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Old Town Hall continues to improvise

Cultural hub dances nimbly around pandemic

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WATERFORD – The program director at the Old Town Hall in Waterford is glad the property is no longer a municipal facility.

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Were the hall under the umbrella of Norfolk County, Claire Senko says it would be closed as a pandemic measure.

Instead – as a free-standing community non-profit – the Old Town Hall remains a vital cultural hub in Waterford where COVID-19 work-arounds have become part of the mission statement.

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“By our very nature, we are responsive to the community and the times,” Senko said this week. “Though it’s been challenging, we are just being who we are. When the pandemic began, we decided to just do what we can.”

As it happens, that has been quite a bit. The 10 live “music strolls” in front yards along Waterford’s main thoroughfares last year lifted spirits in town while maintaining social distancing in a safe, outdoor environment.

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The Old Town Hall has always prided itself on punching above its weight when it comes to live performances. Ambitious programming over the past year includes showcasing internationally-recognized talents Chantal Kreviazuk and Ron Sexsmith.

Folk musician and visual artist Ian Bell, former curator of the Harbour Museum in Port Dover, has a long-standing relationship with the Old Town Hall dating back to his time as a student at Waterford District High School. In the early-1970s, a section of the mothballed building was a popular, after-school hangout.

Over the past year, Bell has paid homage to his old stomping ground with a series of Old Town Hall videos – available on YouTube – celebrating in music and exposition Norfolk’s rich history of and attachment to dance halls, railroads and agriculture.

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Meanwhile — during the pandemic – the Old Town Hall has doubled-down on its mandate as a showcase for the visual arts.

The latest exhibit, which opened April 4 and runs till May 8, is titled 4instance. It features four artists from the Greater Hamilton Area and – in keeping with pandemic times – relies heavily on web-based resources.

Two of the artists are senior citizens who lived in Cayuga before relocating to Burlington. Lynda and Dennis Jones came to painting late in life but both have found their muse.

Through her association with an art gallery in Burlington, Lynda Jones has been surprised and pleased to see her work rented out to production companies producing many well-known TV programs. Among them is the Emmy-Award winning comedy series Schitt’s Creek.

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Jones, 77, took up painting 12 years ago. Today, she has clients in Canada, United States and Mexico.

When she first put paint to canvas, Jones recalls one outspoken critic who told her to pack it in; that what potential she had wasn’t worth developing. Having the last laugh, she says, is the best revenge.

“I learned never to paint for someone,” she says. “I paint what’s inside me. I like to take my own path, experimenting as I go. No matter what your medium, never change your style to suit someone else.

“Each artist is unique. Experimenting is the way to grow. Take chances. Go out of your comfort zone. We learn, as artists, to take risks. After all, it is just a canvas.”

Other artists featured in 4instance include Alex Chorny and Annie Dudink. Their work is available for viewing online under the gallery tab at oldtownhall.org .

MSonnenberg@postmedia.com

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