Second Annual Arts Festival

Secrets Woven in the Clothing

Everyone is welcome to attend this Emancipation Day event being held at the Port Bickerton Community Centre on August 24th from 3-4pm. This fashion show and storytelling event explores the secrets behind the clothes and is one session of many to celebrate Emancipation Day. The other events are being held at the St. Mary’s District Lions Club in Sherbrooke on August 21st from 6-8pm.

The Sherbrooke events include:

• Storytelling
• History of the African Drums
• The Journey of the Underground Railway Quilt
• Fashion Show
• Secrets Woven in the Clothing
• Hear from the African Elders

Whether you are feeling like a cheat day or eating clean and healthy, we got your grub!

We offer fresh, local, additive, and preservative free menu items, gluten-free (GF) options and unique, homemade delights! Drop by and taste the Love in your Grub!

Edward M. Langille retired from the Department of Modern Languages at StFX University where he taught French language and literature from 1989-2023. He will be reading from his recent book, “The Story of Lillian Burke” which recounts the establishment of the hooked rug cottage industry in Chéticamp in the 1920s and 30s. Prof. Langille currently lives in Sherbrooke. “The Story of Lillian Burke” is available at the Antigonish 5¢ to a Dollar Store.

Of what great tales await this ocean swell?

Maritime folksinger Ben O’Brien is a storyteller by nature. With a lofty background in film production, Ben is a versatile artist driven by a deep passion to tell eccentric tales after his own heart.

Growing up in a small fishing community on the Eastern Shore, his songs are truly authentic and inquisitively express the trove od seaside memories he holds dear. He strives to tell stories that preserve his own Irish history, and pay ode to Nova Scotia’s rich Celtic roots.

His debut EP “LORE” is a six-song Irish Traditional Avant-folk album.

Philadelphia-based violinist Melissa Lisbão has been playing violin since the age of four, when she started with the Suzuki Method. Melissa now teaches as a Suzuki-certified teacher at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia where she teaches thirty-six kids how to play the violin. An improviser, composer and collaborator of many styles, Melissa has composed music for dancers, has improvised with drummers, kora-players, and just spent the last week in Cape Breton, where she immersed herself in the rich tradition of highland fiddle. An avid learner, educator, and performer, Melissa seeks a multi-media existence, in which her interest in fashion design, theater and storytelling all make a presence on the stage.

She is excited and humbled to be playing at the Port Bickerton Arts Festival.

A local lady who loves to sing and play guitar, Peggy Kirk enjoys East Coast, Soft Rock, Country, and Gospel genres.

After raising a family and retiring from a nursing career, Peggy became part of the gospel trio ‘Tranquility’ from 2002 to 2009. This group performed at church, many gospel concerts, conventions, and gospel sings.

From 2018 to the end of 2024, she invited ladies to join her at home for monthly sessions which ultimately became ‘The Coastal Chicks’, performing at many benefit and community concerts.

Peggy believes that music is truly the universal language that unites people and soothes the soul.

A Ghanian-Canadian master drummer, Collins has been teaching West African drumming and dancing since 2007. A true master of his craft, Collins carves and fixes his own drums. He provides nationwide training and experiences, and performs drumming at various events.

On top of drumming, Collins has studied in post-secondary between the years of 2011-2016, earning various certificates and a master’s degree. He has authored five books, been a volunteer teacher, has been involved in animation movies and a documentary, and practices West African food security in his free time.

What must it be like to arrive in Canada and not know English?

What must it be like… to up root your life, your children, and husband from your war-torn country of the Ukraine? Especially when you don’t know how to speak the language?

A Canadian playwright, visual artist, developmental editor, and ESL teacher, Willa works with writers to support their creative process. A Ukrainian journalist and actor, Oksana moved to Canada three years ago.

Together, they will perform an excerpt from the play “Welcome to Canada”. As an audience, you will experience the process of being taught how to speak English and learn what transitioning to life in Canada is like.

Henna / Mendi designs and workshops.

Demonstrations of various designs will be performed – get your very own temporary tattoo!

Artistic Weather Workshop.

In their artistic weather workshop, Carolyn (a Mother Earth Activist and Crocheter) and Camilo (a Coastal Explorer and Geographer) will explain the initial concept of temperature blankets, including the origins and essence of the movement. Carolyn will showcase her blanket and its progress, while Camilo will discuss ESCOM, their data collection methods, and information from their weather stations.

The second part of the workshop is designed for both experienced individuals in sewing, crochet, or any form of knitting, as well as beginners interested in learning a new technique.

Styrofoam Printmaking Station

Erin Johnston and her mother Shannon O’Connell will have a Styrofoam printmaking station set up for folks of all ages. This process involves embossing foam plates and using a wet printing method to transfer designs to paper.

Erin is a high school English and Art teacher at Saint Mary’s Education Centre / Academy. She is from Dartmouth, NS and moved to Sherbrooke in 2024 after living in Nunavut for 6 years. Shannon O’Connell is originally from Sherbrooke and is a self-taught artist that specializes in nature / landscape painting. She enjoys gardening, exploring new art forms, and spending time with her grandchild.

Tai Chi Sessions

Minzhou Sun is a mental health specialist, psychotherapist, and independent researcher with expertise in meditation and 15 years of experience practicing tai chi. She also serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Sherbrooke Fire Department.

I’ve always had a love for art since a young age. I grew up filling books of drawings and designs, always working with pencil. In my 20’s I took a dive into color and picked up the paint brush. I work mostly in acrylics. Since then, I’ve expanded my knowledge through commissions and teaching smalls workshops. A couple years ago I learned pyrography and since really enjoy working with wood. My art is inspired by where I grew up (Giants Lake, Guysborough County in Nova Scotia) along with nature, dreams, and the spiritual world.

I’m a life long resident of Guysborough County on the east coast of Nova Scotia which borders on the North Atlantic.

After thirty plus years of teaching instrumental music, I retired to my happy place in the woods beside a lake, to enjoy nature and work on my art.

I am a landscape painter and my oil paintings might be described as loose realism in a tonalist style. I tend to prefer the darker moody tones of nature against the contrast of the sun or moon in early morning or evening.

For more information about me, visit here.

Shona Mae is a Nova Scotia-based watercolor and ink artist whose work flows from the intersection of nature, emotion, and sacred storytelling. Her hand-painted collections—featuring Coastal lighthouses, native botanicals, and tender soul-inspired scenes—invite the viewer to pause, reflect, and reconnect. A lifelong creative and grief guide, Shona’s art is an extension of her healing work with Sacred Resilience, where she supports others through loss, estrangement, and soul transformation.

At this year’s Lighthouse Art Festival, Shona brings original pieces from her Lighthouse Collection and Botanical Blessings Series, as well as a heartfelt selection of hand-drawn and hand-painted blank cards—each one crafted with love, light, and a deep reverence for the natural world.

Richard, a ventriloquist dummy, will be attending the Annual Arts Festival selling his paintings and messing about interactivly colouring.

Order the Lighthouse Cajun Club or the Strawberry Sorbet.

Lighthouse Cajun Club – $10
Strawberry Sorbet – $5

The Lighthouse Cajun Club contains:

• Roast pork
• Arugula
• Coleslaw
• Carmelized onion

This yummy sandwich comes with a side of chips and a beverage. Choose between water, diet pepsi, or coke.

The Strawberry Sorbet contains fresh, delicious, summer sweetness.

All proceeds go to the Port Bickerton Area & Planning Association.