24 new and returning artists participating in eighth annual New Hamburg Art Tour

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The work of 24 local artists will be on display upstairs at the New Hamburg Community Centre over two days Sept. 20 and 21 for the eighth annual New Hamburg Art Tour.

Having quickly become a beloved local tradition each year, the art tour gives participating artists – both new and returning from Wilmot Township and the surrounding Waterloo Region – a chance to show their work and sell some pieces to both local and visiting art lovers.

“Every year, it seems to get better and better; more people come, and I think it’s become, now, a major event for Wilmot Township,” art tour organizing committee chair and artist Nancy Taves said. “I think it gives people an outing, it’s run for two days over the weekend and people look forward to coming to it. We’ve had people come from as far away as Alberta.”

For Taves’ part in the tour, she is displaying a number of her own oil paintings including two currently on display at Castle Kilbride and one on display at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection gallery.

“It’s great satisfaction to be able to show your work and show it locally, and have people appreciate it,” Taves said about participating in the tour each year. “They always stop to talk, they’re interested in what you do and how you do it, so I get a chance to talk to them and, of course, the purchases (of art) are always wonderful.”

In addition to Taves, returning artists participating in the art tour this year include Michele Brenneman, Linda Chamberland, Sheri East, Kathleen Freeman, Ann Gordon, Judy Gascho-Jutzi, Janice Gray, Greg Kimmett, Cornelia LeRoux, Amanda Lundrigan, Barbara McLeod, Wayne Richardson, Linda Sanderson, Donna Schyff, Donna Voisin, John Werlich, Anne Williamson and Simona Zak.

New to this year’s lineup are Brigitte Huber, Adrienne Zoe, Viktoriia Makarova, Jonathan Sau and Dyane Eugenio.

“We’ve always had some pretty good artists,” Taves said. “I think every year we lose a few and gain some new ones, so it keeps it fresh. This year, we have five new artists; I think we have a really good selection of art as well. We have painting, sculpture, photography, illustration, textiles and stained glass. … If they want to adorn their own home or buy something for gifts – we’ve got lots of gift cards – there’s something for everybody at every price point.

“ … We have (Ukrainian newcomer and painter) Viktoriia Makarova joining us this year. We decided we would have her come. Normally, there’s a participation fee and for her, we decided, as a humanitarian effort, we would just have her join us as a guest.”

Again, this year the tour will feature work by emerging art students from Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School, who will be displaying and selling their art during the event.

Each of the participating artists will be set up with their work upstairs at the community centre, which is accessible by lift for those who need it. According to Taves, there are many different door prizes to be won this year, each provided by sponsors. The event is also free admission – a boon for those who just want to meet some artists and appreciate some great local art.

For those interested in previewing some of the art that will be displayed during the art tour, a few pieces are on display now at Pharmasave Town Square in New Hamburg.

The New Hamburg Art Tour is possible thanks to the support of many local sponsors, as well as grant funding from the Township of Wilmot. This popular event has seen attendance as high as 500 people over the past two years, and Taves hopes this year’s event will exceed that.

For more information on the New Hamburg Art Tour, follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NHarttour, call 519-577-8523, or email newhamburgarttour@gmail.com.