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Back Issues Spring/Summer 2008 Barber Gallery
Back Issues Spring/Summer 2008 Barber Gallery 
| Barber Gallery |
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| By Jim Fox / Photography by Bonnie Fox | ||||||
THE PLACE: Barber Gallery, southwestern Ontario’s largest independent gallery complete with a gift shop and custom framing, located in a historic limestone factory, in a quiet neighbourhood near downtown Guelph. Rustic beams and soaring ceilings provide an exhilarating backdrop for three floors of display space for regional, national and international artists and artisans.
IN A NUTSHELL: A large gallery and gift shop with a difference. Something for everyone — from three annual thematic open art shows to practical workshops in framing and crafts as well as hanging and interior design services for the home and office. The Barber Gallery often becomes a community forum for positive projects utilizing art in unique ways. THE ANGLE: Gallery owner and local artist Mike Hayes with design consultant Leslie Hayes have fostered a welcoming space where emerging and experienced artists are invited to showcase their work in a relaxed environment. Visitors are encouraged to browse three expansive floors of original art, including painting, mixed media, posters, sculpture, textiles, photography, pottery, wood and metal work. Monthly feature exhibitions with free opening day receptions often include live performances by musicians, poets or dancers. THE PRODUCTS: Aside from original artistic pieces, quality picture framing at competitive prices has been the mainstay of the Barber Gallery for three decades. Mike Hayes, the resident picture framer/technician works on all orders to ensure quality and satisfaction. Combining a large selection of framing materials and high-tech equipment with the experienced know-how of a traditional craft, Mike’s workshop is an incubator of creativity where customers return time and again to tap into his expertise. UNIQUE: Three times a year the Barber Gallery invites visual artists in all mediums, dancers, poets and musicians to participate in open exhibitions providing for a unique layering of the arts. The yuletide “La Convivencia”. The Valentine “Salons des Refuses”. The annual “Fire in the Head,” In the spirit of the Isles, celebrating the artistic spirit of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales as represented by the Irish city of Armagh, a symbolic place where history, mythology and art dance together. FAVOURITES: A poster bar where you can sit, relax and leaf through a library of antique and contemporary posters. An array of unusual interior accessories, occasional furniture and gifts crafted locally and abroad that may provide that singular piece you’re looking for. See the one-of-a-kind Ecopod, a coffin in the shape of a seed pod made from 100% recycled, biodegradable paper. It could be your final eco-friendly statement. THE MISSION: To provide an inspiring venue for everyone to visit, to see a show and to enjoy the ever-changing magical world of art. GET THERE: Barber Gallery, 167 Suffolk Street West, Guelph, ON N1H 2J7 519.824.0821 Free Admission. Free Parking Website: www.barbergallery.com       |
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