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Winter blahs? Not in Orillia's bustling arts and culture scene!

If you're looking for something to see, do or enjoy, our arts and entertainment columnist has all you need to know
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Fiddlin’ bad boy Ashley MacIsaac is coming to St. Paul’s Centre for a St. Paddy’s day party on March 17. Contributed photo

Well folks it is February and the sun is shining and the February arts and entertainment events are abuzzin’! Strap on your seatbelts and get your calendar out, because there is so much to see and do this month.

First off, we have several art show openings in the next few days. Thursday, Feb. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m., Lee Contemporary Art at 5 Peter St. S. upstairs presents Tanya Cunnington: From Sudbury to Sointula, a quick three-day pop up exhibition featuring works from 2019, when Tanya visited both Sudbury and Sointula, B.C. It is always a pleasure to see Tanya’s work, come check it out!

Then, Saturday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m., Hibernation Arts and Peter Street Fine Arts both have opening receptions. Hibernation Arts' show is a group show called LOVE, featuring lots of great work from many of our local artists. And Peter Street’s guest artist is Cameron MacDonald, who does amazing abstract pieces in acrylic. Definitely worth it to get over your February blahs and nip into these local galleries to see the talent we have here.

Also on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., Orillia Museum of Art and History has a double opening reception for two shows which will run there for the next couple of months. Firstly, Tracey Lawko’s At Risk traces the decline of both bees and monarchs in her Niagara region garden, through delicately stitched botanical illustrations.

Secondly, it’s the opening of the 24th Annual Women’s Day Art Show, entitled On the Edge. Featuring work from over 130 women from teens to seniors, this year’s show features a wide variety of media and work. Saturday afternoon at OMAH will be a feast for the senses!

Also on Saturday, don’t forget the storytelling workshop led by Michael Jones, at the Leacock Museum. This is the kind of event that Leacock would have loved, and the kind of event we should encourage at this venerable and well-loved historical site in our little town of Mariposa.

Cellist Marta Solek will add magic with music. Tickets are $25 and include refreshments. Email [email protected] to register and come enjoy a great afternoon of stories and sharing.

On Saturday at 2:30 p.m. you are invited to drop by the library and play with your camera and the library green screen to create a fun Valentine-themed card for yourself or your loved ones. You can create up to eight different cards, and it will only cost you $5 to print them!

Speaking of the library, it would take a whole column to list all of the amazing programming scheduled there, most free or at a nominal cost. Check out our wonderful library’s programming here and register yourself for some fun today!

Sunday, there is a beginner photography workshop led by Vaughn Berry from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can even just bring your phone as a camera, the whole idea is to have fun and get comfortable with making memories from photos. To register, click here.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. St. James’ Anglican Church presents Dan Needles, the rural funny man from the Ninth Concession, and former Leacock Medal winner. Tickets are $30, it’s a fundraiser for St. James’ and will be a really fun and funny night out, with a chance to meet Dan after the show. Grab your ticket here.

On Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. Sarahannedipity presents a Valentine’s card-making workshop, just in the nick of time! For only $30 you can make all the Valentine’s cards you want or need, with a variety of materials. To register and for more information, click here.

A few reminders, save the dates, and coming up soons:

Mariposa Folk Festival’s Showcase auditions are coming up, and the deadline for applying is Feb. 23. This is an opportunity for emerging artists to perform at the grand dame of folk festivals, in its 60th anniversary! For all the details, click here.

Inside the Music just announced mind blowing fiddler Ashley MacIsaac is coming to St. Paul’s Centre for a St. Patrick's Day party, March 17. This will likely sell out, so grab your tickets now here for the best St. Paddy’s Day you’ve ever had!

Orillia Centre for Arts and Culture is sharing an afternoon of performance and discussion on Feb. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Orillia Opera House. Come out for an afternoon of performance and discussion with four talented artists from different backgrounds: music, visual art, dance, and hybrid media, with Will McGarvey, Heidi Strauss, Luke Garwood, and Zachary Lucky.

Also featuring several emerging artists: Lauren Cookson, Leo Martyn, Veda Sharpe and Bayze Murray. Tickets for this informative and entertaining afternoon are $28 and you can pick them up through the OOH box office or online here.

Our incredibly talented and hardworking community musical and theatrical groups are moving into their mid-year programming, and here is what is coming up shortly for all of us lucky Orillians:

Mariposa Arts Theatre’s play The Art of Dining is opening on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Orillia Opera House. Straight from the website: “If you've got the appetite for some meal-time fun then come experience The Art of Dining. It's opening night at Ellen and Carl's first restaurant. Watch as the evening goes hilariously wrong.”

The play runs Thursday to Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees, until Feb. 23 and you can get tickets through the Opera House at 705-326-8011 or here.

On Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Centre, the Orillia Concert Band and the Salvation Army Citadel Band are doing a fundraiser for the Orillia Pregnancy Resource Centre, an afternoon of great tunes by these talented musicians, and admission is by freewill donation at the door so just come out and enjoy!

Feb. 23 at 2:30 p.m. also at St. Paul’s Centre, the Jubilee Chorale’s annual Sweetheart Soiree is up, this time a fundraiser for Helping Hands Orillia. Admission for this cabaret-style show, with special guests Jim Harris, Blair Bailey and more, is also a freewill offering for the charity.

Sunday, Mar. 1 at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Centre, the Orillia Vocal Ensemble All Through the Night concert will be happening in support of Mariposa House Hospice. There will be several special guests, and a freewill offering to the charity will be collected.

The Cellar Singers will be presenting Bach’s St. John Passion at St. James’ Anglican Church on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7:30 p.m., with special guest soloists. Tickets for this fine performance can be found here.

And finally, to wrap up the midwinter concert season, the Orillia Concert Band presents Music in the Movies on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Centre, with special guest Cassie Dasilva. Tickets are available at the door for this fun, family-friendly show.

There is more, but that will have to wait for another week.

Music in the bars? At the Hog ‘n’ Penny, Friday; Sean Patrick and the Davis Family Singers, Saturday Jakob Pearce. At Studabakers, Friday, George Antsey. At Fionn MacCool’s, Friday, Richard Henderson. At the casino’s Simcoe Yardhouse Live, Friday and Saturday, Rob Watts Duo.

Have a great week and send me your arts news by Tuesday at noon, to [email protected].


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