Indigenous Summer Fine Arts and Crafts Market coming this June

By Rick Garrick

BARRIE — The Aboriginal Artworks Group of Northern Ontario is planning to hold an Indigenous Summer Fine Arts and Crafts Market on June 20-21 at the Eastview Arena in Barrie.

“We have the vendor’s space now in Barrie,” says John Ferris, founder and coordinator of the Aboriginal Artworks Group of Northern Ontario. “I’d contacted the City of Barrie in regards to a vendor’s space so we’ve managed to get everything all set up there now for June 20 and 21, that’s the [National Indigenous Peoples] Day weekend so it’s good timing.”

Ferris, a Constance Lake citizen who has coordinated Indigenous fine arts and crafts markets in Thunder Bay for many years, says he wanted to expand the markets to a different area.

“I wanted to kind of expand our artisans and artists into a different area where it’s more populated, so giving them new networking contacts and new economic development opportunities,” Ferris says. “Showcasing their work in a new area is good also for the City of Barrie and new customers, as well to understand where we come from … and how talented our people are. We have the Elder artisans and the younger generation that are included in this show.”

Ferris says they started doing the markets in Thunder Bay in 2001.

“Over the years, we’ve grown from 32 artisans to about 250 artisans now,” Ferris says. “It’s well known here in Thunder Bay for the annual Christmas event and also the Mother’s Day [event]. Our next show for the Mother’s Day is on May 9, just on the Saturday.”

Ferris says the artisans and artists usually have a wide range of arts and crafts for sale, including moccasins, mitts, apparel, jewellery, ribbon skirts, and carvings.

“We have people from the Moosonee area that come down here and Kapuskasing that make tamarack [geese] and also carvings with soapstone,” Ferris says. “So there’s quite a variety of Indigenous artworks out there.”

Ferris says they are currently reaching out to artisans from the north, as well as from the Barrie area to participate in the Barrie market.

“We have some people from London, Toronto, Ottawa area, and then we have some from the Manitoulin [Island] area as well that come up to our Christmas events yearly, and then we have people from Winnipeg and even from Thompson, Manitoba, that come down here for our Christmas show,” Ferris says. “I think these people are coming again to the one in Barrie as well, I’ve been contacted by them and they’re interested in coming down.”

Ferris says one of the main reasons he is holding the market in Barrie is to promote the Indigenous fine arts and crafts to visitors from around the world who will be attending the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto. He adds that they will have billboards up in the Barrie area to promote the market.

“We’re trying to promote it in the Toronto area as well, to where they can come to Barrie, which is only an hour away,” Ferris says. “So this may give them an interest to come to Barrie and shop. This show is kind of unique in its way because it’s the only one just specifically for the artists, it’s not a pow wow or anything, it’s just specifically for a traditional arts event. There’s really nothing like it around, for this volume of artists to be together.”

John Ferris can be contacted at: 807-633-6232 and jgferris1959@gmail.com.