In 2023, Alchemy artists returned to the County for our 7th Season. Our artists pushed the limits of their practice in new projects in Hillier, Carrying Place and Milford for our Field Notes exhibitions. Those same artists formed our Table Settings kitchen brigade to provide weekly suppers for 35 farm and vineyard workers using fresh, locally raised, and farmed protein and produce. This season marked our fourth Table Settings with a final count of 3000 meals served since 2020. None of this would have been possible without Linda Downey and the Storehouse Foodbank, Dominque Jones and the team at the Prince Edward County Foundation. This year, we also gratefully acknowledge the participation of our visiting artists and the kind and financial generosity of Closson Chase Winery, Broken Stone, The Grange, Casa Dea, Stanners, RoseHall Run, Thyme Again Farms and Lighthall to our artistic and community engagement efforts in Prince Edward County.
Alchemy is alive and well in a world filled with uncertainty because of the interest, support, and acts of kindness from you, your friends, colleagues, and neighbours.
With gratitude and all good wishes for a safe and healthy new year. We look forward to sharing our 2024 plans with you very soon. Claire, Tonia and Erin.
Call for volunteer board members, Secretary/Treasurer
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
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
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).
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
"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.
"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
Partiendo el pan - breaking bread Article by Conrad Beaubien
October 21, 2020
As harvest season closes, thanks is given in the garden county of Canada, story by Brad Wheeler,
photos by Kirstyn Mayers
October 10, 2020
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
Fond memories of past participants and friends
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 2021 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:
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All photos courtesy of Donna Greenstein, Peggy Taylor Reid, J. Pierre, Kirstyn Mayers and Tonia Di Risio
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