Avon River Arts

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Avon River Arts

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A Community of Artists and Artisans

Through a number of gallery shows, and regular events and activities we create opportunities for local artists to sell and display their work. Our membership is open to all Nova Scotian artists and artisans and our events and activities primary take place in communities along the Avon River. The goals of Avon River Arts are:
•To increase the understanding and appreciation of arts and culture.
•To promote excellence amoung artists and to provide encouragement to groups and individuals in the community who are involved in the arts.
•To create educational and networking opportunities in support of arts and culture

10/30/2026

It's never too late to chase a new dream - just ask Darlene Sanford! ❤️

When Darlene was in Grade 3, she dreamed of becoming an airline stewardess. And for 45 wonderful years, she lived that dream, travelling the skies as a flight attendant with Air Canada.

But when she retired in 2024, Darlene decided it was time for a new adventure. This time, she wanted to become an artist!

Drawn to the freedom and spontaneity of intuitive painting, Darlene discovered a whole new world of creative possibilities when she was introduced to mixed media art during a retreat in Arizona. She fell head over heels for the process, embracing the experimentation, unexpected discoveries and, perhaps best of all, the mess!

As Darlene puts it, "And it's messy like me." We love that!

A Hants County girl at heart, Darlene grew up in Windsor, with family roots stretching down the shore to Burlington and Tennecape. Today, she lives in Wolfville with her husband and their children, Luke and Mae Ru.

We're delighted to welcome Darlene to Long Winter Nights, celebrating not only her artwork but the wonderful reminder that creativity has no expiration date. Sometimes the most exciting adventures begin when we give ourselves permission to try something new!

🍂 JOIN US THIS SUNDAY AT 2!

Our Long Winter Nights exhibition opens this Sunday afternoon, and we'd love for you to join us in celebrating Darlene and all the talented artists participating in this year's show!

Come meet the artists, explore their work, reconnect with friends and neighbours, and help us kick off another season of creativity and community.

❤️ New dreams. New discoveries. Endless possibilities.

10/28/2026

Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in the light to transform something ordinary into something extraordinary. For Lynn, it's those fleeting moments of beauty that inspire her to pick up a paintbrush!

With more than 25 years of exhibiting experience, Lynn has developed a wonderful ability to capture the subtle magic of everyday life. Working primarily in acrylics, she uses glazing techniques to build depth and luminosity, bringing a remarkable sense of light and transparency to her paintings.

Drawn to nature, still life and waterscapes, Lynn has a particular fascination with glass and water - subjects that offer endless opportunities to explore reflections, transparency and the interplay of light.

Her artistic journey began with continuing education courses, followed by workshops and seminars with local and internationally acclaimed artists. Over the years, her work has found its way into galleries, exhibitions, gift shops and museums throughout the Maritimes, including solo exhibitions at Swoon Fine Art and the Flying Apron.

Beyond her own creative practice, Lynn has contributed to the arts community through her involvement with local art organizations, including volunteering as exhibition coordinator for the Dartmouth Visual Arts Society.

We are delighted to feature Lynn's work in this year's Long Winter Nights exhibition and invite you to discover how she transforms everyday moments into something worth lingering over.

Opening Reception: Sunday, November 1, at 2 PM
The Bread Gallery • Brooklyn, West Hants

Come meet the artists, explore the exhibition and celebrate the creativity that brightens our community throughout the darker months!

10/26/2026

From the heat of the forge to the quiet beauty of the Canadian wilderness, Dan Brazzell's creative journey is one of craftsmanship, resilience and connection to the natural world.

Based in Newport, Nova Scotia, Dan is a professional blacksmith, master metal fabricator, digital educator and oil painter whose career spans more than two decades of industrial fabrication, custom toolmaking and the creation of monumental public artworks displayed around the world.

As the founder of the popular YouTube platform Modern Blacksmith, Dan shares his knowledge with an international audience, helping preserve traditional trades while inspiring a new generation of makers.

His Mi'kmaq heritage and the teaching of Msit No'kmaq - "all my relations" - inform his understanding of the interconnectedness of life. An avid outdoorsman, Dan brings this appreciation for nature into his oil paintings of Canadian landscapes and wildlife.

For Dan, painting offers a welcome contrast to the physical intensity of blacksmithing - an opportunity to slow down, observe and find balance through the creative process.

