Andrew and Laura McCain Art Gallery

Weaving Workshop With Lora Lloyd
2025-05-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax) | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Weaving Workshop with Lora Lloyd
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PMLocation: River Arts Centre, 8746 Main Street, Florenceville-BristolCost: $25 (all materials included)
Join us for a hands-on introduction to weaving with artist Lora Lloyd. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn how to set up a small frame loom and weave your own unique mug rug to take home.
Lora Lloyd, the artist behind Perfectly Imperfect Weaving, embraces the beauty of imperfections in her work and has a passion for natural fibers and supporting local yarn shops.
No experience needed—just bring your creativity!
To register or for more information, call the gallery at 506-392-6769.

Canva for Beginners Workshop with David Bailey
2025-05-10 13:00 - 15:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Canva for Beginners Workshop
Join us for a Canva for Beginners Workshop with David Bailey on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 1-3 PM at the Florenceville-Bristol Community Hall.
Learn how to create professional-looking designs using Canva, a simple and versatile graphic design tool. Whether you’re new to design or looking to improve your skills, this hands-on workshop will help you get started. To see what Canva is, visit www.canva.com

$20 per person

Bring your own device and Hotspot

Location: 8696 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol

Register now: Call 506-392-6769 or email info@mccainartgallery.com

Spots are limited—sign up today!

Guess Who is Coming To Dinner?
2025-05-03 18:00 - 22:00 | Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, E7L 3H6, Canada
Tickets are now available for the 17th Annual Guess Who!
Saturday, 3 May, 2025
The evening starts with a 6:00 o’clock reception at The Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, NB E7L 3H6
Tickets are $100.00 per person
For more information or to purchase tickets call the Gallery at 506-392-6769
Where will I be dining … and with who?
You find out at 7 o”clock that evening, when guests receive the top secret envelopes with maps to their destinations! A delicious dinner party follows, hosted by community members who have opened their homes and prepared fantastic meals.
The thrill of the unknown is exhilarating but one thing is certain – where ever you go, you’ll be met with great food and fine company!
Please inform your ticket seller and the Gallery of allergies or major diet restrictions.

"Shared Landscapes" By Diana Baldwin plus "Knock Knock and Other Prints" By Natt Cann
2025-04-26 - 2025-05-24 | Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, E7L 3H6, Canada
Shared Landscapes by Diana Baldwin
Diana Baldwin is a printmaker working from her home studio in Port Williams, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was introduced to printmaking by The Mahone Bay Printmakers. With the Guidance of Ed Porter, Professor Emeritus NCCADU, etching became her main focus and passion.
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Knock Knock and Other Prints by Natt Cann
Natt Cann is a Canadian visual artist whose projects of print hone upon the haunting of lands – ideologies and industries keeping afloat Canadian notions of colonial heritage and their degradations. Natt’s aim is to share Atlantic centric discussions of commorancy, climate, and past snuffed economic aspirations amidst the celebrations of current peoples, politics, and newfound practices.
“I am a printmaker focusing primarily on etching. My subject matter includes still lifes and landscapes.
I have a particular interest in how landscapes are affected by the changing seasons and the passage of time. Agricultural and manmade patterns on the land are also fascinating to me. On my daily walks, bike rides, or time spent gazing out the window, my attention will often be caught by a snatch of colour, interesting pattern, or texture. This becomes inspiration for future projects.
I enjoy the etching process and the many steps it takes to get the finished print. It gives me time to settle in and think about how I will achieve the end result. It also allows for the possibility of experimentation. I am constantly learning how this process can be adapted to aid in the interpretation of my ideas.
I find myself excited by what is offered by the blank plate at the beginning of a project. There is always hope and expectation at what will come off the press at the end of the journey.”
-Diana Baldwin
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“Knock Knock continues my interests as an ongoing explorative series into the 21st-century capitalist rental system, an admission that many will never own a house, a stark reminder of the loss of architectural heritage, and the urgent need to address the housing crisis. The body of work is a collection of primarily Atlantic doors, impressionable Victorian brownstone and Gothic Revival abodes captured in lens based means and mono-printed through photochemical transfers. Their texture and design imparts a sense that they are vanishing in favour of their replacements, undeniably featureless podium developments designed for those who can’t yet afford them.
Yet, amidst the seriousness of the art’s statement, a pleasantness and authenticity stands bold amongst the collection. The colour and variation of the nearly 200 and growing mono-prints, bring to the audience the nostalgia of home on the east coast and what it means to own or not own a house in today’s world.”
-Natt Cann

Canva for Beginners Workshop with David Bailey
2025-04-12 13:00 - 15:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Canva for Beginners Workshop
Join us for a Canva for Beginners Workshop with David Bailey on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 1-3 PM at the River Arts Centre in Florenceville-Bristol.
Learn how to create professional-looking designs using Canva, a simple and versatile graphic design tool. Whether you’re new to design or looking to improve your skills, this hands-on workshop will help you get started.

$20 per person

Bring your own device

Location: 8746 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol

Register now: Call 506-392-6769 or email info@mccainartgallery.com

Spots are limited—sign up today!

Drawing Drop-in
2025-04-10
Drawing Drop-in is a chance to enjoy drawing and a social evening with other creative and curious people with instruction from Stephen Hutchings. It is a chance to practice, learn and explore drawing using different materials. Bring your own project and get some feedback or, get an introduction to the basic of drawing from Stephen who will provide instruction and materials. $1o includes all the materials you need and refreshments will be served.
Meet Stephen Hutchings…
Stephen is a local artist who draws most days as he is working in his Johnville studio or at the River Art Centre. His drawing practice started, like many, in his childhood and he never stopped. You might have seen him drawing in the Gallery in January 2023, when seven artists were invited to turn the gallery into a drawing studio. Stephen has taught drawing throughout his career and will be teaching a figure drawing workshop at Sunbury Shores in the summer of 2025. He loves to share his enthusiasm for the activity with others and so has invited you to join him one evening a month, have a glass of wine and reconnect to your inner artist.
Future Drawing Drop-in dates are the third Thursdays of the month – February 13, March 20, April 17, 2025.

Intro to Wheel Pottery Course
2025-03-22 12:00 - 17:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Join instructor Jenna Ross and learn how to throw clay on the wheel. Class is suitable for all levels; adult class.
Two classes on Saturday, March 22nd, from either 12-2 or 3-5 at the River Art Centre. Four people per class, lots of one-on-one time with the instructor.
$40 payment reserves your space, no refunds on cancellations within two weeks of event. Don’t hesitate, these classes fill up fast!
For more info or to reserve your space call or email the Gallery at 506-392-6769 or info@mccainartgallery.com

6 Week Pottery Wheel Course
2025-03-17 14:00 - 2025-04-21 21:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Have you given the wheel a spin and are looking to deepen your skills? Or maybe you’re brand new and want to dive right into learning pottery? This course is designed for you!
In this beginner’s course you will learn the basics of throwing & working with clay. Your teacher, Jenna will provide an intro to the many aspects involved in understanding & creating pottery: clay bodies, wedging, reclaiming, throwing forms, trimming, making handles, firing & kilns, decoration & glazing techniques. Throughout the class as you practice your skills you will work to create your own little “perfectly imperfect” place setting that includes a cup, bowl, mug & plate.
Experience isn’t necessary, just a willingness to get dirty and the patience to learn & try.
The course will begin on Monday, March 17th, and will occur weekly until April 21.
There are two time slots available for this course: 2pm-5pm and 6pm-9pm
Contact the gallery to register now: 506-392-6769 or info@mccainartgallery.com
There are no refunds for cancellations within 2 weeks of the event.

