Fall 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Project - The Lakeshore Art Trail, Mississauga

A collaboration of 15 artists participate in the Lakeshore Art Trail - each artist sets up their own show in an historical or public buildings in Port Credit - this is an annual event. Pat's shows were in the beautiful stone historic Bradley Museum.

Fall 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Project - Springbank Artists Mississauga

Springbank Artists is an active art group and members have an extensive experience painting in oil, acrylic, watercolour and mixed media. A number of artists have won awards in juried shows, participate in various art shows and galleries. They have been together for 20 years and each year the community looks forward to their annual art show in March at Visual Arts Mississauga.

2012 marked our 18th annual show and that year our goal was to raise much more for ErinoakKids, our chosen charity, with the help of Pat McGoey. who developed a unique concept to create publicity for the silent auction fundraiser and the show - we wanted to top the $2,000.00 raised in 2010.

“Many of our members’ favourite works and most popular pieces are direct revelations from the hidden gems found among our city’s trail system,” said McGoey. So when Pat first saw Star Portraits, an event idea was born. If you’re not familiar with the TV show, it involves a celebrity and three artists who end up creating three different portraits. While viewers get to vote on their favourite, the subject of the portrait chooses the one that will adorn his wall.

For the inaugural “Springbank Portraits,” the celebrity was Ron Lenyk. As well as being the CEO of the Mississauga Living Arts Centre, a world-class venue for performing arts, Mr. Lenyk is a well-known community supporter and all-around booster of Mississauga. An avid outdoorsman, when he’s not promoting the Living Arts Centre, and Mississauga, Ron can be found hiking around town. His favourite trail to explore by himself and with his family is David J Culham Trail and Riverwood. “I still remember the first time I walked the Culham Trail,” says Lenyk. “It was just before sunset on a crisp October evening. It was so quiet, yet nature’s hum was all around. It’s a great feeling to be surrounded yet all alone at the same time.

Besides having Ron Lenyk as the celebrity, the muse of Springbank Portraits is the Culham Trail itself. In October of 2011, nine artists from the Springbank Artists’ Group ventured out to the trail looking for inspiration for his or her portrait. They didn’t have to look far. It’s where they saw a white tailed deer scampering through a grassy expanse, encountered a curious fox foraging, spotted a red-tailed hawk circling its prey and had a close encounter with a skunk! Beavers, woodchucks and garter snakes, and more than 25 fishermen and 50 ducks were also spotted along the way. The trail starts in Erindale Park, extends north of Britannia Road to Pine Cliff Drive and provides access to Riverwood, a 150-acre area teeming with nature and a rich history left by its previous owners MacEwan, Chappell, Bird and Zaichuk.

It is also home to Visual Arts Mississauga and the Mississauga Garden Council. On the opening night of the March Springbank Annual Art Show at Visual Arts Mississauga, the four contest paintings were unveiled and Ron Lenyk selected the painting that spoke to him the most and he got to keep. The rest of the paintings immediately went into the silent auction supporting ErinoakKids. The four participating artists were; Mary Anne Dente, Adriana Rinaldi, Linda VanWyk and Pat McGoey. It was very successful and was received very well by the community!

Marla Bloomfield, Development Official of the ErinoakKids Foundation, says “we are thrilled that the Springbank Artists Group has once again chosen its special event to benefit our centre.” ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development is Ontario’s largest Children's Treatment Centre (CTC) – serving more than 11,700 children with disabilities and their families each year.