Emma Warburton has spent much of her adult life learning from distinguished artists in Canada and abroad. Now, she’s hoping to use her experience to help connect County-based artists with the materials they need to complete their next project.
The Artist Pantry opened at 12818 Hwy. 35, in the HP Propane plaza in Minden, in early June. Warburton said she hopes it will become a haven for artists who, like her, likely struggle to source high-quality, professional level products locally.
She relocated to the Highlands last year, moving home with her parents in Norland with her now two-year-old daughter, Skye. After years of living in major cities like Toronto, Montreal and London, UK, Warburton found smalltown living a tough transition. Especially since she didn’t have access to her own vehicle.
“All winter long, I felt like I was asking my parents to pick up watercolour paper at Michaels and other supplies at Costco. I couldn’t find a single thing I needed or wanted anywhere in the County,” she said.
With a strong local artistic community, supported by the Haliburton School of Art + Design, Warburton said she saw an opportunity to provide a missing service to the region.
She is starting small – focusing on highquality paints, brushes, paper, pencils and markers. The store also offers custom stretch canvas to desired dimensions. Partial to acrylics, Warburton said she currently has options from Kroma Artist’s Acrylics in Vancouver and Tri-Art, a Kingston-based paint maker.
Whether it’s the artist supplies or some of the food options brought in by Warburton’s mother, Kara, such as candied salmon, pickles and condiments, oils, vinegars, organic flours and cereals – almost everything is sourced from Canadian suppliers.
“That was a foundational concept – we want to be as Canadian as possible. The idea is to contribute to the Canadian economy consciously, keeping things local, and maybe introducing the community to some cool new products,” Warburton said.
She’s also taking suggestions from customers – if there’s a product you use that is difficult to source, Warburton wants to hear from you.
After graduating from a special arts program at Unionville High School in the city, Warburton studied fine art at Concordia University in Montreal and got her master’s in art curating from London Metropolitan University in the UK. She interned at the Art Gallery of Ontario after returning home.
Recently moving into her own place in Minden, Warburton said she’s excited to form meaningful connections in her new community. She has a home painting studio for the first time in years, which she said is awakening her creative spirit.
Specializing in pseudo-realism and abstract expressionism, Warburton takes after her grandfather, Tom Hodgson, a member of the influential Painters Eleven group of abstract artists prominent through the mid-to-late 1950s. She plans to pass down tips and tricks of her trade at workshops at the store next year.
“This is where I’m meant to be… I’m meeting new artists every day. We plan to be open year-round. I just really hope to become an essential part of the community,” Warburton said.
There store is open six days a week, closed on Wednesdays. For more information, visit www.artistpantry.ca.
