Opening Night Success!

The Headwaters Arts Festival is underway and celebrated its opening with its most successful Launch Party yet! Friday evening saw 350 people celebrate the arts season in the Hills of Headwaters. An art show that featured 40 local artists was the focal point around which these people came together to admire their creative talents and enjoy the music, special awards, good conversation and an abundance of great food that made it a most memorable evening.

Robert Bateman spoke most eloquently about his friend Paul Burdette as he presented Paul with a special Lifetime Achievement Award for the contributions Burdette has made to the arts in Canada and in the Headwaters region throughout his long career. In addition to Paul Burdette the launch party also included a memorial tribute to Ken Danby. The audience applauded enthusiastically when Gillian Danby spoke about her late husband and the pride she and his family took in participating in the naming of a local elementary school in his honour.

The jurors did an admirable job of selecting the following recipients for this year’s awards. Pavel Charousek won the Helen Gardner Memorial Award for pottery and ceramics, and jurors’ awards sponsored by SGI Canada went to Monica O’Halloran-Schut, Ron Pitts, Jim Reid, Jim Stewart, and Nancy Turner. Because they had so much talent to choose from the jurors also gave honourable mentions to Rosalinde Baumgartner, Sue Powell, Anne-Marie Warburton and Barry Young. John Ashbourne received the Artists’ Choice Award sponsored by Navis Pack & Ship. To round out the celebration of arts in the region visitors, enjoyed the award-winning art of the Student Art Show that was held in May.

No party is complete without refreshments and this year the quests enjoyed a stand-up gourmet dinner by Gourmandissimo Fine Foods & Catering in Caledon East and Orangeville’s One99 Restaurant with refreshments provided by the Wine Coaches and Mill Street Brewery. The musical entertainment was provided by Rusty Ephemeris and Susan Lind who offered beautiful Celtic music. Thank you to RBC Dominion Securities for sponsoring this event.

If you couldn’t join in the launch festivities you can still enjoy the remarkable Art Show & Sale. It will be open next weekend at the SGI Centre for Education and Culture in Alton, Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 October, from 11am to 5pm both days and admission is free.