• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The NOTL Local

  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Current Edition
  • Buy Membership
  • Membership Offers
  •  
Home / News / School of Restoration Arts is growing

School of Restoration Arts is growing

December 26, 2019 by Penny Coles News

Sydney Holmes, Caitlin Wooll (with Georgia), and Craig Crane address a group of supporters at a recent open house at the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts.

A holiday open house held at Willowbank School of Restoration Arts recently was an opportunity to share news with the public about plans for the future.

About 100 people — Queenston residents, Willowbank board members and those interested in the estate and the school — crowded into the upstairs drawing room to celebrate the season, and learn a little more about the growth of the school and where it is going.

It was also an opportunity to publicly launch the school’s new website, which was badly needed and has school staff and supporters excited, says Caitlin Wooll, education coordinator.

Although most of the students had left the area for the holiday, before returning in January for the next semester, on hand was one of a group of five students who had recently returned from an exciting second-place finish at the Association of Preservation Technology and design competition in Miami. Meghan Lenz was happy to share some of the details of their accomplishment, against much larger institutions with engineering-based programs. The international competition included designing an arch, and building it to ensure it was weight-bearing. 

Lenz says as challenging as the hands-on portion of the competition was, students were also required to talk about their model, and to make a presentation that represented a big portion of their scoring.

They felt like they had done “really, really well,” since the Queenston program is so focused on questions and discussions, rather than engineering.

“It was a good lesson for us, that these people from other schools are not the enemy. We can get along and work together. For the most part, everyone was working to support each other, and it would seem that’s the way it should be, all of us working together with our different skills,” says Lenz.

Although a portion of the trip was funded by the school, the students were on their own paying for the bulk of it, and continue to fundraise to offset the costs by selling items they’ve made, such as slate cheese boards, coasters and blackboards.

The school is also looking at ways to raise money to offset tuition costs for students, and to further connections with the community. There will be a music series beginning Jan. 26, with concerts on Feb. 23 and March 22, says Wooll.

The school is also examining new avenues to reach prospective students, and to develop funding partnerships, said Craig Crane, the managing director of Willowbank.

“The school is running pretty smoothly now, and my job is getting easier. We are also working on the process of re-imagining the lower campus (formerly Laura Secord Memorial School), and talking about what that could look like. And we’re active in Toronto. We’re growing. The future is starting to appear.”

Willowbank student Meghan Lenz was one of five who came second in an international design competition held in Miami. She attended a holiday open house to talk about her experience. 

Janice Holmes, Maggie Neuroth and Joan King are fans of Willowbank and the work it does. (Photos by Penny Coles)

Carol Hutchison, Cosmo Condina, Judy MacLachlin, Charlotte Lewis and Jackie Kevill enjoy the Willowbank Holiday Open House.

Primary Sidebar

Upcoming Events

  1. Friday Night Trivia ~ “Friends”

    April 23 @ 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm

    Join us this Friday when the Trivia will be all about the show Friends.  Gather the gang and get competitive!  Join us for a virtual trivia night from the comfort of your couch.  Play on your phone, computer or tablet, no app needed just a web browser.  All are welcome! Log On To:  CROWD.LIVE Enter […]

  2. Niagara Pumphouse ~ April Family Friendly Online Studio

    April 24 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Learn to make a Stained Glass Suncatcher! Hang your masterpiece on your window for a colourful Spring décor.  For details, please visit:  https://niagarapumphouse.ca For this project, you will need: – Wax paper or plastic page protector – Printout of templates (download templates below) – mixed tissue paper cut into squares – white glue – container […]

  3. Monday Makers: Create with Kasia ~Virtually! Ages 7 – 13

    April 24 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

    Join us for a fun and creative art break for your brain! PANDA PAINTING: Join Kasia to learn how to make a fun and easy mixed-media masterpiece with a cute panda and green leafy bamboo.  No experience necessary! Participants are asked to visit https://notlpubliclibrary.org to pre-register for April 26th.  Once registered, you will receive an […]

  4. Monday Makers: Create with Kasia ~ Virtually! Ages 7 – 13

    April 26 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

    Join us for a fun and creative art break for your brain! PANDA PAINTING: Join Kasia to learn how to make a fun and easy mixed-media masterpiece with a cute panda and green leafy bamboo.  No experience necessary! Participants are asked to visit https://notlpubliclibrary.org to pre-register.  Once registered, you will receive an email with details […]

  5. Author Talks ~ Jennifer Robson ~ 14+

    April 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

    Join us in welcoming Jennifer Robson as our next author in our 2021 Author Talk Series!  Enjoy an evening with writer Jennifer Robson from the comfort of your home as she talks about her book “Our Darkest Night”.  Although we will be apart there will be plenty of time for questions and conversation.  This free […]

View All Events

Footer

About Us

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Local and notllocal.com were established in 2018 to be your community newspaper. We hope you will think of us as The Local, representing the heart and soul of the community you call home.

I want to…

  • Send a letter to the editor
  • Submit a community event
  • Advertise with The Niagara-on-the-Lake Local

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

© 2021 · Site Design and Hosting by The GDC Group