All kinds of art is returning to the Park

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

One of Uxbridge's longest running events returns in a couple of weeks when the Uxbridge Lions Club brings back its annual Art in the Park for its 31st year. Held under the trees in Elgin Park, the event this year - on Aug.16 and 17 - will feature almost 100 artists, both local and from around the province.

Bob Armitage, who has been one of the prime movers behind the event for years, said there could be more artists but the Lions are limited by available space and the number of volunteers required. He said about 20 people are involved with running the show and the 1st Uxbridge Scouts have helped out in the past.

Armitage said that when Art in the Park first started, there were about 30 or 40 artists on hand and crowds were small.

"One mistake we made (in the early years) was charging the public an admission fee," Armitage said. "We went to donations instead."

There are a couple of criteria the artists have to meet to put up their tents: they have to display only their own creations and they have to pay a fee to participate.

For those attending, there are a wide range of media from which to choose, including paintings, pottery, photography, clothing and fabrics, jewelry and much more. Vanessa Campbell, daughter of well-known local artist Walter Campbell, runs the children's activity centre and was joined last year by a couple of University of Toronto students offering face painting. Campbell himself will not be exhibiting his work but will be one of the musicians entertaining the crowds.

Armitage said the crowds usually number between 2,000 and 3,000 a day. He said the Lions are already working on the 2026 edition, which he said will be "bigger and better than ever."

One popular booth at the event is the silent auction table, where visitors can bid on various pieces of art, all donated by the artists. In return, Armitage said, the Lions “treat the artists well,” delivering bottles of water several times through the weekend, and they will be treating them to a spaghetti dinner served by the newly formed Zephyr Lions on Saturday night. He pointed out that the dinner is for artists only, not the public.

He said the money raised by the event goes to support many organizations that perform service work. He produced a list showing the 25 organizations - from the Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity to Precious Minds - that the club helps to support. The Lions' biggest focus is on dog guides, for which they hold an annual dog guide walk to raise funds and awareness. All the proceeds from the silent auction go to the dog guide program.

Art in the Park, August 16 & 17, Elgin Park, Uxbridge. uxbridgelionsartinthepark.com