On Saturday, February 8th from noon to 3 pm MERA is proud to welcome back to Dean Hall the Lanark Life Learners. The exhibition will run all of February, please see www.meraschoolhouse.org for when the building is open.

The Lanark Life Learners is a group of home learners from all over Lanark county who love learning through every day experiences.  We also love art!  We encompass a wide age range, and our art represents an eclectic collection of mediums and styles. Our artists will display pieces including sculpture, drawing, painting, and mixed medium.   The pieces include both the abstract and the literal, many are based in nature and most are full of fantasy and imagination. 

Our group believes that art is a form of individual expression.  Art is a universal language that people of all ages, interests and backgrounds can understand.  It is a way of story telling without using words.  It can be therapeutic or just plain fun! 

Because we believe that learning happens in all moments in life, art is an amazing way to explore a wide variety of subjects and topics. 

Each artist in the group has a different personal inspiration and has had different artistic training, but they find common ground in their love for expressing themselves and experiencing life through art. 

MERA is located at 974 Conc 9A Dalhousie in McDonalds Corners, ON.

The Doner family and “Doner Studio at the Mill” kicks off its summer season this weekend by hosting their annual art festival

It is, in part, a fine craft show with 40 guests artists who produce a stunning array of work; paintings using various techniques, potters, glass artists, a found object sculptor, weavers, woodworkers, in addition to soaps, skin products and teas. All of the artists are chosen by Randall and Darlene Doner to ensure that the show reflects quality and variety.

The guest artists will be displayed on the grounds of the mill property. Randal, who sculpts in metal, shows his work in the mill studio and in the sculpture garden on the property, Darlene’s jewellery studio and The Baby Jane and KSSD studios, featuring the works of their daughter and daughter in-law, will be open as well.

The restored mill and grounds make for more than a mere backdrop for the art, they are a second feature of the show.

When the Doners bought the mill in 2003 it had been vacant for 35 years and needed a great deal of refurbishing, but its history had not been lost. The property was the home of a water powered sawmill, which was torn down when the Rideau Canal was built. In 1861 a grist mill was built on the property and the mill was the basis of a thriving business through to the early 20th century. The grist mill was torn down in 1942 and replaced with a hydro generating system which still operates.

Joshua Kiell and his son Keith operated their own electrically powered mill, in the former storage elevator at the site, between 1943 and 1968. In 2003, when the Doner’s arrived, Keith Kiell, who lives in nearby Joyceville, was an early visitor and has assisted with research as the Doners restored the property.

One of the must-see elements to the art fetival is a visit with 92-year-old Keith Kiell, who will be on hand once again this year to show and talk about some of the archived material from the colourful history of what locals still call the Washburn Mill.

Christine Harvey, of the My Drama Queen, will be running kids activities all weekend, musicians Doug Reansbury (Saturday 10am -1pm) and Craig Jones (Saturday 14 and Sunday 10-4) will be performing all weekend, and there will be food. Mio Gelato with artisan gelato and sorbetto will be there, and a food truck from Glocca Morra Grills Food Truck will be available all weekend as well.

On top of all that, the Heritage Costume Club of Kingston will be holding a picnic on the site during the weekend. The club is devoted to making or purchasing, and wearing Victorian Clothing and dressing up for events. Their presence will make a stunning visual at a property that was originally developed during that very era.

The show runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday at 1439 Washburn Road (From Inverary take Moreland Dixon to the end, turn right and then left on Washburn to 1439)

For information, go to Donerstudio.ca and click on the Art Festival link.

On Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 pm the Clan Hannigan is performing at MERA. This is an intergenerational family band based out of Baltimore Ontario that takes traditional Irish music and blends it with elements of Jazz, Pop, and other folk traditions, to create a unique high energy sonic soundscape.

Steafan Hannigan and Saskia Tomkins have been mainstays on the traditional Irish and world music scenes for the last thirty plus years working with acts like. Uriah Heep, Loreena McKennitt, Olivier Schroer, Julian Lloyd Weber, Bjork, Depeche Mode, Martin Carthy, Sin É, LinnTilla, The Afro Celt Sound System, The Chieftains and countless others. Since they moved to Canada in 2007 they have started collaborating with their three children Oisin, Eile & Ayisha and thus Clan Hannigan was born.

TICKETS: available at Tickets Please in Perth, 613-485-6434 or www.ticketsplease.ca

Highland artists Greta Mcdonald, Deb Shea and Molly Forsythe join together to reflect the world as they see it in this exhibit running at the Dean Hall in MERA during the month of March. Vernissage to take place March 10th from 1-4 p.m at MERA, 974 Concession 9A in McDonald’s Corners. The show will be on display until the end of the month.

Greta Mcdonald is known for her paintings which depict birds and animals in colourful surroundings injected with elements of fantasy and bright patterns.

Deb Shea paints from a place of serenity in landscapes from around Lanark Highlands and other environments while reflecting her emotional connection to the piece executed.

Molly Forsythe follows the true folk artist heart in her reflections of life both in Lanark Highlands and Cape Breton through her relief clay tiles.

