A Community Arts Centre in Chaleur may be in the works.

Chaleur Region has been waiting a very long time.

This might have happened many years ago at the old Sacred Heart Convent in Bathurst. Plans were in the works until the Bulldozers came in and POOF the building became a memory and the property a parking lot for the beautiful new City Hall.

Years later we still have no Community Arts Centre in Bathurst, the largest community in the Chaleur Region.

Ahhh but things are beginning to happen, maybe. Facts can be fuzzy at times.

There has been some recent resurgence of interest in getting a community Arts Centre started in Bathurst.

AMDHHA has been working on this idea for at least 10 years so this is nothing new. What is new is that there seems to be yet another organization in the process of forming to bring this hope to fruition. This new agency may be looking at the Maison Doucet Hennessy House as a possible location for this centre. There also has been interest expressed that LaBarque in Green Point Pointe Verte might be a good location.

Several other local and provincial organizations and businesses also appear to be somehow involved in this move to build a community arts centre in Bathurst.

Personally I think it is wonderful that there is so much happening all of a sudden. The one concern I have is that local individual artists might be left out of this picture. For that reason I have begun to raise a series of artist meet ups.

My hope is that other independent artists like myself will be encouraged and permitted to also have a say in any plans to build a community arts centre.

The first meetup planned for May 11 is canceled
It will NOT be held …

We will NOT be meeting …

Since the house has been closed up most of the winter it might still be a bit cool inside so it would be good to dress warm.

We will NOT be meeting with … for artists who want to work in the house this summer, … and see what facilities are being offered.

Although the artist meet-ups will not be taking place at Doucet-Hennessy House I still support the idea that this house could play some part in the future of the artists of Chaleur.

The official name of this organization is AMDHHA Association Doucet Hennessy House Association by the way if you want to do a search. The house is an historic property and the organization has both a website and a Facebook site.

As for the next meet-up in a month’s time , well we had planned to fix a time and date on May 11. … But that one has been canceled.

Any suggestions anyone as to a venue for meet-ups?

I did approach the local Bathurst library with a request for meeting space but that was over a week ago and they have yet to get back to me.

Meanwhile I’ll be searching out other potential free art spaces in the region. If you have any suggestions please let me know Contact maggiequinn@rogers or call 783-7944

If you know of any artists who would like to join us, please invite them along to future meet-ups.

These will be informal get togethers. For anyone who can only spare a half hour that is fine. By just showing up to show support you are helping. If you you want to stay around for an hour or two to discuss future plans and share ideas that is wonderful. No fees, no committees no voting, no hierarchy, let’s try this.