Sharon Pattison remembers when the only venue the Morinville Art Club had to show off its stuff in town was the Musée Morinville Museum.
That was actually only little more than a month ago. The museum was — and still is — a wonderful location in the basement of the Notre Dame Convent with some fantastic gallery space for not just the art club, but also the facility's own exhibits. Still, there's a lot to be said for having a second point of view, especially one that comes in a brand new building with high windows, modern design and theme lighting.
Pattison, the art club's president, is especially thrilled her new viewpoint comes on the well-lit second floor of the spacious front lobby of Morinville's new Community Cultural Centre, which opened early last month. She asked facility manager Laurie Stalker if she wanted art on the walls for the big debut. Stalker said yes and asked if the paintings could stay for a few extra months.
"I was very excited about it, very happy," Pattison said.
This is a big step for the club. Apart from wall space, the cultural centre will soon become an integral part of its operations, not to mention its annual show and sale and its Strawberry Tea.
"We're moving in here this fall," Pattison explained.
Club member Val Weir added that the building itself is impressive and reminds her of the Art Gallery of Alberta.
She too loves the new venue for her art.
"It's a wonderful place to bring the arts community together. It's quite creative."
The club will be renting some meeting space for regular meetings and painting lessons for its members and maybe others. Pattison said it's the club's mission to provide reasonably priced educational opportunities for interested parties and that "there shouldn't be a financial reason for anyone not to join."
Stalker is also very excited at the community response to the building so far. Already it has one of its meeting rooms occupied by the Morinville Public Library as that facility undergoes renovations. There's enough space for the entire collection of books as the meeting rooms have sliding divider doors between them.
Stalker's vision for the full use of the building is a bustling hub of activities.
"We want it to be as full as possible with as wide a variety of events as possible with use by our own community groups, residents … folks that actually rent the facility for things like weddings and conferences," she began, later adding, "An alive building is what we're looking for, something that's alive and belongs to Morinville. Alive, 24/7."
In living colour
If an alive building is what Stalker wants then an alive building is what Pattison and the Morinville Art Club members are offering. What you see on the second floor is a pretty grand and diverse selection of the best and brightest talents from the club. Every time there is an event going on, that gorgeous and curvy staircase highlighted by the violin bow-themed lighting fixture will always beckon people onward and upward.
It is an ideal spot for high-calibre art that begs for repeated mass public viewings.
Now that Pattison has two gallery locations available, she remarked on how far she has come.
She even remembers the first time that she picked up a brush.
"It was 2003 and it was pretty hideous to begin with, I gotta tell ya," she laughed, remarking on her early work.
Even early obstacles and hindrances couldn't stop her from chasing down a dream. The art club has been active in Morinville since 1978 and has counted Pattison among its ranks since she moved to the town eight years ago. She had always harboured the grand belief that she would pick up the same hobby her mother had chosen.
She is already now an experienced painter and quilter, as well as a mentor and role model to others.
"I'm a very creative person. It's so relaxing and so enjoyable to me."
Morinville culture finds its medium
Stalker is enthusiastic about the future of culture. While the art club will likely have a recurring exhibit slot every year, she has already booked a second art show for October called Creator Paints the World (the Colour of our Voice) through the Art Gallery of Alberta's TREX travelling exhibit program.
Stalker knows the building itself will perform well in bringing in not just more visual arts exhibits but a broad variety of other capacities. Sure, the Morinville Art Club is "moving in" for meetings and workshops but there is so much other multi-purpose space available that it's easy to imagine other groups like the Caviar Players, the Morinville Historical Society, the Morinville Minstrels and the Yellowrock Dancers getting in on the act.
In fact, it seems likely this will spur the formation of new groups and clubs.
Then there are the main events. Stalker said the 2011/12 theatre season line-up will soon be announced but it has already been reported that Acadian folk roots fiddler Lizzie Hoyt and her five-piece band will open the season Sept. 30.
To find out more about the Morinville Art Club or to become a member, call 780-939-4562. Registration is $20 and in the fall the club will offer a six-week session of painting lessons for $25.
The Morinville Cultural Centre is located at 9502 - 100 Ave., right next to the Morinville Community High School.
For more information or to enquire about bookings or tickets for any of the performances, call the town office at 780-939-4361 or visit www.morinville.ca.
