Running the weekend of May 2nd & 3rd 10am to 4pm upstairs in the Optimist Hall at the Port Franks Community Centre, this gallery show features work in an exciting mix of media including oil, acrylic, watercolour, ceramic, quilting, felting, fused glass, collage and more! Participating artists range from emergent to professional, and genres range from fantasy to representational. Come on out and celebrate the efforts of these artists!
Admission to the show is free, and visitors can also explore the Free to Create Kids gallery downstairs featuring the work of creative youth ages 5 to 18.
Bonus: We will be celebrating the unveiling of our Community Mural Project outside at the pavilion on Saturday May 2nd at 1 pm.
Altogether, it's a wonderful weekend of art!
Admission to the show is free, and visitors can also explore the Free to Create Kids gallery downstairs featuring the work of creative youth ages 5 to 18.
Bonus: We will be celebrating the unveiling of our Community Mural Project outside at the pavilion on Saturday May 2nd at 1 pm.
Altogether, it's a wonderful weekend of art!
2026 Presenting artists:
|
Susan Christie
Patricia Pryor Mechele te Brake Holly Schkura Margaret Allen Michelle Boyer Deb Kirk Ruth Anne Merner Josie Gilpin Martine Casademont |
Janice Cuckovic
Dawn Greco Emily Campbell Bruce Harmer Sandra Thomas Marissa Jackson Peggy Bloomfield Sueellen Evoy-Oozeer Dee Ford Mary Margaret Roney |
|
Marissa Jackson is a 19 year old self taught artist born and raised in London, Ontario. She spends much of her summer in Port Franks, where time at her family’s cottage and the beach continues to inspire her creativity. Marissa’s primary artistic focus is the business she owns and operates, Marissa’s Custom Pet Portraits, where she creates hand drawn portraits that capture the unique personality of beloved pets. Her preferred medium is graphite pencil, allowing her to achieve detailed and expressive portraits, though she also enjoys experimenting with watercolor for fun. As a newer member of the local art community, Marissa is excited to continue growing as an artist and looks forward to the opportunities and connections that the art world has in store.
Marissa's Custom Pet Portraits socials:
|
|
Suellen Evoy-Oozeer is a professional artist specializing in painting, as well as an art teacher and community art organizer. She is motivated to create work that people feel a connection to—art that brings people together and sparks meaningful conversation.Her large-scale acrylic and mixed media paintings are often textured, colourful, and expressive, focusing on shape and movement. Her work captures fleeting moments and blends elements of realism with energetic brushstrokes and vibrant layers. Through this process, she explores the dynamic interplay between Spirit, Humanity, and Earth.Suellen believes that artwork carries its own energy, and she strives to preserve that energy within each original piece. For this reason, she does not produce prints or reproductions. The only opportunity to see reproductions of her work is within her books, Me, You & Us and S.H.E. is Healing.Her artwork has been displayed at various venues throughout Southern Ontario and Detroit, and her original works have been collected by art enthusiasts across Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Website: Me, You and Us - Suellen Evoy-Oozeer |
|
Mechele te Brake is a mother of four adult children and an Oma to four young grandchildren. Her artistic practice is a relatively new expression, one that opened an unexpected creative world in her life. Working on the frontlines in downtown London, Ontario, she witnesses both the harsh realities of systemic oppression and the profound resilience of the people most affected by it.
Through her daily work, Mechele walks alongside people she deeply cares about, observing both life and loss, despair and resistance. These experiences shape her creative process, where she wrestles with the tension between the beauty and wonder of humanity and the devastating ways people can harm one another. Art has become a healing practice for Mechele; a way to move the swirl of thoughts and emotions out of her body and onto the page or canvas. By creating, she makes space to return to what grounds her most: love, community, and the ongoing search for ways to find home together in the mess. |
|
Dawn Greco is a retired teacher and elementary school principal who found a renewed calling in art after moving to Port Franks during Covid-19. Happily married to Frank, Dawn is a mother of three wonderful men, grandmother of 4. Inspired by the area's natural beauty and the newfound time and freedom to create, Dawn's artistic style is ever-evolving. Currently, she focuses on her photography, oil painting and mixed media, creating captivating portraiture, nature scenes, whimsy and pieces that celebrate a woman’s voice.