Denise Violette-Michaud: Petite Forêt
2025-03-15 - 2025-04-12 | Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, E7L 3H6, Canada
Opening 15 March 2025, 2-4pm, Introductions at 2:30pm
Everyone is welcome, there is an elevator on site, admission is always free
About the Artist
Denise Violette-Michaud is a textile and ceramic artist who lives and works in Drummond, New Brunswick. Denise grew up surrounded by fabric as her mother was a furniture upholsterer, and she has continued to be drawn to textiles; their textures, colours, and patterns. They are part of her DNA, her artistic medium of choice, and it is by working with them that she forages the link between art and craft.
Denise explores her emotions and the intensity of life through creation; it is a vital need for her. By transforming and incorporating objects with a previous life, she weaves their history into a new existance.
In Her Own Words: The Story Behind Petite Forêt
“In 2019, I took part in an artistic residency at Fundy National Park, where I was able to contemplate the beneficial effects of nature, which led me into a state of reflection. From these reflections, I created a sculpture whose theme is the tree that heals over time.
In the course of this creation, I discovered a fascination for the work of representing trees and plants through the use and transformation of textiles. I dye them, tear them, sew them, burn them, glue them, cut them, embroider them; the means are infinite, it’s a work that takes me into innovative terrain and offers me more and more interesting technical possibilities.
Recycling fabric is an asset in the creative process and in my research. I give them a new life, the result becoming the main material in the creation of my three-dimensional works.
Exploring certain techniques, I use fabrics to create illusory tree trunks that refer to the trees I see on my walks in the forest. I look for textures and colours given by natural elements; rust, leaves, rotting elements of nature, different earths; I compose 3D works with fabrics modified by these dyes. I also work with clay, which allows me other 3D possibilities.
The research and the path I’ve been able to pursue in creation continue to nourish my desire to continue on my path.
My horticulture training has only scratched the surface of this plant world. A new sense of urgency has arisen: I want to learn more about plant biodiversity and the importance of trees in my life.
The Petite Forêt installation of tree trunks made of recycled fabrics highlights the importance of biodiversity. It’s the result of my observations of the clear-cutting of our natural mixed forests, which have been replaced with monoculture softwood plantations, creating homogenous secondary forests that are less rich in biodiversity. The habitat of natural forest flora, birds and animals has been degraded and the use of herbicides is commonplace. When I travel along some of the roads in our province, I notice this sense of relentlessness and I am saddened by the lack of respect that the forestry industry has for the environment.”
– Denise Violette-Michaud

Woodstock Art Club 70th Anniversary Show 1955-2025
2025-01-25 - 2025-03-08
Opening 25 January 2025, 2-4 pm, Introductions at 2:30 pm
Everyone is welcome, there is an elevator on site, admission is always free
Susanne Hansen
Guest Curator
The Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery has a mandate to support and present artists through exhibitions that celebrate the visual arts and artists locally, provincially and nationally. The 70th anniversary of the Woodstock Art Club is a milestone that the Gallery is thrilled to celebrate through this exhibition.
The show was made possible by the dedication of Susanne Hansen, current president of the Woodstock Art Club, who partnered with gallery director Jennifer Stead to curate the exhibition; locating, selecting, borrowing and gathering the 126 artworks that are hanging in the gallery.
This collection of art is evidence of the sustained interest in visual art demonstrated by the residents of Woodstock and the Upper Saint John River Valley and they speak to the interests, aspirations and ideas that motivated their makers. This exhibition expresses the dedication each artist showed to developing their talent and demonstrates the contribution the Club has made to the cultural life of the area.
An exhibition such as this is not possible without the generosity of the lenders and their willingness to share their precious artworks with the larger community and accept a blank spot on their walls for a few weeks.
A sincere thanks to everyone who made the show possible and in particular to curator, Susanne Hansen.
Karen Birnie
Chair of the Gallery Board of Directors
The Woodstock Art Club
The original twenty one members met for the first time in September 1955 united by their interest in visual art and in finding quality art instruction to further their skills and knowledge. In October they held their first fundraiser tea and invited a former Woodstock resident, artist Margery Rogers Donaldson to teach the first class. A graduate of visual art at Mount Allison University, student of Molly Lamb Bobak and instructor through the University of New Brunswick extension program, Donaldson taught members of the Club into the 1980s.
Over the years, the club brought together artistically curious individuals to inspire and support fellow members, develop their art practices, while supporting their creative growth and expression through regular meetings, classes, presentations and exhibitions. Margery Donaldson introduced the club to plein-air landscape and floral tradition in oils and she guided the students to always paint from life and to “never copy”. Donaldson, as a professional artist, was also able to fulfill the club members repeatedly expressed wish to be informed about contemporary developments in the art world.
Meticulous records were kept of attendance, dues, costs and events; membership was one dollar annually and a nickel per meeting. Mrs. Dorothy Clark was the first Secretary, Bonnie Smith, President, May Hanson was the Treasurer and Grace Holyoke was in charge of press coverage. Very quickly the Club became active in the community, contributing to the cultural life of Woodstock, creating opportunities for the members while looking outside the community for further enrichment. The Club took out memberships at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, arranged for their first exhibition at the Carlyle Hotel and hosted the Nova Scotia Artists Association Annual exhibition there in 1957. When the Woodstock high school produced the musical Oklahoma, in 1959/60, members Lucile Kougle, Grace Holyoke, Marion Morgan, Marguerite MacLauchlin, Edna Leach, Gladys Smith and Evelyn Rogers painted the 16 by 24 foot backdrop. In the mid sixties, Gladys Smith wanted to do some redecorating in her bedroom and invited the art club members to paint murals on her walls of the historical areas of Woodstock that were going to be affected by the flooding from the construction of the new dam in Mactaquac. In the late eighties the members took on the management of the Art Competition and Display at the Woodstock Old Home Week Hobby Show.
In the 1950s through the 1990s, the Club organised workshops from a variety of professional artists and teachers, most from Saint John and Fredericton but occasionally from Ontario and Maine. They included Robert Benn, Molly Boback, Ted Campbell, Denis Cliff, William Forrestall, Bridget Grant, Art Cunanan, Don Cyr, Don Fletcher, Florence Hughes, Herzl Kashetsky, Ann Kittredge, Ron Legere, R.J. Love, Kay Macartney, Alex McGibbon, Erin O’Shea, Claude Picard, Alfred Pinsky, Fred Ross, Dylys Taylor-Sabine, Janice Wright-Cheney and Audrey York. The visiting artists were billeted and fed by a different member each evening and Denis Cliff, an artist instructor from Toronto, said he “enjoyed the best hospitality of his career in Woodstock and wished he didn’t have to leave”.
After starting with oils, the club was introduced to drawing basics, pastels, acrylics, collage, screen printing and different subjects through charcoal portraits, life drawing, modernism, abstraction and chinese brush techniques. In the mid 1990s, the club members decided to have an intensive week-long workshop in watercolour with Saint John artist Ray Butler that greatly influenced the direction of the group.
In 1994 Margery Donaldson gave her last workshop for the WAC, leaving a little portrait in the guestbook. William Forrestall and Robert Ben donated their demonstration artworks at the end of their workshops and to this year, the members each draw a name annually and have the artwork hanging in their homes for one year.
The enthusiasm and dedication of the club members is recognised by this entry in the guest book: “To members of the club, thank you for being the inspiration that started me painting again last fall. It was seeing your work that became so overpowering that I had to take my brush up again, and in doing that, added so much more joy to my life” Audrey York, Houlton Maine.
The club continues today welcoming new members – five in 2024, bringing the overall total to one hundred and sixty one members. They meet monthly and if you are interested in joining the WAC, please leave your contact information at the front desk and we will be sure to pass them on to the President, Susanne Hansen.
WAC Original Members

