LOCAL MUSIC, Arts & Culture
The Town of Huntsville ensures that a wide range of arts, culture and heritage opportunities are available to residents and visitors by working actively in partnership with community organizations and enterprises. Huntsville is actively working to be recognized as a leading creative community in Ontario. The Cultural Strategy and Unity Plan for community sustainability. The Town of Huntsville maintains a number of arts, cultural and heritage facilities and programs. The responsibility for daily operation and programming of these facilities is shared with Town staff and local volunteer organizations. Please visit the Town of Huntsville's community directory page to find information on arts, cultural and heritage facilities and groups, local volunteer organizations and other useful community links.
The Algonquin Theatre officially opened its doors on May 14, 2005 to a full house of Theatre supporters. Opening week was filled with excitement as a vision was being realized in Huntsville. The Algonquin Theatre is part of the Huntsville Civic Centre, in the heart of downtown Huntsville. The Algonquin Theatre has been host to a wide variety of plays, musical performances, meetings, videos, presentations and school groups. The theatre has offered outstanding performances from comedians to orchestras, from elementary school plays to musicians of international acclaim. The space is for the many and not for the few. The theatre strives to be the venue of choice for area events, attractions and meetings.
Founded in 1993 by Toronto residents Attila Glatz and Susan Alberghini in conjunction with local residents, Jim and Jane Alexander, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts has become one of Canada's most significant and highly acclaimed arts festivals. Based in Huntsville, Ontario, the Festival's roots were initially strongly classical and centered around a resident professional symphony orchestra under the baton of Kerry Stratton.
Today the Festival covers a broad spectrum of classical and contemporary music events, as well as dance, theatre, literature, children's cultural activities and public celebrations. Muskoka's resort and cottage country offers a variety of unique venues for the Festival's events. Starting in 2005 Huntsville’s new Algonquin Theatre became principle venue. In addition, several Huntsville locations are used including Trinity United Church, Muskoka Heritage Place, Deerhurst Resort Pavilion and the Town Centre's outdoor gazebos and waterfront. The Festival fosters a sense of ownership in the community and is considered an integral summer event in the area.
The Huntsville Theatre Company began in 2010 - after the successful run of "Here On The Flight Path" with the Trinity Drama Group. With a desire to perform more than 1 show per year, The Huntsville Theatre Company was born with its production of "Cinderella". The theatre company is open to anyone interested in being part of 'the team'. Whether your interests lie on stage or behind the scenes, we would love to have you on board.
Edge of the Woods Theatre grew out of the work of Dan Watson, Christina Serra and their colleagues to bring alternative performances and arts-making practices to Muskoka/Parry Sound. Through an invitation and financial support by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, we presented the inaugural edition of the Edge of the Woods Theatre Festival in the summer of 2008. Drawing inspiration from varied forms of visually-based and socially-engaged performance, in particular Jumblies Theatre and the Cooking Fire Theatre Festival from Toronto, our inaugural festival mixed professional performances with community-engaged art-making activities in outdoor public spaces in downtown Huntsville.
The band is comprised of amateur and semi-professional musicians of all ages, from young adults to those with significantly more life experience. Band members include, among others, current and retired school teachers, engineers, accountants, pilots, students,....you name it, we've probably got it! Some have always called Muskoka home and for others, it has become home. A passion for music, good fun, and a strong sense of community keep members coming back year after year.
The Huntsville Suzuki School was founded in 1991 and is located in the historic CN Train Station near the downtown core in Huntsville, Ontario. Huntsville Suzuki students are very active in the community, playing at fundraising events, mall concerts, and other promotional events. They also play at local retirement homes and area public schools as part of the school’s outreach program. All students perform on school solo recitals, and on several large group concerts during the year. These events are open to the public and are either free or admission by donation. In addition to receiving excellent local instruction, the school's students have benefited from workshop given bysome of Canada’s finest musicians including the Penderecki, Borealis and Alcan String Quartets, leading violinists Jasper Wood and Nancy Dahn and fiddler Natalie MacMaster.
