The Red Schoolhouse Gallery Opens for the 2023 Season

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The art gallery has been repainted red and rebranded as the Red Schoolhouse Gallery. The name pays homage to the building’s original purpose – a one room rural schoolhouse. The Gallery also has new roadside signage.
By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press

The building housing The Bruce Peninsula Society of Artists (BPSA) art gallery has been renamed to the Red Schoolhouse Gallery. BPSA held their formal opening for the 2023 season on May 21, 2023 in their newly painted building.

The community, its patrons and art lovers came out to view the 2023 Exhibit of artworks and to meet the artists and to socialize, making it a highly successful opening day. For the 2023 season, the Gallery showcases artworks by ten permanent artists, seven full-season guest artists, and four half season guest artists. All the exhibitors are members of the BPSA. 

BPSA says the Art Gallery “is not just wall art”. The works displayed include stained glass, jewelry, pottery, glasswork and sculptures. The gift store has photography, books, art cards, hand made chocolates and other gifts available for sale.

Nina Bailey-Dick showcases her work of mixed media on reclaimed wood.
Amanda Millar (shown) currently rents a kiln in Wiarton, but hopes by June she will have a kiln in place and be 100% operating out of her Ferndale pottery studio.

The Art Gallery located in Ferndale at the corner of Highway 6 and Ferndale Rd/Bruce County Road 9, was originally the Ferndale School, S.S. #8, a one room schoolhouse which opened in 1891 with 28 pupils enrolled. The school also served as a social centre to the community, including Box socials, crokinole and card parties to raise funds for the local boys serving in the war efforts. The Methodists and Mennonites held church services in the building. The school was closed in 1964. Prior to being an art gallery, it served as a Tourist Information Centre. 

Denise Callaghan says her “art is grounded in the belief that in the midst of our lives we must find the magic that makes our soul soar”.
Guest Artist Ian Mead, a recent graduate from Georgian College in Barrie, moved to the Bruce during the pandemic, this is his first showing on the Bruce.
Maria Hansford worked at the Italian Embassy in Pakistan, her art shows influences from both these cultures, and describes her work as being “inspired by nature with a holistic twist”.
Stuart Burgess, one of the inaugural members of BPSA, is influenced by the natural environment and creatures that inhabit his work such as ravens, foxes, salamadas, fish, coyotes and occasionally a tulip “ thrown in for a hint of civilisation”.
Suzie King is having her first showing at the Art Gallery, uses antique lumber sourced from discarded lumber piles and combines it with items found in nature to produce her pieces of art.

It was to pay homage to the schoolhouse’s connection to rural life and the local community which inspired the rebranding of the Art Gallery. Phillip Connolly, a BPSA member, says many such structures are torn down or that the original history gets lost when the schoolhouse buildings are repurposed. Connolly would like to see the Red Schoolhouse become a geolocator, “turn right at the Red Schoolhouse to get to Lion’s Head”, and to reclaim its place as a link to the area’s history and its role in education and learning. The plan is to compile information on the school and document the memories of the former students and teachers and other community members relating to their experiences at the school.

Photo courtesy of Phillip Connolly Photo: Archival photos of the original Ferndale School, S.S. #8, a one room schoolhouse which opened in 1891 with 28 pupils enrolled.

Over the years attention was paid to the interior of the Gallery, but work was needed to make the exterior more attractive and entice people to stop and visit. The building was repainted to its current red colour, hence “Red Schoolhouse”, a school bell will be reinstalled and the landscaping will be improved. 

One of the goals for visitors is for them not be intimidated by it being an art gallery but appreciate that art can be enjoyed by everyone, not only art connoisseurs.

BPSA would like to express their appreciation to the Municipality of Northern Bruce, saying that they have been quite supportive to the Art Gallery and say they play a crucial role in keeping such projects alive.

The Red Schoolhouse Gallery is located at 2866 ON-6, Lion’s Head, ON N0H 1W0. Visit their website https://bruce
peninsulaart.ca/

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