The Latcham Gallery

The Latcham Gallery is thrilled to join in the many celebrations around the life and art of Doris McCarthy in honour of her 100th birthday. This exhibition allows us the opportunity to see exciting paintings from private collections, enjoy her expression and love of the Canadian land and learn more about her many contributions to, and role in, the continuing history of Canadian art.

Doris McCarthy is a prolific artist who has been an active creator for many decades. During this time she has produced hundreds of works of art and thus making a selection to offer to the public is a daunting task. These works give you an enticing taste of both oil and watercolour paintings that range from 1932 to 2005. They focus on her depictions of the Canadian landscape and offer a sampling from different parts of the country. They give viewers a sense of her growth and development over the years but also of her constant commitment to form, colour and composition, her drive to better her work and push herself continually, and her desire to share her passions with her viewers.

We hope that you will take the time to enjoy her books, articles written about her life and watch a film about her painting. They will further enhance your understanding of her ambitious personality that, more than anything, reveals a love of life, a desire to live each day to its fullest and a dedication to give generously to this world with all her varied skills and talents.

It is a great privilege to take this moment to wish this Canadian icon a happy birthday and do what I think would make her happiest of all: converse with her paintings and then go forward in life with renewed energy and joy.

Maura Broadhurst
Latcham Gallery Curator

The Gallery would like to gratefully acknowledge Passages Art Inc. and Joseph Lebovic for their contributions to this exhibition.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by Birkett-Hassard Brokers Ltd. In Stouffville.

PAST EXHIBITIONS:

The Reins of Chaos

Mary Anne Barkhouse

June 10 – July 17, 2010

Reviewed in the Globe and Mail by R.M. Vaughan on Tuesday, july 7 - to read click here

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/rm-vaughan/four-little-horsies-of-the-apocalypse/article1630636/?service=email.

The Latcham Gallery is pleased to present The Reins of Chaos, a solo exhibition of work by Mary Anne Barkhouse.

The work of Mary Anne Barkhouse, a member of the Nimpkish band, Kwakiutl First Nation, has always addressed the critical subjects of our relationships with history and the land with intelligence, humanity and humour. In The Reins of Chaos, Barkhouse explores the concept of the Apocalypse as told in the Book of Revelations from the Bible and modern apocalyptic stories some of which predict the end of the world in 2012. Using her artwork to capture her story-telling, Barkhouse's version of the apocalypse presents children's toy objects like coin-operated horses as the protagonists. These riderless horses, depicting the four horses of the apocalypse, are interactive, allowing the viewer to become the rider.

Representing Pestilence, War, Famine and Death these horses are off-set by the Donkey of Eternal Salvation. This humble creature, often perceived as the horse's inferior, is the creature in the Bible ridden by Jesus on his triumphant arrival into Jerusalem and perhaps in its quiet and non-imposing position offers a moment of hope.

There is no doubt that these horses also make reference to colonial history, to a North-American cultural tradition of Cowboys and Indians and
the complex relationship between the animal and humans in general. In using these mechanical horses Barkhouse also combines fond, nostalgic memories of childhood with the heaviness and serious subject of the end of the world. Although playful and fun, these horses, which by nature are free and wild, have been tamed, even made captives. But Barkhouse by presenting them as the horses of the apocalypse, reverses these roles yet again and we become subservient to them.

As with all her work, Barkhouse presents this story from the perspective of a native Canadian, whose culture does not have an apocalyptic or end-of-the-world story. Barkhouse presents us with an exhibition that is beautifully executed, engaging, humorous, and challenging. Perhaps most importantly, she has taken an old story, one that has renewed currency as we approach 2012, and made it relevant in a whole new light.

This work was originally presented to the public in 2008 but has been reworked for its installation at the Latcham Gallery.

This exhibition has been generously supported by the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council and J. Paulino & Associates Wealth Management, Raymond James.

Annual Juried Exhibition
May 2 – June 5, 2010

The Latcham Gallery is thrilled to present the Annual Juried Exhibition, a favourite among gallery visitors and much anticipated by the art community! Artists from throughout Ontario are invited to submit two recent, original artworks to be considered by a jury of three art professionals. This exhibition offers artists the opportunity to have their work evaluated by their peers and for the public it offers the chance to see a huge variety of work by contemporary Ontario artists. Not only is the exhibition exciting for the artists and public alike, it also reflects the ideas and subject matter being investigated by our artists, the different kinds of material being used and the personal approaches by the artists to communicate with the public. This year we received over 193 submissions from Guelph to Cobourg and everywhere in between, displaying the wealth of talent in our province.

