Gail has been active with arts organizations all her life- whether as an art student or a singer with chamber choirs. She has long been involved in the local heritage scene (The St. Catharines Historical Society and as former trustee of the Ontario Heritage Foundation). She has written for the St. Catharines Standard (Niagara Voices), other Ontario newspapers, local magazines and genealogical society publications in Canada and Britain. As a professional librarian, she reviews for library journals. In the 1990s she created two directories- “Who’s Who in Heritage in Niagara.”
Gail and her husband were the first donors of local art to the City of St. Catharines. They have also donated other art works to the St. Catharines Museum. Gail and other arts activists developed a popular exhibition at Rodman Hall in 1996- “St. Catharines Art- Celebrating 200 Years.”

RiverBrink Art Museum is located on the Niagara River Parkway at Queenston and hosts a 1,000 piece collection of fine art and artifacts with an emphasis on Canadian History, and a 5,000 volume reference library. Prominent Canadian artists include Cornelius Krieghoff, Paul Kane, Paul Peel, M.A. Suzor-Cote, Tom Thomson, and members of the Group of Seven. Other noted artists include Americans Mary Cassatt and Rockwell Kent, and Europeans Armand Guillaumin, Augustus John, and Jacob Epstein.

Group tours are welcome throughout the year by appointment. The gallery is open to the general public 7 days a week from Victoria Day weekend to Thanksgiving weekend, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On sale at the gallery: Poster reproductions of “The Battle of Queenston Heights”; “The Consummate Canadian: A Biography of Samuel Weir, Q.C.”; and note card reproductions.

Willowbank
Estate ~ School of Restoration Arts ~ Foundation

At Willowbank, a rare and beautiful 19th century estate is the setting for an innovative educational and training program in heritage conservation. The two come together in a living, learning and working environment that celebrates the preservation of our cultural and historical legacy.

On the grounds and within the early 19th Century mansion, visitors discover restoration in action, as they view the site’s rich archaeology, architecture and landscape undergoing research and treatment. The School’s full time program involves students and 50 faculty members, and its educational outreach extends far into the community through lecture programs and conferences. Community events, from jazz festivals to a harvest ball, weddings to village picnics, grace the grounds today as they have for centuries.

Willowbank is open for public tours from July to August, group tours by appointment from September to May 30th.

Through Friends of Willowbank, members can become involved in Willowbank’s rich and varied activities. Volunteers help plan and organize events, participate in site activities such as archaeology and landscape restoration, and contribute in other ways related to each person’s interest and talents.

Business Hours 9 to 5 Monday through Friday.
14487 Niagara Parkway, PO Box 212 Queenston, Ontario L0S 1L0
Phone: 905.262.1239 Fax: 905.262.1497
Willowbank