Exhibit May 7 to 31, 2024
In the art exhibit at Old Town Hall in Newmarket, titled AmbiEssence: The Triplicate Flame, three remarkable artists—Sam McLeish, Ashley Wetmore-Caissie, and Lora Brownson—bring their unique visions to life, exploring profound themes of time, nature, and the human body through diverse artistic mediums.
AmbiEssence: The Triplicate Flame invites art lovers to immerse themselves in a transformative experience where the invisible and the immaterial are made tangible through art. McLeish, Wetmore-Caissie, and Brownson collectively illuminate the intricate connections that define our existence, challenging modern perceptions of separation and highlighting the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth.
About the Artists:
Sam McLeish, a Canadian artist and fifth-year BFA student at York University, delves into the immaterial elements of human existence through a variety of mediums, including sculpture, print, drawing, painting, watercolour, collage, and embroidery. McLeish's work is characterized by spiritual symbolism and automatic drawing, a surrealist technique, which allows her to create art that invites both self-discovery and viewer interpretation. Her work challenges the notion of pre-existing identity versus experiential shaping, offering a reflective space where the audience can explore the depths of their own consciousness.
Ashley Wetmore-Caissie, a multimedia artist from Barrie, Ontario, with advanced education in Fine Arts from Georgian College and a BFA from York University, utilizes an experimental, process-based approach to her art. Her creations, inspired by personal history, family origins, and monumental life events, explore themes of mortality and human presence. Wetmore-Caissie’s use of sculpture, print, and painting transforms traditional viewing spaces into immersive, humanistic experiences. Her installations, such as the bronze and plexiglass sculpture "Match Head," highlight the cyclical nature of death and rebirth, inviting viewers to navigate through the gallery space in a deeply personal way.
Lora Brownson, a multimedia artist who studied Fine Arts at York University and is currently enrolled in the Registered Massage Therapy program at Algonquin College, merges her artistic practice with her understanding of the human body. Brownson's work, which includes photography, digital collage, printmaking, painting, and drawing, explores the connections between anatomy, nature, and spirituality. Her "Tarot Series," featuring digital photo collages that combine elements of nature, human anatomy, and witchcraft, reveals the invisible connections between life and death, past and present. Brownson’s art bridges the gap between the seen and unseen, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things.
Exhibit June 18 to 27, 2024
Life is like a musical sentence, gradual, harmonious, dissonant, and colourful, containing joy and sadness, peace, love, and hate. These paintings are part of this life, in colour, and in the art, they express some of these states. so, they are a warmly Colour Maqams.
This exhibition evokes part of the artist's memories in his homeland, during his time in Canada. The difference between the existence of fear, censorship, and deprivation of freedom of expression, even in colours. Today in Canada, he has complete freedom to think, draw, and colour. He evokes images of countries destroyed by war and presents us with the story of Cain and Abel, to say: Enough violence and hatred, let's move towards beauty, towards peace and freedom, it is the only way for a better humanity.
Mwafaq Katt
Mwafaq Katt, a prominent Syrian Canadian artist, is recognized for his remarkable contributions to political cartooning, animation filmmaking, and painting. Born in Damascus, Katt made history by creating the first Syrian animated short film in 1990, marking the beginning of his illustrious career into filmmaking. Throughout his journey, his works have garnered numerous awards at esteemed international film festivals, including the Carthage and Cairo Film Festivals. His contributions to political satire, animation filmmaking, and painting have earned him widespread acclaim and recognition, solidifying his status as a trailblazer as an artist, educator, filmmaker in the broader artistic community.
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Portraits of Giving | Karen Merk - November 26 to December 12, 2024
November 26 to December 12, 2024
Monday to Friday | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A Legacy of Social Responsibility in York Region.
Portraits of giving is about:
- Giving Back
- Building Community
- Leadership
- Inspiration
- Collaboration
- Celebration
Portraits of Giving is committed to celebrating York Region Leaders and individuals who demonstrate Social Responsibility. The annual initiative celebrates and inspires our community across York Region municipalities to "keep on giving."
As the name suggests, Portraits of Giving is about giving, through leadership and inspiration. POG celebrates awarded honourees through a community tour in each respective town with a reception and photographic exhibit to capture the individual with a personalized portrait and story of the recipient's philanthropic giving. 2022 will mark its thirteenth year of giving, celebrating individuals and raising awareness and resources for several charitable causes.
As of this year, we will have celebrated over 145 honourees and many charitable organizations through their Portraits of Giving stories over the past eleven years.
Our goal has always been and continues to be: To inspire our community about the importance and impact of social and corporate responsibility in our York Region community.
About the photographer:
Karen Merk, LPPOC, PMP is the founder of Portraits of Giving, created in 2009 and inspired by her community. The goal of this initiative has always been to inspire our community to start or to keep giving back to help others. She has won the Canada 150 and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Awards for her work over the years.
Karen is a Certified Professional Photographer of Canada, Award winning National Competition Photographer, and experienced Portrait photographer, working in the York Region area since 2008. She is a past Director and current member of the Richmond Hill Board of Trade and enjoys helping her community whenever possible.
Projects and Portraits that celebrate and inspire people are what she enjoys the most. And paddling in her kayak or watching a beautiful sunset while sipping a really good glass of red wine.
