2nd Year of Spirit of Manitou Studio Trail a Big Success!
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
“1st View of Little Manitou Lake.”
“Portrait by Sharon Gibson July 12th, 2009.”
Year two of the Spirit of Manitou Studio Trail was a great success for all fifteen of the artists involved. There was a bit of a change from last year: a few artists opted out while a few different artists opted in. End result is that the trail is now more condensed so it’s easier to make it around to all the spaces within the allotted time-frame. (Two days, 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday and 12:00 to 6:00 pm on Sunday.)
“Converting from Studio to Gallery”
Quick synopsis: The weather on Saturday was frightful, rainy and windy. Turns out people like being indoors on days like that as we had a good 70-80 visitors. Sunday it was very nice out, there were fewer people than on Saturday. Can’t blame then, I wanted to be outside myself.
“Just about ready to go!”
There were fewer visitors than last year but three times the sales. Sold three of my original six of “Historic Manitou” Series, and many six-packs of postcards Also sold lots of “1st View of Manitou Beach” postcards and prints.
“Historic Manitou Series 1-6, 2009″
One of our members (Daryl Bashuk) said at our de-briefing after the Trail, “The Studio Trail gave me results beyond my wildest dreams!” I would echo the sentiment. A friend of mine is involved with a Northern Studio Trail that’s been up and running now for over five years. She says that the Trail is her biggest retail weekend of the year, and is growing in popularity every year.
“Pre-Show Sale: A Good Omen”
The Spirit of Manitou Studio Trail has grown substantially in its second year and I imagine it will continue to enjoy more success in the coming years. We have an excellent roster of artists and artisans this year. We talked about putting a shout out for a few more artists to fill in some long stretches on the Trail. The thought is to specifically target folks in a certain area to balance out the two-day drive.
“First Sale of the Show”
“Candid shot of visitors mingling with their fellow art lovers while they enjoy the new artwork.”
Another year has passed, we are now getting ready to greet visitors to the Second Annual Spirit of Manitou Studio Trail here at Manitou Beach! Check us out at www.SpiritofManitou.ca
To celebrate and commemorate the fact that 2009 marks the 90th Birthday of The Resort Village of Manitou Beach, I am working on a ‘progressive series’ (meaning an indefinite number of works…there is no shortage of archival material to draw inspiration from!) called “Historic Manitou Beach”
Here is a sneak preview of the first six paintings in the series. You can view the originals when you visit the Gallery!
“Waiting for a Ferry Ride.” (SOLD!)
“Lake Manitou Bath House Circa 1920″ (SOLD!)
“Shoot the Chute!”
“It’s Nice Once You Get In!” (SOLD!)
“Old-Time Danceland.”
“Bustling Day at Manitou Beach” (SOLD!)
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