The Arts Council ~ Haliburton Highlands
A GATHERING PLACE FOR ARTS, CULTURE, AND HERITAGE
At ACHH, we believe in the power of the arts to inspire, educate and bring people together. We are a strong voice for arts and culture in the Haliburton Highlands, we drive creative development and bridge relationships that add to the vibrancy of the community.
ONTARIO CULTURE DAYS
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The Arts Council Haliburton Highlands is excited to join Haliburton County to invite residents and visitors to take part in 2026 Culture Days celebrations this fall. Culture Days is an annual cross-country festival, that provides the opportunity for community groups and individuals to highlight local arts, culture, and heritage. We are proud that Haliburton County has been designated a Provincial Hub for the Culture Days Festival.
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We are proud to support a diverse membership of artists, authors, performers, musicians, galleries, and businesses and organizations that are in or have a connection to Haliburton County.
Member Spotlight
Janet Trull is an artist and author whose work is rooted in the landscapes and communities of the Haliburton Highlands. Her intuitive abstract paintings draw on the region's forests, rocky shores, changing seasons, and wildlife, while her writing explores human nature and character. In both her painting and writing, she is interested in how places and people carry their histories.
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That connection between place and creativity began in Dunnville, where Janet grew up on the Grand River. She felt at home in a small rural community where shared activities fostered connection and creative expression, while the quiet landscape gave her space to reflect and find inspiration. She later earned degrees in English and Education from McMaster University. Her work as an educator, literary coach, Achievement Officer, and freelance journalist deepened her commitment to literacy and community connection. She also expanded her visual practice by qualifying as a Visual Arts Specialist at Brock University, and studies at the Haliburton School of Art + Design, where she explored disciplines from stone carving to life drawing.
Janet in her studio
"Conversation"
"Birches"
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"Canoe"
These experiences shaped Janet's belief that a community's art becomes a living record of its traditions, spirit, and history. Her work embraces the imperfections that give her subjects their character, hoping to leave an honest and meaningful record for future generations.
Her influences support both sides of her creative life. The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron, encourages a daily writing practice that helps loosen the grip of perfectionism. Janet finds that completing these exercises by hand creates a stronger emotional connection to her writing.
"The Jury"
Her visual work is influenced by the Group of Seven paintings in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. She connects with these artists' ability to find beauty in the rugged Canadian landscape. In her own paintings and writing, she explores how beauty and hardship coexist in weather, landscape, and human relationships.
Janet's paintings begin with close observation. She studies the world around her and absorbs its distinctive elements, including dense, winding forests, rocky shores, and watchful owls, then draws on these observations to create original landscapes. Although she does not focus on any single location, her work often evokes the Haliburton Highlands. She attributes part of her success as an artist to the playfulness of her approach and the way her paintings evoke the character of the Highlands. Because she does not predetermine the outcome or work toward someone else's vision, she does not accept commissions.
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Taking inspiration from Thoreau, Janet gives herself time away from the routines and expectations of making art before returning to her work with greater freedom and fulfilment. Her advice is simple: when you begin to miss making art, it is time to return to it.
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Janet's connection to the Haliburton community extends beyond the studio. When she began selling her work at The Rails End Gallery, she recognized that visitors wanted to take home a sense of the region's natural beauty and colour. Rather than trying to see every piece quickly, and to better appreciate what they see, Janet encourages visitors to slow down and spend time with the art.
Janet signs a copy of her book,
End of the Line
"Campfire"
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Janet with her new book, Canadian Saint
Janet's visual art and writing share the same patient attention to place, character, and the truths people leave unspoken. Those interests come together in her new novel, Canadian Saint, which she will launch at The Rails End Gallery on November 20, 2026. Set in the 1970s, the novel follows two women whose unspoken experience of a tragedy is forced back into the open when it resurfaces in their fifties. Janet also illustrated the cover. The book is published by Blue Denim Press in Cobourg.
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With small town settings and big world themes, Janet Trull’s short story collections and novels examine relationships during times of social and cultural change. She is inspired by rough landscapes that shape a resilient national identity. Her characters celebrate the struggle as they travel the unpaved, unplowed, and unpopular backroads of Canada.
Janet's books include two short story collections: Hot Town and Something's Burning. Her historical novel, End of the Line, is set in Haliburton in 1878 when the train arrived and changed everything.
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Janet's published books
Janet volunteers as the Story Circle Coordinator on Canoe FM, sponsored by ACHH. She encourages writers to pitch their story to her at haliburtonstorycircle@gmail.com. She serves on the Friends of the Haliburton County Public Library board, and on the ACHH Literary Arts Committee.
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Look for Janet's books online, but she reminds everyone to please support independent bookstores and local libraries whenever possible.
ARTS HAPPENINGS
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arts events.
2026 MEMBERSHIPS!
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Join the Arts Council Now
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Being a member means joining a creative community that values connection, visibility, and support.
Whether you're an emerging artist or established in your field, your membership helps strengthen the arts in the Highlands—and gives you access to events, promotion, and opportunities​