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Welcome to The Magic of Children! Town of Collingwood Councilor Kathy Jeffery participated in the official ribbon cutting ceremony to open the new downtown location of "The Magic Studio." The gallery space (situated above Saunder's Office Pro) has been donated by the Saunders family, and work exhibited will focus on children and youth. Two youth group shows are already booked, indicating the demand for art space in Collingwood.

Magic of Children Gallery Director Marion Lewis is a veteran producer and director of arts spaces. Lewis is the founder of "A Space" in Toronto, considered to be the first artist-run gallery in Canada. In addition to working to expand the Magic of Children studio, Lewis is advising the Art Gallery of Ontario on an exhibition for the grand opening of the new galleries in September 2008.

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In 1953, local entrepreneur Jack Saunders opened Saunders Studio in this space as a commercial business. Mr. Saunders learned photography skills while in the navy, where he was a radio operator during World War Two. Years later, Mr. Saunders took thousands of photographs including local school pictures, shipyard launches, weddings, and community shots throughout Collingwood. Mr. Saunders was a Toronto Star freelance contributor and also loved to paint local landscapes. The Saunders family has donated this space in downtown Collingwood. "Jack would be happy to see the space used today for the advancement of children's creativity" said Joe Saunders, the grandson of the late Jack Saunders.

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Magic of Children "Magic Studio" Director Marion Lewis is a veteran producer and director of arts spaces. Lewis said that she is most pleased that the children of Collingwood now have a home of their own to develop their artistic skills, in the heart of Collingwood's Downtown Heritage District.

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