Clark, Dorothy
1955-1997

Connell, Mrs A B
1955-1956

Cougle, Lucy
1955-1965

Creighton, Mrs F O
1955-1956

Hanson, Maye
1955-1957

Holyoke, Grace
1955-1957

Homer, Deez
1955-1956

Ketchum, Dorothy
1955-1956

Kinins, Joan
1955-1956

Leech, Edna
1955-1987

Leech, Helen
1955-1957

Lovely, Mrs Herman
1955-1956

McLauchlin, Laura
1955-1956

Olmstead, Patty
1955-1956

Rogers, Evelyn
1955-1976

Rowan, Mrs
1955-1956

Simms, Laura
1955-1959

Smith, Bonny
1955-1959

Smith, Gladys
1955-1973

Winslow, Charlotte
1955-1985

Wishart, Dr Frank
1955-1956

WAC Current Members

Art Club 2024Standing, left to right: Juanita Power, Catherine Kuijpers, Suzan Carsley, Jennifer Oakes, Janelle Newcomb, Anna Maria Dickinson, Susanne Hansen, and Ann White Sitting, left to right: Karen Bragdon, Elizabeth Radford, and Brenda Bradley WAC Member Biographies and membership dates

Adams, Barbara
1987-1988

Aiton, Linda
1973-1974

Anderson, Randi
Circa 1996

Antworth, Ada
1983-1985

Baird,Jean
1978-1987

Barrett, Melissa
1990-1991

Beaulieu-Snowden, Bernice
1996-1998

Bell, Christine
1987-1991

Bernard, Guy
1988-1989

Beukeveld, Margaret
Circa 1997

Berry, Ann
1962-1968

Blue, Miss Louise
1971-1972

Bohan, Delores
Circa 1996-1998

Bouma, Judy
1986-1988

Bowlin, Mary
1962-1992

Bradbury, Winnie
1987-1988

Bradley, Brenda
1999-Present

“Originally from Montreal, I moved to the Woodstock Area in the 1980’s and subsequently enrolled in a watercolour class with Susanne Hansen and then joined the Art Club in around 2002. This group of artists, who came together once a month, were welcoming and supportive. The club organized workshops and general discussions which I found stimulating, helpful and encouraging. Members worked in a variety of media and have a variety of levels of art experience and background from absolute novice to art teachers and a University Art professor.”

Bragdon, Karen
c.2000-Present

“Karen is a native of Woodstock who has been interested in art for most of her life. She began attending art class in the early 90’s and started to take her work more seriously. She joined the Woodstock Art Club and was the secretary for over 10 years.”

Bragdon(Oldenburg) Kaye
Circa 1995

Broad, Cynthia
Circa 1997

Brown, Marion
1990-1991

Bschaden, Christopher
Circa 1996-1997

Buckingham, Marilyn
1993-1994

Bull, Milton
Circa 1992

Campbell, Twinnie
1993-1997

Carr, Pauline
1956-1957

Carsley, Suzan
Circa 2011-Current

“After moving from Montreal to the Woodstock area in 2011, I happened upon the Art Club exhibiting a craft market in downtown Woodstock.
This was my first contact with any art group in New Brunswick.
I inquired about membership and joined soon after. Over the last 13 years it has been wonderful to be a part of a group of like-minded artists getting together, whether to paint, do a workshop or participate in a potluck.”

Chase, Cathy
Circa 1997

Clarke, Mary (Mrs G F)
1956-1967

Clements, Maureen
1990-1991

Clitheroe, Louise (Daishe)
1975-1997

Colwell, Winnie
1977-1983

Deutch, Angie
2020-2021

Dickinson, Anna Maria
2024-Present

“It was an honour to be invited to join the Woodstock Art Group in February of this year 2024. I had doubts, was I good enough to be a member of this extraordinary group of amazingly talented artists. They welcomed me and I thank them for the opportunity to be a part of the group. I have enjoyed our paint get-togethers and our potlucks; I have even enjoyed trying different mediums – water colour & the linocut technique.”

Dickinson, Robert
1987-1988

Doherty, Sarah
Circa 2012

Doiron, Phil
1987-1991

Dow, Caroline
Circa 1992

Dukeshire, Eileen
1987-Present; Life Member

Dunbar, Adeline
1987-1994

Dunfield, Christopher
1994-1997

Ellis, Alice
1989-Circa 1991

Field, Donald
1987-1997

Flewelling, Lillian
1987-1990

Forrest, Pauline
1974-1977

Foster, Louise
1988-1991

Fox, Edna
1975-1984

Gibson, Terry
1989-1990

Gilliland, Marjorie
1975-1976

Green, Charlotte
Circa 1997

Griffith, Velma
1987-1990

Hacklesperger, Armin
2015-2020

Hansen, Susanne
1986-Present

“I have always had an interest in art. My mom said I was born with a pencil in my hand! Throughout my preteen and teen years I painted in oils using “How to” books my parents provided.
In my twenties I started art classes in Houlton with Esther Faulkner. She introduced me to charcoal, pastel, ink, and watercolour.
In 1986 I was invited to join the Woodstock Art Club. The WAC offered many and varied workshops through the late 80’s and 90’s and I attended every class offered. Along with the WAC workshops, I travelled to week long workshops throughout New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine.
In watercolour, acrylic, oil, linocut, intaglio, pastel, and egg tempra – doing life, portrait, landscape, seascape, abstract, still life – in recent years I have tried wood carving and pottery. My love is landscape (water, rocks, and trees) in watercolour.
Making art is as necessary to me as eating and sleeping.”

Hanson, Harold
1956-1957

Hanson, Patti
Circa 1956-1957

Harold, Marie
1992-1997

Havens, Carol Ann
1995-1996

Havens, Shelley
1995-1996

Haywood, Jean
1994-1997

Hemphill, Donna
Circa 1996-1998

How, Heather
1994-2023

Johnson, Cathie
2021-2022

Johnston, Wendy
1994-1997

Jung, Moon Hee
2002-2004

Kearney, Lucille
1990-1991

King, Janet
Circa 1996

Kittredge, C. Ann
1988-Present

“C. Ann Kittredge is a mixed media artist who hailed from Ontario and lived in Woodstock for 34 years, during which time she was a member of the Woodstock Art Club. She retired from teaching drawing, design, and printmaking courses for the University of Maine Presque Isle, and has since returned to her childhood home. She says that she came late to the formal study of art, and had a “first life” in science, studying and teaching science for many years. Her art often reflects this background. She continues to be fascinated by the connections between art and science; much of her imagery arises from a lengthy consideration of issues and phenomena which reside in that area where science, art, and spirituality overlap.”