Every year the Gallery invites three different members of the art community to review the works. This year’s jurors were Sarah Beveridge, Artist, Educator and Independent Curator, Todd Tremeer, Artist and Instructor, and Olexander Wlasenko, Artist and Curator of Station Gallery in Whitby. The jury considered every submission, engaging in lively discussion about the works, and debating their qualities. Overall they were impressed with the high calibre of submissions and with the variety of media and experimentation. In selecting the works, they looked for works in all media that were well executed with clear technical proficiency and that were conceptually engaging. In addition, they were mindful of works that resonate with contemporary culture but also aware of historical precedents. Further, the work had to be well presented in order for these qualities to be viewed properly. For the award winners, the jury chose works that revealed an honesty in terms of the artist’s approach and the context. The work suggests genuine motivation and a greater exploration that is serious and to which the artist is committed. At the end of the day, the jury expressed pride at the exhibition they chose.

The Gallery would like to thank the jurors for their time and for sharing their expertise and we would also like to thank all the artists who submitted their work for consideration and congratulate those whose work was accepted. We hope that you will enjoy wandering through the exhibition and seeing the diversity of the work. Don’t forget to vote for the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced at the end of the exhibition.

This exhibition has been generously sponsored by Stouffville IDA Pharmacy.

The Latcham Gallery is a public art gallery located in Stouffville, Ontario. It exhibits up to ten different exhibitions of contemporary Ontario art each year. It is funded by donations, sponsorships, memberships, and fundraising events, as well as a grant from the Municipality of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

HOCKEY TOWN
February 20 – April 3, 2010

Since Canada’s early days, ice hockey has been closely tied to ideas about our national identity and it continues to be an important forum for community spirit. In much the same way that the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson sought to express our diverse nation by painting the wilderness, hockey creates a sense of unity in communities across the country. Artists and athletes embody a lifestyle that revolves around play, passion and an innate gift or genius. They represent dreams of greatness in our society, and as such reveal expectations for individual achievement and the power of collective identity. In this exhibition, three artists combine their passion for hockey with their passion for making art, while challenging the stereotypes that surround gender, class, sport and culture.

In Stouffville, hockey is a way of life. With two minor hockey association teams in town (the Clippers and the Spitfires) along with house league teams for all ages, it’s safe to say that many households have skates, pads and pucks packed in hockey bags and make a trip to the rink at least once per week. By bringing Hockey Town to Stouffville, the Latcham Gallery is looking to bring together those devoted to the game and those devoted to the arts with an exhibition that combines these two seeming different worlds in one visually stimulating event.

Artist Liz Pead, inspired by the landscapes of Tom Thomson, re-interprets the landscape with discarded hockey equipment. Liss Platt has a mean slap shot and creates canvasses covered with traces of the paint-covered pucks she has hurled at them. And Leah Modigliani creates a cozy basement TV room that resonates with questions about the commodification of the star athlete and the cult of celebrity that surrounds professional sports.

This exhibition is curated by Sandra Fraser and circulated by the MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Living Homeless in York Region

organized with the York Region Alliance to End Homelessness

January 9 - February 13, 2010

This is a community based photovoice project. It was inspired by its first photographer, Gafri. During a conversation about why people seem to believe that homelessness does not exist here in York Region, he said, "Give me a camera, I'll show them." And so cameras were handed out to people who self identified as being either homeless or at-risk. Twenty-five cameras were returned and from them this exhibition emerged. The photographers were men, women and young people. The images in the photographs speak to their experiences and their lives. They convey feelings about the experience of homelessness and risk of homelessness. They illustrate various shelters and circumstances used to survive and also detail the many barriers, challenges and extremes that people who are homeless experience as a result of exclusion, marginalization and the attitudes and beliefs of those who are housed. The Latcham Gallery is pleased to present these works in an effort to raise awareness of this issue in our community and to offer the public the opportunity to experience the power of the visual image. The voices of these people are often left unheard, but through these visual images they are able to communicate their message with viewers.

To connect to the York Region Alliance to End Homelessness webpage click here.

ICONS

Diana Bennett & Ryan Van Der Hout

October 31 - December 5, 2009

Artists' Reception: Saturday, November 7, 2 - 4 pm

This exhibition brings together a unique, collaborative body of work developed by cross-disciplinary artist Diana Bennett and photographer Ryan van der Hout. This series explores the semiotics of iconography while examining the complex aesthetic relationships between poured resin sculptures and the photographic images that are derived from those three-dimensinal forms. Using female icons pulled from Judea-Christian themes as their subjects, these two artists offer artwork that considers the tradition of depicting the female figure, explores marginalized Biblical stories and imagery and simultaneously exposes the viewer to unusual media and artistic process. The resulting work is at odds with itself, being both beautiful and disturbing, evocative and difficult. Although rooted in historical rhetoric and religious ideology, the work’s resonance is clearly contemporary.

