Field Notes

Eight artists, seven wineries, one hall

Art is the culmination of certain actions, the sum of a combination of processes, a chosen point in the order resulting in many preceding steps celebrating this place we call home. It’s about reflection, giving back and recognizing contribution, but it’s about fostering community engagement. Alchemy Artists Residency found Prince Edward County, or perhaps Prince Edward County found Alchemy when its founder Claire Tallarico landed in the hamlet of Hillier in 2017. The Alchemy Artists Residency, facilitated by Tallarico and Tonia Di Risio nurture food, art and dialogue between visiting and local artists, winemakers and growers, long-time residents, and seasonal agricultural workers in and around the Hillier area. “Originally offered as a traditional artist residency each summer, Alchemy pairs artists with wineries to create work in response to their temporary surroundings,” explains Tallarico.

Over the summer, seven visual artists and one writer each spent a portion of the County’s harvest season reflecting on what compels people to continue to create, grow, farm and live on the County’s western edge. The artists further engaged with the community by working with Alchemy in planning and preparing twice-weekly meals for the 40 seasonal agricultural workers who live and work on collaborating local wineries. “These meals are offered to acknowledge the significant contribution of farm and vineyard labourers, many of whom come from outside of Canada, and all of whom work alongside local winemakers and vineyard owners to harvest food and grapes enjoyed in the County and beyond,” says Tallarico. She noted how the wineries agreed to get on board with the project without knowing the artists, and without knowing exactly how it was going to work. “One of the most rewarding parts of the project for us, for them, and for the artists has been that collaboration.”

Wellington poet Jane Macdonald (middle) shared some of her readings in Hillier Hall recently. (L-R): Erin MacInnis (Closson Chase Vineyards), Tonia Di Risio (Alchemy), poet Jane Macdonald, Claire Tallarico (Alchemy) and Peggy Burris (Hillier Women’s Institute).

Tallarico talks about why artists would want to come and cook for people they don’t even know. She says as artists (both she and Di Risio are also visual artists) they thought it was a very special offering of food and a ‘thank you’ and an acknowledgement for the hard work was something they could do. “While we continue to be here and work on our own art, and that was a great experience for us, and I think for everyone else, so many people helped make last year possible, and by making last year possible, it made this year possible.”

A month-long art exhibition of a different kind, where those same artists each created an individual piece of work, has a common theme running through. Its many elements spin a thread, a connection back to the land, an undertaking in recognition of those who chose to making their living in the County. The art installations are an acknowledgement of the role the workers fill, the physical hard labour they endure tending the land during the growing season, but also the responsibility to bring in the harvest in the fall, the completion of a cycle whose precious components means everyone has a vital role to fill for everything to work as it should. A more indepth story on the work Alchemy do in our community will follow in a few weeks.

Having received a small grant from Culture Days, Tallarico and Di Risio came up with project whereby they invited artists with whom they had previously had a connection through Alchemy to apply to help work in the kitchen two days a week for a minimum of about two weeks at a time to cook dinners for the seasonal agricultural workers. “We paired each artist individually with a winery and the artist was invited at that winery to make something and leave something behind that would be accessible and shown to the public for the month during Culture Days,” explains Tallarico. Participating artists include Barbara Brown at Hinterland Winery (1258 Closson Road), Lynn Hubbs at Casa Dea Estates Winery (1186 Greer Road), Claire M. Tallarico at Cold Creek Vineyards (1521 Danforth Road), Mary Macdonald at Stanners Vineyard (76 Station Road), Lisa Wood at Closson Chase Vineyards (629 Closson Road), Patti Randazzo Beckett at Broken Stone Winery (524 Closson Road), and Tonia Di Risio at Redtail Vineyards (422 Partridge Hollow Road).

The exhibition, part of the Creatives In Residence series by Ontario Culture Days 2021, kickedoff on September 24 with a small gathering in Hillier Hall, hosted by Peggy Burris with the Hillier Women’s Institute, and Alchemy Artists Residency coordinators Claire Tallarico and Tonia Di Risio. Guest visiting artist and Wellington poet Jane Macdonald read several of her poems and works created during her artist residency in Hillier Hall. “It’s very fitting that we are in here to share some of her work because of the seven visiting artists we had this summer, six of them were paired with a nearby winery and one of them used the inspiration of this historical place to write, and that is Jane,” said Tallarico.

“When I was asked how I felt about writing in the hall, I can’t tell you how excited I was about that prospect, and thanks to you it’s happened, and I can’t thank you enough,” expressed Macdonald. “I have been very fortunate to be able to write here and just to be alone in this hall in silence; the history that it’s gotten here is palpable, it’s a place of gathering and it’s really formed my work while I’m here.” She said her stated goal was to work on a manuscript of poems where she indicated she had been honing those, but she also produced some new work. Macdonald’s poems were about County and included a piece about Mr. Nyman’s Dutch garden, her home town of Wellington, as well an autobiographical piece. “We appreciate your time and beautiful memories for all of us,” said Burris.

The exhibition runs now until October 24. Seven temporary public art installations made by seven contributing artists can be viewed at seven wineries located throughout the Hillier area in a self-guided tour. Opening hours will vary with individual wineries. More information on the Alchemy Artists Residency, including a virtual tour of the art and contributing artists, can be found at makealchemy.com.