With Agnes Jamieson Gallery recently releasing its exhibit schedule for the year, facility manager Shannon Kelly said there’s a diverse spread of offerings that should appeal to all art enthusiasts in the County.
The space, located at 176 Bobcaygeon Rd. in Minden, reopened its doors last week for the second-annual Archie Stouffer Elementary School student exhibit, with more than 150 students contributing to dozens of featured pieces.
An opening reception is taking place this weekend, Feb. 22 from 1 to 3 p.m.
“This year’s focus is ‘The Land Between’, where students were encouraged to celebrate our biodiversity and what it means to them,” Kelly said. “This exhibit is one of my favourite things we do here – I love the connection with the students, it’s so important to cultivate and foster that because it helps to deepen our bond with the community.”
County-based artists Gary Blundell, Harvey Walker, Natalia Brown, and Nadine Papp served as jurors for the exhibit, which runs until March 15.
The four featured exhibits, with the first opening March 20 and the last closing Nov. 15, offer a smorgasbord of mediums, techniques, and styles, Kelly said. This year, she took more of a “regional approach” with her selections, with mostly Minden and County-based talent on show, alongside prominent names such as Gord Peteran and Michael Dumas.
First up is ‘We’re Still Talking’, a textile exhibit with contributions by Wendy Wood, Sandi Luck, and gallery staffer Papp.
“Those three were all part of the Halls Island Artist Residency last year, so they worked together to collect natural plants to help with dying their fabrics,” Kelly said. “This exhibit will feature part of what came out of their time spent collaborating last summer.”
An opening reception has been scheduled for March 22.
Peteran, known for his design of the ‘Big Red Doors’ at Haliburton School of Art + Design, will help kick-off the summer season with his feature ‘Mountain Lake at a Glance’, running May 15 to July 12.
“He’s had an amazing career and has been exhibited before for his woodworking and furniture – this one is focused on him painting the exact same view at Mountain Lake over the past 40 years,” Kelly said. The opening reception is May 17.
“The series has almost become a diary for him – some of the pieces are large, some are small on press board. Some are on paper plates or coffee coasters he found around the cottage – I think people will like the spontaneity,” she added.
Dumas’ ‘Of Light and Life’ will be a retrospect of works from his 50-year painting career, with a sprinkling of new additions. Kelly said it will run July 17 to Sept. 13, with an opening reception July 19.
The display will feature more than just the finished product, she added.
“Michael really likes to show his processes – so a lot of pieces will be sketches, quick doodles he did to show how he gets from point A to point B… and the opening is on his and his wife Ellen’s 50th anniversary, which is a nice touch.”
A family exhibit on the Haycocks’ ‘Like Father, Like Daughter’ will round out the season, with a variety of pieces from Maurice Haycock, Kathy Haycock, Karole Haycock Pittman, and Erika Pittman to be displayed from Sept. 18 to Nov. 15.
“Maurice painted in the Arctic and collaborated with several members of the Group of Seven – there will be some of his pieces from Kathy’s private collection that have never been seen before,” she said. “It’s a touching multi-generational exhibit that shows where Kathy and [Karole] drew their inspiration.”
The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admittance is by donation.
