MERA

Art Circle
2025-12-26 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-01-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-01-09 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto) | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Join us and learn from and be inspired by what others in the group are working on. There is plenty of time to work on your own piece and also trade ideas and techniques with others in a casual way.

Recorder Consort
2025-12-26 13:00 - 14:15, 2026-01-02 13:00 - 14:15, 2026-01-09 13:00 - 14:15 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
The MERA Recorder Consort is an ongoing, flexible group of players. We meet regularly, playing intermediate level music in 2-5 parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We play for our own enjoyment, and we sometimes play for a MERA event such as the Wassail.
If you already read music and play the recorder, we would love you to join this group of enthusiastic amateur players, with teacher Helen Mogford providing guidance and music. We have a 75 minute class most Fridays.

Stained Glass
2025-12-26 18:00 - 21:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Come and join us. All that you require is an interest in being creative and a MERA membership. We have materials to get you started. We learn and hone our craft together.
Be prepared to learn from and be inspired by what others in the group are working on. There is plenty of time to work on your own piece and also trade ideas and techniques with others in a casual way.
This is a new program so we are excited to see how it develops!

Open Artists Studio
2025-12-29 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-05 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-12 10:00 - 14:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
MERA members are welcome to come to the MERA schoolhouse on Mondays for the Open Artists Studio. Bring your own work, and enjoy the light and the warmth during the fall, winter and spring seasons. The MERA room beside the kitchen can hold up to 7 people comfortably. We’ll begin with a drop in, so come for all or a part of the time slot.
Mondays, 10-2, excluding statutory holidays.
Starting Oct 20, 2025
contacts:
Sandy McNulty sandymcnulty8@gmail.com
Deb Shea debjshea@gmail.com

Closed for Cleaning
2025-12-30 05:00 - 07:00, 2026-01-06 05:00 - 07:00, 2026-01-13 05:00 - 07:00

Pottery Studio
2025-12-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-06 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-13 13:00 - 15:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meeting Space: Pottery Studio (basement)
Contact Person: Lyndal Neelin
We are a joyful group of potters who share space, tools and experience in the basement of the MERA schoolhouse. We are organized as a co-operative, sharing responsibility for making our studio a fun, open, supportive and safe place to enjoy creating works in clay both on and away from the wheel.
Each studio member is encouraged to participate in both individual and collective projects, to contribute to studio maintenance tasks, and to teach and learn from the other potters. MERA potters also organize learning and teaching opportunities in the form of in-house workshops and sessions led by professional potters and contribute to the Annual MERA Christmas Fair.

Pottery Studio
2025-12-31 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-07 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-14 13:00 - 15:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meetings Space: Pottery Studio (basement)
Contact Person: Heather Vriends

MERA's Needle Pushers
2025-12-31 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-07 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-14 13:00 - 16:00
Meeting Space: MERA Room
Contact Person: Bonnie McQuatt
We welcome anyone who might have new techniques or designs to share or perhaps just has a desire to try something new.
Most of the fun of quilting is being with the people we quilt with. Newcomers learn by doing. If you would like to try quilting with us we will share our supplies with you until you figure out if quilting is your thing or not. The requirements for quilting are minimal. Those who have a portable sewing machine, rotary cutter and mat will bring that equipment when we are starting a quilt and we work together cutting out the pattern and assembling the quilt. Once the hand quilting begins each person needs their own thimble, scissors and quilting needles.

Heritage Weavers
2026-01-01 09:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-08 09:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-15 09:00 - 14:00
Meeting Place: Dean Hall
Contact Person: Lise Loader
This collective has expanded significantly from a core group over the last few years.
The weavers gather to plan and work on projects and are available to share ideas, advice and enthusiasm with each other and newer weavers. It’s an apprentice-like learn-as-you-go environment suited to those who have taken an introduction to weaving weekend workshop at a guild.
We have 7 looms of various sizes and styles at MERA. Some of these looms are set up with extra-long warps which become cooperative projects that various members work on when they can.
As with all groups at the Schoolhouse, you must have a MERA membership to become a regular member of the MERA Heritage Weavers.

Lantern Walk and Twelfth Night Party
2026-01-03 18:30 - 21:00
Come for a celebration of the season with a Lantern Walk and Twelfth Night Wassail party. On January 3rd, meet at 6:45pm in the parking lot at MERA. Lanterns are a long-standing tradition at MERA, and organizers will arrive early and be ready to hand out lanterns at 6:45. If you have a lantern or some other festive light source, please bring it. After the walk, you are welcome to warm up in the schoolhouse and hot cider will be available. Those who do not wish to walk can meet at the Schoolhouse at 7:00pm.
There will be music by the MERA Recorder Consort and singing of seasonal songs, accompanied by Kathleen Dorner on piano. There will be games, food and mulled cider.
If you can, please bring a finger food treat to share.
This has always been a warm and happy evening, enjoying ourselves in this lovely community. You and your family and friends are all very welcome!

Board Meeting
2026-01-06 18:00 - 20:00

Saturday Cafe
2026-01-10 10:00 - 14:00
Come in from the cold and enjoy a warm Saturday at MERA
Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate and fun conversations (free)
Homemade soup $5
Baked goods $2
Donations and volunteers are more than welcome!
Let you kids create at the Children’s Art Table!

Art Installation
2026-01-11 11:00 - 13:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

Intro to Pottery
2026-01-12 18:30 - 21:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
MERA’s pottery studio is always keen to welcome new potters.
The best way to join us is to enroll in our introduction to pottery class – a 6 week series of 2 ½ hour classes offering a taste of wheel work, hand building, sgraffito and glazing. The objective of the six week session is to introduce potential potters to working with clay, and to participating in a shared studio. The fee is $200 (with MERA membership). We’re ready to run two sessions this winter.
BEGINNING students on Monday evenings 6:30 to 9:00pm The 6 week session will run from January 12th through February 16th. Six spaces available. All supplies provided.
Once you fall in love with potting you can become a studio member by
1 – becoming a member of MERA, (individual or new family membership $60.00)
2 – paying the annual studio fee of $60.00,
3 – signing up for our WhatsApp chat (ask Alexis to add your address), and
4 – buying your first block of clay. We sell the clay for $35.00/bag.Clay used in the studio must be bought through the studio (the easiest way to ensure that we are all using the same clay. It makes creating glazes and firing our work less complicated). The studio fee and clay purchases give you access to the studio’s tools and equipment and cover the cost of glazes and firing.
Please reach out for more information about classes or the studio through me lyndal.neelin@gmail.com or Alexis meraschoolhouse@gmail.com.
