In Praise of Small Galleries

I am a big fan of small galleries. The are often the first home for artists. (myself included) and, they bring creative sparkle to the Ontario countryside.

Let me tell you about two such places.In the picture below you will see 'mamma bear'(Mrs. Fredericks) chatting it up with Ernie Pattison. Ernie runs the Old Schoolhouse Tea Room in Ormsby Ontario, and his brother Gary along with Lillian Oakley operate the Old Hastings Gallery.

The Pattison brothers are both twins and professional musicians. They have made their careers in Toronto and in later years have migrated back to their roots around Ormsby.

Funny how talents run down through families. Intriquingly, Joni Mitchell and the Pattison brothers share the same grandmother. Joni dedicated her song "Clouds" to this departed lady, and when you go into the Ormsby schoolhouse you can read of this story complete with seeing a picture of the old one.



Small town galleries are loaded with local charm and they profile the best of local art.



Lillian tells me that the local artists Gallery Room is a work in planning and in another year she expects to see it complete with paintings created by regional artists.

For the geographically challenged, Orsmby is a small village south of Bancroft, and North of Madoc. We chanced upon it, after taking an Ontario Ghost Towns drive.

If you wish to visit the Orsmby Old County Gallery website (with the tea room represented on one of the pages within), please click here.