Dawn has an awesome digital presence, check out her socials! Website: Art Greco Designs YouTube @ArtGrecoDesigns
|
|
Bruce Harmer is a graduate of the Visual Arts Program at the University of Western Ontario and has lived in Port Franks, Ontario for the last 38 years. Retired from his healthcare career, he is revisiting his old passions for painting, mixed media and photography. His medium of choice is acrylic. He is also the designer of the Harmer family tartan, which is the accredited tartan of the International Family Association.
|
|
Emily Campbell is a traditionally trained oil painter with many years of professional experience. She explores the boundaries of fine art by deconstructing its meaning and discovering innovative ways to visually express conceptual ideas. She has a deep passion for drawing, craft making, and painting. Emily has exhibited her work in galleries in Nova Scotia, is an active member of the art community in Lambton Shores, and is a founding member of The Snail Collective, that focuses on slow art making. Currently she is a teacher candidate at Laurier University and is proud to be a part of the equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization coalition that aims to disrupt, question, advocate, and create change within the Faculty of Education and the larger community. She holds a Master's degree in Education from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art from the Nova Scotia college of Art and Design University, and is proud to be an alumni of the Haliburton School of Art + Design.
She believes in the process not the product. |
|
Deb Kirk is an emergent artist living in the Coldstream/Poplar Hill area.
"Although I have loved art all through my life and tried various fleeting creative ventures, I feel I have landed as a new artist. I have found beauty and peace like never before when I pick up a paint brush . I am always inspired by the earth, sky, flowers and the beauty that surrounds us every day. We live on such an incredibly amazing planet and I want to share the colour that I feel comes directly from my heart. I use water colour, acrylics, paper, dried flowers/plants and incorporate my photographs in my pieces. I am honoured to be part of a group of artists sharing and hopefully all be inspired by our own unique gifts." |
|
Ruth Anne Merner has been passionate about art since childhood. After earning an Honours Fine Art degree from the University of Toronto, she taught for 32 years with the Thames Valley Board of Education, developing expertise in diverse media and art history. This background deepened her love of travel, viewing art as visual history. Ruth Anne now focuses on creative community projects, enjoying collaborative, inspiring environments. A regular instructor in Grand Bend and Exeter, she has won awards at the prestigious Paint Ontario exhibit. She works year‑round in raku, a unique outdoor clay‑firing technique she practices in Arizona during winter and cottaging in Port Franks during the summer,
|
|
Sandra Thomas is a multiple award‑winning fiber artist with over four decades of experience in quilting, embroidery, and garment design. She specializes in quilted vests, jackets, and coats, blending traditional and contemporary techniques. A long‑time educator, Sandra teaches workshops and presents trunk shows for guilds and groups, both in person and online.
Since moving to Grand Bend in 2009 and Port Franks in 2014 she is a member of Huron Perth Quilter’s Guild, North Lambton Quilt Guild, London Modern Quilt Guild, Royal City Quilter’s Guild, and volunteers with Caring Quilters in Port Franks. |
|
Patricia Pryor is happily retired, born in Windsor and raised in Michigan. This explains my sexy accent, which you'll notice if we get a chance to say Hi.
Upon retirement, she and her husband Doug moved to Goderich. Patricia's art is inspired by nature, and she spends her spare time creating art that reflects the beauty of Ontario. Her love of art is currently manifested using pastels, oil pastels, colored pencils, and encaustic painting. |
|
Dee Ford is a local artist from Forest, Ontario, whose creative life has been shaped by family, faith, and a lifelong love of art. After raising her five sons over the past thirty years, she began focusing more deeply on painting in her late forties, working in acrylic, oil, and watercolour. Dee is drawn to whimsical and pop-inspired styles that blend playfulness with deeper reflection. Her faith in Christ quietly guides her creative path and often leads her toward the stories that unfold within her work. Through her paintings, Dee hopes to spark imagination and curiosity, inviting viewers to step into a story of their own and discover what meaning might be waiting there for them.
|
|
Janice Cuckovic is a retired elementary teacher born and raised in Windsor who taught a wide variety of subjects and grades over the course of her career, including instrumental and vocal music and visual arts. She has two beautiful daughters. Upon retirement, she and her husband Petar moved to Port Franks, making their cottage a permanent residence. Janice is inspired and grateful for the artistic community in this area and the time she has to create art in several mediums, take and teach classes, and connect with so many artists both professional and emergent. Her current passion is the art of writing Ukrainian eggs using both the wax resist dye method and etching.
