Back to the Arts! Perth’s Omnes Arts Circle Offers Classes in Music, Dance, Theatre and Visual Arts - theHumm October 2021
Back to the Arts! Perth’s Omnes Arts Circle Offers Classes in Music, Dance, Theatre and Visual Arts - theHumm October 2021
By Kris Riendeau
Back in 2016, Taisha Lesser moved back to her hometown of Perth with her newly-minted Master’s degree and opened The Music Circle — offering piano and voice lessons in her home studio. That studio grew rapidly, and in 2018 Taisha purchased Arts in Motion Perth School of Dance and changed her company name to Omnes Arts Circle (pronounced Omm-ness, meaning “all” in Latin). Omnes now offers classes in music, dance, theatre, and visual arts, and has thankfully weathered the pandemic! theHumm caught up with Taisha to find out about her plans for this fall.
theHumm: Let’s start by looking forward. What types of classes are you offering this fall, and are you able to return to an in-person format?
Taisha Lesser: We’re so excited to be returning to in-person classes this fall, and we’ve even added some new programs! Some of our exciting new additions are Tap, Acro, and Parent & Tot dance classes, weekly Craft Club, and various workshops for all ages (even adults!) throughout the year. Our PA Day Camps, March Break Camp, and Summer Camps are returning this year too.
We’re following the ever-changing Covid protocols very closely, and most of our programs are available in an online format for those who feel more comfortable.
How did you and your staff manage during the lockdown? Were you able to “pivot” and offer online lessons?
During the lockdowns, we moved all of our programming online. We offered dance classes live on Zoom, which was a huge mental and emotional boost for our students and teachers alike. Music lessons also moved to Zoom, and one of the perks was being able to focus on aspects we don’t always get to focus on in person. Some of the highlights of our last year were the year-end outdoor dance show recording, and our virtual music recitals.
What kind of response and support have you had from the Perth community during the pandemic?
The Perth community, along with our Omnes family, has been incredibly supportive throughout the pandemic. While it was a very challenging year, it was also very rewarding. I am forever grateful to the families that were able to stick with us during this time, and can’t wait to see the ones who had to take a break back with us this year!
After months of lockdown and online-only learning, why is it more important than ever to engage young people in artistic activities?
The last year-and-a-half has wreaked havoc on the mental health of so many people, and now more than ever we need to return to activities like the arts. There is an increasing amount of research showing us that participating in the arts is linked to mental and emotional well-being, and it offers a safe space to rekindle those social connections that we’ve all been missing.
What are you most looking forward to when students return this fall?
I can’t wait to see the SMILES, even if they’re behind masks! We truly are a family here at Omnes, and we’ve all been missing each other so much. When students walk in our door grinning ear-to-ear with excitement for the new season, it warms our hearts and makes all the hardships of the last year-and-a-half worth it. We all can’t wait to move forward and continue making memories with our students!
For more information and to register for a wide variety of classes, visit omnesartscircle.ca .
Keith Busher — Art Advocate & Provocateur, Gallery Owner and Curator - theHumm October 2021
By Sally Hansen
Art… and Soul
He’s not a secret agent, but Keith Busher knows how to use his unconventional art to elicit an emotional response. Ideally, he hopes to cause you to explore your reactions to some of his more disturbing pieces. As an artist, he explores his other side as well, producing beautiful abstracts in completely unorthodox ways, and writing oddly original poetry to encourage youth through the perils of surviving their teens.
Busher has burst onto the largely traditional arts scene ......
Romp, Stomp & Chomp! Thanksgiving Art Tour in Mississippi Mills - theHumm October 2021
This Thanksgiving weekend, take a romp through the colourful and historic backroads of Mississippi Mills to enjoy three — yes, three — art tours in one special event! On October 9 and 10, the Mississippi Mills Art Romp will combine the artistic expressions of the Maple Run Tour, the Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour, and Art in the Attic. Over 40 artists and artisans will welcome you to heritage buildings, unique shops, a craft brewery, and even a Christmas tree farm, as well as&......
