By Michael Bennett
Local Journalism Initiative
The Ridgetown Independent News
The Chatham-Kent Arts Council’s Artist Studio Tour is coming to Ridgetown this weekend. And elsewhere in Chatham-Kent, of course.
Carri McCoy will welcome guests to her home at 2 Cecil St. S. to view her fabulous watercolours and other works on Saturday and Sunday as a part of the fourth annual Artist Studio Tours.
McCoy is one of 55 artists across Chatham-Kent participating in the CKAC’s signature event. Artists will be showcasing their various art mediums in their homes, studios, hubs and galleries on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
The 2026 Artist Studio Tour will take art aficionados across Chatham-Kent as, along with McCoy, 14 other artists from Blenheim, Dresden, Wallaceburg, Walpole Island and Chatham are participating. The tour has expanded greatly from 2025 when 11 artists participated, only three outside Chatham.
McCoy said she first heard about the tour when the call-out for artists was issued in March.
“It’s really exciting,” said McCoy, as she will feature a variety of her works in her home for patrons to view. “Mostly watercolours, I do a little bit of mixed media and acrylics … abstract, impressionism, not necessarily realism,” she described her work.
“Watercolours challenge me to look more closely at nature, something that has enchanted me since childhood,” McCoy said, as trees, plants and flowers are reoccurring themes.
McCoy, who is originally from Toronto, raised a family in Kitchener and moved to Ridgetown four years ago.
“Housing prices,” she said, with a laugh, on her decision to move to town
Moving to Ridgetown was timely as it came at the end of the pandemic.
“Since the world reopened, I’ve discovered that I particularly enjoy creating in the company of others and I am always looking for opportunities to do so,” she said.
McCoy teaches art from home and at the Adult Activity Centre. She is also the volunteer art gallery director at the Mary Webb Centre.
Guests are welcome to visit McCoy’s residence during the posted hours to view and talk with her about her work.
Two Blenheim artists – Natasha Arthofer and Tracy Hartery – will be showing their artwork at 110 Jane St., between King and Parr Sts.
Attendees will have an incentive to visit McCoy, Arthofer and Hartery, as well as the artists in Wallaceburg, Dresden and Walpole Island to be eligible for special prizes through a passport system. Patrons can collect six stamps, including one from a venue outside of Chatham, for a chance to win an Arts Date Night Package, valued at $170. Attendees who collect 10 stamps, including one from outside Chatham, will have an opportunity to win a painting by Chatham-Kent artist Vicki McFarland, valued at over $1,500.
“We are thrilled with this year’s level of participation by artists from such a diverse range of disciplines,” said McFarland, a member of the organizing committee. “The word ‘artist’ does not apply solely to visual art; it encompasses music, writing, filmmaking, jewellery design, pottery and more.”
McFarland is excited for artists from Bkejwanong (Walpole Island) First Nation to be a part of the Studio Arts Tour for the first time. “Having this participation allows attendees to experience even more of the cultural depth present within the region,” she said.
The six artists – Jenna Pinnance-Blackbird, Jerome ‘Moose’ Isaac, Lenny Peters, Matthew Elijah Thompson, Natalie Williams and Q’Rstyn Nahdee-Lee – will be showcasing together at 785 Tecumseh Road in the plaza near the Snye Channel Bridge.
“The diversity of talent and vibrancy of Chatham-Kent’s creative community are our region’s best kept secrets,” said Laurie Langford, CK Arts Council Board Chair. “We are fortunate to have so many individuals working in so many disciplines and mediums.”
“Two of this arts council’s mandates are to encourage community interaction with arts and culture in all its forms and to nurture CK’s creative community.
“This signature event creates a unique environment where people can get face-to-face with the creatives who enrich our region,” Langford said.
Three galleries – Art & Heirloom Shoppe and ARTspace, both on King St. W. between Fourth and Fifth Sts., and Studio Two in the Chatham Cultural Centre are also participating.