Janice is active in the Ausable-Port Franks Optimist Club and uses this association to bring artistic activities to the community, including this show and the club's Community Mural Project. She is also on the Board of Directors for the South Huron Arts Centre. |
|
Holly Schkura is a professional photographer and wedding videographer (also known as 'Holly Yvonne') who loves capturing the beauty that surrounds us every day, especially the kind that comes from genuine connection and love. At 39 years old, she feels most at home near the water, soaking up sunshine and spending time outdoors in nature with her doggies!
Recently, Holly discovered watercolour painting, which quickly became a meaningful form of meditation for her. The process reminds her to release expectations and simply flow with the water and paint, creating space for calm and creativity. Whether she’s behind the camera or holding a paintbrush, Holly is always drawn to light, movement, nature, and the simple magic of everyday moments. Holly has called Port Franks her home for over 11 years! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyyvonneartist Website: https://holly-yvonne.ca |
|
Hey there! I'm Margaret Allen, and I'm thrilled to share a bit about my artistic journey with you. Nestled in the beautiful region of Kettle Point, Ontario, I find endless inspiration from the majestic Great Lakes that grace our landscape.
Painting has always been my way of capturing the ever-changing dance of light and colour that the Great Lakes offer. Whether it's the shimmering sunrise gently waking up the water or the dramatic hues of a storm rolling in, I aim to translate these breathtaking moments onto my canvas. My work is all about evoking that sense of wonder and tranquility that the Great Lakes provide. I love experimenting with different techniques to capture the subtle nuances and bold splashes of colour that nature so generously provides. Each brushstroke is a tribute to the lakes' timeless beauty and their ability to inspire serenity and awe. Thanks for stopping by and sharing this journey with me. I hope my paintings bring a little bit of the Great Lakes' magic to your world. Website:greatlakesstudio.net |
|
Mary Margaret Roney returned to painting after many years of creative work in photography and mixed media.
Working primarily in acrylic and watercolour, her eclectic style explores colour and movement, drawing on lived experience, cultural roots and the elements of nature. Her work ranges from impressionistic to representational, animated by a homespun spirit that celebrates loss, love, and everyday life. She and her husband, Mike, now live in Port Franks, where nature and community continue to inspire her practice. |
|
Susan Christie Growing up in Michigan, as a BUSY 7 yr old child, I was first taught by my grandma to embroider pictures out of traced coloring book pages. A lifetime of gifts from my needle, threads and sewing machine have been given to friends and family, and continues. In 1983, I moved to an Ontario farm, outside of Exeter, and stepped into the quilt world right next door, Miller’s Barn store, and grew my projects with quilts; samples, teaching classes, and custom ones, (especially memory quilts from loved ones clothing). A 43 year residence here continues to broaden my interests to include weaving, rug hooking, glass fusing, and my favourite of all, a Ziploc bag of little fabric scraps……. There is a project somewhere in there!! I love to create anything and everything, and love to share with friends, family and my creative circles. Still learning, looking to create and sharing the end results!! |
|
Josie Gilpin is an 18 year old student and aspiring artist from Brights Grove, currently enrolled in the University of Windsor’s Concurrent Education/Visual Arts program. Aside from her studies, Josie has participated in previous Free to Create art shows and won best sculpture in the Lambton County Senior High School art show. Her artworks often focus on portraying deep emotional experiences, the mediums primarily being mixed media, sculpture, and watercolour.
|
|
Martine Casademont is a retired high school teacher. She has always enjoyed sewing, mainly costumes for school plays and Halloween. She is now learning Spanish, doing some woodworking, gardening, flower arrangement, origami and crafting in general. She has always admired artists but never picked up a brush until November of 2025, to try to make Christmas cards. Then she received watercolour supplies for Christmas and is now learning the mysteries of this art via online tutorials. She prefers loose, minimalist paintings. Participating in an art show was not on her radar but when asked, she thought why not? Life is too short to not try new things when opportunity presents itself.
|
|
Michelle Boyer is based in Lambton Shores, Ontario. She is known for her geometric abstract paintings, mixed-media collages and functional ceramic works. Her studio practice is led by her curiosity and continually asking, “what if?” Answering this question leads to an ongoing experimentation with processes, materials, colour and form. She has studied at the Haliburton School of Art and Design and was a full-time artist within the Advanced Studio Program, Dundas Valley School of Art. Michelle has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions and solo shows and her work is held in several private collections. Website: michelleboyer.ca Instagram: @michelle.boyer.art Email: art@michelleboyer.ca |