One Day Only Open Studio Art by Catherine Orfald and Rita Redner - theHumm October 2021
There will be a One Day Only Open Studio on Saturday, October 9 from 10am to 5pm at Catherine Orfald’s painting studio, located at 1848 Old Brooke Road in Maberly. Rita Redner will be a guest with her pottery. Covid protocols will be in place: please wear a mask and respect distancing.
Catherine will be exhibiting pieces from this year’s DRAW retreat dumoine.org/draw . This Dumoine River Art for Wilderness retreat had 15 ar......
More Music at MERA! - theHumm October 2021
That’s the enthusiastic start to the missive theHumm received recently from our friends up at MERA (McDonalds Corners & Elphin Recreation & Arts). We are delighted that they have started their Music at MERA concert series again, and we’d like to encourage our readers to support them by attending. All concerts take place on Sundays at 2pm, and you’ll find the details below.
Paul Marleyn & Frédéric Lacroix
On October 3, the very popul......
From Quiet to Concerts Almonte in Concert Returns to Old Town Hall This Fall - theHumm October 2021
By Maureen Nevins is the Artistic Director of Almonte in Concert
The Ron Caron Auditorium in Almonte Old Town Hall is set to come alive again with the sound of music! After cancelling its 2020-21 season because of the pandemic, Almonte in Concert returns for its 41st season.
The series opens on a light note on October 30, with clarinetist Christopher Hall and the nationally renowned string quartet Quatuor Andara. Hall is well known for delighting audiences both with beautiful music and injections of humour, and th......
Leave the Leaves (and other counter-intuitive suggestions) - theHumm October 2021
By Scott Hortop
If you’re like me, you are hearing about climate change every day — and you’re seeing its effect in your own backyard.
Are fewer types of birds visiting your bird feeder? Current estimates indicate that North America is home to nearly three billion fewer birds today compared to 1970 — that’s more than 1 in 4 birds that have disappeared from the landscape in a mere half-century.
Remember when every summer car trip meant you had to scrub the windshield and the grill, because it w......
Rural Root Goes Fishing! The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby - theHumm October 2021
What a better way to start off a renewed theatre season than with a comedy? Rural Root Theatre Company will be performing The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby by Norm Foster, directed by Helen and Martin Weeden, at the Northwind Wireless Fibe Centre in Constance Bay. Performances will take place on November 7 at 2pm, and from November 9–13 at 7:30pm.
This play is a “fish out of water” tale centering around James, a naive business techie who thinks he’s r......
Fall Colours Walk at Blueberry Mountain - theHumm October 2021
One of the best places in Lanark County to witness a panoramic view of fall colours is from the top of Blueberry Mountain at cliffLAND. This singularly beautiful display of nature remains central to the upcoming Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) event on Sunday, October 3. This is a special fundraising day to learn more about and help support MMLT’s conservation work. Come and hike the gently rising trail at your own time and pace and enjoy one of the Seven Wonders of Lanark......
Red Trillium Fall Tour - theHumm October 2021
If the crisp autumn air and turning colours have you yearning to get out into the countryside, you’ll be delighted to hear that twenty talented artists are participating in the Fall 2021 Red Trillium Studio Tour over the weekend of October 23 and 24!
Red Trillium showcases the studios of some of West Carleton’s most talented artists and fine craftspeople. Just twenty minutes beyond Kanata, into the scenic countryside around Carp, Dunrobin and Kinburn, you will be welcomed at studios featuri......
Pumpkins-Plus in Perth Ghost Walks, Pumpkin Carving and More! - theHumm October 2021
From Pumpkins at the Palace, the Perth Ghost Walk, concerts, theatre productions and more, you’ll find so much to do in Perth for Halloween!
You won’t want to miss the famous Perth Ghost Walk starting from Perth Museum (11 Gore St. E.) on October 28, 29 and 30. The walks are led by historian Susan Code McDougall, who will tell you some of the eerie tales in Perth’s past and outline the buildings where ghost sightings have been reported. The tour is targeted toward adults but is suitable for ......
