The Muse
224/300 Main Street South P9N 1T2 Kenora, ON, Canada

Did You Know: Kenora has been putting up a Christmas tree on the corner of Second and Main since 1931. This is the tree from 1939. In 1931 the owner of Derry's Palace Theatre, Joseph Derry, decorated his theatre with all sorts of Christmas decorations for the annual Rotary Charity Christmas Show. He found that before and after the event people were coming to the theatre just to see the lavish decorations. That gave him an idea: why not decorate all of downtown for Christmas? He went to the business owners downtown and convinced them to join the cause. Joseph Derry lead the Christmas decorating charge for a few years before the Kenora power crews, with their experienced linesmen, took over the task in 1936.

Colouring books aren’t just for kids - they are a great way to relax at any age! At the Douglas Family Art Centre, we have a variety of colouring books perfect for any age exploring a variety of subject matter from indigenous artwork, animals, mandalas, and more. Pair with a set of pencil crayons in a convenient cork-roll, or this beautiful set of dual-tip alcohol ink markers to create the perfect gift.... #shoplocal #kenora #creativegifts #christmasshopping

Is your Christmas tree looking a little bare this year? Visit the Douglas Family Art Centre gift shop to find these beautiful ornaments and along with gifts for the whole family! Plus, find even more next door at the Lake of the Woods Museum.... #shoplocal #kenora #lakeofthewoods #christmasornaments

We made a mistake in the caption of this weeks Miner and News Flashback Photo. This photo is NOT Doug Ford Sr of Etobicoke (and provincial politics), rather it is Doug Ford, owner of Devil's Gap Lodge. Doug Ford was the district returning officer for many years, and worked hard to ensure local elections ran smoothly. We regret misidentifying a great member of the community! Thanks to JD Ford for the correction.

Spend $25 at either (or both) of our gift shops and get your playing card(s) for the Kenora & District Chamber of Commerce - KDCC Holiday Shopping Poker Derby. You could win a prize pack valued at over $1000! The deadline to submit has been extended until December 31st.

New to Shop the Muse: fine art printed face masks! Each mask is double sided featuring two different designs. Since all the staff at The Muse wear glasses, we love the adjustable nose wire to prevent our glasses from fogging up! The ears are also adjustable, allowing for a more comfortable fit. The masks feature the artwork of these influential artists: Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Wassily Kandinsky, Hokusai, Gustav Klimt, and Claude Monet.... A great stocking stuffer for the art lover in your life! Available in the Douglas Family Art Centre gift shop now. #wearableart #fineart #shopthemuse #kenora #stockingstuffers #shoplocal

We've added an another session of Mini Macrame Ornaments with Knotted by Linds next Saturday from 2-4pm! Space is limited so register now by calling 467-2201 or emailing [email protected]

The MUSE is proud to announce that the exhibit: Shiibaashka’Igan Honouring the Sacred Jingle Dress has been selected as the 2020 Ontario Historical Society Indigenous History Award winner. ... The exhibit would not have been possible without the hard work of many women and men who contributed their time, talent, wisdom, and of course, their jingle dresses. As an institution we are proud to share this award with our community partners The Women’s Council of Grand Council Treaty #3 Ne-Chee Friendship Centre Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe-iyewigamig Ahze-mino-gahbewewin / Reconcilation Kenora Ontario Native Women’s Association Thunderstone Pictures Red Works Photography For more information see the attached press release from the Ontario Historical Society. To all the individuals and institutions who helped create this exhibit, and to the Ontario Historical Society we say: Thank you Miigwetch https://ontariohistoricalsociety.ca//2019-Indigenous-Histo

Bring your family to the Douglas Family Art Centre this Saturday and get in the holiday spirit by creating ornaments together. Decorate pre-cut wooden ornaments in a variety of festive shapes including reindeer, doves, trees, bells, and more! Then, fill up some plastic ornaments with your favourite craft or natural materials. All materials supplied. Advanced registration is required and the cost to participate is $20 per child (tax included). Parents and guardians are fre...e. Limited spaces are available to ensure proper social distancing. Please let us know the number of adults and children in your group at the time of registration. All participants are required to wear masks. Register in person at the Douglas Family Art Centre, by calling 467-2201, or emailing Shelby at [email protected]. #christmasornaments #handmadeornaments #familycrrafternoon #familytime

