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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250816
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SUMMARY:Flora
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Thursday\, September 4th at 5:30 pm for the opening – which will also be the pARTicipate Arts & Nature Festival kickoff event! Meet many of the artists\, some of whom will be teaching workshops at pARTicipate.\n“I like to make clothing\, and I like it when it has an interesting shape or texture. I draft all my own patterns and the pieces are often historical\, but sometimes not.  \nI enjoy the design challenges of working with secondhand and reclaimed materials\, and combining inspiration from different historical eras\, as well as the natural world. It’s always exciting to try a new material or learn a new technique\, and sometimes I make videos of my projects so I can share all the construction information in as much detail as possible”. Vincent Briggs \n“I have been a collector of seedpods for many years\, each with incredibly beautiful\, intricate forms and textures. These tiny seed vessels have been rich potential for creative exploration and have become the catalyst for my recent body of work. These smoke-fired vessels have been given over to the fire to breathe life into each piece\, the smoke and flame creating a quiet beauty\, richly marked with visual texture and colour.  \nIt is my intention that these vessels evoke a sense of hope and renewal\, a feeling of stillness and tranquility\, reminding the viewer of the beauty of nature”. Judy Blake \n“As a seamstress by trade and a passionate textile arts educator\, I have nurtured a lifelong love for all\nthings fiber-related. Over the last few years\, my daily art practice has increasingly zeroed in on bobbin\nlace making. This historic craft is on the verge of dying out in New Brunswick and it is my long-term goal\nto reintroduce it to the region and build a community of lace makers.\nI am currently studying bobbin lace traditions from all over the world\, learning multiple techniques\nthrough online classes and creating original lace artwork. Designing a lace piece begins with loosely\nsketching out ideas\, experimenting with composition\, and considering color. Then comes the precise\nmathematical planning needed to design a lace pattern\, like a puzzle that must be solved to ensure the\nthreads hold together and the picture takes shape as intended.\nThe process of bobbin lace making requires a profound level of concentration and attention to detail\, as\neach pair of threads is twisted and crossed in an exact order to keep the design intact and the colors in\nplace. Traditionally\, lace designers and lace makers were separate entities\, but I cherish the ability to bring\nboth roles together in my work. The whole process fascinates me\, from the initial spark of inspiration to\nthe final moment when I remove the last pins and hold up the completed piece\, an artwork made entirely\nof threads\, with more holes than solid mass yet still perfectly holding its form.\nThrough my work\, I aim to honor and preserve the rich tradition of bobbin lace\, while also bringing my\nown unique vision to life\, one thread at a time”. Cat Candow \nCaoife Garvey is an Irish textile artist and designer currently living in Fredericton\, New Brunswick. She specialises in weaving and felting techniques and works primarily with natural fibres such as linen\, paper\, wool and natural dyes. She uses thoughtfully chosen materials to create woven art pieces and fine craft accessories. Caoife is a graduate of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design and currently works there as an instructor in the Foundation Visual Arts and Textile Design programmes. Her work has been shown in group exhibitions around New Brunswick and she has been the recipient of an Arts NB Creation Grant and the Charlotte Glencross Scholarship offered to an artist who is progressing in their professional development. \n“My recent artistic practice blends traditional craftsmanship and contemporary exploration\, using weaving and felting techniques to create works that are inspired by forms and textures observed in nature. I work with natural materials to create abstract\, geometric patterns through the strategic manipulation of distinct weave structures. Most notably\, I have been using yarn made from paper\, a ubiquitous material made from the cellulose of trees and plants\, to create weavings rich in texture and dimensionality. Building on this work\, I am expanding my practice by integrating more elements of the plants themselves. Milkweed seeds and fibres provide soft stuffing\, flax bast fibres are woven into fabric\, and petals and bark are used for natural dyeing. I am particularly drawn to how the textures and colours found in local flora can enhance the qualities of specific weave structure\, creating works that speak to both materiality and place”.  