Exhibition Sponsors
Opening Reception
Fri Apr 5, 2024 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Artist Statements
Veritie Beauvais
#1 Silent Echoes: Mental Agony
Veritie Beauvais
Markers and prints on paper
26’’ x 20’’
#2 Dual Realms: Fire and Serenity
Veritie Beauvais
Paint and markers on paper
30’’ x 22’’
Vertie was born and raised in Sarnia, Ontario, where the roots of her art stem from her personal experiences of growing up, where her creative production emerged as a reflection of the hardships and challenges she encountered. She began pursuing an art education program at Lakehead University in 2018, where she continues creating artwork that focuses on an introspective biography reflecting her creative journey.
Veritie’s motivation in producing her art stems from the freedom to express her feelings and evoke emotions in viewers. Having people perceive her artwork provides valuable insights into their feelings and perspectives, whether interpretations are accurate or open to interpretation. Her artistic influences span a wide range, drawing inspiration from Renaissance masters’ meticulous details and emotional depth, Impressionist painters’ loose brushwork and atmospheric qualities, Surrealist artists’ dreamlike landscapes and symbolic compositions, Abstract expressionists’ gestural mark-making and layered textures, as well as contemporary artists like Banksy and Ai Weiwei who blend mixed media with social and political commentary.
Veritie frequently incorporates mixed media to add depth and storytelling elements beyond traditional two-dimensional art. From silicone, pencil crayon, lino cut, sculptures and more, each medium contributes to her creations’ overall texture and meaning and offers a unique avenue for expression. She embraces the opportunity to try something new with every project.
Veritie documents her ideas promptly when conceptualizing a piece, ensuring the initial inspiration is preserved throughout the creative process. Through her art, blending realism with abstraction to create artworks that invite viewers to explore and interpret the intricate layers within and, ultimately, within themselves. Mixed media is crucial to her artistic expression, contributing to each piece’s texture and meaning. It allows me to create work beyond the confines of traditional two-dimensional art.
McKenna Wesley
#3 A Toxic Tale in Aquatic Life
McKenna Wesley
Gouache, watercolour, ink on paper
52 cm x 24 cm
#4 Nature’s Gaze
McKenna Wesley
Gouache and ink on paper
24 cm x 22 cm
McKenna’s artistic journey traces back to her upbringing in Sioux Lookout, Ontario; immersing herself in the vastness and tranquility of Northwestern Ontario and its abundance in biodiversity has inspired her. She enrolled at Lakehead University in 2020 and discovered a rich and distinct art community that further pushed her creative growth. McKenna has dedicated herself to exploring the intricacies of the natural world through her development of abstract art. Drawing inspiration from the raw beauty of her environment.
Throughout her time at university and particularly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, McKenna found herself increasingly drawn to the beauty and complexity of nature in response to the restrictions imposed in her everyday life. This newfound connection led her to create captivating abstract works that delve into the enigmatic wonders of the natural world that often go overlooked and underappreciated in today’s fast-paced and technologically driven society.
Through her drawings and sculptures, McKenna seeks to evoke a sense of reverence and awe for the intricacies of the natural world around us all, and she invites viewers to contemplate their relationship with nature and the potential for boundless imagination that lies within. McKenna also demonstrates a keen awareness of ecological issues stemming from human activity and consumerism, including the accumulation of pollution in the waterways and atmosphere. Through her artistic endeavours, she exposes the ongoing degradation of nature, highlighting how it is frequently overlooked and exploited through excessive resource consumption, leading to its contamination and gradual destruction.
Emma Visser-Dicarlo
#5 In My Own World
Emma Visser-Dicarlo
Acrylic on canvas
30” x 40”
#6 DiCarlo’s Hardware Store
Emma Visser-Dicarlo
Wood, polymer clay, drywall compound, acrylic paint
5.5” x 6.7”x 8”
My interest in art and music is inspired by my childhood and growing up in a beautiful rural community outside of Thunder Bay. I was fortunate as a kid to feel carefree and filled with joy. My creativity was devoted entirely to adventures in the forest and learning to play the piano and violin with the rest of my family. Music was a way that we connected to each other. I have fond memories of creating an idealized view of home. Conmee Township was picturesque with the tallest trees, the greenest grass and the clearest water.
My work is based on my home environment. It is the place I love the most and includes the house that my father built and set within a beautiful landscape. When creating, I remember my childhood as a time of vivid imagination and reflect on it using vibrant colours and festive linework. I want to capture a sense of innocence and playfulness and to show a world that was filled with joy. Creating these works constructs an accurate storyline and perspective of my childhood.
I want my work to feel warm and inviting and to express nostalgia for the incredible natural environment that I was fortunate to have experienced. Over this past year, I found myself connecting to my inner child and came to see how my childhood surroundings and experiences have shaped the artist I am today.