Webster's defines a sanctuary as a place of refuge and protection. And while the Sanctuary Centre for the Arts in downtown Ridgeway may not be a place one could find safety from persecution or harm, it is still a haven of sorts.
In less than a year, the centre has become a hub for artists who ply their craft with brushes and palates, digital cameras, musical instruments of all sorts and even hula hoops.
Yes, hula hoops.
“We've been getting a lot of nice compliments,” says Shari Ordinario, chair of the Fort Erie Arts Council. “People say it's great we have a place to go in Ridgeway that's like an art gallery in Toronto.”
But the Sanctuary is far more than an art gallery, she says.
“We've held a variety of events from meditation groups to a burlesque troupe. We've hosted performances of the Vagina Monologues and the Gypsy Theatre staged a black-light performance last Christmas.
“We've even had hula hoop classes.”
The centre makes its home in the former Ridgeway Community Church on Ridge Road. And since opening its doors officially last December, the Sanctuary has become a place where local artists can display their work in a quiet setting. It is also fast becoming Fort Erie's – and for that matter, Niagara's – newest venue for concerts, playing host to performances by the likes of Elton Lammie, Michael Pickett, LMT Connection, Serena Pryne and the Mandevilles and – for a special Halloween show - Grateful Dead trubute Rose Garland.
Upcoming shows in the New Year include The Balconies and SterioKid.
Jason Pizzicarola, chair of the Ridgeway Business Improvement Area who also runs an architecture firm in the village, purchased the church building in July 2010 from the Free Methodist Church of Canada. Even before the sale was complete, he had an idea of just how the building could be used.
“I thought this would be a perfect place for the arts,” Pizzicarola says of the nearly century old building. “It would be a new element to the region.”
And the fact that Pizzicarola's wife, Nadine Foerstenberg, as a member of the arts council, made the arts mission a natural fit.
“The idea is to create a community centre. We always look for impact,” Foerstenberg says. “We want to get people's ideas – what they want to see.”
The Sanctuary is home to the arts council's offices and gallery. The gallery space doubles as a concert venue and is also home to weekly artisan markets during the summer. Special markets are held on various weekends throughout the winter, including during the BIA's annual Spirit of Christmas festival.
While the gallery is a quiet spot for art lovers to contemplate works by local artists and most of the musical acts booked into the gallery have been on the lighter side, that doesn't mean the space couldn't accommodate acts of, let's say, a heavier nature.
The idea draws a laugh from the trio.
“We'd be sure to take the paintings down,” Foerstenberg says, drawing even more laughs.
But on a more serious note, all three stress that the hall is open to anyone.
“Anyone can rent the space,” Ordinario says.
Work is ongoing at the centre as Pizzicarola, along with the arts council, continue to fuss over details that will bring their ultimate vision for the space to life.
“We've always wanted to make the space intimate,” Pizzacarola says. He points out that the gallery lighting is left over from the church. “We need new lighting and we need proper stage lighting.”
Foerstenberg, meanwhile, says the facility has been approved to install a 10-kilowatt solar panel system on the roof.
“We are really pushing to be environmentally responsible,” Foerstenberg says.
And that sense of environmental responsibility will be carried over into a new microbrewery to be housed at the site.
“Brimstone Brewing Company is in the works,” she says. “It will be an all-natural craft brewing company that will work under the same principle, which is quality and low impact on the environment.”
The venture will be run in partnership with the Sancuary and various brews are currently being tested.
The centre will also be the site of the arts council's annual Red Ribbon Art Gala. The annual exhibition is the group's major fundraiser for the year. With the move to the Sanctuary from the Fort Erie Welcome Centre, also comes a new date. Previously the gala was held the weekend closest to Valentine's Day but is tentatively set for the weekend of Nov. 19 and 20.
“We thought it would be nice to have it before Christmas,” Ordinario says, adding that the show would be good for finding that special something.
As the Christmas season approaches, the Sanctuary will also be a hub of activity during Ridgeway's Annual Spirit of Christmas event, planned this year for Dec. 2 and 3. The centre will play host to an artisan market and a family theatre presentation during the two-day event.
The Sanctuary Centre for the Arts is located at 209 Ridge Road South in Ridgeway. For details on hall rentals and upcoming events, visit the Sanctuary's website at www.sanctuaryarts.org. The Sanctuary is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Call 905-894-8373 for more information.