Lanark County Climate Action Survey — Add Your Voice! - theHumm October 2021
By Chandler Swain
You have a chance to contribute to plans to address the Climate Crisis in Lanark County and Smiths Falls. A team from Climate Network Lanark worked to create a comprehensive survey to find out what Lanark County residents are currently doing and what they plan to do to address climate change.
The following information was taken from climatenetworklanark.ca , where you can find a link to the survey right on the home page.
Lanark Co......
Great Veggie Grow-Off Growing Food, Building Communities - theHumm October 2021
Back in 2014, a friendly competition between Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place/Beckwith resulted in 2,860 pounds of fresh produce being donated to the Lanark County Food Bank. Since then, the Great Veggie Grow-Off (GVGO) has expanded to include the communities of Perth, Drummond/North Elmsley, Tay Valley, Lanark Highlands and Smiths Falls, and in 2020 a staggering 16,541 pounds of food were grown and donated to area food banks. This year, organizers are hoping to break previous records, and every......
Silent Auction for Mississippi Mills Libraries - theHumm October 2021
By Pam Harris
Established in January 2020, the Friends of the Mississippi Mills Public Library (FMMPL) is a volunteer fundraising group that works to support and promote the services of the Mississippi Mills Public Library. We are an independent, arms-length body collaborating with and supporting the library through all its initiatives, creating a strong library community in Mississippi Mills.
We were just getting underway when Covid hit, throwing a monkey wrench into o......
In the Middle of the World at MVTM - theHumm October 2021
From October 2 to December 18, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is excited to welcome guest curator Miranda Bouchard and new tapestry work by renowned textile artists Penny Berens and Judy Martin.
The naturally dyed, slow-stitched textile works of these two artists inspire ways of seeing, sensing and reflection that are simultaneously outwards, at our surroundings; and inwards, at the landscapes within us.
Martin and Berens render time ......
Come and Hike for Home Hospice! - theHumm October 2021
This year is the ninth time that Home Hospice North Lanark (HHNL) is participating in the annual Hike for Hospice. This is part of a national initiative organized by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, with 100% of all funds raised staying in the community in which the Hike is hosted, thanks to the generous support of GSK and Amgen.
In the past, HHNL hosted a Hike to raise funds for HHNL at the beautiful Mill of Kintail in May. Last year that wasn’t possible, so or......
Perth Celebrates Can. Library Month - theHumm October 2021
October is Canadian Library Month! During this month, libraries and their partners across Canada raise awareness of the valuable role libraries play in Canadians’ lives. For 2021, Ontario Public Library Week will take place from October 17 to October 23, and the theme is “One Card, One Million Possibilities.”
Explore these possibilities through the Perth and District Library’s Scavenger Hunt. This all-ages event will take place on Saturday, October 30. To participate, stop ......
Sisters in Spirit Vigil in Perth - theHumm October 2021
By — Submitted the Lanark County Neighbours for Truth and Reconciliation
On October 4, the Sisters in Spirit Vigil will be held in many places across Canada. In Perth, the Vigil will take place at the Healing Forest Memorial in Last Duel Park at 5.30pm. The event will include an Indigenous Ceremony, readings, and a display of Red Dresses. Anyone is welcome to attend the ceremony, which will be held in accordance with current Covid guidelines. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket if you wish.
The Sisters in Spirit Vigil honours Missing and Murdered Indig......
Music to Our Ears An Interview with Trevor Lubin - theHumm October 2021
By Kris Riendeau
A few years back, I (along with my husband, our twenty-something kids and their twenty-something friends) were regularly rocking out to the high-energy music of the Ramblin’ Valley Band. They seemed to play any chance they got, and filled local venues with enthusiastic fans who knew the members by name and their lyrics by heart. Alas, the band is no longer together, but we were delighted to hear that the talented Trevor Lubin has been playing locally, often in the company of his ......
