Belleville's Own: Supporting the joy of art

Jan Coombs

Founded in 1958, the Belleville Arts Association (BAA) is a community within a community of over 127 local artists, and growing, supporting, and promoting visual art in the City of Bellville and surrounding areas.

The association operates a downtown studio and gallery where members can display and sell their work. The gallery offers several open studio sessions where members can work on their individual projects in a social and supportive environment.

Jan Coombs is the Executive and Studio Chair: “Outside of our new gallery location, we also sell on-line. We are the best deal in town, if you are interested in putting your work up in a gallery. If you haven’t done that before, we are the place to be because it is not juried, so anyone who feels they are ready to do that can come and join us.”

Membership is only $75 for the year, and you get to put a piece of work in every month for $5, also two smaller pieces for only $5 in a special section called Small Works. The BAA gallery also displays creative artisan crafts such as scarves, jewelry, and cards.

“We have lots of things going on like paint parties and workshops in which people can partake. It is a social platform where artists meet. We have many retirees who now have time for painting in their lives, but also working people. Art is really a journey into creativity, a voyage of discovery. A lot of people start it and don’t realize it is in them to do so. When they give themselves a chance, many people find they have that activity inside themselves and discover what they can do. It takes a lot of persistence and learning. Within our group, you have that support so you can go through dry times with people who encourage you because that is another part of the artistic process. It’s natural to have tricky times. We call it the tyranny of the blank canvas,” said Coombs, laughing.

Many BAA members display their work in local venues like Sans Souci Restaurant,

the new police station, CIBC Wood Gundy, the Children’s Aid Society and Anchorage Condominium where they have over 50 pieces for sale, changing them up three times a year. So, there are several places in the downtown community where the public can see a local artist’s work if the latter is a member of. the association.

Coombs is a perfect example of a typical member, someone who has retired and wants to paint:

“I started painting when I retired in 2001. I did not know I could paint. I was interested in creativity but never took a painting course when I worked because I was too busy to investigate those kinds of things. I got initially got interested through a class on how to frame your work given by Ginette Campbell, a fabulous artist. She suggested I take a painting class, and I was hooked from the very start. It was the beginning of second career for me. Art gives me a lot of joy. I now paint all the time, and I have even won some awards. I believe in finding joy in life for yourself and others. Art takes you away from everything, and the hours go by along with all your worries. You create something that wasn’t there before.”

The Belleville Artist Association gallery is located at 208 Front Street.

Visit their website at www.bellevilleart.ca.