By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
One of the signature events of Lion’s Head Homecoming weekend is the annual Bruce Peninsula Art Show. In its 55th year, the show is one of the largest in Grey Bruce and continues to attract community members, their guests and out-of-town visitors. This year, organizers say it is one of their most successful events.
The 55th Annual Bruce Peninsula Art Show took place from 1 to 4 August 2025 at Bruce Peninsula District School (BPDS) in Lion’s Head. The artists, who are either full-time or seasonal residents in Grey or Bruce County, display original works of art, photography, paintings, stained glass, fabric art, pottery and sculptures as well as reproduction prints and cards. The art show has become a great social and ‘must-see” event for many partaking in the homecoming weekend activities. Patrons say that they enjoy browsing the two galleries of amazing art and finding that special item that appeals to them.
It takes countless volunteer hours to put on an Art Show of this calibre. Six committee members initiate the planning process. Each year in the Spring, local and regional artists are contacted about participating in the upcoming Art Show. The committee members also review and streamline the processes to allow for a smooth operation during the event days. The artists’ applications have to be reviewed and catalogued, the floor plans are designed. By June, volunteers to assist on the set-up days and during the event are recruited.
A few days prior to the event the floor is mapped to ensure an efficient flow of traffic and space. The floor is then taped to mark where the display boards are to be installed.
With this attention to detail and meticulous planning, what could possibly go wrong! On the Wednesday before the show starts, the local fire service is hired to remove the display boards from storage which is located on a volunteer’s property, transported to the school, and installed according to the floor map.
This year, everything was moving along as expected, the fire service arrived to collect the boards, loaded them onto a trailer and was ready to set out to the school when a call about a fire came in. The apologetic fire crew raced off to respond to the fire at the Bear Tracks Motel. Now a trailer loaded with 100 sheets of plywood (virtually a fortune in lumber at today’s prices) was sitting unsupervised at the Fire Hall in Lion’s Head.
But the show must go on … the artists were coming on Thursday to hang their artworks. Nicole Gamble, in charge of the overall management of the Art Show, and Kathy Burns, who coordinates the set up and manages the volunteers, quickly (and desperately) recruited family members and other community members to retrieve the trailer with the plywood and set up the display boards. With these volunteers’ assistance, the displays were successfully strapped into place awaiting the artists’ arrival on Thursday.
Volunteers assisted the artists on Thursday and Friday morning, offering any help they needed, verifying the number of paintings submitted and price list. Calls go out to any artists late to arrive to estimate their arrival time. Working through a few mishaps and ensuring everyone follows the labelling and inventory processes, etc, by noon on Friday, everything is ready as can be for opening night at 7 p.m.
Many of the artists volunteer during the event and patrons say they enjoy meeting the artists and learning about the artworks.
Volunteers assist in managing the sale of the art. Three volunteers, identified by red armbands and a volunteer pin, are on hand during every shift. They remove the art to be sold from the display board and take it to the sales desk to be processed. The sales personnel update paperwork so the art works are accurately tracked. The volunteers ensure that there are no issues, field queries and that everything is going smoothly in the two art galleries.
It is a hectic but fun four days of activity for the organizing committee and volunteers.
Then when the Art Show closes on Monday, the work continues. The Fire Service arrives to take down the boards and transport them to storage. Almost deja vu, but luckily the emergency call was not an all nighter as with the motel fire, and the fire crew was able to dismantle and transport the display boards.
During the following days, the School is booked for the next year, the accounts are reconciled and the artists are paid. Later on the financial accounts are audited as the Art Show is a registered non-profit organization.
Bursaries awarded to Art Students
The net profit from sales and donations go towards the Bursary Fund.
In 2025, the bursary per student is increased to $1,500. Recipients are recommended by their teacher, must demonstrate a high level of talent in their work and plan to pursue post secondary studies in Fine Arts.
A total of 157 Bursaries have been awarded to students of the Bluewater District School Board since 1990. Students are expected to participate in an upcoming Art Show. At the 2025 Art Show, bursary recipients Samantha Hess and Owen Morrison displayed their work. Additionally, an Endowment Fund at Georgian College established by the Art Show supports students in the Fine Arts Program.
The organizers are pleased that everything went well and thank everyone involved in making the Art Show a success.
