The theme for the Members' Show for the month of November is 'Transportation' and 'Travel'

The exhibition will be on display in our gallery from November 1st through November 25th. We invite you to stop by and enjoy the beautiful works of art created by our talented club members.

Plus, you can enjoy the stunning 'works of art' of our Featured Artist, Louise Kelly, and Guest Artist, Debra Bridgman, on display for your viewing pleasure.

Theme: 12"x12"

This exhibit features original 12x12 inch paintings across various themes, including floral, landscape, portrait, still life, abstract ...

Each piece is created within the square format, emphasizing composition, color, and subject.

As a group, we will bring together different styles and techniques, all tied together by the 12x12 size which will have a strong visual impact.

BAC CHRISTMAS ARTISAN MARKET:

Runs for two days: Saturday, December 6th, 10 am - 4 pm AND Sunday, December 7th, 10 am - 3 pm at the Barrie Art Club. 

Mark your calendars and be sure to stop in and support our Vendors who will be selling a variety of handmade items made with love perfect for Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers ... cards, fine art, jewellery, stationary, and so much more

Event Coordinator BAC Christmas Artisan Market: Carol Wiggins

BAC Open House & Christmas Party

Saturday, December 13th, 12 pm - 3 pm

JOIN US!  We will be celebrating the holidays with our members, families and friends ... join in the activities, and view our current 12x12 Show.  A perfect time to pick up a gift for that special person in your life. 

Happy Holidays!

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: The Best of Winter: From Snow to Sand

This month’s theme “The Best of Winter: From Snow to Sand” celebrates everything we love about the season:

• ·         from snowy landscapes and sunny escapes to the simple joys that warm our hearts.
• ·         Whether your inspiration comes from snow covered forests, tropical beaches, holiday traditions, or cozy comforts like hot chocolate, fuzzy slippers, and crackling fires, this theme welcomes all interpretations.
• ·         Members are invited to explore the contrast between cold climates and warm getaways, or simply reflect on what winter means to them.
• ·         Paint: a toboggan, snowshoes, a skier, snow covered trees, a dog playing in the snow, waves rolling in, a sandy beach, iguana, sun bonnet and sunglasses, a hot bowl of soup or a margarita, … endless possibilities.

MARCH MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Think BIG: Express It Your Way

This month’s theme encourages members to “Think BIG”—in size, subject or meaning (one large piece only per member, up to 36”x36”).

• ·         Paint oversized everyday objects: a giant coffee mug, an enormous pair of sunglasses on the beach, a massive cupcake with sprinkles, sneakers left on a sidewalk or hanging from a wire, a large melting ice cream cone, or a towering stack of books.
• ·         Try bold ideas like melting ice, two hands reaching across a wide canvas or a tree changing through all four seasons.
• ·         Show strong feelings like joy with bright splashes of colour, or calm with soft blues and gentle shapes, excitement with fast brushstrokes.
• ·         Or big ideas in simple scenes like a child holding a balloon that floats into the sky, a long shadow stretching across a wall or floor, or a calm space with one red bright object.
• ·         Go beyond the ordinary and make a BIG impact with your art!

APRIL MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Indoors: Where Stories Unfold

This month’s theme, “Indoors: Where Stories Unfold,” invites members to explore the spaces and moments that shape our lives behind closed doors.

• ·         The indoors offers endless inspiration like gazing out a window, writing in a journal in a quiet space, sitting in soft light, and engaging in lively gatherings.
• ·         Whether it’s a sunlit window, a favorite chair, a pet curled up on the floor, or the feeling of solitude in a quiet room, this theme celebrates the beauty, emotion, and storytelling found within our personal spaces.
• ·         Paint a steaming mug of coffee, a book left open on a table, slippers beside a bed, a blanket scattered on a couch, an art desk with brushes and paint, a child with their toys, hands holding a warm cup, people at a dinner table, someone looking in a mirror brushing their hair …

MAY MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Canadiana: Stories, Symbols & Scenery

This month’s theme, “Canadiana: Stories, Symbols and Scenery,” invites members to celebrate the spirit, culture, and landscapes of Canada.

• ·         From iconic symbols like maple leaves, moose, beaver and hockey skates to sweeping views of forests, lakes, and northern skies, this theme embraces everything that feels uniquely Canadian.
• ·         You might explore Indigenous heritage, rural life, urban scenes, seasonal beauty, or personal memories tied to Canadian identity.
• ·         Whether it’s a cozy cabin in winter, a bustling street in Toronto, or the feeling of home in a small town, “Canadiana” is about expressing what Canada means to you—visually, emotionally, and proudly.
• ·         Other inspiring examples might include: hockey skates on a porch, northern lights, a gathering around a bonfire, butter tarts, Canadian flag, snowshoes leaning against a wall, a canoe on a shimmering lake, …

JUNE MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Complementary Colours: Creative Contrast

This month, we’re inviting you to play with opposites in your art—especially through colour.

