Village Artists

 

Village Artists President Louis Cote On CFRY Radio.

 


To listen, click one of the play buttons below. Please be patient while audio downloads.
Special thanks to CFRY radio personality 'Dayna' for sending this out! 


Media Coverage - Interlake Tourism

Some of the Village Artists draw inspiration from the west side of the Interlake, the rugged beauty of Lake Manitoba and Steep Rock, the abundance of wildlife showing their influence on the artists work. Others create beauty wherever they find it. Artisans from Lundar north to Gypsumville and west to The Narrows and Steep Rock produce a vast multitude of paintings in mediums of Water color, Pencil & Inks & Acryllics, Jewellery , Leather work and Pottery. These artisans will be featured in the new Visitor Centre / Museum in Moosehorn and on their website soon.




Media Coverage - The Interlake Spectator

 


Moosehorn Gallery Brings Art Home

By Heather Robbins
Friday July 25, 2008

The Gallery, which opened July 4, features a variety of Manitoba artists selling homemade arts and crafts. The Gallery is home to Village Artists.

When tourists and Moosehorn residents travel Hwy. 6, they’re sure to pass a dream come true for Interlake art group Village Artists.
Since July 4, a log cabin at Moosehorn’s Wayside Park now boasts The Gallery, a place for the group and other Manitoba artists to meet, learn and sell everything from airplanes made of tin cans to drums made of road kill hides.
“I’m totally tickled pink,” said Sharon Cote, an acrylic painter and founding member of the group.
“(The opening’s) the highlight of my year.”
Village Artists, founded in 1988, has been looking for a permanent home since it was formed, says Sharon’s husband and group president Louis Cote.
“We wanted a home for our art and workshops so we wouldn’t have to beg and borrow the church basement or somebody’s home,” said Louis Cote.
“When this location came up, it was ideal. It’s big enough for our workshops and has water facilities, which are a necessity. Plus the log kind of look is very earthy and natural, which is a real bonus.”
Louis Cote says the cabin was constructed in 1977 as a summer student project.
Originally located in the center of Moosehorn, it was used as a meeting place for seniors before the municipality of Grahamdale moved it to its current location.
Sharon Cote says the cabin required a lot of renovating.
“It was an ice cream parlour before we went in,” said Cote.
“The walls had this covering and insulation on them that we had to remove. It was a lot of grubby work, but the structure is a beautiful asset. When you walk in, you just go ‘Ahhhh.’ When I walk in, I think ‘I want to live here.’”
Cote says that while the group hired workers for some building reconfiguration, volunteers did most of the work.
“Kudos to them all,” she said.
“We have club members who live as far as 60 miles away and they were there helping. It’s been unbelievable.”
Louis says the municipality has been supportive of the project since the group started seriously considering using the cabin in 2005.
“Our landlord, the municipality, has been excellent,” he said.
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“They’ve been very encouraging of our philosophy of getting arts into the community, which is a nice fit for us. It’s a good location, good landlord ... hey it’s home!”
Sharon adds the municipality wants the community to use Wayside Park as much as possible.
“They’ve been encouraging us to let people know they can have yard sales in the park while The Gallery’s open,” she said.
“We haven’t had many yet because of the weather, but we hope more people will take advantage because they can use the park free of charge.”
Despite the less-than-ideal start to the summer, Louis Cote says The Gallery has been successful thus far.
“Sales have been good,” says Cote.
“More artists have been hearing about us and putting stuff in. We’re very happy with the response from local and highway traffic.”
The Gallery features more than 30 Manitoba artists of all skill levels who sell everything from honey and beeswax soap to novels.
“We’re not limited to paintings,” says Louis Cote.
“We’re interested in anybody who produces something themselves. We have authors selling books; we have honey, crafts, jewelry and pottery. Our artists are from as far north as The Pas and as far south as Winnipeg.”
Cote adds that while all pieces in The Gallery are as unique as the artists who create them, some of the most unusual pieces include bi- and tri-planes made of tin cans, metal works ranging from candleholders to sundials, arrowheads, and drums made from a variety of road kill.
“Guys like (the drum maker) are the epitome of our story,” said Cote.
“He’s 87 years old. People deliver hides to him and he makes a drum out of them. Now he has a place to sell these drums, have coffee and get a pat on the back while having a good time. That’s what we’re all about.”

