The Town of Grand Valley offers many opportunities to get involved in arts, heritage and cultural activities. Please visit our Community Calendar to see the details for our upcoming events, visit our Community Clubs and Organizations page, and click on the links below for lots of information!
|
|
|
The Dufferin Arts Council is a volunteer charitable organization dedicated to assisting artists and art students in all disciplines. They provide arts programs and arts-oriented social programs for their members and for the community. For more information, please visit the Dufferin Arts Council website.
The Dufferin Piecemakers Quilting Guild is a non-profit organization that is open to anyone with an interest in quilts, whether a beginner, intermediate or advanced quilter, or as an enthusiastic onlooker. For more information, please visit the Dufferin Piecemakers Quilting Guild website.
The Riverbend Artists of Grand Valley is an association of dance, theatrical, visual, performance and literature artists. For more information, please visit the Riverbend Artists of Grand Valley website or email riverbendartists@gmail.com.
Our Mission Statement Riverbend Artists of Grand Valley is a volunteer-driven membership organization that brings together Artists and Art supporters for the purpose of promoting, encouraging and fostering interest, appreciation and enjoyment of the practices and knowledge of the Arts. This encompasses the areas of artistic, cultural, literary, musical, dance, dramatic & educational pursuits. We also seek to facilitate workshops and demonstrations for adults and children of these disciplines. Our intent is to assist in organizing, managing, presenting art exhibitions and other presentations as well as advance public education in the Arts and to provide artists with opportunities for greater exposure and networking. Nathan Adler Writer and artist who works in many different mediums, including audio & video, drawing & painting, nathanadler@live.ca
Xaveria Forsythe is an accomplished handspinner, knitter, colourist and designer. She uses her own organic,
http://www.riverbendartistsofgrandvalley.ca/members_visual.html
Neeltje Montgomery-Hoogendoorn Painting and photography are my Passion. Colour and Light draw my attention and give me joy. nltjmntgmery@gmail.com
Anna-Maria Dickinson, A child of the tropics, born in the Caribbean. I spend summer months in Grand Valley, and winter months in Oracle, AZ. My paintings reflect a broad spectrum of memories, places & things. https://annamaria-dickinson.pixels.com/ https://www.facebook.com/amdartgallery
Manuela Marshall Fabric Artist Manuela works with French dyes, found objects, gourds, paints, textiles and other fabric embellishments. She uses textures, colour, hand and machine embroidery, painting and beading to create unique objects d'art that have been turned into national fabric shows. artsii.marshall@gmail.com
Margaret Oorebeek, Oil Painter I love to paint
Doug Fulford, Chainmaille Jewelry Using authentic medieval and modern weaving techniques, Tel: 519.787.3257 Malcolm McCulloch Painter Most of my work is the result of a spontaneous collusion of thought, paint and paper, often with unintended and mysterious results. macpat@live.ca
Leah Mitchell, Quilter Leah has been quilting since 1994. She is essentially self-taught and enjoys the challenge of designing, piecing and quilting small decorative and functional items for the home. Her designs are inspired by traditional patterns in the public domain.She does machine-piercing and hand-appliqué and does both hand and machine quilting depending on the functionof the piece. She is known for her colour choices, appealing designs and attention to detail in her finished work 519.928.3059
Tony Fenech
has been a local professional mixed multi media artist for the past 30 years His diversity of works vary from illustration, chainsaw carvings, welding, signage, videography, photography. He best know for his mural work and graphic design. Instagram tonyfenech1
(519) 217-6462
 Donna Pascoe, Painter, Sculptor, Architectural Designer Ancient Civilizations, Art & Mythology and living by Luther Marsh, are some of the inspiring Muses for millenniuminstitution.com d.pascoe@sympatico.ca 519.928.5417
Joan Pope Come experience for yourself basic fitness, gentle moves, stretches and rolls that will allow you to nourish your own bodies. Joan Pope is a Certified Instructor of Belly Dancing Exercise and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Joan shares a fitness program designed to help everyone individually work at their own pace for fitness and health. For more information go to www.grandvalleytimes.ca/humming.asp 519.928.3123
Dan Sinclair Sculptor Stylistic windswept trees forged on stone, and fantastical other -worldly garden sculpture is where Dan’s inspirations begin. The Iron Bonsai 519.925.9001
Julie VanAlstine Painter, Draughtsperson Julie works mostly in mixed mediums, but specializes in pen and ink, acrylic and ball point pen. An art experience not to be missed. Her art works can only be described as fearsome, fantastic and strangely fun. The mysterious world of the subconscious surface in her works introducing you to imagery that is familiar, unique, disturbing at times and yet compellingly beautiful. juliesart@hotmail.com 519.928.3816
Peter Marshall 519.928.3415 by appointment
Community Commitment Riverbend Artists of Grand Valley have been in partnership with the Grand Valley community for the past 5 years. Please see our website for information regarding a number of community projects. Membership is $40
|
 |
|
The Grand Valley Historical Society is a group of people interested in the preservation and promotion of our local cultural and architectural history. The Society brings together those who wish to keep the past alive for future generations. For more information, please visit the Grand Valley Historical Society website or email mullisstaylor@rogers.com.