Caife Garvey \nWebsite: caoife@gmail.com Instagram: @Caoife.Garvey \nAlexa began blacksmithing in Florida in 1980. Banging on metal proved to be the perfect counterpoint to her career as a librarian. She has been moving her scrap pile northward ever since. Initially she produced small abstract sculptures for interiors. When she established Ladysmith Forge in Connecticut in 1991\, she learned to make hardware suitable for 18th and 19th century buildings. In 2006\, she immigrated to Canada. Today\, she and her wife live on a 125 acre farm in Mt. Hanley\, Nova Scotia. Alexa forges garden sculpture and private commissions under the watchful eyes of a small flock of sheep. Her work can be seen at the Tangled Garden in Grand Pré and occasionally at the Annapolis Royal Historical Garden and\, virtually\, on her website: AlexaJaffurs.com \n“My coloured glass flowers\, each a faithful replica of one of our Atlantic provinces floral emblems\, embody the range of habitats and regional identities of the Maritimes. They represent our character as well as being beautiful symbols of strength\, adaptation\, and unity. But even more important\, at a time where biodiversity is increasingly understood as central to our very survival\, these flowers and their distinct ecosystems remind us of a greater purpose: caring for our precious planet. Created on a specialized propane and oxygen torch to melt borosilicate glass. Solid rods and tubes are melted and shaped to create each piece of flora”. Heather McCaig \nAdam McNamara (he/him) is a wood artist known for his unique approach to wood carving\, drawing inspiration from the natural world and modern design elements. Employing power carving and fine carving techniques\, he achieves realistic detail\, resembling intricate paintings in wood. His creative process is deeply rooted in the world outside\, particularly local ecosystems and hidden treasures within them. Influenced by anatomical drawings from Darwin’s era and the impressionism movement in painting\, he infuses his pieces with themes of appreciating small creatures that hold our ecosystems together. Adam’s accolades include multiple exhibitions both locally and internationally\, charity campaigns\, and competitions over the years\, with recent collaborations include a commission by Timberland Canada for hurricane relief in Nova Scotia. Adam prioritizes sustainability by sourcing wood from forests or purchasing scraps from woodworkers\, repurposing all scrap to minimize waste. His self-taught journey pushes boundaries\, with each piece serving as a discovery of new techniques and practices\, contributing to the evolution of wood art. \n“I use natural materials—hand-dyed woolen fabrics and yarn—hooked into linen or burlap backing to create images in the same way that other artists use paint on a canvas. My inspiration often comes from nature\, the landscapes\, plants\, and animals that I see. However\, colour and form also have appeal\, and I strive to highlight them in my creations”. Caroline Simpson \nNationally acclaimed Canadian plant fibre artist\, Ralph Simpson has developed an innovative method of weaving and sculpting plant fibre into pleasing sculptural forms. He was raised in the fields and forests of New Brunswick along the Petitcodiac River and there developed a keen interest in plants. His personal motivation arises from a deep connection with nature and an implicit desire to promote environmental sustainability.  \n  \nCurrently\, he resides in Fredericton working full time in his studio there. Ralph chooses to work with locally sourced\, sustainable materials and forages his own plant fibres using environmentally sustainable methods. He prefers invasive\, introduced\, or naturalized plant species and also native plants if they are abundant. Ralph holds an MSc. from UNB in Forest Research Biology\, and a Diploma in Fine Craft from NBCCD. Informed by the sciences and his acquired technical expertise his intricately woven pieces reflect the fields and forests around him.  \nRalph is an award-winning artist with grants from Arts NB and Canada Council\, short-listed for the Salt Springs National Art Prize (2021) and his work has been accessioned into New Brunswick’s permanent art collection (2023). He exhibits his work locally and internationally\, attending residencies and giving workshops.  \nThe flora of New Brunswick informs his work and his creative process. His designs arise from his interpretations of nature and have evolved from traditional basketry\, to vessels\, and botanically themed sculptures. His process results in a contemporary manifestation of his connection with plants in their natural habitat. His work varies in form and style but what resonates in all his work is an underlying investigation into ways that plant materials can be used to spark interest and insight into the natural world. 
