Artist's Guild

Eastern Upper Peninsula

Fine Arts Council

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The DeTour Village Artist's Guild

This group was unofficially formed several years ago. When the watercolorist Pat Norton moved to DeTour Village, she set up free watercolor classes for anyone that wanted to attend. On the first day of class, Pat and her sister told the story of a small Irish island called Tory. The English landscape painter Derek Hill had found in Tory a great inspiration for his work and kept a small home and studio there. One day while he was painting on the island, he turned to find an islander watching him. As the story goes, Hill asked the islander what he thought. "Well," James Dixon said, "I think I could do better myself." Hill liked Dixon’s attitude and offered him paints and brushes. Dixon accepted the paint, but made his own brushes from a donkey’s tail.

The paintings that Dixon produced became the first works of what is now the Tory School of Painting. Primitive style, bold landscapes and colors, and great humor are the hallmarks of Tory art. Dixon’s old home now serves as a gallery on the island for the work of Tory’s working artists. Back in the 1970’s, Hill brought the Tory artists to the attention of the outside world: Their first exhibit was in Scotland in 1978, and since then their work has been shown widely in Europe and the United States. Since most of the Tory residents paint in some form or another, it has been called “the island that paints“.

The Village Artist's Guild Meet every Thursday Morning and all are welcome to join in. (Pat would love it) If you want to just set aside time to paint or play music or just read poetry to the rest of the group your presence would be welcome.

May 3-29 2005 - Village Artists Guild Exhibit at Alberta House

The local group of watercolorists that meet every Thursday will be featured at the Alberta House Arts Center in Sault Ste. Marie during the month of May.

Teddi Selke, a member of the Sault Arts Council, taught a painting class to this group about two years ago. She was so impressed by the “Village Artists Guild” and that they get together every week to paint together that she arranged to have the group featured at the Alberta House in May 2005. At the time, it seemed so far in the future.

Well, the time is here and the group has been painting away and working with Harborview Framing to prepare for the show.

The show will be May 2-29 in the Olive M. Craig Gallery in Alberta House. There will be about 40 paintings on display and for sale. The artists who will be participating are: Penny Barrett, Janelle Dudeck, Verna Fountain, Rene Norton and Yoshi VanVoorhies. There will also be three original Pat Norton watercolors featured and available for purchase. This group originally formed when Pat Norton moved here and offered watercolor classes to anyone who wanted to learn.

There will also be a reception hosted by the Fine Arts Council with wine and hors d'oeuvres on Saturday, May 14 from 1-3 PM. We encourage everyone in the community to attend.

Alberta House is located at 217 Ferris Street, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. (one block off Portage). Gallery Hours are:

Tuesday—Friday 11AM—4PM, Saturday 11AM—3PM

All images copyright the respective artists 2005. No images can be used without written permission.