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SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS
We are excited to offer our most popular Summer Art Camp at MERA again.
MERA meraschoolhouse.org is holding two art camps this year on July 11-15 for ages 5-9 and August 8-12 for ages 10-14. This year we will explore the abundant 'Patterns in Nature' through printmaking, stamping, painting and sketching. The instructors are Jan Griffiths and Heather Vriends who are a renowned mother and daughter team and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the programme.
New this summer to MERA is a week long drama camp. Imaginative children will explore what it would have been like to be a student in a one-room schoolhouse at the time when MERA was built in 1860. We will explore local history through stories, songs and dances. This camp will be led by Alexis Scott and assisted by art camp expert Jan Griffiths. Alexis is passionate about sharing her love of creation and performance. With her guidance, children will create an original play to be performed at the end of the camp. The dates for this camp are July 25-29 for ages 10-14.
Spaces are filling up fast! For more info or to register for these camps, please contact MERA for more information: meraschoolhouse@gmail.com.
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May Art Show Marks 100th Birthday for Award-Winning Botanic Artist
The largest room at MERA (McDonald’s Corners and Elphin Recreation and Arts) is the original one room school, now named Dean Hall in honour of Ankaret Dean, one of MERA’s founding members and still an active volunteer. Today, with its high ceilings, wainscoted walls and good lighting, the hall lends itself well as an art exhibition space. MERA has happily promoted it as such for several years, featuring local artists in shows that change monthly. In May, MERA welcomes art lovers to an Art Show and Meet the Artist Event featuring the work of Peg Graeb.
A. Margaret Graeb, usually known as Peg, is an award-winning botanic artist who will celebrate her 100th birthday this year, on May 13th. The milestone will be honoured with a retrospective exhibit of her work, at MERA, during the month of May.
Peg was born and raised in the small town of Preston where her father owned a grocery store and had several acres of field and orchard which were Peg's delight.
In the late 50s Peg enrolled in the program at the Ontario College of Art. She graduated with distinction and opened a studio in Toronto with several other colleagues. At this point her focus was sculpture and carving. Her work shows the raw abstract influences of that time. The shop closed in the sixties and Peg returned to social work to make her living.
After retirement in 1982 she began botanic painting classes and quickly showed an astonishing talent. She began with flowers and soon found a fascination with the dances of dead crumpled leaves and the structures of lichens. Her work was requested by the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation and in 1996 she won the bronze Grenfell medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in London, England.
You are invited to join Peg at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners (974 Dalhousie Concession 9A) on Sunday May 15th from 2 to 4PM to meet the artist, view their works and purchase that “must have” piece. To arrange to see the exhibition at times other than the Meet the Artist event, please contact Wayne Stryde gwstryde@outlook.com.
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(photo: Dragon at the Farmer's Market, 2018)
McDonald's Corners Farmers' Market
Since 2007
VENDORS WANTED
We have spaces available for
fresh local produce, locally raised meats, baking,
preserves, plants and handcrafted originals.
Also looking for a pizza maker for the outdoor wood-fired oven.
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Calling all MERA members and Groups
We, the Arts Circle, are hoping to be a creative catalyst for the MERA membership, as well as the surrounding communities, an ambitious climate art project - Trees 4 Life. See the poster below.
For the month of October, we are mounting our art show, Trees 4 Life, in Dean Hall. There will also be a number of events at the Schoolhouse. We are also inviting artists and arts groups from other communities to have tree art activities in their area.
On Sunday, October 2nd, nationally-renowned folk artist and naturalist, Ian Tamblyn, will offer a music concert with a focus on trees.
Then on Saturday, October 15th, we will have an indoor and outdoor tree art festival. At the festival, we are inviting artists and non-artists to contribute some art that honours the role of trees in keeping our natural world healthy. There will be room for activities for children, room for contributions by MERA potters, weavers, sewers, knitters, the book club, the dance group, all MERA groups to present something linked to trees. If you wish to participate, please contact Helen Mogford (hmogford@gmail.com) to outline your intentions so we can plan accordingly.
