The Tom Thomson Art Gallery will be opening three new exhibitions today, one of which celebrates an artist who was born in Owen Sound.
Roly Fenwick’s work will be on display in an exhibition called Lifelines in Light & Shadow.
“I think that at the heart of what Roly is trying to do in his work is to get in touch with the inner workings that run through all living things,” says Shannon Bingeman, who is the Assistant Curator at the Tom.
She also says that she hopes that when visitors come to the gallery, they’re able to appreciate Fenwick’s work because of the interweaving of people and plant life.
“His works, when visitors are looking at them will see that they’re lush, psychologically charged, and just really teeming life. It’s about his search to uncover the inner workings of all living things, and we hope that people can tap into that and feel connected to it as well.”
The Tom is also launching two other exhibitions that same day. The second is called (Re)Inventing Wilderness, which showcases the work of Gary Blundell and Victoria Ward.
Their exhibition works to examine the enduring impact of the logging industry and industry in general throughout the natural landscape.
“All of the artists will be in attendance. They’re going to be giving brief remarks, and we’re really excited to welcome them as well. Roly’s actually in his 90s now, and so they’re planning a big family reunion around the opening, and it’ll be really nice to expect with him and to meet his extended family.”
The third exhibition that starts Saturday is a continuation of Tom Thomson’s work, called Field of Vision — Part Two.
Bingeman says that they’ve brought in different paintings into the exhibit, and includes a number of Thomson’s figurative work from early in his career, which includes a charcoal drawing of his niece, different pieces that use women as a focus, and a self-portrait.
The Tom will be holding a reception for the launch of the three new exhibitions from 1-3 pm on Saturday afternoon.
