Beaver Staff
Greater Napanee will be among the many communities across Ontario celebrating Culture Day on Sept. 24 with several local organizations putting on a full itinerary of events.
Greater Napanee & Area Arts Association (GNAAA) will be hosting several events throughout Napanee in conjunction with Culture Day.
Among those events is a fun initiative known as Eye Spy Art, which is essentially a treasure hunt with the prize being original artwork from a local artist. GNAAA members will be hiding artwork – it could be a painting, drawing, or a handmade item. Each piece is packaged up safely and clearly marked with Eye Spy Art with an additional note on the inside with information about the piece and the artist. Artworks will be ‘hiding’ in plain sight such as in parks, sporting arenas, in the downtown and will be dropped off within the artists’ communities on Sept. 24.
Community members will also have the chance to see local artists at work throughout the day during Art On The Town. Several GNAAA members will be painting on site in the downtown core. Find artists creating masterpieces at various locations such as Coffee Cravings, Starlet, Octobers and a few others.
Last but not least, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. between the Napanee branch of the Lennox and Addington Library and Rotary Park participants will find chalk that is just waiting for the young and the young at heart to create fabulous chalk drawings. GNAAA members will be on hand to assist should one need ideas with what to draw.
Elsewhere on Sept. 24, St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church (SMMAC) in Napanee is hosting an open house for the Harmony Lounge & Music Club, their new not-for-profit music outreach program geared to young people ages 11-to-16. Harmony is committed to offering high quality music instruction in a variety of disciplines at no cost to young people in the community. Visitors to the open house can tour the church’s new lounge and games room, meet members of their adult and student faculty and maybe even try their hand at ukulele, guitar, or a variety of percussion instruments. This is a community-focused program and the whole community is welcome. The church is located at 137 Robinson St. in Napanee.
Greater Napanee’s Arts Advisory Committee will be at the Conservation Park pavilion to host music, drumming and dancing. Buskers will be stationed throughout town as well. Greater Napanee’s Downtown Merchants are also joining together to put on a Harvest Festival, featuring sales, vendors and kids activities.
Both of Napanee’s museums will also be taking part in Culture Day. In partnership with the Kingston and Area Association of Museums, Art Galleries, & Historic Sites (KAM), the Museum of Lennox & Addington and Macpherson House will open its doors to the public free of charge on Sept. 24.