programs for the year
were given out and a
donation will be sent to
the Association for the
Mentally -Retarded in
Goderich.
The sponsorship of
Laurie Cartwright in the
Heritage Birthday girl
contest was discussed
and flow the Branch can
assist her with the history
of the Women's Institute.
It was voted that the
Institute send the
donation from the
ploughing match and add
some to the Erland Lee
Fund.
Reports, of the District
annual were given by the
delegates Mrs. Robert
Peck and Mrs. Frank
Raithby. The card report
was given by Mrs. Lillian
Letherland and she read
the thank -you notes.
The members were
reminded about 'Auburn
as it Was' presentation
when cookies ,and coffee
will be served on the
Saturday evening. Mrs.
Lawrence Plaetzer is the
convener so don't forget
those cookies.
The roll call was an-
swered by naming one
thing you remember
about the Centennial
celebrations 25 years ago.
Winners were lucky date -
Mrs. Lillian Letherland,
celebration contest - Mrs.
Thomas Haggitt and song
contest Mrs. Leonard
Archambault and Mrs.
Thomas Lawlor tied.
Lunch was served by
Mrs. Donald Haines and
Mrs. Thomas Haggitt.
The remainder of the
meeting was a work
meeting for the float with
Mrs. Thomas Lawlor,
convener.
d 'n' About
'live' artist. All the old
masters were dead and
gone - and I was not too
interested in a lot of their
dark pictures.
Anyway one weekend
my teacher took" me to
her home in Chatham - all
that distance from
Comber - about 15 miles
train, yet, to
• spend the weekend and
see her paintings 'and
other. art. I had never
before been away for a
weekend and the trip and
the paintings made a big
impression on this little
girl (87 pounds soaking
wet) that lasted all my
life. It was all so brief -
the teacher did not come
back to that little country
school the next season
and losing this wonderful
teacher was a` real
heartache for me.
The next chance I had
to think about art, I was
married, had a little
fellow who required a lot
of attention and a
husband who was not
very well. But I could go
to some of the big stores
in Detroit and spend time
in their art departments
looking at the paintings.
However there was no
money for art supplies
and my doodling was kept
to pen and ink drawings
or small water colors
done on ANY kind of
paper - certainly not the
lovely rag papers
available. I never went to
an art gallery or exhibit
because I was too scared
to go alone in the city.
So, I grew up with a
frustration as big as your
hat because I was too
timid to do something
about it.
Things were to change.
Before the war broke
out, I lost my husband
and about six years later
I re -married and moved
to Goderich. In my first
year here, I discovered
real paintings done by
real people and very soon
a wonderful man, Tom
Pritchard, made sure I
had a fully equipped paint
box and invited me to join
the Art Club. .The club
oorrf'' 'Was over
Breckenridge Hardware
store, then later we had a
large room in the old high
school before it was torn
down.
At this point I was
really interested - and
often put down - because I
tried to get a bigger
working group and more
weekend sessions. But we
had them once in a while
and they were well at-
tended.
About this time, I
began working with Little
Theatre and loved
painting sets and doing
especially, the make-up.
These were my "settlin'-
in" years about 1948-49
when I took over
management of Simp-
sons.
Very soon it became
Simpson -Sears and as the
store grow, I grew also,
becoming braver and
braver about doing things
and going places.
Then came the trip to
Agricultural College,
Guelph, when those
wonderful people, Marj,
Mcgie, Virginia Lodge
and Gail Sully talked me
into going with them to
this summer seminar of
the arts and crafts. They
took theatre and I
enrolled in an art class.
This whole seminar
had top teachers in all the
classes and Jack Pollock
Martha Rathburn
of Toronto was certainly
the tops. He, had more
enthusiasm and know
how than I had ever
experienced and before
the week ended, I con-
vinced him that he should
come to our lovely Port of
Goderich and teach a
weekend for us.
Jack later had a big Art
Gallery in Toronto where
he encouraged budding
artists to show their
work.
After agreeing on the
fee, the Art Club set the
date and on the Friday I
began to get anxious
when he hadn't arrived
by the supper time.
Finally a call came - he
was stuck in Seaforth
without a ride, could I
come and get him?
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 1979 -PAGE 11
Well, he had hitch
hiked from Toronto. I
found that he was just a
struggling artist - no car
or money for fare here
and the $50 we offered
him looked pretty good.
He stayed at our home -
at that time I had the
room, and I drove hlm,all
im'"V r A
see our nice area.
Right away he • fell in
love with our Courthouse
Park and The Square -
"Martha, I can see
paintings under the trees
and crowds and-" he
enthused, "Make it real
gala - paint daisies on the
sidewalks -"
We have never done the
daisy bit but he was the
real instigator for our Art
Mart OUTDOORS.
When the weather
behaves, there's nothing
nicer than art in the
Park.
Over the years with our
sun and showers I would
say it has been very
successful, but the last
few years, altho'we have
had very fine artists, the
sales have fallen badly. I
know many of them will
not return•,this year
because, as` they have
told me many times,
Goderich people are not
buying good art works.
Oh, there are a few
people who appreciate
he time and effort that
goe! 'oto a painting, but a
great many will spend
good money on stuff like
t
MATERNITY WEAR
• AT
The Separate Shoppe
MAIN CORNER, CLINTON 482-7778
(NEXT TO CAMPBELL'S MEN'S WEAR)
OPEN 1-6 • OPEN 1-6
QUALITY
COLOR PRINT FILM
No.110 or•No.126
• INSTANT
LOAD TYPE
• 12 EXPOSURES 990
IICIC
■•t�•q.
Pharmacy
OPEN ALL DAY WEDNESDAY
SHOPPERS SQUARE, GODERICH
Clean
fresh
crisp...
Summer whites
with -
summer brights
nrterrij rags
41=111. FASHION BOUTIQUE
Open 7 days o week 10.6
Thurs. & Fridays till9
11/4 miles south of
Grand Bond on hwy. 21
a;
these Mexican type
"velvet" paintings or
cheap "assembly line"
paintings they think are
so good. It is a shame
they get hooked on this
stuff but - perhaps they
LIKE it?
So, do take a second
look at the art work and
-'e-member that -the crafts
and home crafts are time
and effort consuming and
not_ overpriced. Because
we are a small town,
these crafts are not given
their true value. Take
another look !
Don't forget the Rotary
Club paper pick up July 7.
Also have any paper-
backs and hardcover
books out with the paper -
tied or boxed - in the
morning. Rotarians do
GOOD work!
Mark July- 13 and 14 on
your calendar for a visit
to Bluewater Centre with
their Antique Show and
Sale. Their proceeds go to
benefit the handicapped.
•
Note also that Arlene
Whiteman is taking
registration for her
classes in porcelain dolls
NOW. Classes start in
September.
•
Love,
Martha
Meathd - �..�.w:�.
SUMMER HOURS
MONDAY -SATURDAY
Too much bench time slows
you down. Get active. Get in
shape and put yourself
in the clear.
Fitness is fun.
Try some.
CLOSED SUNDAYS
',writ -mom
Bennett St.
Goderlch
MANAGERESS:
SHARON HENRY
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY
JUNE 28th, 29th 8 30th
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