|
|
|
|
The Museum of Dufferin (formerly Dufferin County Museum and Archives), located in Mulmur Township at the intersection of Highway 89 and Airport Road, is a unique museum that shares the history of Dufferin and its communities. The museum's architecture reflects the agricultural heritage of Dufferin, and gives you a hint that this museum is open and friendly, and a centre for heritage and historical arts collaboration. For more information, please visit the Museum of Dufferin website.
While winding your way into the Town of Grand Valley, view the tapestry of fields, bending cedars, and wild flowers that slope the ever present Grand River. The flowing river goes through the Town on its way to a 275 km journey to beautiful Lake Erie. You can find fly fisherman snapping their lines, people paddle boarding or canoeing or families seeking a tranquil picnic. Follow the bends to the Downtown where you can see a street scape of history. The backbone of the Town is the Grand River. Natives used it for transportation, settlers used it as source of power and to float thousands of trees destined for sawmills as an export. The springs that feed it provided for newly created farms. The Grand supports recreational opportunities and necessary flood control. The pure water and rich soil of the Valley produces fruitful vegetation and with careful management will continue to do so for future generations. "Grand" gives us a sense of pride and place.
Initial Settlement of the Grand Valley communityGrand Valley was initially settled in 1855 when the George Joyce Family built a log house, a barn and later a tavern. In 1860, the first Post Office was established with resident S. Stuckey as the first postmaster. That same year, the first school house was built, and the first Municipal Council was created. By 1869, the village had grown to 15 residents and nine buildings, and in 1870, the first store had opened. The business activities of the Village depended almost exclusively upon the surrounding farmers until around 1870 when railroad access meant goods could be acquired elsewhere. The rural area of Grand Valley was known as East Luther in Dufferin County (formed in 1881), when Luther Township was divided and the Township of West Luther was formed in Wellington County. Some of the early settlers had to walk at least ten miles to receive or send mail until they established a Post Office at Keldon in 1884, and a little later in Colbeck, Monticello, Peepabun, Tarbert, Wesley and Leggatt. The first gravel road was constructed in 1878. The rural area consists of an area of approximately 38,000 acres of woodland teeming with wildlife such as deer, bear, wildcat, wolves, rabbits and partridges, which served as food for the new settlers. The business activities of the village depended almost exclusively upon the surrounding farmers until 1871 when railroad access meant goods could be acquired or sold elsewhere.
The hamlet was originally called East Luther Village before the name was changed to Grand Valley in 1886. It was part of Wellington County until 1882, when it became part of the newly formed Dufferin County. The urban centre of Town incorporated in 1897 to become the Village of Grand Valley, independent of surrounding East Luther. It was not until almost a century later that the two municipalities would amalgamate once again in 1995 to become one municipality. The new municipality was know as the Township of East Luther Grand Valley until 2012 when the name changed to the Town of Grand Valley.
For more local history, visit our History page and contact the Grand Valley Historical Society.
A photograph taken during the Town's 150 anniversary celebrations.
An excerpt from a local flyer, describing churches and cemeteries at the time of publication.
|
Contact Us