by Iris Winston
An 1860s stone house is a key aspect of the arts centre that Kimberly Lulashnyk has created in the village of Newboro on the shores of Upper Rideau Lake.
Since 2021, when she and her husband, Stuart Ash, moved into the building once known as John Draffin House (after the Irish immigrant who built it), Kim says, “I have been able to live my dream of creating a boutique art learning centre.”
It was a long journey, beginning when the self-taught artist and potter moved from Manitoba to Ottawa, in part, she says, because the couple wanted any children they hoped to have to grow up bilingual.
Soon afterwards, with their first child on the way and while she was working on her second master’s degree at Carleton University, she began painting in oils and attending various art workshops. As a favour to a friend, she accompanied her to a pottery workshop in 2011. And that event opened a new creative outlet for her.
“I fell in love with pottery,” says Kim. “I kicked the cars out of our garage and opened a pottery studio.”
For the next decade, she did production work for various galleries and was part of the Ottawa Guild of Potters. That connection led to a major public art project to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017. Kim and two ceramicists, Hilde Lambrechts and Kirstin Davidson, along with some 2,000 volunteers, created Populace. Exhibited on the lawn of the Museum of Nature for the summer, the installation of 9,000 monochromatic clay sculptures was mounted on steel rods. It consisted of 3,000 roses, 3,000 fleurs de lys and 3,000 feathers to represent the English, French and Indigenous populations in 1867.
“The project was stunning,” says Kim. “It took two years of my life and was a true public art project, involving so many people. And it informed what I do right now. In fact, everything has informed what I do now—from working as a volunteer art teacher in elementary schools to community involvement and workshops. It’s certainly behind the impetus and vision that led to the creation of Stone Manor Studios.”
Opened in 2021 after Kim and her husband renovated the two-storey, freestanding carriage house on the property, she says that the manor and surroundings have become a “central point” in her life.
“We feel we are stewards of this place,” says Kim, now in her 50s. “It was here 200 years before we were and will be here long after we are gone.”
The two-and-a-half-acre property, half original forest and half landscaped, is the backdrop for people to “gather, connect, create and reset” through various artistic endeavours.
“We’ve turned the carriage house into an open studio to create a space for all kinds of artists and craft enthusiasts. We’ve put in a hardscape patio with gazebos where we can have art classes and lunches. It’s a place inspired by the rich history of the house and the grounds. Our goal is to transform the area here into a vibrant community hub where people can come and explore their specific talents.”
For Kim, as well as being her home, Stone Manor is the place where she has merged her love of literature, history and her art practices. And in Newboro, a village that has attracted many artists over the years, she connects with other artists, a number of whom teach classes at Stone Manor Studios.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in my life and for my growth in learning,” she says. “I feel humble and grounded and thankful for all that I have with my family and where I am at Stone Manor Studios.”
For more information about Stone Manor Studios and the many classes and workshops available, visit stonemanorstudios.ca or call 613 851-2536.