PreView

Katie Bethune-Leamen, Andrea Carvalho, Daniel Colby, Jacquelin Heichert, Robert Hengeveld, Tania Love

Septmeber 19 - October 24, 2009

In the fall of 1979, the Latcham Gallery opened its doors and became Stouffville’s public art gallery. It is exciting to think back to that time and imagine how stimulating and inspiring it must have been to have a space in the community where contemporary art by artists from different parts of Ontario was brought to Stouffville to be viewed, discussed and enjoyed by the public. Over the thirty-year history of the gallery, there have been over 270 such exhibitions. To celebrate this legacy, the Latcham Gallery is pleased to present PreView, a group exhibition that features the work of six artists whose work will all be explored in more depth in solo exhibitions over the next several years. These six artists represent a sampling of the kind of work being produced and the diversity of ideas and themes being explored in contemporary art today and also reflect the variety of media used. As such they continue the Latcham Gallery’s on-going mission to bring new and diverse work to the community in exhibitions that educate, challenge and inspire.

Katie Bethune-Leamen is an exciting artist whose art-making includes sculpture, video, sound, installation, painting and construction. In this exhibition she presents six paintings based on iterations of Peter Saville's designs for the musical group OMD's Dazzle Ships album from 1983 and a small cast representation of the hood worn by Russian spy Igor Gouzenko in public appearance after his defection to Canada in 1945. In all of these she continues her investigation of pop culture, our relationship to it, questions of identity and authenticity as well as looking to the role of art and art history. They present her explorations into an evolution of abstract art that reveals and conceals in an endless cycle that creates confusion but also discovery.

Andrea Carvalho grew up in Uxbridge, but has lived in different parts of the country to study and pursue her art practice. In this exhibition, she presents one of her architectural structures that consider the notion of shelter. Through her sculptural installations and performance pieces, Carvalho considers ideas of place, memory, nostalgia and how these notions are translated into objects. She creates fictitious narratives of the everyday in order to disturb our concept of the normal and make us question the accepted. By placing unusual manipulations of things that are common in equally mundane, yet, mismatched locations, she captures our attention.

Uxbridge artist Daniel Colby presents a body of five paintings that explore issues around gender, age identity and human relationships. Focused on life in fictitious boys’ schools, he presents intimate moments that seem to capture a moment immediately prior to or following an event, an encounter. His narratives are often inspired from stories in literature or film, which he re-contextualizes and manipulates to create his own tales. His figures evoke tenderness and compassion and address desire, longing and isolation, as well as intimacy and fraternity. At their heart they investigate the period of life in between childhood and adulthood, the coming of age.

This exhibition also introduces Stouffville artist Jacquelin Heichert. Heichert uses relief printing to present images that she calls Everyday Landscapes. Inspired by mundane daily events like eating and dressing, she reflects the repetitive nature of these activities in visual patterns. Similarly, she relates the act of dressing to the tradition of textile creation in her chosen medium. She simplifies these images into line drawings and repeats them through printmaking techniques to create patterns, rhythms and movement. The accompanying maquettes turn these studies into miniature models, bringing three-dimensionality to her work and referencing another aspect of her art practice, which is book-making.

Robert Hengeveld who has returned to Toronto after studying and creating art on the west coast, offers work that teeters between plausibility and fiction. Using synthetic materials he comments on our natural world. With a playful approach and wonderful sense of humour, his subtle placements of objects are just slightly off-putting or surprising, succeeding in drawing us into his conversation. His motorized sculptural installations casually question our relationship to and with the environment.

Tania Love also considers our natural environment in her work but her investigation is realized through delicate works on paper that she transforms into paper sculptures. The life and death that she witnesses in nature is translated into abstract shapes and forms in her work, in which she focuses on a small aspect of nature (a leaf, a bug, a piece of bark) as a microcosm of our world. Her work, although it hints at fragility – of life as well as of the actual object – nevertheless presents strength in a quiet yet undeniable way.

All six chosen bodies of work are intended to reflect aspects of the artists’ greater art practice. Now we are poised to watch as these artists grow and develop and we wait with anticipation for their future exhibitions and the future of the Latcham Gallery.

Maura Broadhurst

Curator

Threads

Gordana Olujic Dosic and Malgorzata Pienkowski

August 1 – September 12, 2009

This two-person exhibition brings together paintings by Stouffville artist Malgorzata Pienkowski and mixed media work by Toronto artist Gordana Olujic Dosic. Although Pienkowski creates abstract paintings and Olujic Dosic uses fibres in her representational work, they share a sensitivity and a motivation in their art. Both look at struggle and opposition in human relationships based on personal experiences but ones that are common to many of us. Through the dichotomies we experience in ourselves and in our relationships, they find resolve and even humour. Pienkowski expresses this through line and colour and through laborious painting processes that involve painstaking repetition. Olujic Dosic uses more gestural line drawings, often sewn on fabric or pinned directly to the gallery wall to create minimal images (hands, bowls, a boat) and uses brief text to give us clues into a bigger story. Both immigrants to Canada from Eastern Eurpe, these artists have experienced hope and loss, closeness and separation, love and death. Although both of them tackle difficult personal issues, they do so with a playfulness that allows the viewer to enjoy the work while still considering their larger message.