Louis Cote says artists don’t have to be members of Village Artists to place items in The Gallery on consignment.
“Our fees are moderate,” said Cote.
“We take 20 per cent from non-members and 10 per cent from members. Anybody who knows what other gallery fees are knows we’re not overcharging. We’re not in it to make a huge profit, just to make enough to pay our hydro bills.”
Sharon Cote says artists set the prices of their work.
“We’ve got something for everyone, with prices from $2 and up,” she said.
The Village Artists, which had a core 25-30 members, has grown to 40 since The Gallery’s opening.
“We have members at the point of wanting to market their work while others simply want to gather with other artists and enjoy time together,” said Louis Cote.
“Our members are at different developmental stages, and confidence levels. Up to this point, we’ve just held workshops and developed our club in the community by inviting the public. Our philosophy is to bring out the arts in everybody.”
Village Artist members currently run The Gallery until they can afford to hire summer students to help.
Louis Cote, a retired art teacher from Ashern Central High School, says helping found The Gallery with Sharon and other members of the Village Artists has been rewarding.
“When I retired, it was my goal to work on my antique cars, a 1931 Model A and a 1953 Chevy truck,” he said.
“Now the club is involved in my life and it’s been very rewarding to see members get together for our pot-luck meetings. We share a meal, ideas, see people come along and encourage others.”
Sharon Cote says the Village Artists hopes to continue offering workshops to local art students and the community through The Gallery, as well as expanding into special events.
“We have a beautiful deck and it would be nice to incorporate it into an event,” she said.
“You can’t always rely on the weather for that, but we’d like to have tea and bannock on the deck. We’d like to see readings by a couple of authors one evening where they can meet people and so on. We’re looking at a variety of things.”
She says the gallery is always looking for new artists with ideas and items to sell.
“We’re always looking to keep fresh,” said Cote.
“One of our goals is to not become redundant, so people can come in next week and see something they didn’t see last week.”
The Gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m to 6 p.m, as well as over long weekends and by appointment. The Gallery closes after the Labor Day long weekend.



"The Gallery" Opens

"THE GALLERY"
PRESS RELEASE - JULY 14/08

 “A DREAM COME TRUE”
Along Highway #6 a dream has become a reality for an Interlake group known as “Village Artists.” Their art club has been in existence or the past 20 years and they now have a permanent home. “The Gallery,” situated in Moosehorn, Manitoba (less than 2 hours North of Winnipeg) is the first Gallery on Highway #6 featuring original Manitoba arts and crafts. You will find something to suit every need – whether it be a gift for a special occasion or a treasure for yourself.

After a lot of renovating, the group turned an old log cabin into an art center to highlight the efforts of a variety of local artisans and crafters. Their intent is to encourage people to pursue their artistic ambitions and through this venue show the tourists and residents just what a wonderful pool of talent our local people have developed. In the future, Village Artists hopes to instruct students from the local schools and to hold workshops for the public. Making Moosehorn an artistic center in the Interlake would be another dream come true or this art group. The Council of the R.M of Grahamdale (who owns the cabin) has been a very supportive landlord at every stage of developing the concept of an art center in a small town.

Everything in “The Gallery” has been consigned and priced by the artists and crafters. You’ll find paintings, pottery, jewellery, knitting/sewing and a variety of other unique handmade items. We also carry local honey and Manitoba maple syrup products and local authors provide an opportunity for you to take home stories of our history and contemporary issues.

They invite you to come and visit and/or if you are an artist or crafter – to join them in this consignment venture. The coffee is always on!

HOURS OF OPERATION:
Fridays and Saturdays: 10:00 a.m – 6:00 p.m.
Also open the four days of Long Weekends.
Also open by appointment.
The season ends after the Labor Day Long Weekend.

CONTACTS:

204-768-2336
204-768-4816
204-449-2272


EMAIL CONTACT:
[email protected]
[email protected]

WEBSITE: 
www.villageartists.weebly.com