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/flora-adam-mcnamora-alexa-jaffurs-caife-garvey-caroline-simpson-cat-candow-heather-mccaig-judy-blake-ralph-simpson-and-vincent-briggs/
LOCATION:Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery\, 8 McCain Street\, Florenceville-Bristol\, New Brunswick\, E7L 3H6\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions,Past Exhibitions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251004
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251109
DTSTAMP:20251114T144426Z
CREATED:20250802T164942Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251114T144426Z
UID:8453-1759536000-1762646399@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:Totality: David Hunter and James Wilson
DESCRIPTION:The show is open from October 4\, to November 7. The opening is on Saturday\, October 18 from 2pm-4pm \n\n<s/p>\n\nWe are pleased to invite you to a special guided tour of our current exhibition\, led by exhibiting artist\, David Hunter.\n\n\nThursday\, October 23 from 6:30pm-7:30pm\nThe Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery\, 8 McCain St\, Florenceville-Bristol\n\n\nThis tour offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the artist’s creative process\, inspiration\, and the stories behind the works on display.\n\n\nAdmission is always free\, and all are welcome to attend.\n\nJames Wilson\nJames Wilson is a fine art photographer living and working from his home based studio in Hampton\, New Brunswick. His art works are in many public\, corporate\, and private collections throughout North America and Europe. He specializes in large format rural landscapes\, still-life\, and natural-light black and white studio portraits which he calls “Social Studies”. He has been teaching photography and mentoring people on the art of the medium internationally for 19 years\, with annual workshops in Mexico\, Italy\, and Japan. \n“…My approach to making these photographs was not as a scientist\, but as an artist. So I experimented slightly to explore different effects mostly through exposure changes and zooming in and out. \nProperly exposing the image of the corona of the sun around the moon would stay white like one would naturally expect as shown in this first image. (Leftmost) \nUnderexposing the image the corona would take on a much warmer look which some might find more appealing as shown in the image. (#2) \nThere was a point when the corona expanded and as I remembered it seemed to have a slight cyan colour. (#3) \nThis is a classic shot that eclipse photographers try to always get when the sun is slightly exiting its hidden stat behind the moon with a bright flare. It’s called the ‘Diamond Ring Shot’. (#4) \nThis image I took just after putting my solar eclipse filter back on the camera lens. It exaggerated the flaring of the sun coming out from behind the moon and added more drama to the event. (Rightmost)” -James Wilson \n“Total solar eclipses are very rare occurrences for any given spot on Earth…Prior to 8th April\, 2024\, the last total solar eclipse in central New Brunswick happened in 932! Therefore\, since the last total solar eclipse in Central NB has been more than 1000 years ago\, and that the path of 2024 totality went through Central Carleton County\, a special effort was mounted to bring this to the attention of the community and nation. However\, there was a potential problem: there was a 70% probability that it would be cloudy on the day of the eclipse. Therefore\, a project was started to send a stratospheric balloon above any clouds to observe the eclipse.” -David Hunter \nScience Engineering Team for the Total Solar Eclipse Balloon Project\nDavid Hunter\, BSc\, MSc\nIn his professional life he was involved in the development of high resolution X-ray digital mammography systems based on the material amorphous selenium. This work was conducted at the University of Toronto and the affiliated Sunnybrook Research Institute. He has had a long standing interest in physics\, astronomy\, meteorology\, and electronics\, which all contributed to the development of the Total Solar Eclipse Balloon Project. \nLewis Cobb\, MSc\nAn Electrical Engineer from the University of New Brunswick\, his career is in industrial microcontroller system design and he was involved in contributions pertaining to 3D modeling\, 3D printing\, and CNC routing. \nStephen Downward\, BCS\nA graduate of the University of New Brunswick\, he worked in communications\, programming\, and electronics. \nDr. Don Plewes\, Phd\nProfessor Emeritus from the Department of Medical Biophysics of the University of Toronto\, his contributions related to the engineering design of the project testing\, analysis and mathematics\, and general advice. \nTom Sisk\, MSc\nA retired Electrical Engineer who worked at NB Power\, Irving\, and Coleson Cove\, contributed to the engineering design of the project and payload\, as well as general advice. \nKen Strauss\, MSc\nA retired Electrical Engineer who worked with Comshare and Ontario Hydro made contributions related to the mechanical design and testing of the Balloon Solar Eclipse Project. \n\nUniversity of New Brunswick Student Engineering Team \n\nUNB Liaison and Faculty \n    Troy Lavigne\, Project Officer\, Electrical and Computer Engineering\, UNB \n    Andy Simoneau\, Chair\, Department of Mechanical Engineering\, UNB  \n\nUNB Engineering Student Project Group 1 \n    Roshan Peri \n    Savishta Rattun \n    Jacob Snider \n    Benjamin Thomson \n\nUNB Engineering Student Project Group 2 \n    Ethan Albert Garnier \n    Spencer Frederick Gowlett \n    Alex Thomas Johnson \n    Zachary Michael Titus \n\nUNB Engineering Student Project Group 3 \n    Olivia DeMerchant \n    Zachary Demerson \n    Matthew Snell \n    Zoe Devries \nTo learn more about the Total Solar Eclipse Balloon Project\, click the button below. \nLearn more!