Join us at the Latcham Gallery on Thursday, August 6 at 7 pm for the opening reception of this exhibition. Both artists will be at the gallery and will be able to speak to you directly about their thought-provoking art.

Listen to an interview about the exhibition thanks to Whistle Radio: Threads interview

See the Forest: New Work by Tor Lukasik-Foss

June 18 - July 25, 2009

Opening Reception: Thursday, June 18, 7 - 9 pm

Interview between Tor Lukasik-Foss and Curator Maura Broadhurst from Stouffville's Whistle Radio station click here: Interview with Tor Lukasik-Foss

Tor Lukasik-Foss is both an artist and a musician whose most recent work brings these two aspects of his life together. This new body of work, which will be exhibited for the first time in Stouffville, will consist of an installation of four miniature stages. These "stages" are built from reclaimed and re-used lumber that the artist finds washed up on the shores of Lake Ontario in his region. The shapes of these pieces created entirely from their travels in the lake, are put together by the artist to form the foliage of tree-like forms placed on metal trunks. Inside these tree forms is a little platform on which the performer stands. When the performer (or visitor) enters the structure, however, their view of any potential audience is completely obstructed, calling into question the very notion of a performance. "Ultimately, I am interested in this project's potential to unpack and celebrate the stereotype of the introverted, socially incapacitated artist, and to open an opportunity for both performer and audience to reconsider the transcendent purposes of a public recital" (Artist statement). Lukasik-Foss will be performing at the opening and invites others to do so as well and will be returning to Stouffville at other points during the run of the exhibition for surprise performances.

Lukasik-Foss is an exciting artist whose solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of Hamilton in 2008 received huge public and critical acclaim. He has also exhibited throughout Ontario, and beginning to exhibit across Canada and has performed as Tiny Bill Cody widely including many recent appearances on GO!, CBC radio’s Saturday morning show.

Celebrations 2009: The Young at Art

art by local school children

May 27 - June 6 , 2009

Text Box: This annual showcase of art by local school children celebrates the creativity, energy and ideas of children from Whitchurch-Stouffville elementary schools. Filling the Gallery from floor to ceiling, these works of art from paintings to prints, sculptures to sketchbooks bring life and colour to the town. The exhibition includes work done by students from about ten local public, separate and private schools.

2009 participating schools:

Ballantrae Public School, Glad Park Public School, Harry Bowes Public School, Oscar Peterson Public School, The Progressive Montessori Academy, St. Mark Catholic Elementary SChool, St. Brigid Catholic School, Stouffville Christian School, Summitview Public School, William Berczy Public School

HERE: Carmel Brennan, John Krasinski, Rick Vincil

April 18 - May 23, 2009

HERE features thought-provoking photographs that provide glimpses into the artists’ wanderings in their environments. It brings together the work of Carmel Brennan from Sunderland, John Krasinski from Oshawa and Rick Vincil from Toronto. In their photographs these artists capture moments that give us some insight into the site itself, but also into the thoughts of their creator. Whether an eroded structure on a quiet beach, an opened door leading to an empty room or detailed patterns of a rock, the images reveal a sense of what the artists experienced being “here” and why sharing that moment is important.

Carmel Brennan's work looks to locations with architectural structures that tell a story about the people who have embodied them. She chooses details of the buildings, often openings like a window or a door, that give a hint into the history within. The curtain blowing, the tombstones, even the boarded up windows are all evidence of past life. And the photograph acts as an additional trace, that which holds the artist as protagonist.

John Krasinski finds his inspiration in nature, specifically in this body of work, the Bruce Trail. Traveled by many hikers, tourists and artists, the Trail has no limit to its appeal. Krasinski finds tiny moments and photographs them: a formation of rocks, the bark of a tree, details of the moment ice melts over the rocks. Because he is focusing in on small areas, these black and white photographs come across as abstract and deceive us by playing with scale. In these images we find traces of time articulated by the formations and erosion of the rocks themselves, but also of changing seasons and the knowledge of how many feet have treaded these same sites, including those of the artist.

Rick Vincil presents his series Shorelines. Visiting the shores of Lake Ontario when void of people, Vincil captures moments of light and openness. There is a quietness to each scene and a sense of the passage of time as evidenced by the remnants of structures and the changing levels of the water. Further, there are his choices: the time of day he chooses to go, the specific spot and moment he selects, the composition always including the foreground where he is physically standing. As with the other two artists, his choices tell us something about his experiences. In each photograph it is the artist’s eye that has captured the scene and their bodies that have experienced the site. And it is from this perspective that they then expand the narration to include both the sites’ own history and their own contribution. Presented together in this art gallery, it is here that the story continues, unfolded by the viewer.

