For more than three decades, the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour in North Kawartha has not only given locals and visitors the chance to get an inside look at the vibrant and diverse works of art that are inspired by the region — and the studios they are created in — but it has also been a vehicle for building a creative community.
“Apsley’s spent a lot of time and energy being a happening place for cottagers and a hub for so many lakes,” says Sue Rankin, the treasurer of the volunteer-run tour and a participating artist. “With the Jack Lake Film Festival and the Creekside Music Festival, it’s really coming along, and it all started with the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour bringing people in and getting the support of the community.”
Featuring 33 artists across 12 studios, the free self-guided tour is returning for its 32nd year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21 — just as the fall foliage is turning to stunning yellows, reds, and oranges.
“Most of the artists are inspired by nature and their surroundings in some way,” Rankin says. “There’s just so much to draw from and, if we’re lucky, the colour is just peaking. It’s a great time to spend the weekend going from studio to studio in Apsley and the surrounding area.”
Though the fall colours make for a scenic backdrop, it’s not the main reason visitors plan their annual getaways and cottage trips around the weekend of the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour. From blown glass to mosaics with whimsical materials to honey products made on buzzing apiary in Coe Hill, there is a vast range of exceptional artwork that makes the fall studio tour a highly anticipated event every September.
“As a juried exhibition, the calibre of the work is very high and people are very excited to see what’s going on,” Rankin says. “Being a cottage event, you’d be hard-pressed to go to any studio and be the only one there. People focus in on that weekend — it’s a girls’ weekend, or a family weekend. It’s fun for everyone.”
While a printed map with all tour stops is available online or can be picked up at local businesses, it is also available through the free Toureka! app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play and accessed even when you’re offline. With a bio and art samples for each participating artist, the app lets you find those you are most interested in visiting so you can curate your own route for the weekend.
Along with artists like Rankin who have been on the tour for decades and others who have returned after time away, there are four new artists on the tour this year, including glass artist Alex Anagnostou and encaustic and ceramicist Nina Sampaleanu, who will both be stationed at Studio D on Jack Lake. Also new is jewellery maker Glynis Williams, who can be found at Studio E, and potter Anne Young who is joining Tom Parsons at Studio B, his woodworking studio in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.
During the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, visitors will be immersed into each artist’s world not only by seeing their studio, but by seeing demonstrations of the artistic processes that go into creating the original artworks.
For Rankin, some of the joy of the weekend comes from seeing the amazement as visitors to Jack Lake Road studio (Studio F on the tour) watch fellow glass artist Brad Copping demonstrate glass blowing.
“People love the demonstrations, and glassblowing is magical when you see it happening,” Rankin says. “Brad tells you exactly what’s going on, and then there’s that little bit of magic when the cup is done. It looks cold, like you could grab it, but then when you drop a piece of newspaper in, it bursts into flames. It’s really exciting to watch.”
By opening their studios up to visitors, Rankin says, the artists are able to make a personal connection with those who appreciate their artwork.
“It’s really great to be able to educate, because when people understand where the inspiration comes from and when they know the process and how much of each artist actually goes into the work, all of a sudden there’s a connection,” says Rankin. “When you purchase something, you feel like you’re taking home a piece of that artist.”
Rankin also enjoys connecting with visitors so she can give them extra details about her glass art — that her cups won’t lose their colour in the dishwasher, for example.
“It’s great having that opportunity because, when we send our work to galleries, we don’t get to have that interaction,” she says. “I think that connection to people seeing or buying your art is really important.”
As an artist who has participated in the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour for decades, Rankin has come to know a lot of the local cottagers, with some returning to her studio every September, but she’s also always excited to see new faces and share the beauty of the region and its art with them.
“There was a couple from New York City staying in Bancroft and when they came to the studio tour, they were completely blown away by the quality of the work and the variety of work,” she says. “They were amazed that this was happening, and that it happens every year, so that’s always really exciting to hear.”
