Collingwood’s cultural providers are opening their doors to invite the town to experience and participate in art, dance, theatre and more.

The town is hosting 15 events at seven different locations as part of the third national Culture Days event from Sept. 28 until 30.

“It’s a great opportunity to really showcase all the amazing talent, creativity, the artists and art and culture organizations that we have in Collingwood,” said Tanya Mazza, Parks, Recreation and Culture’s arts and culture co-ordinator. “Some of it, people might not necessarily be aware of.”

At 65 Simcoe Street, the arts and culture hub of town, Theatre Collingwood will be hosting a “Peek Behind the Scenes” event, where set carpenters, scenic artists, makeup and prop artists and other members of production will provide demonstrations.

“Many people look at theatre as being the final product on stage and they forget the huge production team that needs to co-ordinate together to render that ruling idea for the stage,” said Irene Thomas, Theatre Collingwood’s general manager.

Fleet-wood Dancentre will welcome kids and youth to try out classes and everybody is invited to watch dance demonstrations.

Also at that location, in her newly renovated studio, artist Lory MacDonald will present “The Monster Art Project.”

The project, inspired by artist Dave Devries, has artists take kids’ drawings of monsters and design their own versions of them using either paintings, drawings, sculptures, or graphic design.

“I thought it would be fun to do in the community here,” said MacDonald. “The idea is to take the fun drawings and honour them and keep the original concept and then create these incredible pieces of art from them.”

The Collingwood Museum’s doors will be open for participants to come view their current exhibition “The Noble Experiment: Temperance & Prohibition” which features panels of information about what Canadian early settlers did and did not drink and other historical artifacts relating to these topics.

The Collingwood Library will be hosting events for all ages throughout the weekend. On Sept. 28, they are hosting the “Library Campout” for kids ages 7 to 12, which includes a scavenger hunt to help kids learn more about library services and break the stereotypes of libraries being a stagnant, quiet space.

“We are going to promote literacy and they aren’t even going to know it,” said Ashley Kulchycki, Collingwood Public Library’s supervisor of children and teen services.

They are also hosting the “Teddy Bear Picnic and Storytime” on Sept. 29 for kids ages three to six with teddy bear-themed stories, songs, and crafts.

The Tremont will be hosting an artisan market, art exhibition, and live music while Vision One Walk for artists make their entrance between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sept. 29.

Sue Kenney began a 425 kilometre walk along the Bruce Trail on Sept. 9 to raise money for artists with the concept of paying artists to walk to generate creativity.

“I’m in Wiarton right now. Have walked over 160 km mostly barefoot or with minimalist shoes called Zems. Have walked past two rattlesnakes, no bears. I am walking with Amanda Stillemunkes from Toronto. We are loving the trail and all the people along the way,” wrote Kenney in an email to the E-B on Tuesday.

Other art exhibits will be on display at Town Hall, the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts Centre and the Collingwood Library.

The Celtic Academy Canada will be hosting an open invitation dance workshop and demonstration at the library on Sept. 29 and at the Leisure Time Club on Sept. 28 specifically geared towards seniors.

The Celtic dance instructor Mary Foley went to Ireland to teach for eight years and returned to continue teaching in Collingwood region.

“My main thing is to keep the arts and culture heritage vibrant and to preserve the whole ethnicity aspects,” she said. “Coming back here I want to take what I learned there and bring it back here and keep it going and alive.”

Other Culture Days event organizers also say they are aiming to promote arts and culture in the community.

“Culture is often easily dismissed in the community, it sort of goes under the radar, other activities, sports for example are much more visual, so it’s great that there is the option from coast-to-coast for culture to be celebrated,” said Christine Palka, The Collingwood Public Library’s public relations co-ordinator.

“I think as institutions of culture or contributors to culture it’s really important for us to seize that opportunity.”

Culture Days in Collingwood kicked off during the the Collingwood Arts and Culture Awards reception on Thursday at the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts Centre.

More information about Collingwood’s Culture Days can be found on the towns website at www.collingwood.ca/culturedays.

- emily.innes@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @emlocks5