Maura Broadhurst

Curator

This exhibition is part of CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival.

Annual Juried Exhibition

February 28 - April 11, 2009

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 28, from 2 - 4 pm. Everyone is welcome.

Awards will be announced.

Todd Tremeer: Replay

January 10 - February 18, 2009

In his paintings Tremeer investigates history and more specifically how history is represented. In particular Tremeer examines how the history of war has been represented in paintings, museum dioramas, historical photographs and in war toys, and how his subsequent reproductions of these representations add another layer of interpretation to history. He has investigated how these representations in fact construct our ideas and understanding around this history and concludes that “the space between authenticity and representation is hopelessly obscured”. By placing his paintings, which are personal re-interpretations of other interpretations of wars (models, dioramas, posters), in public museums and galleries, Tremeer gives them the authenticity that these venues provide in order to question that very authenticity. The work in this exhibition, then, becomes about how we conceive of and construct the past and our history.

This exhibition is running simultaneously and in partnership with a solo show of Tremeer’s work at the Station Gallery in Whitby entitled A Past Again. Together the two galleries are also offering a catalogue of Todd’s work and some joint programming. There will be an Artist Talk and Reception at the Latcham Gallery on Saturday, February 7 from 2 – 4 pm.

The artist will be at the Latcham Gallery on February 7 for his artist talk and also on Saturday, January 24 when he will lead the activity at our Free Family Art Day.

Images 2008/2009

IMAGINE…

at the Latcham Gallery

December 4, 2008 – January 3, 2009

Every December the Latcham Gallery presents Images, an exhibition of art done by the graduating art class of Stouffville District Secondary School. This is a wonderful partnership between the gallery and the high school and marks an exciting time for both institutions. Throughout the fall these twenty students have been busy creating new works of art to display in the exhibition. This year the students have chosen Imagine as their theme and you will see this come to life in their work. These works of art present all the possibilities open to them and show the diversity of their ideas and the wealth of their creativity. They elaborate:

“It all began with a simple idea and a little planning. Subject matter was entirely unlimited – in effect, whatever made each student unique. From there, the students began to explore their individual topics. …Having been well aware that these 22" by 28" pencil compositions were show-bound, the art class made a unanimous decision that they would exercise their greatest skill and passion to complete the larger-than-life project. After nearly three months of dedicated planning, labour-intensive shading, and late nights, the drawings had gone from an intimidating sheet of white paper to noticeably realistic collages. At the end of November, the students put down their now very short pencils, tidied their sketches and made final preparations for their show, entitled "Imagine".… Individuals were delegated important responsibilities, which were completed diligently. The effort consisted of a promotional campaign, a press release, an opening speech, refreshments, lighting and layout, invitations, and a whole compendium of other tasks that helped make the occasion unforgettable. … As long as we remember to Imagine, privileges such as this will be a recurrence in the town of Stouffville for years to come, thanks to the Latcham Gallery.”

We hope you will join us in rewarding these young artists for all their hard work by coming to the opening party on Thursday, December 4 from 7 to 9 pm. You will be thrilled by their talent and determination and will have a chance to speak to them directly about their experiences.

On December 6, some of the students will return to the Latcham Gallery to run our Free Family Art Day. Be sure to stop by between 11 am and 3 pm for a fun art activity for the whole family. The students will lead the workshop and you will take your art home with you.

This exhibition has been generously sponsored by Giles Chevrolet and Button, Armstrong & Ness. Awards have been donated by the Stouffville Lions Club.

Tina Newlove

protection

at the Latcham Gallery

October 26 – November 29, 2008

Curated by Maura Broadhurst

The Latcham Gallery is very pleased to present this solo exhibition of work by Guelph artist Tina Newlove. The exhibition will include new paintings as well as mixed media work and sound all around the theme of protection and its role in contemporary life. Newlove’s paintings are beautifully ornate and decorative, many appearing on first glance quite abstract with intricate patterns of colours, shapes and textures. In them, however, she investigates different aspects of the human condition. Although her subject matter often deals with difficult or disturbing themes, the delicate manner in which she treats her paintings and her compassionate approach make them attractive to viewers who then get drawn in. Newlove herself explains the sad-looking figures in many of her works, “I have a lot of these sad young girls in my paintings right now….they do have some sad themes. That’s why I try to paint them so beautifully – so people can’t help but love them.”

