The Maker’s Circle

by Hillary Handy

17 Peter Street South is now home to The Maker’s Circle! This is a collaborative art gallery and teaching studio in the heart of Orillia’s Arts District. This space will allow for 13 different creators to showcase their creativity and skill, with some permanent vendors ongoing. You can expect Woodsie Music Lessons, Bloom Community Art Studio and Melissa Van Dam Studio to be constant artists in the space, but the variety within the collective will change as new creators come and go. The dynamic duo of Melissa Van Dam and Tracy Ho are excited to be creating a new initiative that centers around community and a love for art, after taking over the space of what was Hibernation Arts.

So, who are the hosts of this new collective? Melissa Van Dam is from Orillia and loved art from a young age, but notes, “The world seemed to tell people it was impossible to become an artist. Despite my desire to go to college for graphic design and animation when it was an emerging field, I listened to the fear from the world and pursued pretty much everything else!” 

Over the years, she still found opportunities to be creative and involved in the arts on a smaller scale. About a year and half ago, she initiated the Orillia Arts Club to help fulfill a need for community and connection with exploration of the arts. Since that time, the group met regularly, and the concept of a collaborative art space was always being thrown around. This seemed like a far-off dream, but it was closer than expected. Molly Farquharson, owner of Hibernation Arts, an artist herself and advocate for the arts, approached Melissa, indicating she was planning on retiring. The space was available. Tracy and she reconnected after Molly reached out to each of them separately, and coupled with Tracy’s dreams and vision, a natural partnership was born. 

Tracy Ho has a BSc in Fine Arts and Psychology and completed the Art Therapy program at The Toronto Art Therapy Institute. Her focus has been on raising her family and volunteering in the community for the last 25 years. But more recently her artistic passions have been reignited after running a drop-in art program at The Lighthouse for almost four years. 

Around the same time, she discovered the concept of art hives: community art studios that offer free art making with the purpose of building community by breaking down social, economic and cultural barriers through creating together. When the opportunity presented itself, Tracy knew it was time to pursue her passion further, “Being part of a gallery which does involve art as a product was not in my initial plans, but when Molly contacted us and I talked to Melissa, we felt it would be a good partnership, sharing costs and responsibilities, while combining my passion for art and art as therapy.” 

As such, Tracy will be operating Bloom Community Art Studio, with free drop in art making within The Maker’s Circle Tuesday to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tracy comments, “There are many amazing art programs for children like Heartworks Children’s Studio and I wanted to offer something for adults seeking community and a welcoming space that would foster positive mental health.”  

The addition of the Maker’s Circle is welcomed to the arts scene in Orillia. The space is designed to allow artists to sell their pieces and earn their own fee. No commission is taken by the studio. Another neat feature is that all artists are expected to contribute to the sense of community in whatever other way they may be able. If they are skilled bookkeepers or keen to do event coordination or social media, the Maker’s Circle wants to foster these skills in the process. The artists will have monthly meetings to ensure the space remains collaborative and allows for the development of relationships. 

Outside of being an opportunity for artists to showcase their work, the space will offer community classes. Woodsie Music Lessons will offer late afternoon and evening music lessons. Bloom Community Art Studio will offer daytime art drop-in programs.  Melissa Van Dam Studio will primarily offer late afternoon and evening classes, as well. 

The team plans to have a featured artist space each month as well as an in-store Christmas market for the month of December. This will be open to emerging artists and makers who want to have a few items on commission. 

The gallery will offer something for everyone, including youth. There are plans to have a youth showcase. Featured artists will have products at all price points, making art more accessible to the community. There will also be many different artist styles and mediums from jewelry to stained glass to original paintings of all mediums, quilted fibre art, art prints, greeting cards, stickers and more! The Maker’s Circle tagline and mission is to be a place “where art and community meet”. This will be a wonderful addition to our region. 

Melissa notes, “From someone coming in who has never picked up a brush that discovers the joy of creating, to someone looking for a beautiful gift or piece to embellish their home, to the child walking in with wonder and the courage to pursue their dreams or just explore for fun… this space is for everyone!” 

The space will officially open October 1, 2025. There are plans to have a celebratory Grand Opening in early November, so stay tuned for information about that. The Maker’s Circle will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. 

For more information on the Maker’s Circle, check out:https://linktr.ee/tmcorillia and follow along on social media: @themakerscircleorillia.