OnSunday, December 3rd at 2:00 PM, the fine local band, The Tritones, will be presenting a concert at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners.

The Tritones is an original Jazz, Funk Jam Band. Playing the compositions of guitarist Franc van Oort, as well as standards from many different genres, their sound takes a refreshing new direction, celebrating the roots of American music while venturing into uncharted territory. It is sensitive, yet with an edge — adding elements of Latin, Blues and Rock.

The Tritones are made up of three very talented local musicians, who got together a number of years ago, and play at a range of local venues.

Frank van Oort plays lead guitar and contributes his own compositions. He moved to the Perth area from his native Holland in 1987, and has since been playing in local groups such as Powersnooze, The Usual Suspects and Tell Mama. A growing interest in Jazz led him to join forces with Cam and Dave.

On drums is Dave Colter who has been a mainstay of the Canadian music scene for 40 years. He has played with Grammy Award winners Bo Diddley and Pinetop Perkins, Juno Award winner Jack de Keyzer (with whom he toured for two and a half years and recorded the Juno-nominated album “Blues Thing”), and many others. He now lives near Perth.

Rounding out the group is Cam Gray on bass guitar. Cam’s love of music started with listening to his dad play the piano and the ukulele. After 8 years of dutiful piano lessons he picked up the guitar. Something to do with Hendrix and Johnny Winter. He, Franc and their friend Tim Wynne-Jones started a band in the late 1980s. Cam jumped from guitar to bass when they became a five piece with keys and drums. He’s still lovin’ music.

Tickets for the concert are $20, children under 16 are free, and are available only at the door.

Trina Conboy

MERA Administrator

The 15th Annual MERA Christmas Fair is the perfect place to shop locally, support local artists and artisans and to support Community Arts at MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts) which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. This event is a major fundraiser for MERA. Vendors give MERA 20% of their gross sales, which for some of the larger vendors means they pay more to be in the MERA Christmas Fair than they do in larger fairs in Perth or Almonte. Come and support the vendors who support MERA!

This popular juried show features original one-of-a-kind creations: Hand Weaving (MERA Heritage Weavers & Heather Sherratt Handwoven clothing), woodcraft items, organic Chocolate by Ludwig, Strawberry Cottage beeswax candles & natural soaps, Beth Girdler’s natural honey, paintings, felted creations, soup kits, hand sewn items and preserves, Gift Bag Raffle, Bake Table, the Wizard’s Café, and hand-painted Christmas cards and much more!

Don't miss MERA's Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 18th from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For details about MERA, vendors and directions to MERA in McDonalds Corners go to www.meraschoolhouse.org.

Sunday, September 10, sees the return of the Blue Jeans Classical series at the MERA schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners with the first of three concerts before Christmas. Concerts are held once a month and are at 2:00 PM.
Performing first on September 10th will be the world-renowned cellist, Paul Marleyn. He will be accompanied by the outstanding pianist, Frédéric Lacroix.

Mr. Marleyn has performed as a soloist with such symphony orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, European Chamber and the Belgrade Philharmonic, among others. As well, Paul has been a member of a number of outstanding quartets including the famed Tokyo Quartet, along with several other international groups. He has appeared at music festivals around the world as a featured performer, and has made several compact discs.

Accompanying Mr. Marleyn will be Frédéric Lacroix, who is one of the busiest and most popular pianist based in the Ottawa area. He has performed in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist, and has performed with many of Canada’s most important musicians. As well, he performs regularly with the National Arts Centre orchestra.
The next concert will feature the Harmonious Pigs, on Sunday, October 15th,

A chamber ensemble made up of three principal musicians from the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra: Shauna McDonald, clarinet; Susan Morris, oboe; and Benjamin Glossop, bassoon. These three friends and fine musicians love playing together and are thrilled to share their programme of woodwind music with you. You will hear a wide range of musical delights from Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern eras, including some favourite light classics and jazzy tunes. You will also discover the reason for our intriguing name!

The final concert of the series will feature Frédéric Lacroix on Sunday, November 12th. As mentioned in his bio above, Frédéric is an outstanding solo performer who is in constant demand, with rave reviews and a loyal following.
For more information, please check out the MERA website at meraschoolhouse.org

Tickets for each performance are $25, plus convenience fee, and are available at Ticketsplease.ca or (613) 485-6434. They can be picked up at the door.

A three-person jury has chosen a winner for this year’s Award Of Excellence in Fine Arts and Fine Crafts supporting the work of Fibre Artist and Quilt Maker, Bridget O’Flaherty. Jurors Sunny Kerr, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery at Queens University in Kingston, Victoria Henry, curator and art critic, and the former Director of the Canada Council Art Bank, and Ankaret Dean, Artistic Director MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts), unanimously selected Bridget O’Flaherty for the 2017 award. Victoria Henry said of O’Flaherty’s entry, “Her unique and technically brilliant quilts recognized both the old tradition of quilt making in Canada and the merits of a sensitive aesthetic.”  Bridget O’Flaherty describes her process, “I learned traditional quilting from my mother over 25 years ago, but I had always been drawn to natural landscapes and exploring the blend of contemporary fibre art techniques with the traditions of quilting. I utilize layers of thread for shading effects, much like pencil crayon or pen and ink, stitching techniques, traditional piecing of fabric and quilting techniques to convey my landscape art.”