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/totality-david-hunter-and-jamie-wilson/
LOCATION:New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions,Past Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mccainartgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Totality-letter-size-poster.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DTSTAMP:20260328T192934Z
CREATED:20260210T222151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260328T192934Z
UID:8997-1771027200-1774137599@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:Sarah Petite\, The Line is the Canon
DESCRIPTION:“In 2015\, for the second time in my long practice\, I became impatient with the eternal rectangle. I began experimenting with shapes\, cut from plywood and intruded with meandering jigsaw ‘lines’. Everything the jigsaw does is like a line that can’t ever be erased. It’s the given\, the canon. The paint has to answer to it.\n\nA shape in my head becomes a sketch\, becomes a plywood cutout\, becomes a photograph\, becomes a more precise sketch\, printed out\, for plotting the painting – which sometimes takes a few days before I pounce. Gazing at the beautiful shape. The paint – its colours\, how it is applied\, how its expression responds to the shape\, is the project. \nIt’s true\, my paintings are about encaustic paint\, they reflect my fascination with its virtuosity\, and the beauty and richness to be found in its effects. The process itself is what has kept me loyal to this medium for many years.” Sarah Petite \nFor a YouTube introduction to Sarah\, Click Here \nBorn Pennsylvania\, U.S.A.\, Sarah grew up near Boston and then settled in Canada\, receiving Canadian citizenship in 1971. Sarah attended the Nova Scotia College of Art And Design\, graduating with a BFA in Painting and in 1985 she studied Art History (early Christian\, 12th century European\, 16th century Italian architecture)\, at the University of East Anglia\, Norwich\, England. Sarah is represented at Gallery on Queen\, Fredericton and is in major public and private collections in Canada. Having lived in various parts of Canada\, Singapore\, Italy\, and England\, she currently splits her time between Port Maitland\, Nova Scotia and Fredericton NB. \nSarah began encaustic painting\, and was largely self-taught. She won the Marie Hélène Allain Fellowship Award from the Sheila Hugh MacKay Foundation  in 2022 for her encaustic work. As part of its mandate to promote the visual arts in New Brunswick\, the SHMF recognises the accomplishments of mid-career New Brunswick artists who are engaged in the exploration and deepening of their creative endeavour. The jury was convinced by the accomplishments and perseverance Sarah demonstrates in discovering new directions through considered engagement with her materials and process\, revealing a practice that contributes to and is in discourse with modernist painting traditions. \nYour Content Goes Here \n“With encaustic\, ‘hot’\, or melted\, means ‘wet’. Beeswax and pigment are combined in a small can (tomato paste\, actually)\, melted down and dipped into. I use natural-bristle brushes whose long handles have been sawn off\, to allow them to stand ready in the paint without tipping the can over. The paint stays ‘wet’ for about ten seconds\, after which I must dip again\, or may begin to cut and sculpt\, using a variety of tools. The heat gun allows me to re-melt the paint right on the panel\, making for textural enhancements like troweling\, stippling or puddling”. Sarah Petite
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/sarah-petite-the-line-is-the-canon/
LOCATION:New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions,Gallery Calendar,Past Exhibitions,Upcoming Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mccainartgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Petite-letter.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20260521T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Halifax:20260521T173000
DTSTAMP:20260509T185618Z
CREATED:20260507T203551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260509T185618Z
UID:9656-1779381000-1779384600@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:Pop-Up Art Show: Artworks by Colin Smith\, Jenna Ross\, and Celia Gallardo
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the River Art Centre on Thursday\, May 21st for a Pop-Up Art Show made up of works by local Artists Colin Smith\, Jenna Ross\, and Celia Gallardo!\nColin\, Jenna\, and Celia were accepted into the 2026 Territorial Dialogue Residency\, a residency designed to foster artistic research and creation in a linguistically diverse environment. This program is a collaboration between the New Brunswick Arts Centre Association and the Centre des arts d’Edmundston\, with support from the Ministry of Official Languages.\nThis Pop-Up show will contain works created by Colin\, Jenna\, and Celia for everyone to come see!
