Featured Artists

GARDEN GATE: Episode 287 – Books From Local Authors (March 1, 2024)

Today we’re highlighting some books in the shop written by local authors! First up is Nature in the Kawarthas by the Peterborough Field Naturalists. This book presents a wealth of information about the birds, mammals, insects, flowers, reptiles and amphibians that inhabit Peterborough and the Kawarthas. This book is also a fundraiser for the Field […]

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GARDEN GATE: Episode 285 – Local Photographers Tracy Waddington & John Ashdown Stop By (Feb 2, 2024)

Today our guests are two Peterborough based photographers sharing their love for birds. Tracy Waddington & John Ashdown have taken many amazing pictures of birds and frequently share them with our community on a couple groups on Facebook. They are amazing photographers that like to look for birds near Trent University, along the Otonabee river, […]

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GARDEN GATE: Episode 284 – Susan Robertson Pottery! (Jan 19, 2024)

Susan Robertson is an and artist and potter from Broderick Saskatchewan. She has been creating beautiful pieces for over 35 years. We have carried her items in the shop for many years. Her pottery is made from stoneware clay so they are dishwasher and microwave safe. We have a variety of designs available in mugs, […]

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Kitras Glass

Kitras Glass is located in Elora Ontario and creates inspirational, one-of-a-kind glass pieces. While they use colour recipes, no two pieces are ever exactly the same and you can be confident that each and every piece is truly original. A wide variety of pieces are available from glass hearts, to colour wave balls, Tree of […]

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Richard Mund – Potter

For the past 22 years Richard’s focus has been on making decorated functional pottery.  When he is creating, he tries to make the surface feel fresh and rich in colour.  His pieces are intended to be used in a domestic environment so he keeps forms generally simple while being considerate of weight, attention to detail […]

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Rosebank Studios

The sculptor behind Rosebank studios was Peter Buerschaper.  Peter is known for being a wildlife artist, drawing, painting, graphic design,  and was an art department head and curator at the Royal Ontario Museum.  Peter traveled the world acquiring items for the museum. His travels also inspired the sculptor in him. After his retirement he began […]

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Cindy & Kevin Hope – Happy body collection

Building on a long family tradition of farming, buoyed by years of practical experience in the dairy industry (Kevin) and years of operations and marketing experience (Cindy), it was a natural choice to start their own family farm operation; a dairy goat farm just 15 minutes east of Peterborough, in Keene, Ontario. In 2006 the […]

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Andrew Wingrove – Bee by the Sea

Bee By The Sea Natural Products was founded in 2008 by Andrew Wingrove, in Ontario, Canada. Products can be found here. Their story is unique because the product concept did not originate from either a chemist’s lab or from cosmeticians.  Their products exist today because of a chance discovery of an herb – Sea Buckthorn […]

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Tanya Fowlds – Practical design cooling ties

Established in 1998, Tanya Fowlds has established a very successful business in B.C.   Here slogan is “Practical Design – Home of the original Heat Guard Cooling Tie. Manufacturing personal cooling products for people and pets since 1998!”   These cooling ties are soaked in water for 20-30 minutes. During that time the special crystals […]

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Reclaimed Print

Reclaimed Print is committed to offering quality artworks & home decor products using locally sourced & sustainable wood. They are proud to be 100% Canadian designed and made. We carry their wooden coasters with images of a fisherman, a hockey player, a lumberjack and a lumberjill. We have also had some custom images made into […]

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Richard Mund – Potter

For the past 22 years Richard Munds focus has been on making decorated functional pottery.  When he is creating, he tries to make the surface feel fresh and rich in colour.  His pieces are intended to be used in a domestic environment so he keep forms generally simple while being considerate of weight, attention to […]

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Jim and Lynn Dawe – Murals in Metal

Art has always been a passion for Jim Dawe, but he says he never did anything with his talent or drawings and had actually trained to be a sheet metal worker instead. Until one day, Jim and his wife Lynn decided to combine the two and started Murals in Metal in their backyard. The business […]

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Christine McGrath – Bibelot design

