Kathleen Bignell Open Studio

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About

This Culture Days, join Kathleen Bignell at her studio in Halton Hills. Learn about her creative process and view some of her finished and unfinished works.

Kathleen was born in Laval, Quebec in 1955. As a child Kathleen loved to draw, paint and play in the forest and fields near her house. Her love of nature and Art has followed her well into adulthood.

Kathleen has dedicated the last 30 years to a very fulfilling career in teaching. She has been yearning to get back to Creative Art. Now that she is retired, she is embarking on a new adventure that combines her passion for art, travel and nature.

Kathleen has a bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University in Montreal. She lives and works in Acton Ontario.

Organizer

Norval Studios and Gallery

Norval Studios & Gallery occupies the old parish hall belonging to St. Paul's Anglican Church. It was built in 1927-1928 and is nestled in the village of Norval, right beside St. Paul's, at 16 Adamson Street South (also known as Winston Churchill Boulevard). The architectural style of the hall is simple and unadorned, but it boasts a beautiful wood-clad interior, and a stage made famous by its connection to Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, who directed and acted in local plays in the 1920's and 30's during the nine years she lived in Norval.

The parish hall has been the home of Norval Studios & Gallery since March 2023. It currently provides working studios and gallery space for several local artists (painters, printmaker, and textile artist). Several special art events are hosted at the Gallery every year, including Plein Air competitions, the Montgomery Christmas Sale, and guest artist and group exhibitions and sales.

In early 2024, both St. Paul's Anglican Church and the parish hall earned the distinction of being declared Heritage Sites.