Art Exhibition in the Distillery District

It is always interesting to see an art exhibition, but this one was especially good because my daughter knew the artist, Lillan Rosendal. She is on the right and is known for her exquisite watercolour paintings! The show was held down in the Distillery District.

This area had originally been the brewery of the Gooderham and Worts Company. Since 1837 they produced whiskey and beer, making it the largest distillery in the British Empire at that time. Gooderham and Worts closed its doors around 1990, after 170 years of business. The area was later restored and today it is the only pedestrian village within our city. The forty plus buildings house various galleries, artists' studios and workshops, restaurants and boutiques. It is said to be the best preserved collection of Victorian Industrial Architecture in North America.

We decided to stay in the District and have dinner at one of the outdoor cafes after the art show closed. This is the first time I had been down to this area and I was pleasantly surprised. The whole place had a very European feeling about it - probably due to the old stone buildings, cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes.

Special events like festivals, art shows and musical performances are held here throughout the summer months. I plan to return next summer and will make note of some of the interesting happenings taking place then.