Fabhaus ready to open its doors next weekend in Blyth
BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN
Noella Upitis and Paula Nicholson are looking to breathe new life into 430 Queen Street in Blyth with Fabhaus Gallery and Fare, an ambitious new venture in the former home of the Queens Bakery that the couple hopes will be a gallery first and European-style café second.
The location will open for the first time on Friday, Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by its grand opening on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. with an artists’ reception with family and friends that is also open to members of the public.
Upitis and Nicholson come to Huron County from east of Toronto (Scarborough and Bowmanville respectively) by way of Stratford to live out their dream life in the Blyth building, which they purchased late last year from Gerrit Sepers and Karen Middleton-Meadham, the former proprietors of BRØD Bread and Pastry. Upitis is an artist and teacher while Nicholson is recently retired from a career as an Air Canada flight attendant. Upitis had always wanted to have an accessible and down-to-earth gallery of her own and, post-retirement, Nicholson knew that she wanted to keep working and try something new, so Fabhaus was born as a place, as the business’ motto goes, “where art meets appetite.”
The couple had been on the hunt for a live-work space in southwestern Ontario to best execute their vision and, after a few dead ends, they were dining in Niagara-on-the-Lake when the answer came to Nicholson. Upitis left the table briefly, so Nicholson grabbed her smartphone and happened to see the listing for 430 Queen Street on social media. Just a few minutes later the couple’s diligent real estate agent sent them the exact same link.
When Upitis returned to the table, she agreed with Nicholson that the spot was exactly what they’d been hunting for. It had the size, it had the look and it had the age. They came to see the property on two occasions and, after a third visit, they were ready to take the plunge.
Upitis said that what she had in mind was a gallery/living space similar to that of artist Sarah Jones from the Maritimes whose career she had been following in recent years. When she saw what Nicholson had seen on her phone, she knew it was the right space for them.
They took possession last August and have been working on the property ever since, improving the interior, crafting it to fit their vision and encountering the occasional unexpected hiccup along the way.
However, with all that hard work, the time has come to open to the public and Upitis and Nicholson are ready and excited. They hope to connect with the community, tap into the Blyth Festival crowds and set a welcoming tone for Fabhaus.
Upitis plans on exhibiting her art, which, over the course of her career, has moved from Canadian landscapes to geometric abstracts in acrylic to realism painted in oil, though her work has largely been paused in order to focus on Fabhaus. She also hopes to connect with other artists from Ontario in the coming year.
For her part, Nicholson will be taking on a new role, crafting baked goods from cherished family recipes and making good coffee that she hopes will evoke the feeling of a relaxed European café. The pair has also been working with local bakers and culinary artisans to bring in some products as well, in addition to coffee, lattes and more. They hope to expand in the future to include a liquor licence and even sandwiches and soup when the time comes, but, as they both endeavour to find their sea legs with a new-to-them industry, everything will be a learning experience and will be subject to change as they get to know the business and work out the kinks.
You can learn more about Fabhaus at fabhausandfare.ca or by finding them on Instagram.