·         Use bold colour pairs like blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purpleto make your work pop.

·         Think about contrast in ideas too, like calm vs. chaos, soft vs. sharp, or old vs. new.

·         Mix textures and styles- smooth with rough, realistic with abstract.

·         Let your colours lead, or explore contrast in emotion, subject, or technique.

·         It’s all about showing how opposites can work together to create something exciting and expressive.

Whether you create dramatic landscapes, expressive portraits, abstracts, or playful scenes, this theme is all about bold balance and creative contrast.

JULY/AUGUST MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Anything Goes: Create Your Way

This month, we’re handing the creative reins over to you. No theme, no rules—just pure artistic freedom.

·         Anything Goes: Create Your Wayis your chance to explore whatever inspires you most. Whether you’re into bold abstracts, soft watercolours, expressive portraits, drawing, zentangle, or mixed media experiments—this is your space to shine.

·         Paint your passion. Capture a moment. Express a feeling. Try something totally new.

·         Let’s see what you create when anything goes!

SEPTEMBER MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Love in All Forms

This month explore the theme of “Love in All Forms”- a celebration of connection, emotion, and the many ways love shows up in our lives.

Love can be romantic or friendly, shared with family, felt within, or expressed in countless ways. It might live in a moment, a memory, a gesture, or a dream.

·         Paint a relationship that means the world to you.  

·         Express love through colour, texture, or movement.

·         Whether your work is abstract or realistic, joyful or bittersweet, show us how you experience love - through people, places, pets, nature, or imagination.

For this exhibit you might paint the obvious such as family members, our beloved pets, places we’ve visited, and nature. Other ideas: two people walking side by side or sharing a hug; a garden blooming or peaceful forest; a meditating figure; siblings playing, a dog waiting, or a cat curled in your lap; a couple holding hands or intertwined shapes like hearts; and something we can all relate to: an artist at work, messy palettes, or a canvas mid-creation

This is your chance to create from the heart and share what love means to you.

OCTOBER MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: Town & Country: Where We Live

This month, we invite you to explore the places that shape us—whether it’s the buzz of a busy town or the quiet charm of the countryside.

“Town & Country: Where We Live”is a celebration of the spaces we call home, the rhythms of daily life, and the contrast between urban energy and rural calm.

·         Paint a familiar street corner, a favourite café, or a skyline that greets you each morning.

·         Capture the open fields, winding roads, or peaceful barns that speak to country living.

·         Show the contrast, or harmony, between city lights and starlit skies.

·         Explore what “home” means to you: a backyard garden, a local landmark, or a quiet room filled with light. Your pets, family and friends, cooking and baking…

·         Other examples of subjects might include: a person walking a dog on a city sidewalk, books in a library window, chickens in a backyard coop, clothesline blowing in the wind, books and blankets on a couch, a busy street fading into a quiet trail.

NOVEMBER MEMBERS' EXHIBIT
Theme: On the Rocks! – Solid & Fluid

This month’s theme invites you to explore the dynamic tension between solid and fluid - from the strength of stone to the sparkle of a cocktail glass. Think rocky landscapes and melting ice!

“On the Rocks” is about nature’s rugged beauty - rocky cliffs, worn shorelines and rough textures.

“On the Rocks” can also mean moments of celebration or reflection - drinks over ice, bar scenes, and the stories shared with a glass in hand.

·         Paint a rugged landscape, a tide-worn boulder, or a glass filled with something chilled.

·         Paint the sparkle of ice in a glass, a sunset toast with friends, or a quiet moment sipping alone.

·         Explore texture - rough stone, smooth glass, melting ice, or layered emotion.

Share your take on “On the Rocks” from nature’s formations to life’s celebrations.

DECEMBER MEMBERS' EXHIBIT:
Theme: 12x12: Small Works, Big Impact

This month, we invite you to create within the square - 12”x12”, a compact canvas with endless possibilities.

The theme is open, so let your imagination lead the way. Whether you’re drawn to bold colour, quiet detail, storytelling, abstraction, or texture, this format is your playground.

·         Try something new or revisit a favourite subject.

·         Experiment with composition, emotion and technique in a small space.

·         Paint a miniature landscape, a vibrant abstract, or a portrait.

·         Try styles like still life, dream-like scenes, cut-and-paste art, patterns, or bold lettering.

·         Feature pets, people, places, plants, or pure imagination.

·         All mediums and styles are welcome—as long as it fits the 12x12 inch size.

Small doesn’t mean simple. Show us how big your ideas can be when framed in a SQUARE!