Bibelot Design Studio was started in 1994 by Christine McGrath and her husband Reid Maltby. They began by designing jewelry, but since have evolved into creating a line of fresh, modern home accents using glass, textiles and wood veneer. Each piece is handcrafted from start to finish with great attention to detail..  There are so many steps […]

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Jerrod Pinder & Trevor Husband – Ruggid Coast

Ruggid Coast is a company located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. They specialize in the design and manufacture of  West coast and First Nations metal artwork.  This metal artwork is found in many galleries, and gift shops in North America. All products are 100% made in Canada. Ruggid coast originally started with an […]

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Gary Cowie – Animal House Creations

Animal House Creations is the business of woodworker and outdoor enthusiast Gary Cowie. Gary has developed shelter designs for cavity nesting animals, including bats, bees, bluebirds, butterflies, owls, and eastern grey squirrels. Gary has sold his hand-crafted houses at The Avant Garden Shop since 2012. They are a big hit! The construction of Gary’s products […]

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Nawal Motawi – Motawi Tileworks

Nawal Motawi is the founder and principal designer of Motawi Tileworks of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  With her team of designers and craftspeople she created hand-made, historically-informed art tile for distinctive installations and as art pieces. Motawi Tileworks was started in 1992. After Nawal studied ceramics and figure sculpture in art school, she took a job […]

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J. P. Schoss & Brenda Tucker – Dog Bite Steel

I use recycled materials for a number of reasons. First, it is our responsibility to contribute to this world in as many ways as possible. Garbage is a great place to start. Oil tanks are costly to cut up and recycle so the scrap yards don’t want them. I began using oil tanks, water tanks […]

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Terry Craig & Jennifer Wanless-Craig – Artech Glass

    In the time of the Renaissance, artists had to be practical and versatile.  They had to make things people really used.  That’s what Jenn and Terry do at Artech Studios.  They make art that people can really use.  Funny, practical and all made by hand.  . Artech is a traditional glassblowing studio nestled […]

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Basic Spirit – Pewter (Nova Scotia)

At Basic Spirit they love to design and create products that touch the heart and delight the spirit. All of their pewter is handcrafted in their seaside studio in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada. They use the highest quality pewter alloys available and are privileged to sell our products through many of the finest handcraft galleries […]

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Barbara Taylor-Earthworks pottery

Barbara Taylor is the creator at Earthworks Pottery in Burlington. Barbara specializes in non-glazed clay products for the home. Old techniques made new again! These clay wine cups are the perfect way to smooth a young wine or to bring out the best in a well aged wine! The inside of the wine cup is […]

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Ruth & Grant Robinson – Watson Pewter

Watson Pewter began in Peterborough in 1972 by Marjorie & Gordon Watson. For many years the Watson?s had a beautiful shop in downtown Peterborough, but after deciding to retire in 1998 they closed the shop. At that time their daughter Ruth and her husband Grant took over the business and have been running it from […]

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Nick Butts – Madoc Rocks and Samantha Butts – Quarry Cut Designs

This family-owned Madoc, Ontario business evolved from Rick Butts interest in nature and rocks, and a background in artistic expression. The unique patterns and colours in the rock are indications of the mineral diversity of the area, which is at the edge of the Canadian Shield. With beauty and art in the rocks, these original […]

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Wendy Stanwick – A Slice of the North

Wendy Stanwick – A Slice of the North Jewelry A Slice of the North was conceived and created by Wendy Stanwick. Using the natural materials found in and around the tiny town of Matachewan, Ontario. Wendy has created a unique, made in Canada-of Canada mini work of Art. The local prospectors and miners provide her […]

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Peter Baker – Island Winds, Prince Edward Island

For a guy who does not claim to be very musical, Peter Baker has managed to bring a lot of music into people’s lives. For the last 20 years, Peter has been making wind chimes at his studio situated atop the hills of South Granville – one of the windiest locations on Prince Edward Island. […]

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Jack Willoughby – Anvil Island

Jack Willoughby was born in Newport News, Virginia, spent part of his youth in California and now lives on Vancouver Island where the ocean beaches give him much of his inspiration. Jack’s career as an artist began in steel working, then teaching metal work at a Vancouver College, where the freedom to create his own […]

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