Art Hive

The Haliburton Highlands are often called “a natural work of art,” and the reason for this is clear; a beautiful natural environment exists peacefully alongside a thriving arts community. The artists of this community are inherently innovative when creating their products, but it can be difficult to be innovative when it comes to marketing and selling art. That is why the Art Hive Gallery and Store, operated by the Maple Lake Artisans Collective, is unique in their efforts to market their members’ art to a wider audience.

Located on Highway 118 between the hamlets of West Guilford and Carnarvon, The Art Hive occupies a building that long served the region as a general store. Within this rustic setting, the Art Hive displays the work of local artists while also hosting artist workshops, seminars, and fun arts themed events such as fashion shows and auctions.

The Art Hive opened in 2007, and presently has 13 artist members whose work is represented in the gallery.

“The Art Hive displays the work of painters, jewellers, potters, weavers, spinners, blacksmiths, photographers, mixed media artists, and more,” said painter, weaver, and Collective member Wendy Wood. “The Art Hive is a not-for-profit with all income covering basic expenses and to support our programming. Each artist pays a monthly fee plus a low commission to sell their work in the gallery. As part of their membership every artist is expected to spend a certain amount of time each month working at the gallery.” 

Aside from the gallery, The Art Hive also has a small café bar where visitors can purchase a variety of treats including coffee, teas, espresso, and baked goods.

“We’re different from other local galleries in a number of ways,” member Deb Crockatt said. “The Art Hive has a low commission rate, which allows the artists to keep more of the profit. Unlike other Haliburton County galleries, we only showcase local artists. Also, we host a variety of community based fundraising events in which we invite people who are not professional artists to create art."

Events that have featured ‘non-artists’ include the ‘Cash for Cups’ fundraiser, in which community members were asked to create pieces that included parts from a bra, and ‘Found it at the Dump’ in which people made art from items retrieved from local landfill sites. The Art Hive gallery and store provides a casual non-threatening atmosphere where patrons meander through to view fine art and craft displayed with antique props, very different from the austere and “high culture” aura of traditional galleries.

“The Art Hive is a non-judgmental space,” Crockatt said. “Members always help each other by providing input and constructive criticism. It really helps to develop one’s work. We also help each other by teaching about the business side of being an artist. This includes marketing the product, setting up exhibits, and properly displaying the art.”

“It’s also very easy for members to host workshops,” member Sandi Luck said. “They can design and teach their own workshop, and it provides another source of income.” Workshops scheduled to take place at the Art Hive this summer include a wide variety for both children and adults from magic wand making, stencil and stamp making, photography lessons, felting, jewellery, clay and puppet design. “The workshops are inexpensive and a great summer activity,” Luck said. Workshops are held in the back portion of the gallery, outside under a large tent, or in some instances outdoors under the sun.

Since opening, the Haliburton Highlands have been good to The Art Hive. “We’ve been successful,” Wood said. “Our business has grown each year. Despite ups and downs in the national economy our sales have continuously increased. Haliburton County is a great place for this business for a number of reasons. The Haliburton County Development Corporation has helped us out over years through funding programs, including provision of a marketing intern who set up our website.”

“Due to the relatively small size of the community, we always get great coverage in the local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations, something which is less likely to occur in a larger centre. ” Luck said. “People recognize the Haliburton Highlands as an arts community, and they come here specifically to see art, which is beneficial to us. We also have much lower rental costs than in an urban centre.”

Like many Highland entrepreneurs, the members of the Art Hive recognize that the citizens of the county make a big difference. The Collective received the 2008 Chamber of Commerce “New Business of the Year Award,” and has also been honoured by the Arts Council~Haliburton Highlands as “Emerging Artist” in 2008 and “Founder” in 2010.

“The community has always been very supportive of us,” Wood said. “People are always dropping in, and locals often bring their friends from out of town to visit the Art Hive. It seems as though people in the Haliburton Highlands are more interested in seeing a business succeed than viewing it as competition. This, of course, is good for business.”