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    • Apply to the residency
  • Home
  • Field Notes
  • Artist Residency 2022
  • Table Settings
  • Photo Gallery
  • Meet the Alchemists
  • Our Stories
  • Media
  • Friends of Alchemy
  • Apply to the residency

Ontario Culture Days 2021

Since 2017, Claire Tallarico and Tonia Di Risio have led Alchemy, an artist’s residency in Hillier that fosters community engagement by sharing art, food, and conversation. Last year, in response to COVID 19, Alchemy’s programming shifted to Table Settings, a small group of volunteer cooks  and artists who made twice-weekly suppers for seasonal farm and vineyard workers during the harvest season. The project recognized the vital contribution of local labourers, most of whom come from outside of Canada. In 2021, Alchemy continued its Table Settings initiative and following all COVID safety protocols,  invited artists to came to Hillier to both assist in the kitchen and  create site-specific installations in seven vineyards. With a Creative in Residence Grant, Alchemy  collected and shared stories from PEC, while providing a window into our collaborative process. During the month long Ontario Culture Days Festival,  Alchemy shared an online and self guided in person  tour of community, culinary, and creative work. Culture Days Stories & More Blog: 

  • WHEN ART MEETS FOOD 
  • TABLE SETTINGS: ALCHEMY IN CONVERSATION WITH JANE MACDONALD
  • FIELD NOTES: ALCHEMY IN CONVERSATION WITH BARBARA BROWN

News and Gatherings 2021

The Wellington Times

The Wellington Times

The Wellington Times

 

Table Settings:  The art of feeding seasonal agricultural workers 

Article by Sharon Harrison 

November 24, 2021


Photograph of Lisa Woods drawing in her Picton Studio in August.

Photo by Kirstyn Mayers



Read the article

The Wellington Times

The Wellington Times

The Wellington Times

 

Alchemists: Giving back to community through art and food

Article by Sharon Harrison 

November 24, 2021


Photo of Redtail workers having supper.

Photo by Kirstyn Mayers



Read the article

The Wellington Times

The Wellington Times

The Bellville Intelligencer

Field Notes

Eight artists, seven wineries, one hall

Article by Sharon Harrison 

October 7, 2021


 Photo L-R: Erin MacInnis (Alchemy), Tonia Di Risio (Alchemy), poet Jane Macdonald, Claire Tallarico (Alchemy) and Peggy Burris (Hillier Women’s Institute). 

Read the article

The Bellville Intelligencer

The Bellville Intelligencer

The Bellville Intelligencer

PEC artists and vineyards join in Culture Days


 Mary MacDonald, co-owner of Stanners Vineyard and local artist sits at a table in front of her found-object art installation Friday in Prince Edward County.  


Article by Alex Filipe, October 11, 2021

Read the article

Redtail Vineyards

The Bellville Intelligencer

Redtail Vineyards

"The third in a series of piquettes celebrating the everyday heroes in our lives..."   April 23, 2021  


This piquette is named after the Alchemy Artist Residency. It’s Redtail's  tribute to all the artists putting love into the world during dark times. Alchemy Artist Residency will be using the proceeds from the sale of this product to directly benefit their Table Settings initiative. 

Buy A Bottle

News and Gatherings 2020

CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air

CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air

CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air

"A group of artists meet up twice a week to create locally inspired meals for vineyard and farm workers... We talk to some of the workers and the artists who started the program which is supported by Storehouse Foodbank."


Interview with Jason D'Souza, host CBC Fresh Air, Radio 1, 

October 10, 2020

Listen

The Wellington Times

CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air

CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air

Partiendo el pan - breaking bread Article by Conrad Beaubien 

October 21, 2020

Read the column

The Globe and Mail

CBC Radio 1 Fresh Air

The Globe and Mail

As harvest season closes, thanks is given in the garden county of Canada, story by Brad Wheeler,

 photos by Kirstyn Mayers

October 10, 2020

Find out more

Gorge: a mid-day meal 2019

Sunday 17 March

Alchemy Artist Residency Coordinators and visual artists Tonia Di Risio and Claire M. Tallarico will facilitate a conversation inspired by Di Risio's  installation “Gorge” during a mid-day meal prepared and served in the gallery.


