Sep 06, 2012



Photo: John Schweighardt of Livingstones with a few of his stone sculptures and a view of the old grist mill ruins at the Sundance Studio Tour in Maberly

Artists and organizers alike welcomed the change in venue location for this year's 5th Annual Sundance Studio Tour. The one-stop tour, which was taken over this year by Paul and Michelle Zammit, owners of the Fall River Restaurant, moved its location to the banks of the Fall River in Maberly at the corner of Highway 7 and the Bolingbroke Road, and the increased visibility made an impact.

Paul Zammit said when he was approached to take over the tour that he jumped at the chance, wanting to “preserve what we thought was a good thing for the community. We didn't want to see the event just die off. One of the big resources in this community is its artists and giving them more exposure helps create a more sustainable community,” Zammit said on Sunday at the show.

The tour, which attracts 30 artists in a wide variety of mediums and includes the availability of high quality food and beverages and live music, appears to be gaining momentum as a result of its increased visibility at the new location. Excavation work began at the site in the spring and Harry Van Alstine of Herns Sand and Gravel donated a lot of the necessary work and also part of his property for parking. The result is a beautiful, expansive site that includes a scenic walk along the Fall River behind the restaurant where the ruins of an old grist mill are still visible and where half of artist booths were located.

Products from local farmers as well food produced by Seed to Sausage in Sharbot Lake were included, and show that Zammitt is aiming to highlight more of what the community has to offer.

“We realize that our guests are coming from far and wide and we want to shine a light on everything that we have to offer here,” he said. Zammitt also said that he is considering holding the tour twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. “I plan to speak to the artists about that but what we really hope is to one day be the premier event for artists and producers in this area.”

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