Fiddles and Fashion at DCMA

September 17, 2014 · 0 Comments

This weekend the Dufferin County Museum (DCMA) will celebrate history with both fiddles and fashion presenting the DCMA Barn Dance on Saturday, September 20th and the ArtWear Network Luncheon and Fashion Show on Sunday, September 21st. The fashion fundraiser is in support of DAREarts, a charitable organization that uses “educational experiences in the arts to empower children and youth facing life challenges.”
The Museum has had several Barn Dances over the past 25 years and renewed the tradition last year with great success. Though barn dancing may come to mind as a 20th century activity, its history goes back centuries to the courtly dances held by the nobility in the lavish ballrooms of Europe. In England and Scotland, peasants used the floor space in barns to imitate the dancing of their wealthy landowners and the oft’ times rowdy tradition crossed the ocean with adventurous immigrants to the new world.
There will be a square dance caller at the Barn Dance to take dancers through the moves, and Curator Sarah Robinson claims that “even if you have never danced before by the end of the evening you’ll never want to stop!” Members of the Dufferin County community, from politicians to media, are providing “sumptuous pies” to auction off at the dance, including Laura Ryan, Karren Wallace, Steve Brown, David Nairn from Theatre Orangeville, and Curator Sarah Robinson’s mother. What could beat square dancing, fiddling, callin’ and home-made pie?
“This year, famed fiddler Shane Cook will lead the music for the DCMA Barn Dance. Shane retired from competitive fiddling in 2006 as one of Canada’s most highly awarded fiddlers. He is a three-time Canadian Open National Fiddle Champion, a three-time Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, a Grand North American Fiddle Champion, and is the only Canadian to have ever won the US Grand National Fiddle Championship at just 17 years of age. Jake Charron will accompany Shane and call the square dances. Jake has performed with such artists as Natalie McMaster and Leahy. Shane and Jake have just released a new CD entitled “Head to Head.”
ArtWear Network is made up of artists who design and create art-to-wear, including weavers, dyers, designers, knitters, and tailors. Their work is characterized by “high standards of craftsmanship, attention to detail and creativity,” and their network is a means of coming together to “inspire, challenge and support each other.” Textile artist and ArtWear Network member Pat Burns-Wendland explains, “Each time we do a fashion show, we choose a charity to receive either part of the ticket sales and or 20 per cent of our sales of wearable art. ArtWear is proud to be working with DAREarts, because one of their programs is fashion and youth.” The DCMA presents the ArtWear Network Luncheon and Fashion Show Sunday, September 21st at 12:30 p.m.; admission for the luncheon and show, catered by The Globe Restaurant, is $50 (with a $25 tax receipt issued for this portion donated to DAREarts.) The DCMA Barn Dance will be held Saturday, September 20th from 7 – 10 p.m. at Dufferin County Museum & Archives 936029 Airport Road. Tickets for the dance are $10. For more information contact the DCMA at 1-877-941-7787.

By Marni Walsh