OUT and ABOUT with Seeker Chick Mai-Liis – Priest’s Mill Arts Centre transformed into a movie set!

Today, January 11th, 2021, started off with Julia and I doing our “Monday Morning Motivation with the Seeker Chicks Show” as we do every Monday but our motivation seems to have been a bit less than usual due to the fact that I think we, as many others, are getting tired from the current situation and it is sometimes hard to be bubbly and positive while having to pivot due to so many changes taking place from the norm!

So after the show, I took a ride out to Alexandria where a movie crew from Fireside Pictures was shooting a segment for their upcoming movie “Ice Hotel Holiday 2”, using The Priest’s Mill Arts Centre as a set.

This shoot had been booked for March 2020 but due to COVID-19 got cancelled. So today was the big day!

Of course COVID-19 protocols were all in place, with everyone masked and socially distanced and members of the media got to chat with the Location Manager (seen in photo above) outside while the actors and crew were busy inside. One of the questions I had was, why The Priest’s Mill and the answer was, when they decide on a movie the directors come up with a list of what they want and need for the production and The Priest’s Mill Arts Centre fitted in perfectly for the glass blowing component and Alexandria and the surrounding area was perfect for snowy farm and field scenes.

Artist, Eric Covington (in the photo above) told me that the centre had been commissioned to make a glass sculpture for the set and from what I hear “everyone had fun making glass and movie magic at the Arts Centre today” while filming scenes of glassblowing in the hot shop with the help of Eric, the Glass Blowing Expert.

Presently the Centre is closed while we are in this lockdown but once things change I am planning to come and have a proper visit as I was told by Natasha Walton, there are presently 15 artists exhibiting and selling their art at the Centre.

The Centre is located at 16 Mill Street Alexandria, ON. Phone 613-703-9430. Visit their website at: priestsmill.com and for more information visit the Priest’s Mill Arts Centre Facebook Page and watch the video with Eric – Glassblowing seems to be an amazing world which one day I plan to check out.

I do have to say though that just getting out of the office and away from the computer for a few hours today plus the drive out to Alexandria helped me a lot with what feels like “COVID Fatigue”. Walking and fresh air also makes a big difference for our mental as well as physical health – something to look into tomorrow!