Re: Big show of support in the gallery for Bright’s Grove Hub (City Council roundup)
The Bright’s Grove Library and Community Hub Project] presented to Sarnia City Council on November 20 essentially involves adding a community room (with a small kitchen), increasing much needed space and accessibility in the library (the historic Faethorne House) and moving the Gallery in the Grove (a volunteer run gallery which provides art scholarships to continuing high school graduates and free art instruction to grade six students across the county) to the main floor.
The plans have been on display for several months and are very exciting.
To start, libraries are a free depository of much of the world's knowledge and are our most cost effective public resource – a resource of history and truth, as well as great novels, biographies, magazines, videos and movies.
They provide critical, high quality e-learning support and access to digital resources.
The MAKERSPACE program offers the opportunity to create intellectual and physical materials using resources such as computers, 3D printers and audio and video capture.
Technology today is almost a core right and the Bright's Grove Library is well located between two respected schools.
The community room idea with the small kitchen is something an outstanding community like Bright's Grove will applaud...and utilize! I can see the room's big windows offering a sweeping view of Wildwood Park and Lake Huron, being rented out not only for civic meetings, various groups and receptions, but birthday parties and even small weddings.
I am an amateur artist and enjoy the large community of like-minded people in Lambton County. Gallery in the Grove offers 4-6 carefully selected shows of regional artist's work for sale each year and presents its annual Gifts of the Season show prior to Christmas. Well curated arts and crafts by local artisans fill the two galleries and brings in $9-$10,000, which goes to support the mandate.
My out-of-town friends cannot believe the ambiance of beachside Bright's Grove. They have stopped asking about the mercury in the river and now wonder how a "little town like this" (Sarnia) got such an amazing Canadian Art Collection (JNAAG).
One friend commented that the sunsets here are better than Key West!
I hope my thoughts will help Sarnia Council move this project forward. Bright's Grove has an amazing future which needs to be managed carefully – illuminating its beautiful strengths which in turn will create and draw fine citizens.
Respectfully,
Sylvia Foreman Bright's Grove, Ontario