Tour provides a chance to see Sudbury’s gardening masterpieces

State of the Arts: Sudbury gardeners open their gates July 18 and 19 for self-guided tours

Article content By Vicki Gilhula Gardeners are artists who express themselves with colours, textures and design. They use their hands to create beautiful and one-of-a-kind living paintings. Sudbury gardeners are opening their gates July 18 and 19 for the Sudbury Horticultural Society’s annual self-guided Open Garden Weekend.

The gardener hosts will be available to answer questions and perhaps provide a few gardening tips. There are five gardens to visit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A map and information about each garden are provided in the Open Garden passport, which costs $10.

Passports can be purchased online from the Sudbury Horticultural Society website (sudburyhorticulturalsociety.ca) or at the following retailers: Azilda Greenhouses, Backyard Birder, Barrydowne Paint, Jetty’s Landscape Supplies, Lougheed Flowers, and Southview Greenhouse Growers. – Manitoulin Art Tour: The tour takes place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This much-anticipated event is organized by the Manitoulin Fine Arts Association (MFAA).

The free self-guided tour spans the island from Meldrum Bay to South Baymouth. A popular stop is the Perivale Gallery in Spring Bay, where Laurel Price’s colourful and creative work is on display until July 17. For more information and maps, visit the MFAA website at manitoulinart.com.

– New theatre company: Distort Theatre Company is a new female-led, non-profit production company that focuses on young people aged 15 to 29 and people who are new to theatre. The company will stage a production of Little Women at the Ernie Checkeris Theatre at Thorneloe University from Aug. 6 to 9 at matinees and evening performances. Tickets are priced at $21.69 and $26.89 and can be purchased through Showpass or at the door.

According to the organizers, some Distort participants identify as “neurodivergent, disabled, living with chronic or mental health conditions, and as members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.” The founders of Distort are Kalem Mahaffy, Chanda Grylls-Mahaffy and Valerie Besserer. For more information, visit the Distort Theatre Facebook page or send an email to distort.dtc.@gmail.com.

– Memories of NLFB: This year’s Northern Light Festival Boréal (NLFB) is just a memory now. Sudbury’s festival is considered one of the best in Canada by audiences and performers.

The first NLFB was held in 1972. There was no admission charge, and many musicians played for free at the Bell Park amphitheatre. Founding organizers include Scott Merrifield, Jean-Jacques Paquette, Normand Glaude, Stan Belinski and Ray Auger.

Merrifield’s son, Max, would later play a key role in administration and this year won the festival’s Jackie Washington Award. Scott Merrifield is a member of the Sudbury Arts Council’s “50 names club,” and will be featured in SAC’s book about individuals who contributed to building the city’s arts community, which will be published later this fall. Another artistic director, Paul Lowenburg, who was with the festival for 17 years, is also a member of the “50 names club.”

(The arts council is still working on a title for the book.) Over the years, NLFB has hosted some incredible performers: Murray McLaughlin, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Ron Sexsmith, Don McLean, Daniel Lanois, Steven Page, Sam Roberts and Joel Plaskett. In the early 1980s, teenager Eileen Twain performed at the festival.

Country music pioneer Mary Bailey saw that performance and was impressed, so she became her manager. Bailey convinced Twain to concentrate on country music instead of rock ‘n’ roll. Today, we know Eileen as music superstar Shania Twain.

State of the Arts is supplied by the Sudbury Arts Council.