Today marks the 103rd Anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. It was a devastating event and news quickly spread across Canada. Two Kenora men, Art Chaloner (pictured below) and Fred Houghton, witnessed the explosion from on board the HMCS Niobe (pictured below), which was docked in the Halifax Harbour. Art Chaloner sent a letter to his sister describing the explosion: "About two or three hundred of us ran up on the forward main deck to watch the fire which by this time wa...Continue reading

Did You Know: Soccer has a long tradition in this area, going back over 100 years! This crowd in Keewatin appears to be gathered for to watch a soccer game some time around 1910. Many of these houses are still standing. Can you see your house? Let us know in the comments!

Some photos from yesterday’s Fossil Find in partnership with Science North. Participants enjoyed searching for fossils throughout the Art Centre, drawing the fossils they found, looking at dinosaur bones, and digging through the dirt for their very own 3D printed fossils! #artandscience #miniscifestkenora

Did You Know: Redditt used to look very different than how it looks now. Before the CN switched to diesel-electric engines in the 1950s there was a roundhouse and repair shop for steam engines in Redditt.

Today is Orange Shirt Day. On September 30th each year we remember the Canadian residential school system and its students on Orange Shirt Day. If you're not familiar with Orange Shirt Day then take a few minutes to watch this clip of founder Phyllis Webstad tell her story. Today is a day to honour residential school survivors and their families, and to remember that every child matters.

We're so pleased to be a partner with Science North on Kenora's Mini Scifest. Please join us live on-line on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 12:00 noon for a Bluecoat Talk with artist Cheryl Wilson-Smith. If you would like to attend the event in person, call 467-2201 to reserve your space. The cost is $5 +HST.

Did You Know: Log booms were once a common sight in Kenora. A big log boom or "boomer" was evidence of the hard work of crews down the lake working hard the previous season. The last log boom for the paper mill was pulled into the bay in May 1985. Do you have any memories of log booms on the lake? Let us know in the comments.

Bring your family down to the Douglas Family Art Centre and learn all about fossils! Check out some fossil samples and even dinosaur bones with the team at Science North - Thunder Bay. Then head off on a scavenger hunt around the building to find the fossils of prehistoric creatures in the floors, stairs, and even walls of the Art Centre! All participants will receive a free take home science activity from Science North and be entered to win a Potato Chip Science Kit from The Muse. Admission is by donation. No registration required.

Did You Know: Before the Kenricia sat on the corner of Second & Main St there was another grand old hotel on that site. The Hilliard House Hotel was considered one of the biggest and best hotels in western Canada (outside of Winnipeg). It was operated by Louis and Annie Hilliard. The original Hilliard House had a mansard roof and large second floor balcony. In 1889 the Hilliards bought the adjoining lot and built a large addition. That is shown pretty clearly with half of t...he building with a mansard roof and the other half with a flat roof in an 1891 photo. By the time 1897 rolled around the entire building had been renovated to have a flat roofline. The Hilliard House and its neighbour the Queen's Hotel were both lost in a disastrous fire in January 1902. The Tourist Hotel (now known as The Kenricia) was built on the footprint of the former Hilliard House, and was opened in 1910.

A Canadian Pacific train puff puff puffs through the yard sometime before 1917. In the background are St Alban's Church on the left, and Notre Dame on the right. Before St Alban's burned in 1917 the locals nicknamed the top of Matheson St "Salvation Hill"

We wanted to let you know about some exciting and fun opportunities for arts education that are being presented by the Lake of the Woods Arts Community Arts@Home! Check out the details on their website and register for the ones that interest you. https://lowac.ca/artshome/

Keewatinites assemble! The MUSE needs your help. This house is somewhere in Keewatin. We don't know exactly where, but we suspect some of you might. Does this house look familiar to anyone?

