Network News » town of meaford http://www.networknewsdaily.com Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:56:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Frederick S. Haines Commemorative Exhibitionhttp://www.networknewsdaily.com/2010/08/03/fred-haines/ http://www.networknewsdaily.com/2010/08/03/fred-haines/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:10:35 +0000 John Malloy http://www.networknewsdaily.com/?p=5020 The Frederick S. Haines Commemorative Exhibition Meaford, Ontario September 10 – 30, 2010

Frederick Stanley Haines:

A Good Life Lived, an Enduring Legacy Left

Frederick Stanley Haines, born in Meaford, March 29, 1879, died November 21, 1960

The exhibition will consist of approximately seventy-five works by Frederick S. Haines. There will be samples of his etchings, aquatints, watercolours and many oils. The show will be held in three venues in the town of Meaford:  Meaford Hall, Georgian Bay Secondary School, and the Meaford Museum, from Friday September 10 to Thursday September 30. Some of the works in on show in Meaford Hall will be for sale.

Supported by: The Apple Harvest Craft Show, The Rotary Club of Meaford, The Municipality of Meaford, The Community Foundation Grey Bruce, The Meaford Hall & Culture Foundation, Baker Design/Build, John B. Libby Fine Arts, The Meaford Creative Arts Association, and The Meaford Museum. Art courtesy of: The Bluewater District School Board, John B. Libby Fine Arts, The Ontario College of Art & Design, The Tom Thomson Art Gallery, The Peel Heritage Complex, The Dufferin County Museum and Archives, The Orillia Museum of Art & History, The Women's Art Association of Canada, Jo-Ann Craig, Fred Kennedy, Jamie and Carol Hepple, Carol Moran, Tom Armstrong, and Nancy Henniger

It is certainly true and unfortunate that in our culture we tend to undervalue artists, unless they have been heavily promoted or commercially built up as celebrities.  It is also true that we rather quickly forget the lives and achievements of most of our worthy predecessors, even when they had been recognized and honoured during their lifetimes. Perhaps that is why it is ever so gratifying to re-discover the life well lived and the rich, enduring legacy left by Frederick S. Haines, a most accomplished, prolific and versatile artist, equally good at portraits, figure painting (gold medal from Academie Royale des Beaux Arts in Antwerp), landscapes and his beloved animals, as well as a successful engraver and print maker.  As if that were not enough, he also proved himself to be a most able educator, mentor and administrator.  Haines was the president of the Ontario Society of Artists, a founding member of Canadian Society of Painters of Watercolour, a founding member of Canadian Society of Etchers and Printers, the curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario and a well loved and most respected principal of the Ontario College of Art.  At a young age he was accepted as a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and later became its president and by resigning from that “creakily venerable institution,” he attained a moral victory that led to the rewriting of its constitution.
As the commissioner of Fine Arts for the Canadian National Exhibition, Haines educated Ontarians by introducing the paintings by Picasso, Salvador Dali and Matisse and provided the first Canadian glimpse of Danish and Scandinavian modern design.  He traveled extensively for the CNE and brought the first large show of Mexican and Southwestern U.S. Arts and Crafts to Toronto.  His association with the CNE lasted from 1920 to 1951.  Under Haines’ direction and guidance, in 1929 eight huge murals were painted for and then installed in the Dome of the Arts, Crafts and Hobbies building at the CNE.  Even though these paintings suffered greatly through neglect and abuse over the years, restorers have worked hard to redress the deterioration.  Today the Haines’ murals are permanently displayed in The Direct Energy Centre at the CNE, and it is well worth the trip to see them.
Frederick S. Haines was a contemporary and friend of the Group of Seven and was instrumental at convincing his first cousin Franklin Carmichael (from Orillia) to pursue the arts professionally, a most precarious profession to choose in those times.  Not something the parents would approve of without much trepidation, yet Haines was able to assuage Franklin’s parents’ fears of the moral and financial hazards of the big city.
As a more established and successful colleague of the Group of Seven, he invited Carmichael and some other members of the group to teach at the OCA, much to the benefit of its students.  He was instrumental in tremendously increasing student enrollment, introducing new courses of study, and establishing a much wider participation of artists in the community by promoting advertising and industrial design.
One cannot help but speculate how Haines’ early life in Meaford shaped him to become such an able artist, educator and administrator, who made a real contribution to Canadian life and culture.  It appears that Meaford was a vibrant, expanding and optimistic town in Fred’s youth. The railway had just recently connected the town to Toronto, and it boasted five hotels, many taverns and a lively social life.  Fred was born into an artistically inclined family; his father George Haines was known to have participated in the local theatre.  A cooper by trade, he also enjoyed playing cricket and had other hobbies.  His mother, Martha Jane, came from a large, religious family.  When her father, one of the founders of Christ Church Anglican and one of its first wardens, died a stained glass window was erected in his memory: “James Smith – family of ten.”
Fred attended the newly built Meaford High School and, upon graduation and passing entrance exams, he left for Toronto at the age of seventeen to enroll in the Central Ontario School of Art (later to become OCA). He was able to support himself by painting portraits and was proud to claim that from then on he could make a living by art alone.
Haines married Bertha Morehouse in 1900 and was a devoted family man and father of Dorothy (Hoover) who became the librarian at OCA and has written with love and admiration of her father.
The 50th anniversary of his death has aroused renewed interest in arts circles and especially in the town of Meaford. There, under the leadership of Pamela Woolner, the Curator of Meaford Museum, a small group of volunteers have been gathering regularly to work on a Commemorative Exhibit of Haines’ work which is to open September10th to September 30th in the galleries of Meaford Museum, Meaford Hall and Georgian Bay Secondary School, 10 am to 4 pm daily.  On show will be a permanent collection of paintings generously donated by Haines to the Georgian Bay Secondary School in 1958, and paintings on loan from major public and private galleries as well as from private collections.
Gita Marie Kikauka

