Past | Soyra

Past Events

Aurora Pride Festival

On May 31, SOYRA will be out in full colour celebrating the opening

of the 2nd Annual Aurora Pride Festival.

The festivities take place between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. SOYRA members will be on-hand in the SOYRA booth. You'll find an amazing selection of artwork for sale. Come out to meet the artists who created it and join in a fun afternoon of music, visual arts, celebrations and more!

SOYRA Members Show Strong

at the 62nd Annual Art Aurora!

Art Aurora is one of the longest running art show in Canada. For 62 years, the Town of Aurora has partnered with SOYRA to bring this much anticipated art show and sale to life.

We would like to thank everyone who helped with this year's Art Aurora especially the 75 SOYRA member volunteers who helped with intake/checkout, hanging and were on-hand during the show to answer questions and help guide visitors. A job well done!

This year's juror was acclaimed artist Nancy Newman and this year's show did not disappoint. The juror's selections gave visitors a glimpse into the quality of work that is available in York Region and just beyond. The creativity of the artwork far surpassed previous years in both the Adult and Youth categories. In total, 850 visitors attended the show and 36 pieces of outstanding artwork were sold!

The Winners

Out of the 18 adult category awards that were handed out at the show, 10 were given to SOYRA members.

This year's categories and SOYRA member winners were:

Oil

Honourable Mention - Judy Sherman for 'Neighbourhood Watch'

Honourable Mention - Catherine Fairs for 'Before the Guests Arrive'

Acrylic

First Place - Eva Folks for 'The Brewologist'

Honourable Mention - Rosie Schroder for 'Abandoned'

Watercolour

Honourable Mention - Karen Levert for 'No Stopping'

Mixed Media

First Place - Frank Vizzacchero for 'Jack Shadbolt'

Honourable Mention - Donna Greenstein for 'Saw-Whet Owl'

Alternate Media

Honourable Mention - Val Brubacher for 'Calling Light'

Honourable Mention - Kate Greenway for 'Mimosa Anthem'

Photography

First Place - Linda Welch for 'Carpe Diem'

Congratulations everyone!

We would like to send an extra shout out to SOYRA member Kate Greenway whose piece 'Late Winter, Sheppard's Bush' created in Mixed Media Collage, was purchased by the Town of Aurora for their permanent Preserve Aurora collection. Congratulations!

Congratulations!

SOYRA would like to thank all the members and volunteers who participated in this year's show. And, we tip our hats to this year's award winners. Well done!

1st Place: Edmund Mok for 'Rising on the Wind'

2nd Place: Donna Greenstein for 'Marshland with Herring Gulls'

3rd Place: Lucy Quin for 'Light Walkers'

Honourable Mentions:

Val Brubacher for 'Shadows at Pancake Bay'

Lauren Russo for 'Adam'

People's Choice: Janice Jones for 'Wedgies'

SOYRA Members Sweep

61st Art Aurora!

Art Aurora is the longest running art show in Canada. For 61 years the Town of Aurora has partnered with SOYRA to bring this much anticipated art show and sale to life.

This year's juror was Jacques Bergeron and his selections did not disappoint. 52 pieces of outstanding artwork were sold during the show.

Out of the 18 adult category awards that were handed out at the show, 13 were given to SOYRA members.

This year's categories and SOYRA member winners were:

Oil

First Place - Judy Sherman for 'Into the Light of Spring'

Honourable Mention - Lucy Quin for 'Symphony at Sunset'

Acrylic

Honourable Mention - Anni Bretschneider for 'When's Held in Memory'

Honourable Mention - Katie Luedecke for 'Sunset Swim'

Watercolour

Honourable Mention - Hans Martin for 'Study in Blue'

Mixed Media

First Place - Shoshana Lock for 'Celecstial Swim'

Honourable Mention - Mahtab Abdollahi for 'Poppy Field -6'

Honourable Mention - Hetty Veldkamp for 'Summer Day'

Alternate Media

First Place - Val Brubacher for 'Into the Glow'

Honourable Mention - Jennifer Assinck for 'Morning Mist'

Honourable Mention - Melinda Schnalzer for 'Peace Lily'

Photography

First Place - Tom Wray for 'Chain'

Honourable Mention - Alexandra Bhatia for 'Silent Witness'

Congratulations everyone!