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/pop-up-art-show-artworks-by-colin-smith-and-jenna-ross/
LOCATION:River Art Centre\, 8746 Main St.\, Florenceville-Bristol\, New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions,Gallery Calendar,Homepage Event (max 3 events)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260718
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTSTAMP:20260826T175931Z
CREATED:20260710T192554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T175931Z
UID:10099-1784332800-1787443199@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:OPUS: A Handmade VIllage\, Guest Curator John Leroux
DESCRIPTION:Guest curator John Leroux\, ONB\n\n\n\nJohn has practiced in the fields of art history\, architecture\, visual art\, curation\, and education. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture (McGill)\, a M.A. in Art History (Concordia)\, and a PhD in History (UNB). He has worked at award-winning architecture firms in Canada and the United States\, and has taught at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design\, the University of New Brunswick\, and St. Thomas University. He has won awards for architectural and public art projects throughout Canada\, and was a team member of Canada’s entry at the 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture. For many years\, he was chief curator at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. A passionate advocate for the arts and for architectural conservancy\, John has authored 21 books on architecture and visual culture.He has volunteered on boards dealing with heritage\, health\, technology\, culture\, and homeless housing. He was a personal tour guide to Prince (now King) Charles;been a cast member in four feature film documentaries on New Brunswick architecture and art;and played varsity university lacrosse at the age of 43. Along with his wife Meghan\, he is the father of Tait and Ana. John was awarded the Order of New Brunswick in 2024. \n\n\n\nOpening: Saturday 25 July 2026\, 2:00-4:00 pm\nTour the exhibition with John Leroux starting at 2:30 pm.\nThe early 1970s were a time of deep social and cultural change in New Brunswick. The era witnessed diverging views on what it meant to be a connected citizen\, and how material items held deeper consequence. \nMactaquac became a beacon for this movement\, where a group of young artisans opened one of Canada’s most celebrated cultural enterprises: Opus Craft Village. Fuelled by the growing interest in the handmade and a back-to-the-land spirit\, Opus and its artists are a fascinating tale of a creative destination briefly glowing bright and extinguished far too soon.  \n \nIn 1971\, two young potters Allan Crimmins (1943-2020) and Bill Norman (b.1942) opened a studio near Mactaquac\, and were soon joined by American-born glassblower Martin Demaine (b.1942). With audiences hungry for locally handmade objects\, Crimmins devised a full-time craft village based on successful European precedents. A studio campus was built across the road from Mactaquac Provincial Park\, and Opus Craft Village officially opened on June 21\, 1975. New Brunswick Premier Richard Hatfield cut the ceremonial ribbon in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 500 onlookers – his white Bricklin in the parking lot nearby. In addition to Crimmins\, Norman\, and Demaine\, the original Opus craftspeople included Martin’s wife Sue Demaine (wax candles)\, Bill Graff (ceramics)\, David and Barbara Murphy (leatherwork)\, Don Pell (blown glass and ironwork)\, Jane McLellan (wax candles)\, Paddy Ormiston (glass blowing)\, and other apprentices.  \nOpus set out to demystify how crafts are made and to promote craftsmanship in the province. Visitors and buyers were welcome to tour the studios and meet the makers in a real workshop setting. Opus positively affected the spirit and harmony of the community\, and attitudes throughout the province incorporated new creative ideas and artistic experimentation.  \n \nAt its peak\, Opus Craft Village housed seven craft studios and 25 craftspeople. When Queen Elizabeth visited New Brunswick in 1976\, her official gift from the province was a set of six hand-blown glass goblets made at Opus. But like all good things\, it wouldn’t last. After Opus was sold to a local businessman in 1978-79\, challenges arose between the artists and the new owner\, and the original craftspeople left. By 1983\, Opus Craft Village had closed its doors. \nIt was the end of an era\, as the ensuing decade saw changes in the types of fine craft that appealed to the public. But for the original Opus artisans\, it was a stepping stone to longer careers in craft. Beyond the handmade creativity Opus Craft Village offered\, and its innumerable items that were sent around the world\, perhaps the greatest gift Opus offered was a sharing and an understanding of different ways of living and creating. \n______________________________________________________ \n20 July 2026 \nHi Jennifer\, \nThis is wonderful news.  Opus craft village was a wonderful adventure. We built the village and created wonderful art and craft. We learned we\ncould make any dream come true. \nOne story that comes to mind is that the three principals\, Bill Norman\, Alan Crimmins\, and I\, didn’t want to waste time in meetings. So we decided\nanyone could make a decision for Opus Craft Village. We discovered that our decisions were very carefully made and likely better this way. We\nwanted to spend time creating. \nAn extreme example of this was the checking account which required 2 signatures on each check. We practiced each others signatures so one person could sign both names. If two of us were available at the same time to sign a check\, we would not sign our own names. We would sign each others name with a smile. \nI remember Alan bought a woodlot\, and the three of us would go and cut down trees to go to the sawmill to be used in Opus. We found an architect from\nMontreal who was travelling through. He was excited about being part of crew constructing the buildings. It was a family atmosphere. \nI am currently in San Diego and unable to come to the gallery.  \nThe images you sent look fantastic. \nBest\,  \nMartin Demaine
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/opus-a-handmade-village-guest-curator-john-leroux-2/
LOCATION:New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions,Upcoming Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mccainartgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/OPUS-letter-w-potters-small.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Halifax:20260808T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Halifax:20260808T154500
DTSTAMP:20260730T175142Z
CREATED:20260730T175034Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T175142Z
UID:10330-1786201200-1786203900@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:Open Studio Art Camp - Pop-up Show!
