Local artists add splash of colour to Parc des cèdres

Greg Newing

 

Visitors to the Aylmer Marina this summer can find a hidden gem along the bike trail behind the Symmes Inn Museum. Depending on good weather, a small group of local artists regularly display their paintings for park-goers to admire on Saturday mornings. The colourful paintings feature a range of subjects: animals, still-lifes and landscapes including vistas from well-known hiking trails in the Gatineau Park. Some park-goers may recognize landscapes inspired by the Gaspésie region of Quebec as well.  

The artistic display is the result of an ongoing collaboration between Symmes Inn Museum and the group of artists. The Museum provides its back lawn for the artists to gather each weekend, and the artists bring awareness of the museum’s activities to those who pause to enjoy the paintings. Artists use the time together to continue painting under the trees and to enjoy each other’s company.

Daniel St-Cyr, a local painter and organizer of the initiative, said the small group of artists are longtime friends and have been meeting, at times in different localities, for approximately 10 years. What started with the support of the Aylmer Art Council 10 years ago has since evolved into the longstanding collaboration with the Symmes Inn Museum. “We are here most Saturdays depending on the weather. We sometimes miss a week if one of us has an exhibition” he said.  St-Cyr shared “We like having the opportunity to bring art to people in the park as a nice activity for park goers to enjoy. We also get to tell people about the Museum, many don’t know it is there and then they come back to visit it with their families.” While generally pleasant on a calm day, St Cyr stated the greatest threat to the display are the windy days where gusts of wind coming off the water risk blowing the paintings off their easels.
Photo: Former Aylmer Bulletin graphic designer and area artist, Daniel St-Cyr. Photo: Greg Newing