Water works
Trio of western Newfoundland artists collaborate on multi-disciplinary exhibition
Water, in its many forms, is a common theme of everyday living in a place like Newfoundland.
Now, three western Newfoundland artists have joined forces for “Island Water: Tossed like wishes to the sea,” a multidisciplinary art exhibition set to open in the Tina Dolter Gallery at the Corner Brook Rotary Arts Centre Thursday evening.
Tessa May, one of the two visual artists involved, has a property in the seaside town of Woody Point and has her main residence at South Brook Point on the shores of Deer Lake.
“My work is inspired by what I see through my front window,” she said of the watery scenes visible not far from her at most times.
Her selection of 14 paintings and mixed-media pieces focus mainly on how colourful bursts of dawn and dusk light are influenced by the weather over bodies of water.
May has previously worked on exhibitions with longtime friend Charlotte Jones, the other visual artist involved in this project. She has also known the third collaborator, writer Pamela Gill, for a long time.
Jones will have a series of traditional Japanese woodblocks, artist books and watercolour/wood carvings in the exhibit that examine patterns and colours inspired by bodies of water in western Newfoundland.
Gill, who will do a poetry reading at the exhibition opening from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, will have a series of 14 poems displayed throughout
the exhibit. While water is not the primary focus of all of the writings, the theme does recur within each of her literary works.
May is looking forward to working with friends on this exhibition. While including poetry is not artistically ground-breaking, she said it is an element that is not often included and believes the written word can complement the visual art in this sort of exhibition.
“It’s a different twist to have a poet involved,” she said. “It’s a whole other layer … Some of it is quite whimsical and I feel
it’s going to take the viewers to another level.”
The exhibition, which will be open at the Tina Dolter Gallery until June 30, will travel to Gallery 78 in Fredericton, NB in October.
Meet the artists
Pamela Gill is the communications manager at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she has worked in the field of university advancement for 19 years. She has also worked in communications in the areas
of health and entertainment. A former journalist, Pamela was a reporter at The Daily News in Halifax and The Telegram in St. John’s before moving to Corner Brook to take up a position at The Western Star. She holds a bachelor of journalism from the University of King’s College as well as a bachelor of arts (English/french) and a master of education (post-secondary studies) from Memorial University.
Charlotte Jones has exhibited her work in group and solo exhibitions in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Japan, the United States, India and Canada since 1986. Her work may be found in such public collections as the Arts Council of Northern Ireland; Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery, Ontario; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Occidental College, Los Angeles; the University of New Brunswick Arts Centre, Gros Morne National Park, and in private collections across Canada, Europe and the United States. She is the recipient of several awards from Artsnl and the Canada Council. She studied the traditional Japanese technique of woodblock printmaking with Toshi Yoshida in Japan in 1980. Born in Winnipeg, Man., Jones currently resides in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, Tessa May emigrated to Canada in 1984, and has been living on Newfoundland’s west coast since 1988. She received her BFA in visual arts from Grenfell Campus/memorial University of Newfoundland in Corner Brook and has been working as a professional artist since graduating in 1998 with the University Medal for Academic Excellence in visual arts. May’s artwork can be found in private collections in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Canada Council Art Bank. In 2010, May was the recipient of an Artsnl grant which made the Helicopter Series of etchings possible.