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/open-studio-art-camp-pop-up-show/
LOCATION:River Art Centre\, 8746 Main St.\, Florenceville-Bristol\, New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions,Gallery Calendar,Recent News,Teens
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260905
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261106
DTSTAMP:20260925T200146Z
CREATED:20260815T170340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T200146Z
UID:10357-1788566400-1793923199@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:Life\, Love & Care: A painting Landscape
DESCRIPTION:Jennifer Pazienza\nBlooms & Burdens\, 2023 \nThe artist will be in attendance at the Opening\, on September 10 2026\, 5-7 pm\, Introductions at 5:30\nJennifer will do an Artist talk and a Beginner Oil Painting Workshop later this year or early next year.\n(To be added to a list of interested participants let the Gallery staff know)\nIn Life\, Love & Care: A Painting Landscape\, Jennifer Pazienza treats us to carefully selected contemplative and liberating paintings made since her work first appeared in the gallery 14 years ago. From her Keswick Ridge\, New Brunswick studio hers is an embodied and responsive practice attuned to seasonal change and situated at the frontier of internal and external landscapes. These liminal spaces where past and present realities meet and mingle ground her practice. She ritually begins her signature approach to oil painting by welcoming the poetic challenges trusting the exploratory process endless possibilities an open and limited palette invites. With deceptively simple rules of colour mixing and paint handling\, from some blues\, reds\, yellows and titanium white\, Jennifer creates complex surfaces. Transparent\, windy washes convey her love of the materiality of paint; graphic mark making identifies her hand and layered shadows tint the transient nature of time. The works presented here are infused with a sensitivity that is neither decorative nor didactic. Instead\, Jennifer Pazienza conveys her careful inquiry into how energy\, attention\, and touch can shape material processes and viewer experience to reignite intimacy and wonder within the contemporary landscape genre. \nArtist Statement\nLife\, Love & Care: A Painting Landscape Mine is an embodied and responsive art practice marked by an old-fashioned love affair with oil paint. Rooted in childhood\, it is framed by poetic encounters with other-than-human nature. It is the ground from which my faith in the regenerative healing power of creating landscape imagery for myself and viewers is reaffirmed. In my Sicilian immigrant mother’s\, New Jersey backyard garden\, I would sit beneath the canopied shelter of a white peach tree. Memories of their branches heavily ladened with ripe fruit straining and rising up against the confines of a garage and potting shed shaped my earliest and most cherished art-making experiences. The perfume of softly blushed-violet wisteria and rambling roses twining the fenced perimeter\, mingling with scented green and umber basil and oregano surrounded me. Along with earthy\, sun-absorbed cadmium-red tomatoes reflected in the gloss of plump\, dusky indigo eggplant\, these unwitting sensory-rich lessons in colour and form taught me about physical\, emotional and spiritual abundance and scarcity. That landscape was my place for daydreaming\, refuge and renewal. It was the counter posture to the careless mishandling of adults stemming from systemic postWWII domestic violence. It is the painting landscape I carry within me to this day. A landscape I have sought to recreate in diverse geographies including Pennsylvania\, Texas\, Sicily and for the last 33 years\, from the sanctuary of my studio on Keswick Ridge in New Brunswick. Through tall windows or en plein air\, looking to the Wələstəq\, the beautiful and bountiful Saint John River valley and the wild worlds just outside the doors\, in moment-to-moment awareness memories twig and mix. The invitation to poetic dwelling in concert with the gift of human agency presences call me to presence. Whether the drape of a branch\, the fading face of a flower\, the mystical materiality of galvanized steel set against vast skies I paint to understand life\, love and care. Thank you\, Jennifer Pazienza \nCV\nAward-winning painter\, Jennifer Pazienza was born into an Italian-American New Jersey family. She began making art in the sanctuary of her mother’s garden. The