THE ART OF RENEWAL

Changing urban landscapes highlight new exhibits at art gallery

A contemporary artistic twist on urban renewal is a major theme of the new fall and winter exhibits at the Art Gallery of Windsor.

The AGW offered a media preview of four shows Thursday including its traditional WindsorEssex Triennial of Contemporary Art.

Show curator Jaclyn Meloche has gathered together the work of 22 artists primarily from Southwestern Ontario. The group also includes two artists from the greater Detroit region and nine from the Windsor area.

“I consciously chose artists who have not shown in this region or in this gallery,” Meloche said. “I went out on road trips along the 401 to Guelph and Hamilton to meet the artists and see what they’re doing that’s fresh and exciting.”

Their work follows a thread of downtown destruction and renewal.

Meloche said this group exhibition represents “the hottest rock stars that are present today.”

The AGW also announced exhibits by Montreal visual artist Isabelle Hayeur, Windsor’s William Stidworthy and landscape specialist David Milne.

Hayeur’s photographs depict the influence of civic politics on a downtown urban landscape and were inspired by her stay in Strasbourg, France.

The historical downtown landscapes of Stidworthy recall our city’s vibrant past. Local collector Stan Bergeron loaned an insightful collection of Stidworthy’s oil and watercolours to the AGW.

The exhibit of David Milne’s landscapes using a variety of mediums is culled from the gallery’s own collection and includes three pieces being displayed for the first time.

Meloche feels the three exhibitions “integrate what it means to be urban, what it means to occupy downtown and how we as active citizens enjoy these spaces.”

AGW director Catharine Mastin also announced a new program for those with dementia through a partnership with the Alzheimer Society Windsor-Essex County and provided by the sponsorship of gallery patron Mary Weingarden.

Once a month, curator Chris Finn will lead a group on an informal tour designed to promote conversation and discussion for those with dementia and their accompanying caregivers. A recent test run of Remembering Through Art was well received according to Sally Bennett Olczak, the society’s chief executive officer.

“They looked at different artwork and talked about its history and meaning,” Bennett Olczak said. “How refreshing. At various stages of the dementia journey people are engaged and a part of life. This is a wellness support for them. “

PHOTOS: NICK BRANCACCIO Chris Finn, curator of education, stands beside a 1959-60 oil and gold leaf on Masonite work by Kenneth Saltmarche at the Art Gallery of Windsor. The work is part of the Remembering Through Art exhibition, which is geared to people with dementia and...

Artist Carey Jernigan shows her wooden work, Play, which is part of an urban renewal exhibition at the Art Gallery of Windsor. Jernigan collaborated with artist Julia Campbell-Such on the project.