BROME LAKE’S ARTISTS AND ARTISANS
Brome Lake’s cultural life is shaped by potters, ceramists, painters, lamp makers, weavers, sculptors and jewellers. The level of talent per square foot here is through the roof, as shown by the many workshops, art galleries and artisans’ boutiques scattered across the town. Without a doubt, Knowlton is the epicentre of all the action.
Knowlton – Main street
Art lovers will have plenty to explore along the stretch of Knowlton Road between Lakeside and Maple, where numerous artists have their shops and studios. They include Les Filles du Coin, with their up-to-date take on traditional crafts. Handwoven with consummate skill, their wares—including tea towels, tablecloths and blankets—are both functional and beautiful works of art in their own right.
Their next-door neighbour, Caroline Couture at Boutiverre, makes eye-catching creations out of recycled glass, ranging from a pretty oil dispenser to her ultra-trendy lamp. You really have to see how she recycles wine, beer and water bottles into works of art for yourself. Have you got a wine bottle that brings back special memories? Couture can turn it into a one-of-a-kind piece of art that’s sure to impress.
Hors-Cadre
Boutiverre
Just a few steps down the road, Hors-Cadre presents the work of artist-owner Isabelle Daval. Every month, she shares her gallery walls with a few other inspired artists. Closing out your tour, be sure to visit ArtLab 341, where the members of an artists’ collective work out of their studios. They include artist and sculptor Jocelyne Tremblay and artists Dominique Perron, José Fillion and Michel Gamache, the driving force behind this space with its defunct factory feel. As for multidisciplinary artist Marie-Josée Gravel, she explores different mediums including the sculpture of mysterious characters made of clay and raw material. Rachel Grenon works in the building’s large and bright back room, creating contemporary works in bold colours in a freeform style that’s all her own.
Art enthusiasts should also make a stop at Théâtre de Lac-Brome. Its lobby is regularly transformed into an art gallery featuring the work of local artists.
In the surrounding area
Many other artists have chosen to make their home here. Among them are Ma Ani, an artist who draws on her eclectic post-modern talent to create feminist-inspired works that definitely make a statement; Susan Pepler, whose larger-than-life flowers are suffused with a sweet softness; Michel Beaucage, known for his original rice paper painting technique, and Ursula Kofahl Lampron, an automatist figurative painter. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
From September 17 to 24, you won’t want to miss artist Muriel Faille’s fall exhibit at the Leon Courville vineyard. Dans l’esprit des vignes is an ode to the beauty of the vines under the winter snow.
Words matter too!
Culture is also conveyed by the writings of the many authors who have settled in Brome Lake. Among them are Joanne Seymour, Francine Ruel and Louise Penny, the famous author who sets many of her bestsellers in the fictional town of Three Pines, inspired by Knowlton and its surroundings. A number of Knowlton landmarks that are easily recognized by the fans of Inspector Gamache now beckon to visitors, including the village bookstore, the oldest in the Eastern Townships.
Feathered friends
In the centre of the village of Knowlton, our last stop is the Fairy Trail—which can be accessed via the Coldbrook Path behind the Le Sapin restaurant—to admire the birdhouses that showcase the talent of local artists and inspired residents. Sparking with light, the trail makes this short hike all the more unforgettable, especially when the trees are decked out in their fall colours.
Diane Laberge
The art of living holds no secrets for this wandering soul. Curious by nature, she loves the arts as much as the gourmet addresses and unusual destinations in the Brome-Missisquoi region where she recently settled. For the past 10 years, she has been blogging about her favorite places, here and elsewhere.