Kuijpers, Catherine
2024-Present

“I believe art, in its myriad forms, is innate to humanity. We are much stronger with it. Bringing us together through that which makes us drop our jaws in awe, it gives us pause to contemplate and provides a tactile way of expressing ourselves in a medium other than voice. Sometimes beautiful, full of curiosities; or art can be difficult to view and challenging. It always has been and always will be something that connects us all and can bring on an intrinsic emotional response. I am passionate that art should be kept in education and is a tool for therapy that has helped me to heal. It has an uncanny power to heal children and adults alike.
Catherine’s passion and skill in poetry and drama is parallel to an equal passion for the art forms upon which the Woodstock Art Club was formed 70 years ago.”

Larkin-Roy, Ann
1987-1990

Lavoie, Vera
1987 -2005

Lawson, Ada
Circa 1992

Lutes, Deborah
1995-1996

MacFarlane, Wanda (Glass)
1995-1998

MacMillan, Margaret
1956-1964

Martinson, Bobby

Martinson, Noreen
Circa 1998

McAllister, Debra
1998-2023

McCarthy, Linda
Circa 1990

McEwen, Murray
Circa 1996-1997

McGuire, Ginette
1987-2010

McGuire, Irene
1987-2005

McKeen, Meredith
1995-1996

McLauchin, Marguerite
1956-1976

McLaughlin, Heidi
1988-1989

McLellan, Loretta
1997-1998

Mea, Maryann
1991-2023

Milbury, Aileen
1987-1997

Miller, Beverley
1990-1991

Monteith, Heidi
1987-1988

Moore, Mary
1970-1971

Moore, Vean
1971-1985

Morgan, Marion
1958-1974

Morrison, Jim
1993-1997

Neilson, Donna
1987-1988

Neilson, Gladys
1992-1996

Newcomb, Janelle
2024-Present

I moved to New Brunswick in 2019. I painted regularly but missed having the
opportunity to get feedback and share experiences with other artists. Except on the
internet, I didn’t even know where to shop for art supplies and was disappointed when I could not enjoy the tactile pleasure of choosing my materials.
In 2023, I dropped in at the River Art Centre to inquire about locating art supplies. There I met Susanne Hansen and my search was rewarded not only with finding materials but also with being introduced to a large community of local artists.
Susanne’s enthusiasm for and connection to the galleries and art focused events in the area was the inspiration that led me to get involved in: “En Plein Aire”, a 2023 event benefitting The Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization; the Small Works show at ALMAG also in 2023; becoming a member of the Creek Village Art Gallery in 2024. I am grateful to Susanne for inviting me to join the Woodstock Art Club and thrilled to be able to participate in the club’s 70th anniversary exhibition.

Nicholson, Eugene
1990-1997

O’Hagan, Mrs L
1962-1963

O’Halloran, E. Ann
1987-2017

Palin, Marion
1970-1978

Palmer, Barbara
1987-1988

Payne, Blanche
1983-1985

Perry, Geraldine
1994-1998

Peterson, Bernice
1987-1992

Phillips, Bernard
1989-1991

Phillips, Brenda
1997-2017

Pickard, Joanne
Circa 1999-Circa 2001

Polches, Jennifer
2024-Present

Polchies, Wendy
Circa 1994-1997

Poulin, Beverley
Circa 1990

Power, Juanita
2024-Present

“I have been working with paper crafts for over twenty years as a hobby to create gifts for family and friends, starting with cards and scrapbook mini albums for special events. My hobby has now evolved into creating flowers, houses, decorations for doors and centrepieces. I am a recent member of the Woodstock Art Club, being invited to join in 2024. I am looking forward to the continued success of the art club and learning new skills from the many talented artists in the club.”

Prosser, Lori
1994-1995

Radford, Elizabeth
2015-Present

“Artwork came into my life as an adult student in The Interior Design program at College in Vancouver. I learned to draw, draft, understand colour theory and render my project designs. (Residential and commercial) Paint materials included watercolour, acrylic, gouache, ink and felt pens.
Subsequent workshops in Vancouver and Victoria included linocuts, intaglio, textile design and egg tempera. Following a move to New Brunswick, the Woodstock Art Club provided collaboration with other artists, workshops, and a social aspect which was welcome. The New Brunswick College of Art and Design classes in Fredericton created an opportunity to further develop drawing techniques.”

Ross, Mary
1956-1971

Salmon, Cynthia
1997-2000

Schurman, Helen
1956-1959

Shaw, Rayma
1990-1991

Shaw, Sonya
Circa 1998

Smith, Lorraine
1972-1974

Squires, Mrs F C
1956-1957

Stanley, Henni
Circa 1996

Stockford, Marie
1970-1992

Sullivan (Berry), Ann
1962-1968

Tapley, Bud
1987-1991

Tompkins, Irene
1993-1995

Wallace, Mildred
1988-1997

Wallace, Vivian
Circa 1996

Webb, Alice
1987-1989

Wells, Robert
1987-1997

White, E Ann
Circa 2012 -Present

“I have been a member of the Woodstock Art Club for about 10 years. I had just completed watercolour painting lessons from Susanne Hansen and was happy to join this group of talented artists. I was exposed to other mediums and techniques of various art forms.
About 5 years ago when looking for an abstract painting for my home, I became interested in fluid acrylic pours. I really enjoyed the freedom of this method and the interesting finished product. I also enjoyed sharing this art form by facilitating classes. As well as pouring on canvases, I created coasters by pouring on wood and applying a resin finish.
I continue working in watercolour as well.”

Wiggins, Charlene
1993- Circa 1995

Wilkinson, Connie
1991-1992

Wilson, Emily
1993-1994

Wilson, Paula
1993-1994

Wilson, Shirley
1989-1990

Winslow, Marion
1960-1985

Wood, Brenda
1990-1997

Yerxa, James
1990-1991

Carving lessons with Max Hutchison
2025-01-01 - 2025-05-31 | Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, E7L 3H6, Canada
Award winning artist Max Hutchison will be teaching carving lessons at the River Art Centre, in Florenceville-Bristol, NB.
After studying wood carving for many years with James Buxton, learning essential carving skills while refining his technique, Max has started to accept students for Beginner Carving lessons.
Beginner Carving:

All lessons are for a maximum of one student at a time.
Each course is $100 for four, two-hour sessions sessions over four weeks. The schedule will be worked out between Max and the student.
Students will carve a “smoothy” – a duck, penguin, bird or other animal. Wood and carving equipment is provided.
Call the Gallery at 506-392-6769 to express your interest, ask questions, reserve your course or add your name to the waiting list.

Meet Max:
Max is an avid carver who quickly picked up the skills required to make ambitious and engaging carvings. His Shark, 2023 can be seen at the Bun Veysey Active Living Centre and is part of the Public Art Collection of the District of Carleton North. Max’s work took a unique turn when he started to tell a story in his pieces, referencing classic cartoon figures or in his award winning carving of the shark chasing its lunch. Max runs a carving group that meet weekly at the River Art Centre and he is delighted to share his knowledge and expertise with those who want to learn how to carve.

