Dumoine River Art for Wilderness Retreat (DRAW)

Dumoine River Proposed Aquatic Reserve

Richard Rapids – Dumoine River

July 29th – August 5th, 2025

 

“I can’t conceive of anything being more varied, rich and handsome than planet earth; its crowning beauty is the natural world. I want to soak it up, to understand it … then put it together and express it in my painting.” – Robert Bateman

 

Join CPAWS Ottawa Valley along the shores of our region’s last wild, undammed river – the Dumoine, where, immersed in nature you will be free to explore, discover and create!

The Dumoine Art for Wilderness Retreat, or DRAW, is an annual artist residency program in support of the ongoing protection of the Dumoine River and its sister rivers, the Noire and the Coulonge, also known as the Three Rivers.

Every year, for a week in early August, 15 to 20 artists representing a range of artistic expression come together in the Robinson Lake – Grande Chute area of the Dumoine watershed to learn about conservation, take part in stewardship work and to be inspired by the rich natural beauty of the area to create artwork that at once supports CPAWS-OV’s conservation work, but more importantly, helps raise much needed awareness of the importance of parks and protected areas in halting and reversing the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Artists selected for this retreat are at all stages of their careers and work in all media, including drawing, painting (oil, acrylic, watercolour), photography, sculpture, pottery, weaving and fabric arts, dramatic arts, music, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, and poetry. Everyone is welcome to apply!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How does it work?

Participating artists agree to donate one finished, ready to display or otherwise be enjoyed, piece of art for CPAWS-OV to auction in support of the organization’s Three Rivers Fund. We also ask everyone who takes part to become informal ambassadors for CPAWS-OV and the Three Rivers Fund, by sharing social media posts and information about these initiatives to their clients and supporters. We also ask all participants to help cover the costs of food and supplies by making a financial contribution of $150.00 to $200.00

CPAWS-OV takes care of most of the logistics of the event. We will secure a campsite for the group and we will coordinate transportation from the town of Rapides-des-Joachims (Swisha) to the campsite and back. Everyone will be camping in tents with limited facilities available – there is no running water or showers, electricity, or cell / internet service. You are immersed in wilderness! CPAWS-OV volunteers will take care of planning and preparing meals and we will organize side trips, including hikes and paddles to points of interest along the river. You can also help us restore a hiking trail, take part in clean-ups or help to collect data on the plants and wildlife of the area in support of our broader conservation goals.

What does a typical day look like?

DRAW is intended to be an opportunity to unplug from our busy lives where artists can focus exclusively on being creative. There is no schedule, you are free to organize your own time, self-organize with others and create at your own pace. At the end of the day, we will gather around the campfire to share experiences from the day, socialize and, of course, share our art!

The application process

A panel comprised of CPAWS-OV volunteers and staff as well as DRAW alumni will carefully review each application and make a selection that reflects diversity of expression, diversity of media as well as demographic and regional diversity (young and/or emerging artists as well as established artists and artists from different areas, with priority being given to artists from the Pontiac or Témiscamigue areas of Québec).