last 30+ years have seen her painting from her Keswick Ridge\, NB studio. Retired University of New Brunswick art education professor\, published art writer\, curator and advocate\, Pazienza holds a Bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University\, New Jersey (1976). Her MEd (1985) and PhD from the Pennsylvania State University (1989). With over 40+ solo and group shows to her credit in Canada\, the US and Italy\, Jennifer\, was one of nine Canadian artists chosen by Curator Francesca Valente for the juried 2023\, Luciano Benetton Imago Mundi permanent exhibition\, Art Theorema #3\, of which there were 200 works by 170 international artists. Her paintings reside in permanent and private collections in Canada\, the US and Europe including\, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery\, Fredericton\, NB\, McCain Corporation\, Florenceville\, NB\, White Plains Hospital\, White Plains\, NY\, Gallerie delle Prigioni\, Treviso\, IT and Misterbianco\, Sicily\, IT. Jennifer Pazienza is represented by Gallery 78\, Fredericton\, NB; Galerie 12\, Moncton\, NB and Alex Ferro Gallery\, Long Island\, NY. Delivering Beautiful Dreamer: Landscape & Memory\, a critical reflection on her landscape-based practice\, at the closing plenary session of Art & Psyche in Sicily the land of her maternal heritage\, is a career highlight.
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/lifelove-care-a-painting-landscape-jennifer-pazienza/
LOCATION:New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Adults,Current Exhibitions,Exhibitions,Gallery Calendar
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260905
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261106
DTSTAMP:20260925T200024Z
CREATED:20260815T172845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T200024Z
UID:10372-1788566400-1793923199@mccainartgallery.com
SUMMARY:Painting with Fire - A Life In Clay
DESCRIPTION:Judy Blake\nThe artist will be in attendance at the Opening\, 10 September 2026\, 5-7 pm \nJudy Blake will give an artist talk on Friday September 11\, 4-5 pm\, at the Gallery \nEveryone welcome \nJudy Blake has pursued a quiet conversation with clay\, smoke and fire. This exhibition brings together work from across several decades\, revealing an enduring exploration of form\, surface and the transformative power of flame. Working with unglazed earthenware\, Blake embraces atmospheric firing techniques—including saggar-firing\, sawdust-firing and naked raku that allow smoke and fire to become active participants in the creative process. Flames leave their traces\, smoke drifts across burnished surfaces and chance becomes an essential collaborator. No two pieces are alike; each bears the unique imprint of its journey through fire. \nInspired by the beauty of the natural world\, Blake’s vessels and sculptural forms richly marked surfaces invite moments of stillness and contemplation\, speaking of resilience\, mystery and the enduring beauty found in simplicity. \nPainting with Fire – A Life in Clay celebrates a lifetime devoted to ceramics\, where earth\, smoke and flame come together to create objects that are both timeless and deeply personal. This exhibition is a testament to an artist’s life of looking closely\, working patiently and discovering beauty in the unpredictable gifts of fire. \nBiography \nJudy Blake has been working with clay since the mid 1970’s. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is included in many private and public collections such as Canada House\, London\, UK as well as CollectionsNB and the NB Museum. Judy taught for several years in the Ceramics department at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design where she had the opportunity to influence many students during that time. She has received many grants and awards and has had numerous solo exhibitions. In 2025\, she was awarded the prestigious Strathbutler Award for Excellence as well as for her contribution to the Arts. Judy experiments extensively with burnished\, unglazed surface treatments using alternative firing methods such as sawdust-firing\, naked raku and saggar-firing and is one of a small number of Canadians using these techniques. Judy Blake maintains a studio practice in Lincoln\, New Brunswick.
URL:https://mccainartgallery.com/exhibitions/painting-with-fire-a-life-in-clay/
LOCATION:New Brunswick
CATEGORIES:Current Exhibitions,Exhibitions,Gallery Calendar
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