Posted : December 15, 2021
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
For almost five years, Noodle Gallery Mistress, Monica Kerr-Coster has occupied floor space inside the Alton Mill Art Centre. Monica and her family moved to the village of Belfountain from Toronto more than a decade ago and they’ve never looked back. The perks of country living such as being able to bike to the local brewery, going down to a pond and catching frogs from your backdoor step are all things that helped them to fall in love with the area and set down roots.
Noodle Gallery was born in the upstairs of the Alton Mill Arts Centre, in Alton Village, Caledon, on the banks of Shaw’s Creek. The gorgeous, century-old millstarted as a wool factory, then became a rubber factory and eventually was restored into the beautiful and picturesque hub for the arts that it is today. In 2014, Monica’s husband, an Intellectual Property lawyer, was looking for out of the home office space and landed on the second floor of the mill. A creator herself, the fates brought Noodle Gallery to Monica and in 2017, the gallery moved down to one of the main floor spaces of the mill, where you can find her today.
If you are to visit Noodle Gallery, Monica is more than happy to show you some of the current favourite art pieces in stock. While everything in the space makes her heart sing, she is keen to highlight a light that is made out of a six-cylinder 1952 Chevrolet Blue Flame car transmission, complete with decorative gages, USB ports to charge modern electronics and a dimmer for mood lighting, as well as paintings of Volkswagen vans and Airstream trailers that evoke in everyone that feeling of adventure. A collection Monica really loves is the one line of jewellery carried at Noodle Gallery. It’s jewellery that Monica also proudly wears, showing off a little bit of class mixed with a bit of edge. If you have a few minutes to spare, she’s also keen to share with you a bit about the artists behind the work that adorns the space.
Living by the motto that “strangers are just friends I haven’t met yet”, her open mind and heart allows Monica to boldly walk up to perfect strangers to speak with them about their art and about their creative process. In turn, that has allowed her to build a fun and impressive roster of artists and artisans in the Noodle Gallery.
Monica has really paid attention to make sure that Noodle Gallery has something for everyone. An artisan market area, furniture and furnishings mainly made out of reclaimed material as well as the fine art. Whether it’s a gift for a friend or you’re looking for something for yourself and you’re not in the market for a big piece of art, the artisan market is so chock-full of amazing products! Travel pouches, candles, self-care products, dibblers, do it yourself kits, all from local Ontario artists.
There is a regular stable of artist work on display at Noodle Gallery that range from whimsical and humourous to beautiful and refined. Every four to five weeks, Monica brings in a new featured artist who showcases their work in the gallery to provide the artist exposure in the Caledon region.
With a knack for putting together a gallery space that has really great products that look really amazing together, Monica exudes warmth and comfort when you enter the Noodle space. Music pumping and joyfulness in the air, she is truly at home in her surroundings. Absolutely in love with the character of the building, she enjoys interacting with all the different people that grace the doorway of the gallery. No matter who you are or where you come from, Monica is interested in you and will easily fall into conversations with any of the patrons in Alton Mill. She strives to make the gallery a warm and welcoming place, where the atmosphere encourages people to hang out, have a cup of coffee or tea, listen to music and get a good sense of the art that surrounds them.
If you were to walk into Noodle Gallery and meet Monica, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you will walk out with a bit of a ‘lift’ in your day. If you ever want to talk to her about decorating your home or if you are looking for some inspiration for any room or space, please feel free to contact Monica at Noodle Gallery. She is typically at Noodle Gallery on Wednesdays to Fridays. Be sure to plan a trip to visit the Alton Mill Arts Centre and Noodle Gallery when it’s safe to travel again.
By Kathryn Dickson
Take a special behind-the-scenes visual tour with Artist and Gallery Owner, Monica Kerr-Coster of Noodle Gallery. Sit back and listen to tunes, and learn about what makes the gallery unique as Monica shares her love of art, what she does and helps to take the fear out of buying a piece of art.
Learn how to buy art with Noodle Gallery’s Monica Kerr-Coster! See article below.