The three finalists for the Veysey Active Living Centre in Florenceville-Bristol
2025-01-01 - 2025-03-01
Cat Candow of Fredericton, NB
A seamstress by trade and passionate textile arts educator, Cat has spent much of her life doing all kinds of sewing, embroidery and beadwork. Over the last three years she has fallen deep into bobbinlace making and spends much of her free time researching regional traditions, learning online with teachers from all over the world, as well as creating her own designs.
While she has spent countless hours dreaming, sampling, and learning how to take her art to a large scale, this is the first time she has ever applied for a public art project, and is very excited to have been shortlisted.
Cat’s art will consist of many unique giant lace squares spread out over different areas. These pieces will represent individuals coming together; showing the benefits of trusting and relying on each other, as well as how it helps strengthen our individual health and the goals of the community. It will prove that diversity makes the big picture more fascinatingly vibrant; and like a treasure hunt, it pulls you away from your usual path to explore a familiar place from new perspectives.

Examples of Cat’s textile art

Alanna Baird, Saint Andrew’s, NB

My artistic practice has been one of material curiousity. It began with clay, working as a studio potter. In the early 1990’s I started what continues to be my signature series, fish sculptures made from recycled tin cans. I also use printmaking as a way to explore and simplify imagery in two dimension, often carrying that through to my sculptural practice. 10 years ago I started working with lost wax cast bronze, and this in turn has let me down a path in plastics, both new and recycled. As I criss cross materials and techniques, there has been a reoccuring theme that connects to my shoreline, and the creatures I find there. Our connection to the natural world is critical, and our awareness of the value of connections is what makes a successful community. For the R.G. “Bun” Vesley Community Centre I am proposing to work with a new and colourful felt material that is designed specifically for it’s sound absorbtion properties. Another departure in materials for me, and an exciting new pallate of colours. It is my intent to create a low relief sculptural work that is not only a reflection of the rivers that run through Carleton County, but which can also act to soften the audio levels within the Centre. Using the simplicity of my print imagery combined with my sculptural practice, I am working towards an installation piece that will weave it’s way through the building’s space, just as the community flows through this incredible facility.

Examples of Alanna’s art

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Karen LeBlanc of Fredericton, NB

Karen LeBlanc has been weaving for over 50 years. She focuses on weaving traditional, functional, and practical pieces on four or eight-harness looms; weaving innovative, contemporary tapestry pieces woven on tapestry looms; and stitches repurposed tartan kilts or other fabrics into ornaments.
Karen has installed three public art commissions:
“Primary Colours in the Hub” in the Pictou Culture Hub (2024), “Suspended in Time: Woven Pages and Wooden Letters” in the Hanwell Park Academy (2023) and “Primary Colours Weave the Future in the Arc-en-ciel school (2021)
Karen’s “Plots of Land” submission in the 2024 HGA Convergence Yardage exhibition won the Weavers Guild of Oklahoma Award and the Ruth F. Morrison Award for Technical Excellence in Weaving award.
Karen has exhibited internationally, nationally, regionally, and locally and participated in residencies in Fredericton, Toronto and Parrsboro. In 2024, she created a “Branch Out and Weave for Climate Change” workshop for her Harm to Harmony Residency through the Conservation Council of NB. In 2019, four woven wearables were part of the ArtWear fashion show and exhibition in Fort Collins CO.
Karen teaches the Intro to Weaving course through the Honeybee Folk School. During a summer residency in 2021, Karen created small symbolic hearts that were given to people in memory of Indigenous children who did not return home from a Residential School. Prior to retiring from her full-time job in 2019, Karen worked with the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) as the Senior Project Manager where she obtained funding and managed workforce and economic development projects for Indigenous people in New Brunswick. Karen continues to advocate for Reconciliation with First Nations.

Examples of Karen’s textile art

Beginner Printmaking with Natt Cann
2024-11-30 10:00 - 17:00
The Workshop will he held in the Print Shop at the River Art Centre, 8746 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol, NB
$65, all materials provided
Join New Brunswick artist and printmaking aficionado Natt Cann for an introduction into all the possibilities the Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery’s print studio can offer. Over the course of a day, attendees will learn the technical aspects of working in a print studio including the possibilities for art making that can be accomplished with a press. This session will cover scaled down forms of professional-level printmaking techniques and help you to take advantage of a well-equipped studio, while giving you the confidence and knowledge to embark on these methods without assistance.
Individuals who have taken this class will be able to join Print Making Drop-in that will start in February 2025 because you will be able to work independently to realise your idea.
Techniques:
Relief Printing and pin & tab registration
A variety of Monotype & Monoprint methods; Photo Transfers
and if there is time, Intaglio through Drypoint with Tetrapak
Press safety, studio maintenance, and ink etiquette
What you can bring to the workshop:
An apron
Lunch
A design for a 4″ x 6″ lino
Come with some ideas or sketches for the various prints so you don’t use up valuable time during the workshop coming up with an image.
Bring a photograph that you might want to use a copy of in a print – any kind of photo, but it can’t be on your phone
A few tips for preparing your design for the 4″ x 6″ lino print:
Draw a 4″ x 6″ rectangle to frame your drawing and to make sure it is the correct size to match your lino block
Use a pencil to fill in the black or solid areas, trying to keep a 50/50 balance of light area and dark areas
Keep outlines to a minimum and think about shapes more than lines
_______________________________________________
Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos.Meet the artist Natt Cann
Natt Cann (he/him) is a Canadian visual artist whose projects of print hone upon the haunting of lands – ideologies and industries keeping afloat Canadian notions of colonial heritage and their subsequent degradations. Natt has ventured across Canada through numerous residencies and exhibitions, and his recent print projects have been intertwined with a variety of publications, expositions, and research grants. His work has been consistently supported by both ArtsNB’s funding programs and the Canada Council for the Arts, and has provided grant assistance to countless peers. Nat received his BFA from Mount Allison University (2012) and now resides in Moncton, New Brunswick, an Acadian colonial city which sits on the unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) and Mi’kmaq Peoples
Here are some examples of Natt’s prints. Natt works out of the Print Shop at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre in Moncton, NB.

Indigo & Shibori Workshop
2024-11-09 10:00 - 16:30
Join Rothesay NB artist Tzigane Caddell and discover the art of Indigo dyeing and the Shibori resist technique in this one day workshop at the River Art Centre. Students will learn the fundamentals of these two traditional processes while working with a hand woven linen scarf and an organic cotton bandana. This is a unique opportunity to work with Tzigane so close to home. Registration is full.
Please let the gallery know f you would be interested in taking this workshop in the future – thanks!
Many thanks to he Carleton North Community Centre for making opportunities ike this workshop possible in our community.

Thaddeus Holownia: of a Feather
2024-09-05 - 2024-11-02 | Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, E7L 3H6, Canada
The Andrew & Laura McCain Gallery welcomes Thaddeus Holownia back to exhibit a body of work inspired by birds. Timed to open on the weekend of pARTicipate Arts & Nature Festival, the works in the exhibition bring together not only science and the arts, but feature a long time creative collaboration by the photographer with his friend and fellow artist, Nova Scotia poet, Harry Thurston.
Opening, artists’ talk and book launch
Thursday, September 5, 2024, 5:30-7:30 pm
Everyone is welcome, admission is free.
The artists will give an informal talk about their collaboration,
their art and the third collaborator, Gay Hansen.

