Tabitha came back to Tillsonburg that first summer energized at having finally found her niche. But in a fit of financial pragmatism, she traded her paintbrush for a shovel. “I got a job in the Town’s roads department,” she laughs. Suffice to say, Tabitha didn’t find filling potholes as rewarding as painting. “I’d been there about a month when the Station hired me back as an art camp instructor,” she says. “I was pretty happy about that.” Over the next several years, Tabitha’s involvement with the Station deepened. She moved into the role of class instructor, then program/community coordinator. “When I came home fromNova Scotia, I sensed a shift happening in Tillsonburg,” she says. “There seemed to be more interest in the arts. I saw so much potential and opportunity at the Station that it was really a no-brainer to stay and be a part of it.” When she wasn’t at work, Tabitha continued to paint, participating in various group and solo shows. “When I was pregnant with my second child, I took a break from oil painting and started doing pen and ink drawings instead,” she says. “I created a series of drawings for the Oxford Studio Tour that year, mostly inspired by abandoned houses in the area.” During the event, Tabitha was approached to do a commission. That one request led to dozens more, and soonTabitha developed a side business rendering people’s family homes, cottages and businesses.
“It’s an honour whenever someone asks me to draw a location that’s really meaningful to them,” she says. “I like it because there’s always a story there. It’s completely different than painting—so there’s a bit of a yin and yang to it.” In 2020, Tabitha added a new title to her business card: gallery curator. She had just stepped into the role when COVID-19 shut everything down. “I was really discouraged at first but we’ve got a great team here and put a lot of thought into ways we could stay connected with the community and keep things happening.” One of the first things they
did was double down on social media—posting more video content than ever before, and developing virtual programming, including online exhibitions. “Art is best appreciated in person,” she says. “When you’re physically in a room with a piece, you can see texture and brush strokes and examine it from different angles.” Nevertheless, Tabitha and the team persevered. They introduced craft kits for kids— with all supplies and instructions included. At Christmas they created an online marketplace. In the spring, they opened a pop- up shop at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.
(Above) Tabitha Verbuyst hangs artwork by Scott Jensen in the Patenaude Family Gallery at the Station Arts Centre (41 Bridge Street West) as part of her role as Gallery Curator.
(Left) Tabitha at work in her home studio.
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