White Water Gallery and the W. K. P. Kennedy Gallery are pleased to present a sneak preview of a digital archives project called “A Retrospective of Artists in North Bay and Surrounding Areas.” This on-line exhibition was developed in partnership with the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) at www.virtualmuseum.ca, an initiative of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The project provides a snapshot of the arts community of North Bay and surrounding areas over the past 30 years. The featured artists range from emerging to senior and work in a variety of media. They were selected by a jury comprised of Heather Saunders (past director of White Water Gallery), Dermot Wilson (director/curator of the W. K. P. Kennedy Gallery), Christopher Régimbal (independent arts writer and curator), and Liz Duncan (arts education instructor at Nipissing University).
Saunders, the coordinator of the project, says, “There is a wealth of interesting archival material tucked away in boxes in these two galleries—items that are really revealing about the personalities of their creators—and it seemed like they should be shared. Interviews and biographical details were added to contextualize the material.”
Dennis Geden, one of the featured artists, will give a sneak preview of the project at the W. K. P. Kennedy Gallery on January 11, 2007 at 7 p.m. This date marks the 30th anniversary of the first meeting held to establish White Water Gallery.
Thirty-six artists are featured: Cameron Armstrong, Jane Bonnell, Janet Bourgeau, Keith Campbell, David Carlin, Mike DeMoree, Daniel Elzinga, Dennis Geden, Judy Gouin, Allan Hirsh, Arlington Hoffman, Judith Ingwersen, Lori Grace Johnson, Chris Johnston, Lynn Johnston, Paul Kelly, David Lewis, Liz Lott, Gil McElroy, Eleanor Mackey, Lise Melhorn-Boe, Jurgen Mohr, Jim Mroczkowski, Lawrence Nickle, Eileen O’Connor, Betty Sager, John Seguin, Peter Sloan, Pete Smith, Bruce St. Clair, Ken Stange, Amy Switzer, Jeannie Thib, Andrew VanSchie, Lionel Venne, and John Weiss.
The project will appear on-line at www.virtualmuseum.ca in spring, 2007. www.virtualmuseum.ca is a unique portal to the countless stories and treasures held in trust by Canada’s museums, and lies at the core of the Government of Canada’s strategy to nurture and promote Canada’s culture on-line.
The Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC), an initiative of the Department of Canadian Heritage, was established in partnership with over 1200 Canadian heritage institutions.
IMAGES FROM THE EVENT
People showing up.
Host, Dermot Wilson says hello Coordinator, Heather Saunders giving her talk
Guest speaker Dennis Geden
Selected Artists.