Despite a last-minute thunderstorm — which finished up just as things were getting started — the 2024 Starry Night Studio and Gallery Tour in downtown Orillia was a hit, as hundreds of people toured through the busy closed streets and revelled in the art and music available.
Fifteen-year-old artist Arabella Violet Leska was participating in Starry Night for the first time, at MVMT SPC Training and Wellness on Peter Street.
"The owner of the studio is my trainer," she explained. "We have gotten close, and she offered the space to me to show my work."
Leska started painting several years ago, inspired by YouTube videos of Bob Ross.
"I hated my first piece and didn't paint again for quite a while," she laughed. "But I kept watching and learning and eventually tried again."
Leska took art in Grade 9 at Twin Lakes Secondary School this past school year and won the art prize at the end of the year.
"I am really enjoying my sketching and painting now," she said. "I'm excited to show it to people tonight."
The Lone Wolf Cafe participated in Starry Night this year, showcasing the prints of internally known Mexican artist Ivan Bautista.
"As an artist myself, I love printmaking," said Lone Wolf co-owner Sam Rowe. "I can appreciate the time and effort that went into carving each of the wood blocks that is used for each print, the fine detail, the intricacy, and how meticulous the artist's work is."
Bautista's work will be on display at Lone Wolf for a full year as part of an effort on Rowe's part to expand Orillia's artistic offerings to contemporary international work.
"Orillia is an incredible town for regional work, and I am excited to see the response to this artwork," said Rowe. "Also, I am just really happy that I get to come into the cafe every day and see this amazing artwork on display while I get my morning coffee. I feel very lucky."
Painter Job Oelrich has been a vendor at many Starry Nights and other street festivals in Orillia over the years. The Oro-Medonte artist has his work in Uptown Living Interiors and took the opportunity to be on site during Starry Night with his wife, Terri.
"I always enjoy being on the street with the other artists," he said. "Orillia is a fantastic town for these kinds of opportunities."
As the night continued, the 20 participating galleries and the street filled up, but sales were slower than prior to the pandemic.
"The attendance is up from last year," said Xavier Fernandes, who sells wood turned bowls and other wooden items at Peter Street Fine Arts.
"That was the first year post-pandemic, so it was hard to get people out. But people still aren't spending the way they used to. Hopefully, the sales will come back eventually," he said.
Event organizer Lucia McGarvey was happy with the event this year.
"With it being a new partnership with the BIA it was a little bit chaotic at the start and then I got COVID and was in the hospital, so there was a bit of scrambling for sure," she said.
"Molly Farquharson and Linda Tiffin, who are the other members of the committee, stepped in then and we got it all done in the end. It would be great to have things more ironed out with the BIA next year and expand our organizing committee."
She said the event is an important one.
"Starry Night is a really important night for all the artists in Orillia and it would be wonderful to really grow and expand it again, to be what it was before the pandemic."
As the closing time of 10 p.m. grew near and the night wound down, the galleries remained open, people wandered in and out, and Peter Street was lively with people enjoying the wine at Provenance Wine Bar and the starry night above.
"It's such a great event," said Streets Alive founder Leslie Fournier, who decorated Peter Street with banners and flags for the event. "(It's) one of my very favourite nights of the year."
