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In this Issue:

 

Square Foot Art Show + Sale Attracts Joyful Crowd at Arts on Main

📝 Katherine Rogalska

Prince Edward County’s winter arts season started with a spark on January 24, when South Shore Joint Initiative unveiled its first‑ever Square Foot Art Show + Sale at Arts on Main - Backroom Gallery. The opening reception drew an energetic crowd of art lovers, supporters, and curious newcomers, all eager to explore a room filled with colour, creativity, and community spirit.

Gallery guests wandered through the vibrant grid of 12” x 12” artworks - several of which were sold within the first hour - while sipping Progression sparkling wine from Lighthall Vineyards. Thanks to our amazing community, we’ve raised $5,000 and placed 28 artworks in new hands.

A Showcase of Local Talent and Local Purpose

The exhibition ran until February 18, 2026. It brought together an inspiring collection of square‑foot works created by artists whose imaginations are inspired by SSJI’s mission: protecting the rare and fragile South Shore Key Biodiversity Area in Prince Edward County. The result was a gallery filled with pieces that celebrated nature and reflected the deep connection between art and environmental stewardship.

Those who made time to explore the Square Foot Art Show + Sale - discovered inspiring local creativity and saw art pieces that were perfect for a home or a meaningful gift for someone loved. Every purchase made at the show directly supported local artists and strengthened the work of SSJI.

We are deeply grateful to all participating artists for their creativity and generosity:
Dawn Ayer, Hedy Campbell, Iris Casey, Veronica Cluett, Julia Cossarin, Lois Dow, Ron Erwin, Laurie Foster, Colin Green, Aidan Haley, Rachel Hardy, Renee Hiltz, Jamie “Janx” Johnston, Sindhu Karpakal, Judy Kent, John Lawson, Karole Marois, Sarah McCarthy, Laurie McLachlan, Saralou Miller, Gilles Miramontes, Judy Plomer, Gabrielle Poisson, M. T. Rivers, Julie Seddon, Gwen Shandroski, Jan Swaren, Brenda van Ginkel, and Sacha Warunkiw.

SSJI extends heartfelt thanks to Arts on Main Gallery, Lighthall Vineyards, and every guest who joined us for this milestone event.

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Celebrating Youth Voices at the Square Foot Art Show and Sale

📝 Cheryl Chapman

From January 23 to February 18, the Square Foot Art Show and Sale, organized by South Shore Joint Initiative, featured a powerful youth-led contribution from Watercolours in the Woods, a project that brought together art, environmental learning, and community advocacy. Grade 6 and 7 students from Sophiasburgh Central School - guided by local artist Tim Snyder - immersed themselves in the landscapes of Prince Edward County’s South Shore and transformed their experiences into art and reflection. Thanks to their creativity, curiosity, and hands-on learning, visitors were able to enjoy a square foot album with a collection of student work during the Square Foot Art Show displayed at Arts on Main, Backroom Gallery.

A Four-Part Creative and Ecological Journey 

  • Building Skills - Students began in-class, led by local artist Tim Snyder, where they learned the fundamentals of watercolour and practiced techniques essential to landscape painting.
  • Exploring the South Shore - They then travelled to Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area to paint en plein air. This immersive experience allowed them to document local flora and fauna while studying geological forces, human impacts, and the fragile ecosystems that define this area.
  • Reflecting and Curating - Back at school, students paired their paintings with written reflections that expressed both the beauty and ecological importance of the South Shore. These reflections revealed a deepening understanding of why this landscape deserves protection.
  • Sharing with the Community - The program culminated in a gallery showing, transforming student artwork into a tool for community outreach and environmental advocacy. Their work will be on view at Cabin Fever Gallery in May.

Purpose and Learning Impact

At its core, Watercolours in the Woods used art to communicate the vital importance of protecting Prince Edward County’s South Shore biodiversity. The program bridged multiple curricular areas:

  • Arts: Creative process, technique development, and gallery preparation
  • Science & Geography: Biodiversity, ecosystems, and land formation

Language Arts & Social Studies: Reflective writing and understanding human impact on the environment

This program was made possible through partnership and financial support from the Quinte Arts Council and Nature Canada’s NatureHood Program, with resources and delivery facilitated by Sophiasburgh Central School and the South Shore Joint Initiative’s Wild Thing Education Program.

Follow these links to learn more about:

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Winter flight1

📝 Alan Whiteley


Ducks taking off (Photo: Gilles Bisson)

These days the geese awake me
Long before dawn
And through the day they muster
Their flights toward the sun.


Snowy Owl Flying (Photo: Daniel LaFrance)

As low clouds scud from northern skies
They lift themselves in flight
And stamp their ragged patterns
Against the fading light.


Trumpeter Swan pair (Photo: Ian Barker)

Wingless, I stand and watch them
Until each flight has gone,
Then turn to stacking firewood
And waiting for the swans.

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Lady Icicle1

📝 Emily Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake)

Little Lady Icicle is dreaming in the north-land
And gleaming in the north-land, her pillow all a-glow;
For the frost has come and found her
With an ermine robe around her
Where little Lady Icicle lies dreaming in the snow.

Little Lady Icicle is waking in the north-land,
And shaking in the north-land her pillow to and fro;
And the hurricane a-skirling
Sends the feathers all a-whirling
Where little Lady Icicle is waking in the snow.

Little Lady Icicle is laughing in the north-land,
And quaffing in the north-land her wines that over- flow;
All the lakes and rivers crusting
That her finger-tips are dusting,
Where little Lady Icicle is laughing in the snow.


Icicles (Photo: John F. Foster)

Little Lady Icicle is singing in the north-land,
And bringing from the north-land a music wild and low;
And the fairies watch and listen
Where her silver slippers glisten,
As little Lady Icicle goes singing through the snow.

Little Lady Icicle is coming from the north-land,
Benumbing all the north-land where'er her feet may go;
With a fringe of frost before her
And a crystal garment o'er her,
Little Lady Icicle is coming with the snow.


Icicles on railing (Photo: John F. Foster)

 

1 - Johnson, Emily Pauline (Tekahionwake). 1922. Lady Icicle in “Flint and Feather - The Complete Poems of

E. Pauline Johnson, 8th ed.”, Pp. 125-126. The Musson Book Company Limited, Toronto. 

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Snow Moon Rise (Photo: Maria Prisciak)

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Editor's Note

This is the 34th edition of The South Shoreliner. The editor would like to thank the following for contributing to this 34th edition of The South Shoreliner: Katherine Rogalska, Cheryl Chapman, Alan Whiteley, Steven Burr, John F. Foster, and Emily Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake). Contributions make the newsletter readable and interesting. For the next and upcoming newsletters, contributions of articles, photos and events are always welcome.

-- John F. Foster, The South Shoreliner Editor

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