Gananoque's Before the Summer Show 2026

This year, the “Before the Summer Original Art Show and Sale” will be held April 24, 25, and 26 at the Firehall Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque, ON. On Friday evening from 5 to 9 p.m., there will be music from “Evening Edition,” and a cash bar.

The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. To see all the participating artists, please visit our website - https://www.beforethesummer.com.

Jules Crowley’s landscape paintings involve rivers, lakes, and "the Islands;" memories of a childhood growing up near the River and summers spent at the cottage near Gananoque, where she now lives.

Linda Norton, of South Glengarry, has an obsession with woodland animals, especially foxes. Her style is whimsical and vibrant, which lifts the spirit and makes you happy. Her goal is to weave the magic of the forest into everything she paints.

Eda Brown's paintings create a sense of place at a particular moment in time. Working mainly with oil paint, she creates landscapes that have a loose and painterly feel. Eda lives in Brockville.

Fused glass enables Candice Nixon, from Cornwall, to capture the essence of the ever-changing face of the natural world by exploring the many ways glass that can be manipulated.

Ed Vanderbaaren, who lives in Brockville, is a representational artist and potter, crafting pieces that are both functional and easily recognizable.

Callia Silverton, a Kingston artist, depicts a wide array of subjects, including landscapes, both urban and rural, and portraits of people and animal friends. She uses bright colours and loose, expressive brushstrokes to deftly depict light and atmosphere.

You’ll usually find Tracy-Lynn Chisholm, of Cornwall, where the wild things are. Her paintings are rooted in untamed spaces — places where the soul can exhale — gentle reminders that while there may be no WIFI in the forest, you’ll always find a better connection.

Nadine Baker’s artwork sits at the intersection of impressionistic softness and luminous realism, evoking calm introspection and a gentle sense of wonder. Nadine is from Kingston.

Laura Kingsbury, from Merrickville, says "I have always been inspired by nature in my professional career as a wildlife biologist. I have been painting wildlife and birds for over 40 years but more recently have wandered into painting Canadian landscapes in acrylics.”

We look forward to welcoming you at “Before the Summer!”

By Martha Stroud

Martha Stroud's family emigrated from Ireland around 1908, to live first in Gananoque, then Kingston, and finally Toronto where she was born. She has lived and worked on three continents but is very happy to have retired back to Kingston and the Thousand Islands area, where she tries to capture nature's ever-changing on canvas. See Martha's past articles and the work of her many artist friends here and here!