While the tour continues to attract more visitors every year, with around 400 people visiting Studio F alone throughout the weekend, it also serves an important role in supporting the arts community in Apsley and North Kawartha.
Not only do many of the participating artists lead art programs at local schools and the public library, but the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour annually grants an art award to one Grade 8 student from Apsley Public School who shows creative promise.
“It’s really nice to see how the community has started to really embrace more involvement in the arts,” Rankin says. “We really try to foster arts in the community, and that’s part of our mandate even beyond the weekend.”
For your convenience, below is an alphabetized list of the artists participating in the 2025 Apsley Studio Tour, complete with their disciplines and tour stop locations.
Alex Anagnostou (Glass Art, Studio D)
Alex Anagnostou is a glass artist who has worked in the visual arts field for over 20 years. Sculpting blown and cast glass combined with metal, much of her work is inspired by how glass has expanded our ability to see on a microscopic and macroscopic level.
Read more about Alex Anagnostou.
Rachel Conlin (Artisan Wool, Studio O)
Raising sheep introduced Rachel Conlin to creating with wool from hand-spinning and dyeing their fibres to felting. Completely self-taught, Rachel makes unique and wearable accessories from nature’s materials and all wool creations are made from sustainable and renewable wool fibre. This year, Rachel can be found at her new studio location on Finnegan’s Lake, just outside Coe Hill.
Read more about Rachel Conlin.
Brad Copping (Visual Art and Glass Art, Studio F)
Working from his home on the edge of the Canadian Shield, Brad Copping maintains a successful practice as both a sculptor and a functional glass blower, often traversing the line between. His work examines how we live with each other within physical spaces, and often references water in some form. He will be doing hot glass demonstrations for the tour.
Read more about Brad Copping.
Jacques Deslauriers (Woodworking, Studio L)
Jacques Deslauriers is a self-taught woodworker who uses only wood from dead or fallen trees. Gnarls, insect holes, and spalted wood are his materials of choice. He is always ready for a creative challenge of any size.
Read more about Jacques Deslauriers.
Mary Ellen Gerster (Painting, Studio H)
Mary Ellen Gerster sees the world according to shape, value, and colour, immersing the viewer in her bright and glowing watercolour paintings. Through the layering of transparent colours she creates photo realism in her still life, fruit, flowers and waterscapes. She is inspired and challenged by subjects with strong lights, shadows, shapes, colours and is especially drawn to high contrast and bright colours.
Read more about Mary Ellen Gerster.
Jennifer Gordon (Painting, Studio J)
Returning to the tour, Jennifer Gordon is a self-taught artist who enjoys painting in her studios on Chandos Lake and in Panama. She is inspired by the natural beauty of the Canadian landscape at her 90-year-old log family cottage of four generations and uses vibrant colour and soft, bold brush strokes.
Read more about Jennifer Gordon.
Andrew Gregg (Painting, Studio K)
While retired art teacher Andrew Gregg has made art since his childhood in rural Australia and has been featured in local exhibitions, he mostly paints for pleasure while spending the summers on Rathbun Lake in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.
Read more about Andrew Gregg.
David Grieve (Painting, Studio G)
First introduced to oil painting as a child, David Grieve has been painting ever since and has developed a unique distinctive style. He uses a multi-layered technique, applying thick swaths of oil paint to create images inspired by the Ontario landscape.
Read more about David Grieve.
Anja Hertle (Mosaics, Studio G)
Anja Hertle works with broken china, pottery, porcelain figurines, and tile to give these elements a second life in her whimsical mosaic art pieces. She also incorporates forks, beads, buttons, bottle caps, and typewriter keys.
Read more about Anja Hertle.
Dolores Hopps (Fabric Art, Studio H)
Dolores Hopps’ work includes quilts, using imported fabrics from England and Japan, as well as wall hangings, runners, and smaller items. Many of her pieces have wool felting incorporated into the quilting, as well as beads, silk, and quite a number of other interesting embellishments.
Read more about Dolores Hopps.