The overall theme of the exhibition – protection – itself makes us ask questions. Protection from what? What or whom do we need to protect? And why? Newlove’s technique is very effective. She draws us in with beautiful images that are so full of life that we inevitably spend time looking all over, enjoying the rhythms, the dancing colours, the spiraling lines. And in looking we see more and more. A little girl bashfully – maybe even fearfully - turned away from the viewer, faceless figures crowded together and yet not appearing to see each other, the idea that someone is present and yet not seen, all convey the need for or desire for protection. There is nothing overt in these images, but there seems to be underlining themes that suggest abuse, depression, isolation and sadness. There is certainly fear, chaos, references to war and danger. Newlove shelters her subjects with beauty, she defends them through abstraction.

The inherent dichotomy in Newlove’s work is the juxtaposition of her desire to unlock and share her secrets, and her desire to keep them private. As a result, the exhibition includes many pieces where the message is hidden within the patterns of the painting or where the art is hidden in a drawer or within a book. It makes us all think about what we need to protect in this age when so little of our personal information and stories can be kept secret.

The Changing Face of York Region

Christina Baranieski, Diana Bullock, Sandra Cole Burke, Judith Livingston and Frank Smith

September 6 - October 19 , 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 6, 1 - 3 pm

Everyone is welcome.

In the spring of 2008 the Latcham Gallery put out a call to artists in York Region asking them to think about the theme “The Changing Face of York Region” and to submit works of art to be considered for a curated exhibition this fall. From the submissions Curator Maura Broadhurst selected these five artists to give their ideas of how the region is changing and to share how they have expressed this vision in their art. In some cases the artists realized that work they created years ago fit the theme exactly and in other cases the artist created new work after thinking about their reaction to the theme.

Baranieski from Mount Albert is primarily interested in the abstract shapes, patterns, textures and movement she finds in nature wherever she is but her intense pastel drawings featured in this exhibition also juxtapose nature and technology, forcing viewers to wonder whether the two are in a struggle for dominance or whether they can co-exist to fulfill contrasting needs of human. Bullock of Stouffville approached the theme by thinking about the influence of the changing cultural make up of the region. Having studied Sumi-e art for many years and earning her seal from the Sumi-e Artists of Canada, Bullock presents several ink paintings done in this Japanese tradition. Although the subject matter does not reflect images of the region, the style and approach reflect the cultural diversity now growing in York Region and the influence of the Asian population. In Burke’s Heart of the Forest series, the Stouffville artist has created a series of woodblock prints. Using a piece of wood taken from a fallen Ash tree, she carved a narrative of images all around and created a number of prints using different colours. They tell the story of the region through her images and the story of one of its trees through the rings of the wood. Markham’s Livingston focuses on one cluster of trees in a series of monoprints. In the three prints of Growing Concern, the group of trees begins quite defined and clear but gradually is reduced as if fading away. The work clearly and beautifully illustrates the artist’s concern about the effect of “development” and “progress” on the natural environment. And finally there is a group of paintings by Frank Smith from Mount Albert. Smith has lived in York Region for almost thirty years and his paintings offer a unique perspective in that he has included paintings he created in the late 1980s and one large new painting created specifically for this exhibition. The paintings reflect his personal changing perspective about the region.

This exhibition has been gerously sponsored by Lafarge North America.

Words Unspoken

W Collective

Wan Ki An, Monica Bodirsky, Martina Edmondson, Vanessa Li, Koeun Park, Hoi Yee Wong

July 17 – August 30, 2008

The title of this exhibition Words Unspoken conjures a variety of images, experiences and memories in all of us. We think of moments when words are too difficult to say, when things are left unsaid or when no words are necessary. These are all ideas and themes that are present in the work by these six artists in the W Collective as they explore their family relationships. As a collective they have united to support each other, challenge each other’s ideas and work together on projects. They create new work based around a theme, forming a unified yet diverse body of work that gives viewers a richness of interpretations and a variety of perspectives from which to consider the subject.

The artists in this exhibition – Wan Ki An, Monica Bodirsky, Martina Edmondson, Vanessa Li, Koeun Park and Hoi Yee Wong – all express very intimate moments and personal stories in their art. For each of them, the process of making as well as the finished piece are integral components in the explorations of themselves, their histories and their growth. Martina Edmondson examines the relationship among five sisters by superimposing their portraits and blurring the division between them. Wan Ki An focuses on the words “love” and “sorry”, remarking on the importance of these two words in all our relationship and yet – or perhaps – thus they are the most difficult to say. Maternal is the theme of Vanessa Li’s work as she considers the intense feelings and the unspoken bond between the mother and child. Koeun Park has created pendants that capture the characteristics of members of her family and the light sculpture that echoes her feelings as she continues on her journey to deal with the loss of a loved one. In her small canvases, Monica Bodirsky literally pieces together her family’s past and her present to better understand her relationships with her family as well as with herself. Hoi Yee Wong uses kozo, the strongest fibre in the world, to convey her feelings about relationships. Her Pandora-like box explodes with emotions as the plant defies the limitations of the container.

