Third annual Huntsville Art Crawl showcases vibrant creativity and local businesses

Around three years ago Dan Watson reached out to active community members associated with local arts and businesses, starting the process for the first annual Huntsville Art Crawl.

The idea was beautifully simple: help promote the local businesses and artists by having them collaborate on a self-guided tour. Working with local artist groups and the Downtown Huntsville BIA, the first Crawl was definitely successful in that it brought residents and visitors to stores they may not have previously be drawn to.

As well, it showed off the many Muskoka artists who are pushing the limits of their own creativity and skillsets.

“We have been thrilled with the response from our arts and business community,” says Watson, the executive director of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts. “And it gets a little bigger and a little better each year with new artists and businesses joining the many who have been a part of the event since day one.”

JF Kuehnen has participated in the Huntsville Art Crawl each year of its existence. While some fan favourites are on display, he loves bringing new pieces to the public during these types of events.

This year, Kuehnen is displaying ANOTHER CIRCUS III for the first time.

“This painting I had the honour of painting live beside the stage while the Rheostatics played,” he says. “It is in a different style than my usual one. As always, I’m searching more for a feeling than an image, yet this one clearly has an image as well, as I attempted to combine two great Canadian artists: Thomson and Riopelle.”

Experienced in collaborating with businesses to hang his works prior to the first Art Crawl, Kuehnen understands the value for both artist and business.

“As a local artist, like Local Farmer, local, watching the evolution of the Art Crawl over the last three years has been nothing short of beautiful,” he says. “The different artists, with different mediums and different approaches has been a pleasure to be a part of, and another example of the HFA vision to look outside the norm. We have a vibrant art community and it’s humbling to watch local business embrace the Crawl.”

Businesses such as That Little Place by the Lights, Muskoka Jewellery Design, and many more are not only participating in the Art Crawl, but also like to promote artists year round. It’s a way to give back to the community says Manny Buttus from That Little Place.

This year, Brenda Behan Turnour and Billy MacPherson will be the featured artists at That Little Place for the Art Crawl.

“It’s a win-win for us, our customers and the artists,” says Buttus. “The restaurant looks amazing with all the artwork, which helps add a nice atmosphere for those dining with us, and the artists get their work seen and occasionally sell a piece or two.”

Mike Reijnen, owner of Muskoka Jewellery Design, says he loves having all the art work accenting his original jewellery pieces.

“It’s a cool concept that I’m happy to be a part of,” says Reijnen about the Crawl. “We’ve had some really cool pieces in here by JF Kuehnen, Natasha Banks, and others. I really enjoy seeing new paintings every year.”

SELF-GUIDED TOUR

The Huntsville Art Crawl is a free, self-guided tour in and around downtown Huntsville, Ontario. Throughout June, visitors will create their own free art crawl experience by touring local businesses, galleries and studios which feature exhibits, demos and interactive experiences by local artists.

Special events for the 2023 Art Crawl included an En Plein Air Market taking place on June 24, the return of originally painted canoes in River Mill Park for the whole event, as well as artists hosting visitors for the tour.

The event is organized by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts and sponsored by the Downtown Huntsville BIA and the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association.

Find out more about the Art Crawl and a get a map to take the tour at: https://huntsvilleartcrawl.ca/

Also, follow along at the HFA YouTube channel to watch artist videos and find out more about the show. We’ll get you started with Natasha Banks, who will be featuring her works at The Friendly Fox.

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