Red Ribbon show celebrates 20 years of supporting local artists

Whether it was their first ever, their first in a while, or their first in Canada, artists at the Red Ribbon show at the Fort Erie Leisureplex on Saturday were eager to show off their work.

“It’s really cool. It’s the first piece I’ve ever put out in a show, and I’m really proud of it,” said Alex Murrell, a Grade 11 student at Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (GFESS).

The art–a three-in-one piece that combined a snake inside a frame, inside a canvas of vertical purple and green stripes inspired by Murrell’s favourite movie Beetlejuice–was one of several pieces created by high school students on display at the 20th annual show that’s organized by the Fort Erie Arts Council.

The students’ works were on display in part thanks to the help of Ben Featherston, a GFESS art teacher who was also showing some of his own work for the first time in several years. Usually one to paint local landscapes, Featherston went well outside his comfort zone for this year’s Red Ribbon show.

“Every year during the summer I give myself a summer project to build up my skills,” he said.

“I thought about this show and things that I don’t see as much here. So this series was sort of built with this show in mind.”

Featherston found a collection of vertical canvases and began thinking about what could go on them. His mind thought about aliens in some kind of a cryotube. At first it was going to be something very uniform.

“But the aliens kind of got away from me and they started doing other things,” he said.

The result is a collection of funky and colourful aliens reading, at the beach or spending time with their weird alien pet.

While Featherston’s pieces were out of this world, Tracy Hatcher focused her attention much closer to her new home. Hatcher moved to the area from Liverpool, England a few years ago to be closer to her husband’s family.

A nurse by profession, Hatcher also painted back home, and when she moved to Niagara one of the first things she did was seek out the arts council.

Being a part of the council has helped her meet the community, while her artwork has helped her learn about the area as well. Many of her pieces on display would be familiar to locals, such as Derby Road in Crystal Beach.

“The street’s just got a vibe to it,” she said.

Donna MacLeod, chair of the council, said the annual Red Ribbon event is a great way to showcase Fort Erie’s art community.

“It’s amazing how many local creative, talented people are around (Fort Erie),” she said.

The show included a passport program, where visitors would receive a sticker for each artist they visited. Those who filled their passports were entered to win a “Taste of Fort Erie” basket of restaurant gift cards.

“It kind of gets the conversation going with the artists,” said MacLeod.

The council runs a wide variety of classes for kids and adults of all skill levels. They also participate in community events and run a gallery in Ridgeway, with more information available at forterieartscouncil.com.

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