Woodstock Art Gallery unveils two new exhibitions

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The Woodstock Art Gallery is welcoming two brand new exhibitions to its space this weekend.

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Gathering Fictions: A Dialogue on Painting opens on Saturday, Feb. 15, in the second-floor main gallery. Featuring abstract art by Canadian painters Janet Jones and Michel Daigneault, Gathering Fictions was organized by the Varley Art Gallery in Markham and curated by Anik Glaude.

Both artists are originally from Montreal and currently teach in the visual arts department of Toronto’s York University, The two painters have embraced similar methods in the work, like layering, patterning and collage, to create a diverse range of pieces that explore “different realities, narratives and modes of perception,” gallery officials said.

“Gathering Fictions examines the limitless possibilities of abstraction. Jones and Daigneault approach the genre with enthusiastic curiosity, and the dynamic results are full of captivating colour, pattern and symbolism. The exhibition’s title alludes to the ongoing series of conversations about art, art history and art criticism that are the foundation of a strong friendship between these two contemporary painters,” said Danielle Hoevenaars, the Woodstock gallery’s head of collections, in a media release.

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The second exhibition showcases four landscape paintings by the late artist, John Harvey. Displayed in the foyer on the gallery’s first floor, these landscapes were inspired, in part, by the self-taught artist’s summer vacations in northern Ontario. Harvey was an active supporter of the arts in Oxford County and an enthusiastic participant in many of the juried shows at the Woodstock gallery.

Both of these exhibitions will be highlighted during the Woodstock Art Gallery’s Winter Open House on Family Day. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, guests will be treated to demonstrations, exhibition tours and talks with visiting artists. The gallery will also be holding its popular Open Studio drop-in program during the morning hours, offering free art activities for families and story time with the Woodstock Public Library.

Family Day will also mark the last day of curator Mary Reid’s tenure with the gallery after she recently accepted a new role with the McMaster Museum of Art. Stephanie Porter, the gallery’s longtime head of education, will be serving as the interim director and curator of the Woodstock Art Gallery.

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