Andrew and Laura McCain Art Gallery

Sarah Petite, The Line is the Canon
2026-02-14 - 2026-03-21
“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.

A 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.
It’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
For a YouTube introduction to Sarah, Click Here
Born 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.
Sarah 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.
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“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

Clay Marcos' Collection of Indigenous and Inuit Art
2026-03-28 - 2026-04-25
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The Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery is honoured to present Dr. Clay Marco’s collection of Inuit and Indigenous art to the community. Originally from the Vancouver area, Dr. Marco developed an appreciation for the art of the Haida Nation, examples of which are featured in the west end of the gallery. Approximately twelve years ago, Dr. Marco began collecting Inuit art during professional trips to Nunavut. He traveled to many communities over the course of more than thirty visits, purchasing art in most of the locations where he worked or traveled. Many of these pieces are featured in the east end of the gallery.
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View Clay’s Book: Reflections of the NorthClay grew up in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, where he developed a strong connection to Haida Nation Art. He explains that the artists replicate his strong feeling of ties to the land, and that draws his attention in completely. To Clay, it’s some of the most beautiful art in the world!
Clay will be in attendance at the Gallery on Saturday, April 25 at 2pm for the Closing Reception.
If you have any questions, or wish to hear Clay speak about his collection, it’s the perfect time to stop by the gallery.

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