BLUE JAY
Cyanocitta cristata
Unseen in summer, woods-deep,
come fall, you return,
casting voices, your own
and others you mimic.
Not blue at all,
your feathers
bequeath only blue
light to the eye.
Clever corvid,
you may change a life!
— with a beat of your wing,
a call we must heed.
Book Launch
of a feather is the third book in a trilogy that includes Ova Aves and Icarus, Falling of Birds. Conceived as a tribute to the teacher, naturalist, and ornithologist Gay Hansen — Holownia’s late partner and Thurston’s long-time friend, the collection combines Thaddeus Holownia’s photography of bird feathers with the poetry of Harry Thurston.
Heart of the Bird
These photographs are of study mounts prepared by Gay Hansen—teacher, naturalist and ornithologist, and the late partner and muse of Thaddeus Holownia.
A graduate of Acadia, Gay was a lecturer and lab instructor in biology at Mount Allison University, in Sackville, New Brunswick, for 39 years (1979–2018). During this time, she conducted labs in multiple fields. Her great passion, however, was Ornithology.
“I think that it is essential to educate people about birds—they are extremely important in ecological, environmental, cultural and recreational realms,” she once said. “Ornithology is one of the few fields of Biology where citizen science makes significant contributions.”
Gay was also a talented craftsperson, notably as a weaver, and she combined her scientific expertise and her artistic skills in taxidermy, to create a collection of study mounts.
There is an assumption in our time that there is an unbridgeable gap between the Arts and the Sciences.
In fact, there is compatibility, even interdependence, between these two spheres of human endeavour. As Harvard biologist, Edward O. Wilson, observes in Consilience, The Unity of Knowledge: “Neither science nor the arts can be complete without combining their separate strengths. Science needs the intuition and metaphorical power of the arts, and the arts need the fresh blood of the sciences.”
These photographs would not have been created without Gay’s skills as an ornithologist and taxidermist deployed originally for the purpose of passing on her knowledge and love of birds to her students, and generations of students to follow.
The feather—described as “a remarkably refined and complex apparatus … that, among other uses, enabled highly sophisticated flight”—besides its functionality is unarguably beautiful. That is what one feels when first looking at these photographs, ‘How beautiful they are!’
It seems no accident that Holownia’s photographs are of breast feathers—of the heart of the bird.

Working With Clay: McCullough, Wood, Valiñas
2024-07-13 10:30 - 2024-08-10 17:00
The Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery is pleased to be hosting an exhibition of works from New Brunswick ceramicists Andrew McCullough, Michael Wood, and Elsa Valiñas.
Their exhibition will be concurrent with an exhibition of the paintings of Ted Michener.
The Opening will be on July 13, 2024, 2-4 pm. The artists will be in attendance & introductions start at 2:30.
Everyone is welcome, admission is free and there is an elevator.
Artist Statements
Andrew McCullough
As a potter, I capture the magical possibilities of working with clay by using contrasting elements of striking modern designs and the raw natural qualities of the material. For me, my pieces to act as a time capsule, sharing with others a little bit about me and the how I see the world.

Ted Michener
2024-07-13 - 2024-08-31
The Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery is pleased to be hosting a solo exhibition of New Brunswick artist, Ted Michener.
Michener has been painting for seven decades and currently has his seaside studio in St Andrews, New Brunswick. His exhibition will be concurrent with exhibition “Working With Clay”, three ceramic artists, Andrew McCullough, Michael Wood, and Elsa Valiñas.
The Opening will be on July 13, 2024, 2-4 pm. The artists will be in attendance & introductions start at 2:30.
Everyone is welcome, admission is free and there is an elevator.

Meet the artist

Ted Michener has had a daily painting practice for most of his life. The vitality and colourful images found in his work reflect his surroundings and for many years, his seaside home. Trained as a teenager at the Doon School of Fine Arts in Kitchener, Ontario during six summers, he was fortunate to have studied with several renowned artists including A.J.Casson, Jock Macdonald and Carl Schaeffer.
After graduating with honours from the Ontario College of Art and Design, he free-lanced out of Toronto, and collaborated with Mendola Ltd. an artist’s agency in New York City for many years. For some time Ted taught at his Alma Mater in the evenings as well as Central Tech and Sheridan College in Etobicoke.
Michener was an illustrator for many years, working for The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, TV Guide, and Readers Digest. Aside from being the recipient of many editorial and commercial art awards, Ted has received a Canada Council Grant to teach in Bacalar, Mexico and also received an Artist in Residency through The Masterworks program in Bermuda.
He is currently represented by the Cobalt Gallery in St. John, The Breakwater gallery in Eastport Maine, and also shows many works through The Gables Restaurant and Gallery in St Andrews. Ted is a member of the Ontario Society of Artists, The Federation of Canadian Artists, The Association of Canadian Cartoonists and a creative fine arts group dubbed “Dash”, which consists of eight New Brunswick artists working in a variety of mediums. Just to keep his hand in and the pressure on, he gleefully draws editorial cartoons for The St Croix Courier, a local community paper, and has been doing so for three decades.

Collage Workshop with Chelsea Gauvin
2024-07-06 13:00 - 17:00

Summer Art Camps
2024-07-02 09:30 - 2024-08-16 16:00
Summer Art Camps are back for 2024!
Located at the River Art Centre at 8746 Main St. Florenceville-Bristol, our summer art camps are offered for age groups of 5-6 years, 7-9 years, and 10-14 years, and we are thrilled to have Brandon McDougall teaching again this year.
Read further below for more details on the themes, mediums, and projects of each camp.
Call or email the Gallery to register. Payment secures your spot. Space is limited.
506-392-6769 – to register.
info@mccainartgallery.com – to register.
Payment info – all forms of payment accepted at the Gallery, 1-8 McCain St. Florenceville-Bristol, or via etransfer to jennifer@mccainartgallery.com
We thank CNCF for their support in helping these art camps thrive in our community!

Storytelling Camp, July 2-4

Ages 7-9 / 3-Day Camp / 9:30am-11:30am daily / $45
Ages 10-14 / 3-Day Camp / 1:00pm-4:00pm daily / $60
Explore storytelling in art as you craft an accordian book, create your own puppets and needle-felted creatures, write silly poems and learn about stop-motion animation.
Let’s Make Art #1 July 5
Ages 5-6 / 1-Day Camp / 9:30-11:30am / $20
Do a little bit of everything as you play around with a variety of art mediums including paint, pastel, and clay.