✨ We're delighted to welcome Dan to Long Winter Nights, where his work offers a glimpse into the quieter, contemplative side of an artist accustomed to shaping steel and fire.

Join us for the opening reception Sunday, November 1, at 2 PM, at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn, West Hants!

10/26/2026

With a creative career spanning more than six decades, Steven Sutherland brings a lifetime of artistic exploration to this year's Long Winter Nights exhibition!

Steven's artistic journey began in the mid-to-late 1960s in the world of tattooing, working under the name Black Rose Studio. Over the years, his creative pursuits have taken him in countless directions, from oil painting and sculpture to jewellery design and fabrication, life casting and clay.

Now retired from tattooing, Steven has spent the past six or seven years focusing primarily on charcoal and acrylic painting, continuing to explore new techniques and creative possibilities.

While he's willing to try his hand at just about any artistic style, dark surrealism remains his favourite - a genre that invites us to venture beyond the familiar and into the mysterious, imaginative and unexpected.

We're delighted to feature Steven's work in Long Winter Nights and invite you to join us for the opening reception next Sunday!

10/25/2026

Returning for this year's Long Winter Nights exhibition with an assortment of work is Tacha Reed.

Tacha is a multidisciplinary artist based in Ellershouse, NS, whose creative practice spans photography, printmaking, painting and fibre arts.

A graduate of NSCAD University, her work explores the natural world, interconnectedness, memory and the often-unseen forces that shape our surroundings. From her enduring fascination with foxes to her Collaboration with Mycelium photographic series and recent Morphic Resonance paintings, Tacha embraces experimentation, observation and the unexpected.

Her contributions to this year's Long Winter Nights exhibition include a 2020 needle felted portrait of musician David Berman, an experimental fox block print, selected photographs, and publications documenting her evolving artistic practice.

Stop by the opening at The Bread Gallery on November 1st between 2 & 4 to meet Tacha and the other participating artists in this year's annual Avon River Arts Society Members Showcase.

10/23/2026

For Nova Scotia-born painter Kelly Mitchelmore, art is about capturing that moment - the fleeting beauty of light, the emotion of a landscape, or the energy of colour and texture coming together on canvas.

With over 25 years of professional painting experience, Kelly's work can be found throughout Canada. Her signature poppy series holds special significance for East Coast Legions and veterans, a connection made even more meaningful by Kelly's own service in the Canadian Navy.

Working in both acrylic and oil, Kelly moves freely between palette knife and brush, creating paintings that range from soft and atmospheric to bold, vibrant, and richly textured. Her background in interior design brings a strong understanding of colour and composition, balanced by an intuitive, expressive approach to painting.

But Kelly's passion for the arts extends well beyond her own canvas!

From spearheading festivals and establishing art bursaries to organizing exhibitions, hosting workshops, and supporting fellow artists, Kelly believes deeply in the importance of giving back to the communities that nurture creativity.

Recently relocating from Nova Scotia to Nanaimo, British Columbia, Kelly is finding fresh inspiration on Vancouver Island, carrying her East Coast roots and love of nature into this exciting new chapter.

As Kelly beautifully puts it:

"I paint because I can't imagine not painting."

She believes art has the power to make us smile, move us to tears, and connect with each of us in wonderfully different ways. That's the magic!

We're delighted to have Kelly participating in Long Winter Nights 2026, bringing a little East Coast spirit back home from the West Coast!

Come discover Kelly's paintings alongside the work of fellow Avon River Arts Society members at our annual exhibition at The Bread Gallery.

Opening Reception: Sunday, November 1 • 2–4 PM

Exhibition: November 1 – December 31, 2026

✨ Join us in celebrating the creativity, connections, and remarkable talents of our arts community!

10/22/2026

Explore the art of portrait drawing in this engaging, hands-on workshop led by artists Titia Jetten and Robert Plante. Learn techniques for capturing facial features, proportions, expression, and personality while developing your observational drawing skills. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your technique, enjoy an afternoon of creativity and artistic exploration in the inspiring setting of the historic Stone House barn.

Saturday, November 14 • 1–3 PM
Location: The barn at The Stone House, 659 Avondale Road, Poplar Grove, NS
Fee: $55 per person - all supplies included.

Booking: [email protected]

Address

Box 905
Windsor, NS
B0N2T0

Website

http://avonriverarts.ca/

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