Station Arts Centre hosts Spring Market

Members of the Norfolk Fibre Arts Guild finish their display of products that will be part of the Spring into Art Market at the Station Arts Centre. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The Station Arts Centre’s Spring Market is the perfect opportunity to shop for that unique Mother’s Day gift.

Running from April 11 to 24 during the Station Arts Centr’s regular hours, the Spring into Art Market is modelled after the Christmas Market. The exhibit is in the Patenaude Family Gallery.

Cailey Coderre of the Station Arts Centre said with increased offerings from the Station Arts Centre’s crafters, there are more opportunities for shopping for Mother’s Day, or for any purpose. Organizers were thrilled with the number of members who applied to be part of the show.

“We put out a poster about it, and it got filled within a week,” she said. “We’re hoping next year we can expand, and add another room.”

The exhibit contains products from a wide array of local artisans, including paintings from several artists, pottery, jewelry, bags, purses, special occasion cards and more.

Members of the Norfolk Fibre Arts Guild, who meet at Backus Heritage Conservation Area during the summer, were setting up their products on Friday, including Tillsonburg resident Hattie Idsinga, who had several felting products on display. These are wet felted products where a combination of friction, water and soap is used to make wool into felt. Her products were felt tea pot cozies and wall art.

“They’re all needle felted with all kinds of wool, yarn, threads or whatever I have on hand,” she said of the process where a plain piece of felt is turned into wall art.

Julia Wever of Silver Hill runs the gamut on the fibre process, raising sheep to create the wool, then having a spinning wheel to turn the wool into yarn and a loom to weave the yarn. She had hand-woven tea towels, scarves and felted soaps on display.

“The wool is around the soap,” she said of felted soaps. “You use it like a scrubby, and the soap comes out when you scrub it.”

Maxine MacPhail of Tillsonburg displayed weaving, crocheting, knitting and beaded bracelets. In addition, she has paintings in the gallery for sale.

Besides the Spring into Art Market, Support Local in More Ways Than One, a fundraiser for both the Station Arts Centre and Helping Hand Food Bank, is continuing to run in the building. This promotion sees handmade bags selling for $15 each.

In addition, members of local Girl Guides groups will be selling Girl Guide Cookies at the station on April 11 and 18 to raise money for a trip to Sweden.