Nomusa Mngoma, of Kingston, Ont., takes the lead during a song as members of the Picton Shout Sister! choir back her up during a concert Saturday, June 14. Photo by Megan McKinnon

Mark Sullivan (left), a three-time Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, and George Strobbe, entertain crowds at the Fiddlers on the Trent festival this past weekend in Frankford. Photo by Jill Nels

Susi Reinink with her loom, talking to spectators. Newburgh Ont. June 14 2008. Photo by Sarah Joubert

By Sarah Joubert

Artsy chat: Susi Reinink with her loom, talking to spectators. Newburgh Ont. June 14 2008. Photo by Sarah Joubert Local artists gave back to the community while braving the weather at an art show and sale nestled among the ruins of a 19th century mill in Newburgh, Ont. on Saturday.
Art Among the Ruins, an outdoor community art show and sale attracted artists and patrons from Toronto to Ottawa on June 14. Stacey Anderson, the creator and organizer of the event, said there is a demand for this event from local artists and people in the community.
This year, the show attracted 32 artists with a wide range of media, from paintings to photographs, and sculptures to renaissance costumes. The event is set among the ruins of a burned down paper mill, offering an aesthetically pleasing backdrop.
Anderson created the event in the 1990s and operated it successfully for two years before moving to the United States. Upon her return in 2006, many members of the community approached her, asking to resurrect the event.

By Samantha Cusimano

Bill Keast is an inspirational painter living in Belleville. He has been painting for 12 years and wouldn’t change it for a thing.

Keast was in his second year of teaching English, history and math in Stoney Creek, Ont before he ever showed an interest in painting. He first started showing an interest in painting when he was assigned to supervise a painting workshop, conducted by an art supply salesman from the Hughes Owens Art Supply Company. That’s when he bought his first box of oil paints and some brushes for $25.

By Melanie Archibald

Susan Richardson has the most interesting office in town as the musical director and organist at Bridge Street United Church in Belleville.
Her office is a beautiful ornate sanctuary, warm with stained glass and dark wood, where her closest colleague is “Gwenivere,” a pipe organ with 4,000 different pipes and a very big voice that has been with the church for 52 years.

By Jonathan Fox

Players: Members of Improv in Toronto, scratch out their April Fool's Itch, in Dundas Square. Photo by Jonathan FoxTORONTO - 6:00pm. A melee of 40 or so people intent on scratching themselves silly, broke out in the corridors of Dundas Square.
“Oh man! On the TTC someone must have let something off! It was horrible!” shouted John Moore, of De Le Salle College Oaklands.
The others must have been on the same train.
To the average person strolling by, it may have seemed like a science experiment gone terribly wrong, but to those in charge of the shenanigans in the square who knew better, it was the April Fool’s Itch, a prank concocted by John Azevedo and the minds of the Improv in Toronto brilliantly devised to fool and folly.
Improv in Toronto is a chapter of global comedy group Improv Everywhere.
The meet up was planned days in advance, for 5:45 p.m. at the Northeast corner of Bay and Dundas streets. After the agents were debriefed on the mission du jour, they were split into two groups of scratchers, and those with cameras formed a third group of tourists.
The agents then synchronized the time on their cellphones and headed to the city centre, where the players dispersed and waited for the clock to strike the top of the hour.
The folks at Irish Spring must have known something was up because they were already there handing out small bottles of their soap.
6:01 p.m. The first group of performers started complaining of a horrible itch and began stripping themselves of their jackets.

By Chris Kornacki

Elder musician: Pianist Esmond Skidmore performs at the John M. Parrott Gallery on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Belleville. Skidmore is an accomplished musician, painter and author and at 90-years-old performs his music almost daily and is working on two new books. Ph‘Someday someone is going to discover you.’ “Even better I said to him, I already discovered myself.”
Esmond Skidmore reflects back on a conversation he once had with an old friend 60 years ago when living in Lake St. Peter, Ontario. Back then, Skidmore was a struggling artist and made his living operating a small tearoom, tuning pianos and teaching music.
The now 90-year-old Skidmore is a successful painter, novelist and musician. For the past 12 years, he’s made Belleville his home.
Skidmore plays piano around town at over eight venues to make a living, mostly at nursing and retirement homes, the hospital and every Wednesday afternoon at the John M. Parrott Art Gallery.
“I like to play the good old standards,” Skidmore said. “There’s a good melody, harmony and words you can understand. The old people love it.”
Skidmore was only three years old when he first performed on the piano in front of an audience and he hasn’t stopped since then. “I guess it was just in me to perform for people,” Skidmore said.

By Caezer Ng

Musicmaker: Thomas Bruce Maracle,60, in his home music studio, on April 2, 2008. Maracle is a Mohawk artisan artist from Tyendinaga; as an artisan, he crafted most of his own flutes out of wood. Also a renowned stone sculptor, much of his work is on display at NativeMohawk artist Thomas Bruce Maracle can attest to the importance of resilience, through his artwork and experiences in life.
In early February, Maracle, 60, slipped on a patch of ice outside his home. The impact from the fall caused his ribs to puncture his lungs. He was discovered an hour and a half later by his son-in-law, who carried him to the hospital.
“It was very comfortable. Very warm. Everything was black, except for that one light at the end of the tunnel. I was about three-quarters to the end before my youngest daughter woke me up,” Maracle explained about his near fatal experience. He tilts his head back onto the headrest of his chair, and begins to rock in reflection. He began by talking about a book he started 4 or 5 years ago, called “She Who Opens the Gate”. Additional projects, he added, was his landscape work that keeps him busy. Maracle’s lungs have not fully healed, so he pauses for a few moments to catch his breath, before he talked about art.

Members of Improv in Toronto, scratch out their April Fool's Itch, in Dundas Square. Photo by Jonathan Fox

Pianist Esmond Skidmore performs at the John M. Parrott Gallery on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Belleville. Skidmore is an accomplished musician, painter and author and at 90-years-old performs his music almost daily and is working on two new books.

Thomas Bruce Maracle,60, in his home music studio, on April 2, 2008. Maracle is a Mohawk artisan artist from Tyendinaga; as an artisan, he crafted most of his own flutes out of wood. Also a renowned stone sculptor, much of his work is on display at Native Renaissance II.

By Maxx Lennox

The fine dining experience at Club 213 got a little richer Wednesday, with the addition of art from six different local artists.
This was the second showing of the club's exhibit, which features work from art instructors in Loyalist's continuing education program. The current work will be hanging for the next seven weeks. Some of the artists currently featured are Nancy Woodall, Lucy Manley and Gary Bisell. Gail Vanderwater, the co-ordinator of Club 213 said the gallery has been a great experience for everyone involved.

The Cast for the play, The Last of The Red Hot Lovers, from left to right Corrie Allan playing Elaine Navazio, Jean Parker playing Jeanette Fisher, Bill Petch playing Barney Cashman and Heather Barker playing Bobbie Michele.

By Marina Osmond

New gallery: Art teachers Bill Tomlinson and Christine Christos, stand with vice-principal Liane Woodley, at the Centennial Secondary School gallery, which is being dedicated to former principal, Catherine Glover. Photo by Jonathan TailleferCentennial Secondary School is paying tribute to former principal Catherine Glover by naming an art gallery in her honour.