Lisa Mace (Painting, Studio C)
After a brief absence, Lisa Mace is returning as a long-time participant of the Apsley Studio Tour. While you can expect to see elements of her previous techniques, her art has evolved and she is introducing fresh twists, new subjects, and a variety of materials and tools she’s been experimenting with.
Read more about Lisa Mace.
Jillian Messervey (Textiles, Studio F)
Jillian Messervey is a Peterborough-based weaver who is inspired by colours and textures she sees in nature, and who uses natural fibres and traditional patterns to make hard-working and functional pieces that also decorate the home or wearer. Her blankets, scarved, and towels are woven by hand on her antique floor looms.
Read more about Jillian Messervey.
Barbara Miszkiel (Painting, Studio B)
After a successful career both nationally and internationally in architecture, Barbara Miszkiel has returned to her original interest in fine arts, painting primarily in acrylics. Although Barbara has created new buildings most of her career, in painting she is drawn to old buildings, live subjects, and landscapes.
Read more about Barbara Miszkiel.
Molly Moldovan (Visual Arts, Studio M)
Molly Moldovan is a visual artist whose primary focus in recent years has been abstraction, though her repertoire has also embraced more conceptual work including multifaceted installations. She is drawn to intense colour, texture, and intent.
Read more about Molly Moldovan.
Britt Olauson (Woodworking, Studio C)
Britt Olauson enjoys making custom furniture in an old-school manner using traditional joinery to ensure the object is made to last. She employs traditional woodworking techniques in making her functional designs.
Read more about Britt Olauson.
Kelly O’Neill (Visual Arts, Studio M)
Kelly O’Neill is a multidisciplinary visual artist who enjoys the immediacy of dry materials in her drawing practice, and engages with found objects, natural materials, video, assemblage, and textile practices to create three-dimensional forms and installations. The Selwyn-based artist studied sculpture and installation at Toronto’s OCAD University and Her work has been shown in galleries in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Read more about Kelly O’Neill.
Tom Parsons (Woodworking, Studio B)
Working out of his studio on Looncall Lake in Kawartha Highlands, woodworker Tom Parsons enjoys working collaboratively with clients who can choose from a wide range of wood species for their projects. From burl bowls and bird’s eye maple end tables to walnut charcuterie boards and live-edge tables, he is always making something.
Read more about Tom Parsons.
Joeann Pearson (Glass Mosaic Art, Studio K)
Joeann Pearson has been making non-traditional stained glass mosaics for 25 years. Her style is to make mosaics that use deliberately shaped, hand-cut larger pieces that are sometimes hand painted which are usually only used in the making of windows. She has always sought out nature spots to indulge in present moment awareness, and feels nature guides her work. After decades of visiting the family cottage on Chandos, she now resides full time on a small rural homestead in Apsley.
Read more about Joeann Pearson.
Judy Ranieri (Fibre Art, Studio E)
After working for many years in the tech industry, Judy Ranieri retired and began to explore her creative passions. Many of Judy’s projects are inspired by nature and utilize natural fibres, fabric, colour, design, and textures to create one of a kind textile and fabric art pieces.
Read more about Rudy Ranieri.
Susan Rankin (Glass Art, Studio F)
In her 30-year career as a glass artist, Susan Rankin has drawn inspiration from the landscape in which she lives. An avid gardener, she continues to explore the idea of garden through her vessel and sculptural works and is well known for her vibrant floral vessels.
Read more about Susan Rankin.
Kathy Robichaud (Stained Glass, Studio H)
Kathy Robichaud has been a stained glass artist for over 25 years, using traditional techniques to produce stained glass art. Concentrating on the copper foil method, Kathy looks to nature for inspiration.
Read more about Kathy Robichaud.
Arne Roosman (Painting, Studio C)
Arne Roosman revisits his sketch book and paints his canvas with his travels to Sweden, Italy, and Estonia, and life’s inspirations in tow.
Read more about Arne Roosman.