According to Ankaret Dean, “This year, the entries to the MERA Award Excellence again demonstrated the amazing talent, skill, and variety that exists in our community.  We chose the work of Bridget O 'Flaherty as the winner. She combines the traditional art of quilting with machine embroidery to create the effect of painting.  Her images reflect the beauty and colour of the natural environment.”

Honorable mention was awarded to Sarah Wright for her “exquisite and very personal pen and ink drawings” according to Victoria Henry.  Dean stated that ”The drawings of Sarah Wright were quite unique and personal, and a delight in their simplicity. We chose Sarah that her work be recognized with an honourable mention.” The artist commented “"If an image makes someone feel uncomfortable, I think it’s important to not turn away but to take a closer look.  Why does this make me feel this way, what does that discomfort say about me, our society, our expectations of women, our views on sexuality, gender, and mental health?”

The MERA Award, consisting of a $1000 prize, will be presented to Bridget O’Flaherty at a reception on Friday, June 16th. 2015 from 4:30 pm until 6 pm at the Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners. Sarah Wright will also be present. Both of these artists will show examples of their work at the reception.

The MERA Award, which is given every two years, was conceived and made possible by a generous donation by Lanark Highlands residents Chris and David Dodge to the Perth and District Community Foundation, which manages the funds. Recognizing MERA’s important contribution to the arts community, the Dodges chose MERA to select the Award winners.

Anyone interested in learning more about the MERA Award is invited to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit MERA’s website: www.meraschoolhouse.org,  or leave a telephone message at 613-278-0388. The next award will be given in 2019.

MERA is proud to announce that the internationally claimed Celtic duo of Mairi Rankin and Allie Robertson will be presenting a concert at MERA in McDonald’s Corners on Sunday, June 4th at 2:00 PM.

Mairi Rankin brings all the talent and vibrancy of the esteemed Rankin family, with its deep Cape Breton Celtic roots.  She plays fiddle, sings and also step-dances up a storm.

Ailie Robertson is from Edinburgh, Scotland and brings to the duo a wealth of musical experience as a composer, arranger, improviser and clarsach or Celtic harp player.  She is recognized as one of the world’s leading clarsach harpers, as they like to be called.

Together, Rankin and Robertson have won the “Best Group” award at the Live Ireland awards, where they were touted to be “Among the best bands in world”.

Their marriage of Celtic music, song and dance has been rapturously received around the world. They blend fiddle, harp, step-dance and vocals with breathtaking vitality. Their blend of boundless energy and unmistakable joie de vivre has won them a large following around the globe.

Tickets are available for $25 plus surcharge on-line at Ticketsplease.ca, by telephone 613-485-6434 or in person at the Matheson House Museum, 11 Gore St., Perth. Students under 16 are free.

Free garden seeds! Free garden advice! What a great way to spend a winter Saturday morning! For the sixth year in a row, the McDonald’s Corners Farmers’ Market invites you to bring seeds and friends to our annual Seed Swap – and take home different seeds and new friendships. Come join us on Saturday, February 27th, 10 am to 1 pm, at the MERA Schoolhouse.

Here’s what we’ll be doing:

Sharing seeds. Bring seeds - the ones you saved from last year's garden or the left-overs (commercial or saved) that you didn't plant. Bring containers (small bottles or envelopes, plus labels and markers) for the new-to-you seeds that you’ll take home. Our focus is vegetable seeds, but we share herb and flower seeds as well.

Learning seeds. We need to takFe responsibility for preserving the plants we cherish and the rich diversity that is ours. Find out how to get quality seed from your plants and why this is important.

Planning seeds. Some crops are tricky to save true-to-type seeds, so co-ordinating who’s growing what means we can develop seed specialized for our local growing conditions, and we can also save seed for crops such as squash which need large isolation distances so that they don’t cross-pollinate.

Talking seeds. Lots of informal discussion – what works, what doesn’t… bugs, weeds, water, soil, favourite varieties – all those things that gardeners love to talk about.

Eating, maybe seeds. It wouldn’t be a farmers market event without food, so we’ll have snacks, coffee and tea for sale.

There are no seed vendors at our event – the seeds are all priceless, as we try to live the principles of sharing and free seed supply. Bring your seeds pre-packaged, or in a container so other folks can help themselves to a few. LABEL them! Include a photo if possible, how old they are, growing instructions, any info that would be helpful to another grower… Please bring only viable seeds – check their longevity here: http://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/seed-viability-chart/

For more information on when and where, please visit the McDonald’s Corners Farmers’ Market page on Facebook, or the MERA website at www.meraschoolhouse.org or contact Kristine Swaren, 613-278-1226, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.