Harvest Time at theCP Farmers’ Market - theHumm October 2021
Although the official Harvest Festival took place at the Carleton Place Farmers’ Market on September 18, there will still be still lots of delicious produce available until their closing weekend. The current plan is for closing day to take place on October 9, but pending weather and produce availability they may extend the market until the 16th, so check their Facebook page for up-to-the-minute details. There will also be special artisan days on October 2 and 9, with some new ve......
Ecotay Re-Emerges! - theHumm October 2021
By John Pigeau
With their first season of business coming to a close in the fall, the new owners of Ecotay are still extremely excited — about all that’s happened, and also about what’s to come.
The new owners of the beautiful refurbished barns in Tay Valley are Natasha Lackey, her husband Justin, and Natasha’s cousin Susan Noonan. For Natasha and Justin, being able to buy the place back in June when it came up for sale felt a bit like a fairy tale.
“Not only did Sarah and I grow up just around the corner,......
Back to the Arts! Perth’s Omnes Arts Circle Offers Classes in Music, Dance, Theatre and Visual Arts - theHumm October 2021
By Kris Riendeau
Back in 2016, Taisha Lesser moved back to her hometown of Perth with her newly-minted Master’s degree and opened The Music Circle — offering piano and voice lessons in her home studio. That studio grew rapidly, and in 2018 Taisha purchased Arts in Motion Perth School of Dance and changed her company name to Omnes Arts Circle (pronounced Omm-ness, meaning “all” in Latin). Omnes now offers classes in music, dance, theatre, and visual arts, and has thankfully weathered the pandemic! theHu......
Dispatches from an Age-Friendly Community - theHumm October 2021
By Jeff Mills
Age-Friendly North Lanark wants to share the good news about the incredible seniors of our area. The 31,990 people aged 65-plus make up 22% of Lanark County’s total population but are often perceived as clients in need rather than the good citizens they are — sharing their gifts and making our communities the special places we cherish. Add in those aged 55+ and the percentage is just shy of 40%.
“Dispatches from an Age-Friendly Community” is an appreciative advocacy project shining a light on our elders, their contribution, and their value. In the words of Cormac Russell, we want to ......
Field Naturalists Talks - theHumm October 2021
The Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists will continue their series of Zoom nature talks on the theme of “Human Interactions with the Natural World”.
Humans interact with the environment through use of resources and production of wastes. As the global population continues to grow, so does our impact on the environment. Advances in science and technology have helped us to exploit the environment, but in the process we have destabilized long-standing ecological balances.
Our talk on October 21 will feature Dr. Cindy Chu, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Dr. Chu......
Typing with One Hand - theHumm October 2021
By Glenda Jones
My Dad was an old-school two-finger typist of the Hunt & Peck method. But when he got going, it was pure music. Clack, clack, clack, ding, zzziipp!, and he’d throw the carriage back across to start the next line. He was as fast as any ten fingers touch typist, with very few mistakes. He used an antique upright Underwood with a crescent of keys that slapped against the paten with rapid fire speed. Ding, zzziipp! At the end of a page, he’d whip the paper out with a ......
Oct 12 Jason Kent
Oct 12 - 13 Crown & Pumpkin Studio Tour
Oct 12 - 13 Expressions of Art
Oct 18 Evan + Ron
Oct 19 Amanda Keeley Trio
Oct 19 - Nov 30 The Second Wife’s Story -- Matheson Housewarming Party
Oct 19 - 20 Red Trillium Studio Tour
Oct 20 Choral Evensong
Oct 26 New Kid in Town
- Linda Hynes — Doing What Comes Naturally
- Laugh Out Loud — Twice!
- Fall Red Trillium Studio Tour
- Amazing Art & Fabulous Food at the 2024 Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour
- News from The Pews in Merrickville
- For the Love of Music A Concert in Memory of Ann McMahon
- Choral Evensong in Perth
- Almonte in Concert Another Exciting Season of Music
- Drag and Art atthe Textile Museum
- Back-to-School Portraits Raising Funds for the Miss Mills Library