Brenda Rudder (Painting, Studio E)
Brenda Rudder is a wildlife artist who specializes in creating artworks on natural wood. Her pieces are rich in intricate details and vibrant colours, showcasing a deep connection and passion for the natural world. Having experimented with many media over the years, she now solely uses acrylics on reclaimed wood scraps from a local mill.
Read more about Brenda Rudder.
Nina Sampaleanu (Encaustics & Ceramics, Studio D)
Born in Romania, Nina Sampaleanu discovered her passion for art when she moved to Canada and began a career working in mixed media, using wax, wood, metal, paper, and other materials. Her pottery explores themes of destruction and fragility and of strength and materiality.
Read more about Nina Sampaleanu.
Aubre Scott (Pyrography, Studio H)
Aubre Scott (Piping Hot Pyro Studio) is an emerging artist based out of Whitby. She began working with pyrography (wood-burning) in 2021, gaining inspiration from the scenery, landscapes, and wildlife of the local area.
Read more about Aubre Scott.
Catharine Scott (Jewellery, Studio H)
Catharine Scott is a self-taught artisan who is inspired by the natural beauty of coloured gem stones, the ability to form and create meaningful pieces of art through wire working, and her own creative style of stringing that can be worn at any time of the day with any style of fashion.
Read more about Catharine Scott.
Clare Scott-Taggart aka Rusty Girl (Metal Sculpture, Studio F)
Clare Scott-Taggart (Rusty Girl) has worked in metal for the past 30 years. She maintains a small studio in Thousand Islands where she recently moved and continues to create birdbaths, climbers, and trellises.
Read more about Clare Scott-Taggart.
David Smith (Painting, Studio F)
After a 36-year career as a graphic designer, illustrator, and colour correction artist, David Smith creates landscape painting and does printmaking full time from his home studio in North Kawartha. A leader in the arts, he has had solo exhibitions, sits on exhibition juries, has won awards, and taught painting and general art workshops for adults and teens.
Read more about David Smith.
Judy Sparkes (Pottery, Studio H)
Obsessed with the relationship between great food and handmade pottery, Judy Sparkes believes eating from handmade pots elevates the dining experience. Her work is carefully hand crafted to be enjoyed as everyday art.
Read more about Judy Sparkes.
Marci Swift (Beekeeping, Studio O)
Marci Smith is the “queen bee” behind Swift Acres Apiary & Farm in Apsley, where she and her family offer raw unpasteurized honey products, beeswax candles, and natural body essentials like beeswax lip balm and goat’s milk soap.
Read more about Marci Swift.
Silver Timbers (Sterling Silver Jewellery, Studio C)
From the delicate to the dramatic, Silver Timbers’ jewellery designs are timeless treasures, which will serve as wearable art for years to come.
“I believe that jewellery is an essential element of attire,” the artist states. “Even when I am riding camels in the Moroccan desert, I wear my bracelets. My pieces are designed to be worn 24/7 wherever you are in the world.”
Read more about Silver Timbers.
Glynis Williams (Jewellery, Studio E)
Having created with sterling silver for many years, Glynis Williams finds designing jewellery pieces and the manipulation of metal as both challenging and fun. After heating, bending, hammering, sawing, soldering, and completing the final polishing stage, she turns a one-of-a-kind object into a wearable piece of art.
Read more about Glynis Williams.
Anne Young (Pottery, Studio B)
New to the tour this year, Anne Young is a guest artist who works just west of Peterborough and has loved clay, glazes, and firing pottery for over 45 years. Her functional high-fired work is easily recognized by the spirited swirled handles, colourful glazes, and bark-like texture on the outside of a lot of pieces. Her non-functional Raku work features horsehair, feathers, and sugar sprinkles.
Read more about Anne Young.
2025 Apsley Autumn Studio Tour Map
2025 Apsley Autumn Studio Tour MapFirst launched in 1994, the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour creates public awareness of the arts by promoting and supporting artists in the community.
For more information on the 2024 Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, visit apsleystudiotour.com. You can also follow the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour on Facebook and Instagram.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