Invitation is by lottery. Fill out a ballot. If you have a winning ballot, you will hear from us by March 12th.

Open Studio: Alchemy Artists 2019

Saturday 17 August

The local community centre will serve as our artist studio for the duration of the residency. We are excited to open the doors to the public. Drop by and say hello! Meet the artists who are part of Alchemy 2019 and view artwork inspired by this residency. 


Aralia Maxwell

Claire M. Tallarico

Deborah Margo

Jenny Keyser

Laura Bucci

Moira Clark

Suzanne Evans

Tanja Rohn

Tonia Di Risio

Open Studio: Alchemy Artists 2018

Saturday 18 August

The local community centre will serve as our artist studio for the duration of the residency. We are excited to open the doors to the public. Drop by and say hello! Meet the artists who are part of Alchemy 2018 and view artwork inspired by this residency. 

Natural Dying Workshop 2018

Saturday 18 August

Alchemists Claire M. Tallarico and Deborah Margo received an Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Grant to support their collaborative participation in Alchemy 2018’s Hillier Hall Open House event. 


Many thanks to the Ontario Arts Council. for their invaluable help. 


Photo of guest artist presentation by Deborah Margo in Hillier Hall.  

Table Talk at the Depanneur

Tuesday 6 February 2018

FOOD + ART = MAGIC


Claire and Tonia will talk about how food sharing and art making can be a powerful vehicle for community building. Alchemy explores the relationships between artistic practice and the growing, cooking and sharing of locally cultivated food in a community setting. Originally founded at Artscape Gibraltar Point on Toronto Island, Alchemy is now held each summer in Prince Edward County.

On the first Tuesday of every month, The Depanneur invites a local food personality to talk about something that interests them. 


DINNER AT THE DEP


Celeriac, Leek & Potato Vichyssoise with toasted hazelnuts (#vegan)

Creamy yellow corn mamaliga (soft polenta, Romanian-style), served with roasted vegetable ratatouille (#vegan). Sour cream, feta cheese and mititei (small, skinless Romanian sausages) served optionally alongside, as well as cucumber and dill salad.


An Alchemy-inspired dessert prepared by Tonia and shared with the tables, along with tea or coffee


Table Talks take place around the dinner table while Dep founder Len Senater prepares a dinner inspired by the topic of the day.  


Vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten free options available. 


THE DEPANNEUR

1033 College Street, Toronto ON

Talk by Claire M. Tallarico and Tonia Di Risio.

Dinner prepared by Len Senator.

Doors Open at 6pm

Talk starts at 7pm


Alchemy Artists Residency 1st Group Exhibition

BENDING SPOONS GALLERY

11 January to 4 February 2018 


Tonia Di Risio  Toronto

Ilze Egle  Latvia

Frida Foberg  New York

Donna Greenstein  King City

Lynn Hubbs  Toronto

Deborah Margo  Ottawa

Sarah Malekzadeh  New York/Toronto

Ngoc Nguyen  Vietnam

Sydney Pine  Montreal

Piera Pugliese  Toronto

Peggy Taylor Reid  Caledon

Warren Sulatycky  Toronto

Claire M. Tallarico  Toronto

Vanessa Rotando  Ottawa


All works are by past participants of Alchemy 2015, 2016 and 2017. Works include textile, painting, collage, printmaking, photography and installation.  


Bending Spoons Gallery is located at 3010 Dundas St West, Toronto, inside the Junction’s iconic Vesuvio Pizzeria and Spaghetti House.


Reception Thursday January 11, 2018

6-8 pm

Artist in attendance.


Image by Gnoc Nguyen

Alchemy 2016 video by artist and filmmaker Warren Sulatycky (Alchemy 2017)

Fond memories of past participants and friends

Video

Copyright © 2022 make alchemy.com

Contact us: info@makealchemy.com 

All Rights Reserved.


 All photos courtesy of Donna Greenstein, Peggy Taylor Reid, J. Pierre, Kirstyn Mayers and Tonia Di Risio

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