Awenda Inspired

       The Friends of Awenda Park and the Ontario College of Art and Design present Awenda Inspired!, a celebration of local art heritage.

September 14^th-16^th, 2012

Awenda Provincial Park has a deeply rooted artistic tradition. Tom Thomson painted the park’s Giant’s Tomb Island; a number of the Group of 7 also fostered connections with the southern Georgian Bay area.

Awenda Inspired! is an event designed to celebrate the park’s rich and vibrant art heritage. The focus of this event is to provide an opportunity for the general public to interact with artists and see the artistic process as it unfolds in the park’s outdoor setting.

The event takes place on the weekend of September 14^th- 16^th, 2012. The event involves a major partnership with the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) and will see over 50 art students painting in plein air throughout Awenda Provincial Park. The finished art work will be exhibited later in the fall at a major gallery in Toronto as well as locally at the Centennial Museum.

The event is expected to draw as many as 1500 visitors and campers throughout the weekend. Guest speakers will present on Friday and Saturday nights. OCAD students will be painting in designated areas throughout Saturday.  In addition there will be an Eco-Art Station for children and the young-at-heart at the Activity Center. 

Please contact us directly at (705) 549-2231 ext. 225 or e-mail us at awenda@csolve.net for further information.

Awenda Inspired! Event Itinerary:

Friday September 14^th, 2012

Guest Speaker: 7:15pm, Amphitheatre- Trail Centre Parking lot

Jim and Sue Waddington: Mapping the Footsteps of the Group of Seven:
Since 1995 Jim and Sue have been tirelessly ventured through the back country of Northern Ontario and Georgian Bay in search of historic Group of Seven painting sites. Armed only with small replicas of G7 paintings, Jim and Sue have portaged, hiked and climbed in order to photograph the painting locations of this much loved Group.  The presentation will showcase their stories and present their photos as they compare to copies of the original art work.

Saturday September 15^nd, 2012

Arrival at Awenda Provincial Park- Ontario College of Art Students to arrive at 9:30am

Official Public Start Time- 11am

Family Eco-Art Activities: 11am- 3:00pm. Hands-on art projects to commence at 11am at the Activity Centre based on the links of art and the natural environment.

End of day viewing:  3:30pm to 4:30pm at the Activity Centre which will be equipped with a temporary display space for a couple of finished pieces from each artist as well as work they have been working on the day of the event.

Guest Speaker: Saturday Evening 7:15pm- Amphitheatre (Trail Centre Parking lot)

Phil Chadwick, Tom Thomson was a Weatherman:

Phil, a professional meteorologist and amateur artist, has been delivering a series of talks that investigate the passion Canadian artists such as the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson unknowingly have for weather. He uses his background in meteorology to interpret specific details about the artists’ location, directional orientation as well as the weather before during and after recording the scene. Appreciate Thomson and the Group’s art by first putting it into the context of the natural world and weather that inspired them!

Sunday September 16^th – Georgian Queen- Art History Tour of southern Georgian Bay- 2pm Town Dock, Penetanguishene

Art Gallery Exhibition(s):

Creature’s Creating- Thursday October 11^th, Bathurst St. and Dundas St., Opening details to be announced.

Penetanguishene Centennial Museum- Friday November 2^nd; Details to be announced.