What began as a successful bid for a small concert auction prize offered by Canadian musician, artist, author and sommelier Astrid Young (in support of 99.3 County FM Radio last fall) … quickly flourished into a unique collaboration with ANDARA’s Gallery’s owner-artists … and six leading PEC wineries.
Central to this unique collaboration, painter Andrew Csafordi and photographer and digital artist Tara Wilkinson have created a new exhibition of artworks inspired by songs on Astrid’s newest album, “The Beautiful Can Get Away with Murder.” Today, the trio announced the following details for “VORTEX” which will run from June 19th to September 7th, 2026:
· ART EXHIBITION: A summer-long VORTEX Art Exhibition will run at ANDARA Gallery from June 19th through September 7th showcasing new works by artists Andrew Csafordi and Tara Wilkinson inspired by the songs on Astrid Young’s latest album “The Beautiful Can Get Away with Murder.” Visitors will see two completely different interpretations … one using the ancient technique of painting with melted beeswax (encaustic paintings) by Andrew Csafordi … the other a series of photographic portraits of women who moved here from elsewhere and now call Prince Edward County their home and community. All works of art and music will be available for purchase.
· WINE PAIRINGS: In addition to the artwork displayed on the gallery’s walls … visitors will see a bottle of wine paired with each VORTEX work of art and song – curated in partnership with six leading local wineries: Closson Chase Winery, Karlo Estates Winery, The Grange of Prince Edward, Three Dog Winery, Rosehall Run Winery and Sandbanks Estates Winery.
· ENHANCED VISITOR EXPERIENCE UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY: Smartphone holders will enjoy an Enhanced Visitor Experience thanks to an NFC chip embedded in the tag of each VORTEX artwork. By tapping their smartphones to the tag, visitors will be able to instantly hear the song that inspired the art, view the artwork digitally, access tasting notes about the paired wine, and other related content, powered by Musical Bead.
· OPENING NIGHT RECEPTIONS & CONCERTS*: Two opening night receptions and live concert performances will take place at ANDARA Gallery on Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th, 2026 from 6:30-9:00 PM. *These are age 19+ ticketed events only. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase through EventBrite. Ticketholders will be the first to experience and purchase VORTEX art works inspired by the music of Astrid Young; sample wines from participating wineries, and enjoy a live concert performed by Astrid and her band.
· “VORTEX” ART-MUSIC-WINE EXPERIENCE AT PARTICIPATING WINERIES – Visitors at participating wineries will also be able to enjoy the unique Art-Music-Wine VORTEX experience by tapping their smartphones to the tag hanging on the featured bottle of wine to access tasting notes, see the paired artwork, hear the song that inspired the art, learn more about the artists, and so much more.
“We are thrilled to be working with Astrid on this unique project”, says Tara Wilkinson, Co-Owner/Artist of ANDARA Gallery. “Together, we’re creating a unique a unique cultural experience for County residents and visitors alike … to engage with, purchase and celebrate art, music and wine created with passion in Prince Edward County.”
“When I visited ANDARA Gallery and saw their beautiful gallery space and stunning collection of fine art paintings and photography – I just knew we could create something special together. Bringing our music and art together—not just at the gallery, but also in partnership with some of the County’s top wineries—utilizing Musical Bead NFC technology will extend the art, music, and wine experience through a multitude of locations in Prince Edward County this summer,” says Astrid Young, Canadian musician, artist, author, and sommelier.
For more VORTEX information and to plan your visit to ANDARA Gallery and participating wineries, go to: andaragallery.com or astridyoung.net. The VORTEX artists and musicians wish to thank everyone in advance for supporting the arts.