STEAM Camp, July 9-11
Ages 7-9 / 3-Day Camp / 9:30am-11:30am daily / $45
Ages 10-14 / 3-Day Camp / 1:00pm-4pm daily / $60
Harness the power of the sun and the sky as your create kites, paper planes, sunprints, working pinhole cameras, and faux stained-glass windows.
Let’s Make Art #2, July 12
Ages 5-6 / 1-Day Camp / 1:00pm-3:00pm / $20
Do a little bit of everything as you play around with a variety of art mediums including watercolor, collage, and printmaking.
Sculpture Camp July 16-19
Ages 7-9 / 3-Day Camp / 9:30am-11:30am daily / $45
Ages 10-14 / 4-Day Camp / 1:00pm-4:00pm daily / $75
Make art in 3 dimensions as you create sculptures in 3 different mediums inspired by the works of 3 different artists.
People and Places, July 23-25
Ages 7-9 / 3-Day Camp / 9:30am-11:30am daily / $45
Ages 10-14 / 4-Day Camp / 1:00pm-4:00pm daily / $60
This camp is all about exploring the self as well as the art styles of various cultures with a focus on patterns. Projects will include abstract portraits, figures, Australian dot paintings, and Japanese-inspired prints.
Painting and Drawing Camp, July 30-August 2
Ages 7-9 / 3-Day Camp / 9:30am-11:30am daily / $45 – this camp is full but we have a waiting list on the go and may run a second one, so please let us know if you are interested (22 June 2024)
Ages 10-14 / 4-Day Camp / 1:00pm-4:00pm daily / $75 – as of today, 22 June, 2024, there are three more spaces in this camp
Inspired by the works of Ted Michener which will be on display at the gallery during this time, improve your painting and drawing skills by working on a variety of projects such as plein air paintings, still-life sketches, and expressionist portraits. You will also design, illustrate and bind a fold-up book with guest artist Meg Clark.
Clay + Collage Camp August 13-16
Ages 7-9 / 3-Day Camp / 9:30am-11:30am daily / $45
Ages 10-14 / 4-Day Camp / 1:00pm-4:00pm daily / $75
Combine 2 and 3 dimensional art by exploring introductory techniques with clay, and producing different styles of collage. Projects will include pinch pots, figurative sculptures, Matisse-inspired paper cutouts, and creating an idealized space through the use of paint and repurposed media.

Plein Air Watercolour Class
2024-06-08

Raku Workshop with Giorgio Azzaretti
2024-06-01 08:00 - 2024-06-17 17:00
The Andrew & Laura McCAin Art Gallery is thrilled to be hosting visiting artist Giorgio Azzaretti.
Giorgio Azzaretti is visiting Carleton County for the month of June 2024, from his ceramic studio in Ravenna, Italy. He shared his knowledge and expertise through a series of workshops for all levels of interest and experience. With assistance from Jenna Ross, he has been an enormous help setting up the gallery’s new Raku kilns, helping Jenna learn a bit more about the process and what is possible. The Gallery looks forward to hosting more Raku instructors in the future.

A bit about RAKU:
Raku is an exciting pottery technique involving red hot pots and combustible materials which can create dramatic
effects. Raku dates back to 16th century Japan, although “Western-style raku” has put its own variations on the
technique. Raku firing is known for its unpredictability, and each piece is one-of-a-kind! Raku firing is one of the
most natural pottery techniques, embracing imperfection and employing all of nature’s elements: earth, fire, air,
and water.
The word raku translated to English means: ‘happiness in the accident’, pleasure, enjoyment, delight!

The RAKU Workshop with Giorgio Azzaretti
The workshop is over four days, June 1, 8,15 & 16. It included all materials, and everyone made pots to take home.
Meet Giorgio at Clay Drop-In on May 30, 6-8pm for a clay “Smash”. Registration required that day, $20, all inclusive, “newbies” welcome!
If you’d like to see the beautiful objects everyone made, drop in to the River Art Centre in Florenceville-Bristol on June 15, 2024 from 6-7:30 pm.
The students and Giorgio will be there to explain the various processes they used to ry their hands at three different Raku styles. Everyone is welcome.

Shadows and Tall Trees, Stephen Hutchings
2024-05-25 08:00 - 2024-07-06 17:00
Opening 31 May, 2024 from 5-7 pm
Artist Stephen Hutchings will give a talk starting at 5:15 about his art practice and answer questions about the work in the gallery. Everyone is welcome, admission is always free and refreshments will be served.
Artist statement
My landscape paintings and drawings and prints are, in equal measures, both objective and subjective: they not only describe the world I know, but they also describe the world as I want it to be. I combine a resemblance to the external world we live in with the inner world of my emotions, my expectations and my hopes.
In my work, I engage with ideas about personal identity, mystery, revelation, and the infinite. Areas of rich dark are combined with areas of intense light, playing off of each other, acting as larger metaphors that refer to both ourselves, (as individuals and as part of a society) as well as to the world around us.
This exhibition brings together recent and new work representing a range of subjects, from trees to clouds, as well as extremes of sizes: Theatre of Trees is massive at 8’ x 40’ while the four Ghost Tree paintings are much more intimate at 12” x 12” each. Stephen Hutchings

Collections: Petit Mode and Sherman Jewellery
2024-04-06 - 2024-05-18
Opening Saturday April 6, 2-4pm.
Introductions at 2:30 by Clare McCain, Trudy Gallagher and Tracy Austin. Everyone is invited to drop by, admission is free and there is an elevator.
This exhibition brings together the art work of alumni and faculty from the fashion department of the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design and an exquisite private collection of costume jewellery by the mid-century Montreal designer, Gustave Sherman.
The Designers
Laura Macfarlane
Nightfall, 2023
Taffeta, cotton fabric for the vest, taffeta ribbon, chain, and buttons
Echo (Jing) Chen
Lonely Planet, 2023 Echo (Jing) Chen
Horsehair canvas, bemberg lining
Nicole Daigle
The Meadows Road, 2023
Silk brocade, cotton, velvet, kasha lining
Sherry Kinnear
Asymptomatic, 2023
Synthetic fabrics, leather, metal, paint, beads, sequins, thread, wire, human hair
Gustave Sherman
Gustave Sherman, Jewels of Elegance
“Costume” or “Fashion” Jewellery was popularised in the 18th century with the development of a hard lead glass called paste and marcasite, small cut pieces of faceted steel or pyrite set in silver, which became affordable alternatives to precious stones. By the mid 20th century, French designer Coco Chanel declared “that really elegant women were those who could mix together different jewellery, real and fake, suitable for each occasion … with the aim to complete an outfit.” This lent greater legitimacy to non-precious jewellery, with designers conceiving new styles, using new materials and discovering new possibilities with colour. Restrictions during WWII to certain metals changed the production of jewellery as much as it did fashion. Changing lifestyles for women, who were increasingly part of the workforce, the influence of Hollywood glamour and the weakening of European influences in general during the war years, led to the production of the first completely American look of dressy costume jewellery.
Between 1947 and 1982, Canada’s most renowned costume jeweller, Gustave Sherman, pioneered the manufacturing of high quality, Canadian made costume jewellery that rivalled the best being made at that time. Using the finest Swarovski crystals and later their beads and plating he became known for his sophisticated three dimensional designs, unexpected colour combinations, shape and style of crystal, and quality settings.
Sherman Jewellery has always been synonymous with quality. Sherman designed styles which were intricate and complex, full of contrasting lines, shapes and colour. His pieces required large numbers of crystals all of which were prong set by hand and the settings double plated. Another characteristic of Sherman design is the three-dimensionality achieved through his use of layers and domed structures. He offered a range of prices by creating different sized pieces and it isn’t uncommon to have one item from a set signed and the others left unsigned. The cuff bracelet was a unique Sherman design, there are three in Clare McCain’s collection, and they have always been the most desirable pieces.
One of the reasons he was so well known across Canada was because he sold his work through all the large department and luxury jewellery stores like Birks, Eatons and Peoples but also in jewellery stores in smaller centres across the country.
Gustave Sherman was a son of first-generation parents who fled Lithuania to escape persecution. Although he had no formal creative training, in 1947 he worked as a jewellery salesman, eventually opening Sherman Costume Jewellery in Outremont, Montreal. By the 1950s the company was thriving and Sherman was Canada’s most recognized costume jeweller.