That afternoon, we also plan a large tree planting activity at the back of the township building lot. There are lots of little trees to be found by the roadside or in our wild areas on our properties that would perhaps not otherwise thrive but would do well in our planned area. We are looking for a mixed forest.What we need are volunteers to find and nurture these little trees in pots starting now and nurse them carefully over the summer until the planting ceremony on October 15th. Contact Gloria Shoebridge at tomgloria.ca to let her know if you wish to contribute and how many trees. We hope to involve whole families in this activity as trees represent our children’s future on this planet. Spread the word, please.
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LOOK what we made!
Got anything you're working on? Take a picture and share with the community! I would like to make this a regular addition to the newsletter. Feel free to submit any photos of MERA groups, workshops or events to meraschoolhouse@gmail.com.
If you have an idea for a workshop or series to host at MERA, please contact the Program Committee.
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(Photo: 019)
The Program Committee is looking for members!
The Program Committee is the steering committee that takes charge of suggesting, vetting and arranging for activities, classes and special events. It meets 4 times a year. It is receptive to receiving ideas. Interested in joining? We’d love to have you! Please e-mail meraschoolhouse@gmail.com for more information.
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The McDonald’s Corners Farmer’s Market returns to MERA this summer! On the opening weekend, MERA is also hosting a Vintage Market Trunk Sale. Please join us at the MERA Schoolhouse on Saturday May 21st. Vintage Marketplace vendors will be selling from 9am to 1pm. Lovers of unique, collectible treasures will enjoy hunting for something new. Come dressed in your best vintage costume for the chance to win a prize! MERA (McDonald’s Corners & Elphin Recreation & Arts) is a space in Lanark Highlands committed to connecting community members through the arts. Patrons can spend the morning perusing our vendors and enjoying the charming rural atmosphere.
If you are interested in being a vendor, please contact the MERA administrator at meraschoolhouse@gmail.com. Vendors can register for this event for a fee of $10.
Do you have only a few aged items of beauty? You can participate too! MERA will have our own table. Bring the pieces to the sale at 8 am on the 21st, making sure they are marked with your ID and the price you want. 80% goes to you and 20% to MERA.
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(photos form Left to Right: Seedling Swap set up outside, Tim Booth, Marilyn Nicholas-Dahan and Helen Mogford getting the pollinator garden started, Ankaret Dean demonstrates how to make a garden fence, Cara Bouleau and Heather Vriends from the South Lanark Community Garden)
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Garden Day! It was such fun to exchange seedlings, connect with old friends and new and learn from community members. Because of your enthusiasm, MERA is considering starting a Garden Committee - please email meraschoolhouse@gmail.com if that is something you are interested in joining!
Along with events acorss the province, MERA's Garden Day was a part of the Yours to Protect Weekend organized by Environmental Defence. MERA was featured on Environmental Defence's Earth Day blog! Check it out here!
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Mark your calendars, a Company of Fools returns to MERA on July 7th! Ticket info coming soon!
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Book Club meets on Zoom every month. Next meeting is May 24th at 7:00pm.
The Forgotten Daughter by Joanna Goodman
Divided by their past, united by love.
1992: French-Canadian factions renew Quebec’s fight to gain independence, and wild, beautiful Véronique Fortin, daughter of a radical separatist convicted of kidnapping and murdering a prominent politician in 1970, has embraced her father’s cause. So it is a surprise when she falls for James Phénix, a journalist of French-Canadian heritage who opposes Quebec separatism. Their love affair is as passionate as it is turbulent, as they negotiate a constant struggle between love and morals.
At the same time, James’s older sister, Elodie Phénix, one of the Duplessis Orphans, becomes involved with a coalition demanding justice and reparations for their suffering in the 1950s when Quebec’s orphanages were converted to mental hospitals, a heinous political act of Premier Maurice Duplessis which affected 5,000 children.
Véronique is the only person Elodie can rely on as she fights for retribution, reliving her trauma, while Elodie becomes a sisterly presence for Véronique, who continues to struggle with her family’s legacy.
The Forgotten Daughter is a moving portrait of true love, familial bonds, and persistence in the face of injustice. As each character is pushed to their moral brink, they will discover exactly which lines they’ll cross—and just how far they’ll go for what they believe in.
If you are interested in joining the Book Club, please contact Jean Dunning.
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