Although each of these artists is creating their own body of work, together there are ideas, experiences, imagery and even material and approaches that overlap, develop and mutate through the exhibition as a whole. Each artist shares aspects of her story but as the viewer wanders through the exhibition, a broader narrative emerges, one that reflects the intensity of familial relationships. The work addresses the importance of these relationships, how they affect our lives in supportive and troubling ways and demonstrate how pivotal they are in the development of who we are. All six of these artists show compassion and care in the creation of their work, paying close attention to small details and giving importance to seemingly unimportant moments. Their work is thoughtful and sensitive, generous and vulnerable. It is particularly apt to consider these works and the ideas they evoke in light of the title Words Unspoken. This exhibition offers viewers a private moment to engage intimately with the works of art and to reflect upon their own experiences.

Errance

Work by Greg Staats

May 31 - July 12, 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 31, 1 – 3 pm

Curated by Maura Broadhurst

Part of CONTACT Photography Festival.

The Latcham Gallery is very pleased to present this solo exhibition of work by Greg Staats. The exhibition includes several bodies of photographs and videos created between 1996 and 2008. Searching for an understanding of his world, Staats looks to his personal and cultural history to inform his present. This exploration demands that he look at people, the land, traditions and stories as well as the relationship all these elements have with each other and with his contemporary world. Through memories, both personal and cultural, he finds physical and emotional moments that build upon one another to create a layered and continuing story of his own life.

Staats’ loss of his traditional language forces him to look to other forms of communication to create a connection with who he is. These reveal themselves in symbols, specific landscapes, music and archival photographs that together create a new vocabulary that he can use to describe and understand himself. Though the imagery in his photography and videos is specific to his own experiences, the images are nevertheless familiar to all of us and allow us quiet spaces in which to consider our own histories and memories. Errance – to wander with purpose – reflects Staats’ journey, but also the artwork in the exhibition. Each work presents only a moment, one that is simple in its visual image, but rich with possible interpretations. Together they form bodies of work that reveal more and more of the story and open more and more venues of exploration for the viewer and guide all of us towards possible conclusions. They are Staats’ offerings to the public: beautiful vignettes captured by the artist. But perhaps more importantly, they offer ideas, they offer suggestions and they invite us into his world in order to discover our own.

Greg Staats is a Mohawk from the Grand River Territory, now based in Toronto. He is a graduate from the photography program at Sheridan College and has exhibited in public galleries across Canada.

This exhibition has been generously sponsored by Century Mill Lumber.

Celebrations 2008: The young at art

May 14 - 24

This year’s exhibition will include projects from Ballantrae Public School, Orchard Park Public School, The Progressive Montessori Academy, St. Mark’s Catholic Elementary School, St. Brigid Elementary Catholic School, Stouffville Christian School, Summitview Public School, Whitchurch-Highlands Public, William Berczy Public School and Willow Grove Primary School. From sculptures to drawings, collages to paintings, the artwork covers a huge range of media, technique, imagination and energy. Support our young artists by coming to the exhibition and be inspired by their enthusiastic ideas.

Then be sure to join us on the last day of the exhibition, Saturday, May 24, for a special Free Family Art Day. Children and their families are invited to drop by the gallery between 11 am and 3 pm to see the exhibition and then take part in a hands-on art activity. Using a variety of materials, participants will make their own Artist Trading Cards. These cards, the size of hockey cards, are miniature works of art! You can make a whole bunch and then trade like crazy with your friends. Plus you get to start your very own art collection!

The Latcham Gallery is committed to nurturing art creation and art appreciation. This exhibition gives young students the opportunity to see their work showcased in a professional setting and provides them with an audience that extends to the whole community. Through this partnership, the Gallery and the schools are highlighting the relevance and necessity of the art curriculum and the value of art literacy for our students. The talent, creativity and technique of the artwork displayed in this exhibition and the pride the young artists show when they see their work and that of their friends in the gallery demonstrate the importance of this program. Please join us for the celebration!

Annual Juried Exhibition

April 5 - May 10, 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 5, 1 - 3 pm.

Everyone is welcome. Awards will be announced.

This important exhibition offers artists from throughout Ontario working in any medium the opportunity to submit pieces to be juried by three professionals in the art world. The jury goes through all the submissions (last year 267 works) and selects the pieces they think should be part of this year’s exhibition. The resulting exhibition presents visitors with a challenging collection of ideas and themes by dozens of different artists from York Region and beyond. The jury awards monetary prizes to winning submissions.