Keewatin some time after 1904 but before 1925. Any guess what year this is?

Kids are back to school, and while many are walking or taking the bus we can't forget that for many years Kenora had a floating school bus! Well, a school ferry to be more precise the Argyle II! Whenever the water was open the Arygle II brought kids to the mainland for their studies.

Opening today at the Douglas Family Art Centre! FROM THE VAULT is a selection of artworks from the Lake of the Woods Museum Art Collection.

Registration is now open for children and teen art classes at the Douglas Family Art Centre this fall! Classes will start up September 29 - October 1st and run for 10 weeks. In order to allow for social distancing, each class has been limited to 8 participants. For more information about the classes and our COVID-19 procedures, visit our website: https://themusekenora.ca/events-and-programming/... To register, contact Shelby at [email protected] or 807-467-2201.

Artist Talk: Cassandra Cochrane

Artists in the Park takes place next Saturday, September 12, from 10am-3pm at Sioux Narrows Provincial Park. Enjoy the fresh fall air, one-of-a-kind works of art, and support the Sioux Narrows Arts Festival! Visit their website to learn more: https://www.siouxnarrowsartsfestival.com

Join us this Saturday September 5th at 12pm for an artist talk with Cassandra Cochrane. Her exhibition, Nindinawemaaganag: My Relations, will be closing that day so it will also be your last chance to see the show! Admission is by donation to the artist. We ask that you call the Douglas Family Art Centre at (807) 467-2201 to reserve your space as we are operating at a reduced capacity. We will be live-streaming the talk on Facebook for those unable to attend in person.

Artist Talk: Cheryl Wilson-Smith

Join us at the Douglas Family Art Centre this Saturday at 3pm to welcome award-winning Red Lake glass artist Cheryl Wilson-Smith for her artist talk and opening of her exhibition, 21 Pillows. We are operating at a reduced capacity, so please call ahead at (807) 467-2201 to reserve your space. We will do our best to accommodate walk-ins and will be live-streaming the talk on our Facebook page. Admission is by donation.... #canadianart #glassartist #environmentalart #installationart #contemporaryart #kenora

The deadline for submissions is fast approaching for Art in the Time of Corona! The Douglas Family Art Centre is inviting artists to create a piece of artwork inspired by our COVID-19 circumstances. Submissions are open to all artists living in Northwestern Ontario, whether year-round or seasonally. Accepted forms of art include: painting, dance, writing, music, performance, sculpture drawing, textiles, photography, video, mixed media, and more. Be sure to submit online be...fore end of day August 24th to be included in this upcoming exhibition. Visit our website to learn more and fill out the submission form: https://themusekenora.ca/call-for-submissions-art-in-the-t/

Is there anything quite as magical as paddling through the lily pads? Gloaming (1921) by Walter J. Phillips is the latest free colouring page available on The Muse Blog for you to print and colour at home, or to pick up on your next visit to the Douglas Family Art Centre. A perfect activity for your next rainy day inside while you daydream about being out in the summer sunshine. ... Get your copy here: https://themusekenora.ca/colouring-the-collection-gloaming/ #walterjphillips #lakeofthewoods

Do you feel that colour and painting could be your muse? In these uncertain times we are all seeking ways to negate negativity, fear, and loss of direction. Art can be an agent of change, and teach us who we are and who we want to become. Art can be a means of escaping reality, or a method for coping with it. Join Pippi Johnson, Artist and Art Educator, for a workshop focusing on the therapeutic qualities of art. Participants will learn about the emotional qualities in e...ach colour in a relaxing environment and experience the energy of working with brushes and other tools and explore mark-making techniques. Registration by contacting the Douglas Family Art Centre at (807) 467-2201. The cost to register is $85 +HST for non-members or $80 +HST for MUSE members. All materials included in registration cost. Space is limited, so register early to reserve your spot!