See more about the show, this year's winners and the artwork on our Instagram page @thesoyragallery.

60th Annual Art Aurora Art Show & Sale

Saturday May 4 and Sunday May 5, 2024

Aurora Town Hall

100 John West Way, Aurora ON L4G 6J1

This year marked the 60th Anniversary of this popular annual show and it did not disappoint! Over 160 artists from York Region and beyond took part. More than 300 works of art were displayed and available for sale and sales, we are pleased to announce, were excellent! We were thrilled to welcome the over 850 people who attended the sale on the weekend.

Congratulations to these SOYRA members for being honoured in the 60th Annual Aurora Art Show! In total, 15 ribbons were awarded with cheques to follow. Two hundred and seventy-five adult entries were judged with awards presented in each of the following categories: Oils. Acrylic, Watercolours, Mixed/alternative media, and Photography.

Oils

Honourable Mention - Hetty Veldkamp for Georgian Bay Vista

Acrylic

1st Place - Catherine Falconer for Harbinger

Honourable Mention - Joanne Toth for Amongst the Leaves

Honourable Mention - Kristine Toms for Hope Fading

Watercolours

Honourable Mention - Nancy Newman for Cutwork Cloth and Orchids

Mixed/Alternate Media

Honourable Mention - Christine Valentini for Superior Sunset

Honourable Mention - Donna Greenstein for Primeval

Photography

1st Place - Tom Wray for Killbear Windswept Tree

Add the cake. Mayor Tom Mrakas and President Linda Welch at the Art Aurora 60th Gala Opening on May 3, 2024.

SOLD OUT!

five unforgettable days in

New York

for artists and art lovers

Monday November 6 to Friday November 10, 2023

59th Annual Art Aurora Art Show & Sale

Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7

Aurora Town Hall

100 John West Way, Aurora ON L4G 6J1

Over 140 artists from York Region and beyond took part in this annual juried art show. More than 300 works of art were displayed and available for sale.

This year's Art Aurora was particularly exciting. Artworks sales were way up and out of the 15 awards given out in the show's five categories, 10 were awarded to SOYRA members!

Oils

1st Place - Lucy Quin

Honourable Mention - Catherine Fairs

Acrylic

1st Place Val Brubacher

Honourable Mention - Kathryn Christensen

Watercolours

1st Place - Nancy Newman

Honourable Mention - Karen Levert

Mixed/Alternate Media

1st Place - Zoe Perrin

Honourable Mention - Eva Folks

Photography

Honourable Mention - Kevin McBean

Honourable Mention - Linda Welch

Hillary House
"Inspirations from a Space of Healing"
December 10, 2022 to January 28, 2023

Hillary House ‘Inspiration from a Space of Healing’, was a multisite exhibition on display at Hillary House National Historic Site and the Aurora Town Hall. The exhibition was curated in collaboration with the Aurora Historical Society, the Aurora Cultural Centre and sixteen Society of York Region (SOYRA) member artists.

'Inspirations from a Space of Healing' was a process-based exhibition inspired by Hillary House National Historic Site. Built in 1862, Hillary House was used as a doctor’s practice and family residence for over 100 years.

Showcasing a significant collection of medical instruments, books, household furnishings, as well as a collection of personal objects from the historical families in residence, Hillary House is full of artifacts that trigger reflection and inspire deep contemplation.

Leading up to the exhibition, members from SOYRA were invited to Hillary House to engage with the space, its artifacts, and the stories of its past inhabitants. Meditating on the intersectional history of medicine and domestic life, artists were asked to respond to Hillary House’s unique position as a space of healing.

Participating SOYRA member artists included: George Keltika, Bill Lunshof, Karin Adams, Sharon Nielsen, Lucy Quin, Melinda Schnalzer, Linda Welch, Vikki Mikkola, Catherine Fairs, Christine Valentini, Kevin McBean, Hans Backer, and Carol Walthers.