via Fred Haines.

]]> http://www.networknewsdaily.com/2010/08/03/fred-haines/feed/ 0 The Solitudes Spa Storyhttp://www.networknewsdaily.com/2009/10/04/the-solitudes-spa-story/ http://www.networknewsdaily.com/2009/10/04/the-solitudes-spa-story/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:01:13 +0000 John Malloy http://www.networknewsdaily.com/?p=3386 You don’t need to go away to get away
Head to a relaxing haven that’s close to home…
but far from the ordinary

When you walk into Solitudes Spa and Tanning Studio in the beautiful town of Meaford, you immediately sense you’ve entered a soft and soothing, very private place. Flickering candles, tranquil music, and lavender-chamomile infused freshness ebb away your tension. Solitudes’ guests relax in cosy terry robes, sipping their favourite teas.

Janine Doucette, who co-owns Solitudes with her husband Bryon, has extensive training in all spa treatments, and specializes in advanced skin care, hot stone massage, facials and body wraps. “I believe that when you cross the threshold of the spa, you leave all your cares and troubles at the door,” says Janine. “Whether you stay an hour or a full-day, you’ll leave relaxed, revitalized, and glowing.”

By Janine Doucette -

“I grew up in the health and beauty industry. My mother worked in a salon, and I’ve had a passion for the business since I was a young girl growing up in Oakville. I love this industry and I’ve applied and continuously expanded my skills for over 20 years. My husband Bryon and I moved to Meaford 12 years ago, and I started my business by offering my services out of our home.

Bryon and I have traveled extensively and no matter where we go, we seek out spas. That’s how we’ve picked up new ideas, products and treatments for our own business. It’s always been our goal to give our clients the very best, to make them feel and look great. I love to share what I’ve learned over the years with people who come into our spa.

Those were great years, and I built a loyal base of very fine clients. But our success just outgrew the home-based operation. We needed to accommodate the growth Meaford has experienced over the past few years, and Bryon and I decided we wanted to be part of Meaford’s vibrant downtown.

What we envisioned was a cosy spa, a relaxing haven in this beautiful little town. People would get the high-end health and beauty treatments they would expect in a big city or resort area, without having to travel far. We wanted our spa to be tranquil, spotlessly clean and personable, a quiet, intimate space where guests relax and enjoy an exclusive, full-spa experience. We carry the best product lines available, such as Clayton Shagal European skin-care products.

In August 2007, we opened Solitudes Spa on Meaford’s main street. My intense background in the industry allows me to provide all the services we offer at Solitudes. Bryon is co-owner and our spa manager, and we also offer the skills of Michelle Anderson and Leah Rae to complement our spa services.

Bryon and I love Meaford and believe it’s important to get out into our community. I coach soccer, and as a family, we take every opportunity to hike and ski, and to walk our two Schnauzers. It’s a busy life, and I very much believe in the benefits of Yoga and meditation to balance that. I feel that to look great, you have to feel great from within…

www.solitudesthespa.com

]]> http://www.networknewsdaily.com/2009/10/04/the-solitudes-spa-story/feed/ 0 John Malloy is for All of Meafordhttp://www.networknewsdaily.com/2006/11/06/994/ http://www.networknewsdaily.com/2006/11/06/994/#comments Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:59:00 +0000 John Malloy http://www.networknewsdaily.com/2006/11/06/994/

A Good Video on Leadership …


Click here to view the embedded video.










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