Congratulations to all the artists selected for this year's exhibition and especially to the award winners:

Jurors' Choice Awards:

Daniel Colby

Keith Cornell

Paul Delaney

Jacquelin Heichert

Flarica Laslau

Audra Noble

Rick Vincil

People's Choice Award:

Florica Laslau

order/disorder

a sculpture show

Michelle Allard, Kristiina Lahde, Cal Lane,

Flavio Trevisan, Akira Yoshikawa

Curated by Georgiana Uhlyarik and Maura Broadhurst

at the Latcham Gallery

February 23 – March 29, 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 23, 1 – 3 pm

Artists will be present. Everyone is welcome.

The Latcham Gallery is pleased to present order/disorder, a sculpture show which features the work of five Canadian artists: Michelle Allard, Cal Lane, Kristiina Lahde, Flavio Trevisan and Akira Yoshikawa, including four new works created specifically for this exhibition. Each of these artists uses ordinary, both found and made, to order and disrupt the familiar and transform the quotidian. Their sculptural works are concerned with spatial relationships – the articulation of spaces between forms, the transformation and repurposing of materials - as well as the way in which the viewer is implicated, invited, involved.

Lane creates what she calls “unexpected relationships” when she transforms a shovel or a wheelbarrow into delicate steel lace. Denying the object’s intended functionality, much like Allard does when she turns plastic food containers into a light fixture, creates a tension between form and content and reinforces the inextricable unity of dualities. Yoshikawa’s new work is most explicitly concerned with the arrangement of objects. As he states, “my current works illustrate the formation of dual existence of random and imposed order through the use of spontaneity and chance.” A branch, a pencil wall drawing and a hexagonal steel rod are ordered in such a way to evoke physical making on a human scale. Trevisan’s map is a large scale sculptural drawing. His newest work depicts the watershed of the Don River which contains the Don Valley Parkway, the main artery that connects Stouffville to Toronto and vice versa. As the dynamic between these two destinations shifts with urban growth, so too does our relationship to this route and indeed the natural landscape around it. Lahde’s Re-Tread also merges these two places by combining the rural icon of the tractor tire with Gothic architectural details of the University of Toronto’s Hart House building. The connections between present and past, form and function are articulated so directly that what is left to interpret is the viewers’ position.

The unexpected combinations of materials, references and ideas among all these artworks begin a conversation about our experiences of and in today’s world. These works defy classification and refuse to succumb to the rigid order nor to the destabilizing disorder of everyday life. Instead, their shared sensibilities invite us into the space, both with each piece and in the exhibition as a whole. It is a space where cynical chaos can still reveal moments of lyric beauty.

Adam Bellavance

New Paintings

at the Latcham Gallery

January 12 – February 16, 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 12, 1 – 3 pm

Everyone is welcome!

Stouffville, Ontario (January 2, 2008)…The Latcham Gallery is pleased to present this solo exhibition of paintings by this exciting young artist. Bellavance’s work conveys the contemporary human condition and the need for wonder in our lives by exploring the world around us through nature, science and technology. He questions our understanding of and relationship with these aspects of life and thus considers the state of the contemporary world and our role in it.

The surfaces of these paintings are richly painted with intensely saturated colours inspired by those on our computer screens. Bellavance accepts the challenge of working with these unnatural colours and succeeds in creating vibrations through their placement in the composition. On top of this he attaches small electronic pieces taken from old machines – radios, telephones, computers. These random parts act as formal compositional elements to create an aesthetic but are denied their original functions. Covered in a layer of resin, the paintings have a slick finish and a precise, attractive look. His lush paintings each present a surface like a computer monitor’s screen, which, like an interface, brings us as viewers/users into its environment.

In addition to referencing contemporary technology, many of the paintings portray molecular structures superimposed over basic landscapes. We see the elements of water, land and sky in simple almost abstract backgrounds and chips of colour connected by wires on top. These chips and wires together form the shape of simple molecules, those found in human life. Bellavance’s interpretations of nature, science and life in these paintings reveal his fascination with it all and the beauty he sees in each.

Adam Bellavance has many different ideas racing through his head. He paints to create something beautiful, but inevitably as he does so, his paintings become encoded with some of his ideas: ideas about nature, physics, evolution and the way we view and experience the world. This process results in these vibrant paintings that capture his sense of magic and wonder in the face of our world and they appeal to the same in us as viewers.

Adam Bellavance will be present at the Latcham Gallery for the opening reception on Saturday, January 12 between 1 and 3 pm during which time he will speak directly to visitors. He will also return the gallery on Saturday, January 26 to lead a free workshop between 11 am to 3 pm for our Free Family Day. Everyone is welcome to join us for both events.

The Latcham Gallery is a public art gallery located in Stouffville, Ontario. It exhibits up to ten different exhibitions of contemporary Ontario art each year. It is funded by donations, sponsorships, memberships, and fundraising events, as well as grants from the Municipality of Whitchurch-Stouffville and the provincial government through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.