| ◘ Orillia in Black and White | ◘ Artistic Views of Orillia | ◘ Orillia's Famous Figures |
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| Sir Samuel Steele Building aka "Orillia Museum of Art and History" |
Downtown is the Orillia Museum of Art and History, offering a multitude of arts from area artists, as well as historical artworks and pieces of local history like pottery and artifacts. The displays change in the museum throughout the year, so it isn't unusual to find yourself visiting the museum on a regular basis. Located at 30 Peter Street South, it opens at 10:00am and closes at 4:00pm, from Tuesdays to Saturdays, Sundays 1-4 (closed Mondays from January to May).
The building (Sir Samuel Steele Building) has undergone several upgrades and changes over the years, having originally been the local police station at one point (prior to that, a post office), and has been existence since 1892. I suppose the building itself could be considered a work of art.
For more information on displays/shows and visitor rates, please visit their website: The Orillia Museum of Art and History.
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| Peter Street Art Corridor (©J. Gracey Stinson) |
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| Tiffin's Creative Center - downtown Orillia |
Just off Peter Street in a small laneway entrance you'll find Tiffin's Creative Center, where local artworks are always on display, and prints are offered for sale, along with cards and other artistic work. Tiffins is one of the great local printer's (I have used them too) and provides not only printing for artists, but photocopies, fax services, laminating, some supplies, and variety of other useful services.
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| Festival of Banners, Orillia |
From the the first painted displays in the streets of Orillia, Streets Alive has continued to grow, and have had subsequent art such as iron sailboats with painted sales, wooden chairs, and letters. Have a look at their site where you can see some of these: (Orillia Streets Alive)
Along with the visual arts, there are many musicians taking part in music festivals throughout the year in Orillia. The Mariposa Folk Festival is a long-standing favourite in this area, although it takes over one of our large public parks, which some of us locals really aren't that happy about. A public park should remain public, and not require an entrance fee. Most of us will "grit our teeth" and look the other way (or pay the entrance fee) for the duration of the festival.
It's a very worthwhile endeavour and without the entrance fee, the festival wouldn't survive. And that is something no one wants to see. It is one of the most popular and well-attended musical events in Orillia, drawing visitors from all over Canada.
We used to live quite close to this park, and one year the members of Herman's Hermits were on stage. I wandered over to the park, where some areas were closed unless you paid admission. But you could sit on the hill and hear the music just fine. Since that time, the festival has grown and expanded and taken over most of the park. If you're a music fan, this is one of the "must see" events in Orillia.
Throughout the year, there are a number of other music festivals - notably the Orillia Jazz and Blues Festival which has been another popular venue for music lovers.
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| Downtown Orillia Canada Day Parade ©J. Gracey Stinson |
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| Gospel Elvis at the Mariposa Market, ©J. Gracey Stinson |
During the numerous parades in Orillia you'll find musicians and singers taking part on the floats, as well as on erected bandstands at the waterfront. Festivals and outdoor events occur almost every weekend in Orillia during the spring to early fall months. From the huge and well-attended "scottish Festival" (around the middle of July) to the "Canada Day Celebrations" (July 1).
The written arts are also alive in Orillia. If you are a writer, or endeavouring to be a writer, take a look at the Orillia Writer's Group. As well, one of the very long running awards events in Orillia is the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Stephen Leacock was well known in our area as a writer of humour, and his summer home still stands (The Stephen Leacock Museum) on the shore of Lake Couchiching (open for visitor tours and events).
Please note: if you are an artist, musician, writer, actor/actress or involved in other arts areas within Orillia and the surrounding district, please contact me for inclusion the arts section of this site.
If you don't have an online presence but would like to be featured on a page here, contact me and I'll be happy to create one as part of this site.
Orillia Arts Links