Art by the MERA Board of Directors

For September’s Art Exhibit at Dean Hall, we challenged our Board members to display their works. You can meet the artists / Board members at our Open House on Sunday, September 14 from 11 am to 3 pm at the MERA Schoolhouse, 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A, McDonald’s Corners.

The show offers wide array of media, from pottery, acrylics, jewelry, stained glass, woodwork, and photography. This art show is on display until the end of September.

You are invited to join The MERA Board at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners (974 Dalhousie Concession 9A) on Saturday September 14th, 11am to 3pm to meet the artist, view their works and purchase that “must have” piece. If you cannot attend the Meet the Artist event, arrange another viewing time throughout the month of September please contact Tim Booth timothybooth9@gmail.com.

Jan Griffiths, Chair of the Board
Jan Griffiths, retired special needs educator from Toronto, now thrives in Lanark. Jan is a talented acrylic and watercolour artist. Lately she has been exploring printmaking. She is a member of the Pottery Studio where she creates ceramics that reflect her love of nature while jiving to hits from the seventies.

Patti-Jo Wilson, Co-Vice Chair
Patti-Jo (PJ to most folks) is a life time resident of the area. She is part of the local farmers’ market, the board at MERA and the The McDonalds Corners Agricultural Society. Her craft started over 20 years ago, with creating very simple with tree and wreath ornaments. Now works with wire crystals and gem stones and specializes in making trees of life and trees of life pendants.

Timothy Booth, Co-Vice Chair
Tim is deeply dedicated to the arts and the environment and his love of nature is expressed in his wood working process. He believes the wood should speak for itself. He is passionate about using local, natural and reclaimed materials in his works. Tim’s adept designs and choice wood selections create aesthetically pleasing and durable furniture and crafts.

Lyndal Neelin, Secretary,
Lyndal lives on Patterson Lake in a house she and her husband built on his family’s long-time cottaging property. She has her own pottery wheel and kiln as well as being a member of MERA’s pottery studio. Lyndal also enjoys dollhouses, embroidery and knitting. She is an avid audio book enthusiast who is happiest lost in a story and a cross-stitching project.

Louise Ennis, Treasurer
Louise is involved with fundraising at MERA and runs the MERA’s Café for concerts and special events. She has resurrected her passion for photography having spent earlier years in the darkroom and is now so grateful for digital technology! Louise approach to photography is connecting with nature, stories and design.

Ankaret Dean, Director
Ankaret is one of the founding members of MERA and has a deep interest in multiple arts, especially basketry. Ankaret Dean has been enjoying basketry since the 1970s. After graduating from the Sheridan College School of Design in 1975, she travelled extensively, teaching and exhibiting her work. Since moving to a farm in McDonalds Corners in 1991, she has been actively involved in the MERA School House, and in 2018 she opened the Lanark Highland Basketry Museum.

Jenny Findlay, Director
Jenny’s connection to MERA started over 15 years ago, when she and her husband purchased a cottage in the area and regularly enjoyed the Saturday market on weekends. They have since followed their hearts to this place that felt so much like home and moved to a heritage farm property. Jenny enjoys many different pursuits such as knitting, sewing, jewellery making, needle felting. Her latest love is making stained glass art.

Alexis Scott, Administrator
Alexis grew up in this area and she has worked as a performer, producer and facilitator for over 10 years. Alexis values of working in the arts and living rurally. At MERA she taught a successful drama camp in 2023 and 2024. Alexis is a member of the MERA pottery studio.