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- .m. auuy, ruuy no, AUUJ History meets art Tour held at historic places By JENNIFER CALDWELL The Hamilton Spectator Art and history plan to meet in Stoney Creek. The Spring Blossom Artists Tour is a craft sale with a twist as local artists plan to display and sell their art in his- torical locales. "We have something new here," the event's organizer and artist Vera Tem- pelmans Plat-Rehill said. "We are a small area that has a lot of history and I thought, what a neat idea if we could combine art and history to bring people into Stoney Creek." Displaying their art at three histori- cal venues, Battlefield House Muse-- um, the Picture Palace and the Erland Lee Home, eight artists will meet, greet and part with their art on May 25 and 26. Renowned artist Shirley Elford will be showing her blown glass in the Er- land Lee Home. l Elford said the tour is like a two for one deal. "Everyone will learn, not only about art but about history. ' "Not only do you discover the artist, but you discover the treasure, too," she said. "I am going to keep score on how i. l Artists participating in the Spring Blossom Artists Tour are front row, from left: Serena Marrone, Shelli Eisenberg, MacDougall and Norman Bratty. Back row: Bonnie Sylvia, Margaret Barlow, Shirley Elford, Jackie Utter, many people say that they had no idea." Plat-Rehill agreed, saying she set out to combine the two disciplines. "A lot of the history in our communi- ty is very interesting, so this is history with a twist. "Why do we go to Europe to see art and old buildings, but here we just tear the old buildings down?" she asked. Elford hopes the tour will demon-- strate just how lucky people living in the area are. "We are pretty wonderful around here, we just don't know we are," she said. "I'm pretty excited. Whatever we can do to make people appreciate where they live." The first Spring Blossom tour is free and includes admission to all three historical properties. Plat-Rehill and Elford said that an- other highlight of the tour is the chance to meet and' chat with art lovers. "People always enjoy talking to the artist and I always enjoy meeting the people who actually love your wor " Plat-Rehill said. "If I can get one person turned on to crafl, then 'wow'," Elford added. ' "Sometimes it isn't important what you sell, but just getting to meet the people and celebrate craft." The tour will also present the work of weaver Bonnie Sylvia, potter Mar- garet Barlow, potter Jackie Utter, painter Ellen MacDougall, jewellers Shelli and Mark ' Eisenberg, painter Norman Bratty. The work of some high school KAZ NOVAK, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Melissa Arcari, Melissa Turner, Ellen Vera Tempelmans Plat-Rehill and Kassandra Contant. student artists will be available as well. Visitors will have the chance to win a piece donated by the artists. There will also be an opportunity to purchase special and limited edition artwork that was created especially for the tour. For information, call the museum, at (905)662-8458 You can contact Jennifer Caldwell at jcaldwell@hamiltonspectatoncom or at 905-526-2410.