Organizers from the Quest Art School and Gallery are eagerly anticipating the first Art in the Park exhibition on July 19 and 20 at the waterfront park in Penetanguishene.

Presented in conjunction with the sixth-annual Festival du Loup – a community celebration of French music, heritage and culture, the art event will be centred near the Kitchikewana statue at the east end of the waterfront park by the main street. It will feature a wonderful selection of paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolour, photography, pastel, mixed-media works, fiber art and works in glass.

Displayed under individual tents, Art in the Park will run rain or shine.

Earlier this year, Quest issued an open call to the juried event. Administrator Karen Mealing stressed membership in Quest is not required to participate in Art in the Park and anyone can apply. About half of the artists are from Penetanguishene-Midland area with the others coming from Barrie, Orillia, Washago and Wasaga Beach.

Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on July 19, children will be invited to create wolves with clay, a theme dovetailing nicely with the Festival du Loup. This free family-oriented event will be hosted by artist Polly Sharp and is sure to be a hit with young artists.

“Original works of art have been juried for this first-time show to ensure the two-day event will showcase only high quality, unique creations,” Mealing said.

“In attendance will be artists from the Georgian Bay area, the inspirational stomping grounds of the Group of Seven. Visitors can meet the artists and discuss works such as painting, photography, glass and fibre art.”

She said they were pleased with the number of applications received.

“The inaugural year of Art in the Park will have 17 participants including Joe Attard, Cynthia Blair, Kathleen Buchan, Julie Cassavoy, Dale Duncan, Mary Ellis, Colleen Gale, Deb Grisé, Patricia Guinn, Maureen Haines, Ben Jensen, Pat Keating, Ken Marek, Karin and Manfred Meilinger, Winston Smith and Jackie Sture.”

Quest has been working on the idea of an outdoor art festival for some time and, Mealing said, “We hope to establish an annual art show which draws more applications and visitors each year. We are also hoping to draw more visitors to our area, which is already a popular tourist destination, by offering an outdoor art show. Since WaterFest in Midland ended a few years ago, there has been nothing like it in the area.”

The partnership with the French cultural festival has worked well.

“When we started planning Art in the Park, we decided to look for another event we could work in conjunction with. Festival du Loup was an obvious choice as they are an established cultural event and an art exhibition would be a natural fit. They have been very welcoming.”

She said it’s a perfect opportunity to showcase the talent of area artists.

“We do have a wealth of talented artists in our area, including some who internationally recognized. Quest boosts 160 members – some are just hobbyists while others are making a living selling their art. Visitors to our gallery are constantly surprised and impressed with the high quality of art that our members produce. I repeatedly hear, ‘We have so many talented people living in this area’ from gallery visitors. Many of our members are inspired by the local landscape of Georgian Bay, just as the Group of Seven was years ago.”

Along with Art in the Park, the Quest Gallery in Penetanguishene’s Village Square Mall will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and Mealing invited everyone to come enjoy the current exhibition entitled Scapes. “The walls are covered with a variety of landscapes, gardenscapes, seascapes, etc.

“Art in the Park would not be happening without the hard work and dedication of our festival committee including Lisa Dower, Kathleen Buchan, Jackie Sture, Deb Grisé, Pat Keating and Tim Laurin. We have also received wonderful support from the Town of Penetanguishene who is helping sponsor Art in the Park,” Mealing said.

For more information, call 549-5425, or click the link provided.