Touch the Past in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, at Muskoka Heritage Place, the home of the Muskoka Museum, Muskoka Pioneer Village and the Portage Flyer Train. Muskoka Heritage Place is the primary historical centre in Huntsville, featuring two museums, 18 authentic pioneer buildings, and a genuine open-air train ride, all situated on a beautiful 90-acre site. Visitors to Muskoka Heritage Place enter through a turn-of-the-20th-century Muskoka museum to a 90 acre outdoor site encompassing Cann Lake and nature trails. Life in the late 1800s is historically recreated with genuine settlement dwellings from the Huntsville area. Costumed narrators demonstrate pioneer life and engage and entertain our visitors with pioneer demonstrations and hands-on activities. www.muskokaheritageplace.org
The Huntsville Art Society is an exciting and active club with over 100 enthusiastic members who share their artistic skills and knowledge in a rewarding fellowship. Our member artists work in all types of media. This dynamic group is comprised of a full range of skills; from creative individuals who are just beginning, to full-time professionals. We host numerous events such as community art shows and skill sharing workshops held primarily in the Muskoka, Ontario region. The Huntsville Art Society is a proud sponsor to a variety of community support groups. We combine the exhibition of our members' works with fundraising activities, resulting in contributions to charitable organizations throughout Muskoka. We encourage you to come out and participate in the many events and activities that our members help plan and organize. https://huntsvilleart.ca/
Muskoka Arts & Crafts is the true heart of visual arts in the province’s favourite vacation area. One of Ontario’s oldest and most well established arts organizations, Muskoka Arts & Crafts has grown since its inception in 1963 to include nearly 400 artists and arts supporters, and has become an innovative force in the community at large.
For artists, Muskoka Arts & Crafts is one of the benefits of living in Muskoka, a source of support through like-minded people that fosters creative growth and a feeling of community. In turn, the promotion of the arts through Muskoka Arts & Crafts and its members has made Muskoka a vibrant and culturally engaged destination for visitors, local residents and summer residents alike. www.muskokaartsandcrafts.com
The Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery is an inspiring and dramatic mural collection featuring over 80 world-class reproductions of famous artwork by Tom Thomson and Canada’s renowned Group of Seven artists. The Gallery is a free public art experience that is designed to engage the community, residents, visitors and tourists alike. The murals are hand-painted by select mural artists from across Canada, and are displayed on the exterior walls of businesses and public buildings throughout the Huntsville, Lake of Bays, and Algonquin Park region. The public is encouraged to view the works at their own leisure through self-guided tours. This year-round attraction makes for an educational, fun and fascinating adventure for the whole family. The Group of Seven Outdoor Galleries’ main collection is focused around the Historic Downtown Huntsville Main St district. The tour begins in Front of the Algonquin Theatre, 37 Main St. East. The map (above) has a blue line to indicate the walking path to take to view the murals. Please take your time to obey all traffic signals when crossing roads and intersections. There are a number of murals located at the sketch gallery, which is a short walk south on Brunel Rd. www.thegroupofsevenoutdoorgallery.com Click here for map of Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery Tour Map.
The Artists of the Limberlost is a collective of 8 artists and craftspeople with studios along the scenic Limberlost Road, north of Hwy. 60 in Muskoka, Ontario. Their work covers a broad range of media and style, but they are united in their love of the ruggedly beautiful Canadian Shield landscape which they call home. Each artist welcomes visitors to their studio (see contact information on Studio pages), but to really share their work with the public, the Artists of the Limberlost join together for their annual Open Studio Weekend each summer. With guest artists at each location, you'll meet and see the work of many diverse and talented artists along a compact, 20 km. route. Limberlost Road is close to Algonquin Park in the Huntsville/Lake of Bays area of Ontario, and winds through forest, rock and wetlands rich in wildlife and natural beauty. www.artistsofthelimberlost.ca
For close to 40 years, the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour has seen a continued evolution, presenting only the finest professional artists and craftspeople working within Muskoka. There is always something new to discover, from well-designed functional items to expressive fine art. Everything you see on the tour has emerged from the inspiration of the landscape and the skill of our members. The artists of Canada's original studio tour invite you to explore Muskoka's dramatic autumn landscape and to see where the past year's inspiration has taken us. The remarkable realm of colour, form, texture, and design created by the artists of the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour is echoed in the splendour of the region at this magnificent time of year. The brilliant foliage and sparkling waters highlight the pleasure of seeking out the studios tucked in back roads and overlooking scenic vistas. www.muskokaautumnstudiotour.com