gallery winter hours.
friday & saturday 10pm - 4pm
sunday 12pm - 4pm
we leverage collective genius.
meet the team.
DARLENE MCCONNACHIE
School/Center Manger
Darlene has over 15 years administrative experience working for well-known companies like Chiquita, Bacardi-Martini, and a small long established family dairy in Erin, ON.
In 2007 she and her husband relocated to Southampton where she worked with McIntee Real Estate as an Office Administrator, and then as a Real Estate Agent, before finding her home at Southampton Arts. Starting out on the Southampton Arts board, and then moving on to work as the School Director from 2013 to 2017, when she left to become a snow bird and travel. She returned to Southampton Arts as the School Coordinator in 2021.
She has been linked to the creative community through the Shoreline Artist group, where she sat on the executive committee as Vice President and President, as well as chairing other committees.
Over the years she has been honing her creative skills through a variety of art mediums, focusing most recently on her love of Bookbinding and Cartonnage. Her unique creations, sold through Darlene’s Creative Studio, can be seen at Shoreline Artist events and online. Darlene truly believes that creativity soothes the soul.
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Email: darlene@southamptonartscentre.com
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LINDA SPRUCE
Funding Development Coordinator
Linda Spruce is a lifelong cottager in Southampton, and has countless happy memories of the beach, the town and of the people who also love this place. When the opportunity arose to make a fresh start, where else to relocate but in Saugeen Shores? Now the trip to the family cottage takes only a few minutes!
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Leaving a career at McMaster University, both as a chemical analyst and as an academic advisor, Linda is pleased to be connecting with the artwork and artists at SAC. Creating art through various mediums has always been a part of life for her – painting, jewelry design and knitting are just a few of Linda’s interests. To be surrounded by the ever-changing gallery space and people who share the passion for art is another perk for committing to this community.
In her role addressing communications and fund development for SAC, Linda plans to forge further links and relationships with the greater Saugeen Shores region.
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KAVISHA BORIKAR
Gallery Administrator
Growing up in Walkerton most of her life, Kavisha now finds herself working at Southampton Arts as the Gallery Administrator.
She graduated from York University with a Honours degree in Psychology and wants to continue to build a career in the non-profit sector. She simultaneously works at Trinity Theatre in Paisley as a Research and Evaluation specialist and loves the community in Saugeen Shores. When she is not working she is volunteering in the mental health field to keep her close to her psych roots.
Her passion for art stems from her deep interest in art history and fashion. With a diverse circle of artist friends, she holds art in high regard.
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EMILY DYKEMAN
Gallery Coordinator
Emily Dykeman is the new Gallery Coordinator. She is so excited to be joining the SAC team, and feels so lucky to spend her day surrounded by beautiful art.
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Emily has a degree in Museum Management and Curatorship from Sir Sandford Fleming College, which afforded her the incredible opportunity to work in museums across Canada before returning home to Grey County. Her last position was with the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound as the Collections Assistant, where she was responsible for caring for the works and installing exhibits. After taking a break from the industry since Covid, she is thrilled to be returning.
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Outside of work, Emily is an artist herself, dabbling in all kinds of mediums from acrylic to fiber arts. She also loves to bake and decorate cakes and pastries. She is a summer girl at heart, soaking up the sun on both the sandy shores of Lake Huron and on the rugged hiking trails of the Bruce Peninsula. Her love for design and architecture has led her to pursue a degree in Architectural Technology, which she works towards on the days she is not at the SAC.
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