Clay Drop-In dates:
2024-03-07 18:00 - 2024-05-30 20:00
Veteran dates:
Usually on the last Thursday of the month, 6-8 pm
May 30, 2024 will be the Smash Art workshop with visiting artist Giorgio Azzaretti.
Pre-registration is required, $20 for the session – call the Gallery – there are a few spaces left!
Beginner dates:
Usually the first Thursday of the month, 6-8 pm. See the posters below for specific dates and please note that there is no “Newbie’s Night” in June!

Which session should go go to?
-If you have made at least 1 piece to completion (handbuilding, first firing, glazing, second firing, and then you took home your pot) you are a VETERAN!
-If you have not yet completed this full cycle, please join us at our NEWBIE class!

Cost

Fee to attend each Drop-in is $5 per person.
The first (bisque) firing of any pot you decide to keep – $15 each piece.
Glazing costs an additional $15 each piece.

Event for ages 15+. (Children aged 7-14 welcome to participate if accompanied by an adult).
No experience necessary, just an openness to try!

New Brunswick Art Collecion 2023 Acquisitions
2024-03-02 08:00 - 2024-03-30 17:00
Opening March 2, 2-4 pm
Formerly known as the New Brunswick Art Bank, and renamed Collection Art NB, the provincial art collection was started in 1968 and is a permanent collection of art by New Brunswick artists belonging to the province. There are currently 906 artworks by 395 artists and this exhibition features the most recent acquisitions purchased in 2023. If you’d like to browse the full collection, go to Collection ArtNB. Like other provincial collections, the art is shown in New Brunswick government buildings, offices, schools and other public buildings.
Twenty one artists from around the province are represented in the 2023 Acquisitions show.
Audrey Arsenault
Maryse Arsenault
Alanna Baird
Remi Belliveau
Jon Claytor
Nate Gaffney
Chelsea Gauvin
Mario LeBlanc
Fabiola Martinez
Annie France Noel
Maja Padrov
Roula Patheniou
Melanie Parent
Shane Perly-Dutcher
Jared Peters
Garry Sanipass
Ralph Simpson
Colin Smith
Dawn Steeves
Anna Torma
Janice Wright-Cheney
David Szako

Branch out and weave for climate change - workshop
2024-01-26 19:00 - 20:00 | Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, 8 McCain Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, E7L 3H6, Canada
We invite you to immerse yourself in the exciting event, "Branch Out and Weave for Climate Change," proudly presented by our Community Engaged Artist in Residence and Mentorship Program, From Harm to Harmony.
Renowned artist Karen LeBlanc will be your guide on this hands-on exploration of branch weaving, where you'll uncover techniques that transform nature's elements into expressive works of art. As we delve into this unique art form, Karen LeBlanc's expertise will illuminate the process of crafting beautiful branch weavings. Each creation becomes a powerful metaphor, illustrating our interconnectedness with nature and emphasizing the delicate balance essential for a sustainable future.

*Note: A $10 registration fee will be required to cover the cost of materials.

This fee will be paid to the artist at the event.
See link below for more info and to register

Branch Out

Mountain of Wonder and Tangles of Truth: Kathy Hooper, a retrospective
2024-01-20 08:00 - 2024-02-24 17:00
Kathy Hooper’s remarkable career spans six decades of curiosity and creation, and demonstrates what it means to confront our fear and our delight in equal measure. Leading by example, she bravely honours the fullness of life, including the winding pathways where life’s joy and distress intermingle. Across her prolific multi-disciplinary art practice, social and environmental activism, and in her personal life, she approaches the world with earnest integrity and wonder.
Hooper’s imprint on the New Brunswick arts ecosystem has been revolutionary. A highly acclaimed multidisciplinary artist, she has been awarded the province’s highest honours in the visual arts, and her work can be found in public and private collections around the world—she has eight works in the National Art Bank alone.
In art and activism she meaningfully delves into often-overlapping explorations of identity, feminism, multi-species entanglements, socio-political structures, climate crisis and violence. Unbound by any one media, Hooper moves fluidly between painting, clay sculpture and functional ceramics, various forms of printmaking, wood carving, embroidery, poetry and prose. She lives art; nurturing her incredible gardens, and enlivening her domestic spaces.
Yet, it is her ritual of drawing which propels her creative process. Often beginning with just a line, her drawings are largely unplanned and spark with immediacy. She refers to the powerful moment the artwork takes over, as though she becomes a conduit for creativity, rather than its author.
In an artist statement for a 1969 solo exhibition which toured the Atlantic provinces, Kathy Hooper wrote:
“I want to say how infinitely beautiful, how ugly, how funny, and how exciting the world is. I want to stretch as far, and dig as deep as I can. I want to say that there is nothing I know for sure except that — there is nothing I know for sure.” “I would love to reach the land and trees I love so much from where they are, not always from where I happen to be.”
Kathy Hooper, 1979
“Often we feel that we can impose on the landscape, but in fact we make very little impression in the end.”
“What happens behind the land, trees, and water we ‘see’ so easily? We don’t ‘see’ what is really there”
Kathy Hooper, 2010
“The special moments —when your best work happens— is when you allow the painting to take over. The painting becomes you.”

Kathy Hooper, Sept 13th 1995, Times Globe

Clay Drop-in November
2023-11-30 18:00 - 20:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Whether you’ve got a current project or are a brand-newbie join instructor Jenna Ross & other friendly clay-lovers for a casual evening of creativity at the River Art Centre & Studios. No registration required (drop on in). Basic instruction is provided to get you started. ….Bring your ideas, gusto, project dreams & we’ll see what happens!

*Kindly note that some prices have changed in an attempt to cover costs*: Fee to attend each Drop-in is $5 per person. The first (bisque) firing of any pot you decide to keep costs $10 each piece. Then Glazing costs an additional $10 each piece. Event for ages 15+. (Children aged 7-14 welcome to participate if accompanied by an adult).

No experience necessary, just an openness to try! See you there!
November 30, 6-8pm at RAC
for more information contact the Gallery. info@mccainartgallery.com 506-392-6769

Holiday watercolour cards
2023-11-22 18:00 - 21:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Holiday Watercolour Cards Workshop

November 22, 2023 6-9pm River Art Centre

Learn watercolour techniques while creating holiday cards and envelopes with artist Susanne Hansen.
Cost: $50, Materials included.
Space is limited. Call the Gallery, 392-6769, or email info@mccainartgallery.com to register.
Payment secures registration. No refunds for cancellations less than 7 days before workshops.
Class will be held at the River Art Centre, 8746 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol.

Glaze Night Drop-In
2023-11-14 18:00 - 20:00 | River Art Centre, 8746 Main St., Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
Join instructor Jenna Ross for a night of glazing your created pieces! Drop-in style, payment at event.
For more info call or email the Gallery 506-392-6769 info@mccainartgallery.com
