TOP WOMEN IN FOCUS

Photo series at art gallery

A photo exhibit celebrating 20 of Windsor’s most impactful and influential women will open at the city’s art gallery next week. “These amazing women are valuable assets to our community and it’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their success, impact and ability to inspire others,” said photographer Mike Kovaliv, who has been taking pictures in Windsor and Essex County full time for 10 years.

Kovaliv said he got the idea for the photo series in 2017 when Windsor was named the worst city in Canada for women to live. He said he wanted to do his part to change the negative narrative and prove women don’t have to move away from Windsor to be successful.

“I felt it was important to celebrate some of the incredible women we have in our own community through my passion for photography and for Windsor-Essex,” said Kovaliv.

“They come from diverse fields and interests, but they have all played a part in shaping our community.”

Although he regularly shoots photos digitally for commercial work, Kovaliv said he chose to capture these women with film, which he developed himself. He said the film helped reflect the “timeless and classic look” of each of the featured women. Kovaliv’s black-and-white film photography exhibit will be launched publicly Sept. 12 at the Art Gallery of Windsor from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with an evening of hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

The collection is sponsored by the City of Windsor’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Fund, and will be displayed until Oct. 14. “Having the opportunity to do their portraits, I got the chance to chat with these women and learn how they started their careers,” said Kovaliv. “It has really blown my mind how incredible they are.” The exhibit will feature photos of Sheila Barker, Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh, Carol Derbyshire, Patti France, Andrea Grimes, Nour Hachem, Leigh Ann and Tereza Hello, Amber Hunter, Jennifer Jones, Janice Kaffer, Doris Lapico, Maureen Lucas, Federica Nazzani, Yvonne Pilon, Michelle Prince, Micheline Rawlins, Martha Reavley, Chantal Vallee, Sheila Wisdom and Stephanie Zekelman.

They come from diverse fields and interests, buttheyhave all played a part in shaping our community.

DAX MELMER Mike Kovaliv, a local portrait photographer, poses with his Mamiya RZ67 camera in his studio Tuesday. Kovaliv used the medium format camera to photograph 20 portraits for his upcoming exhibit, Women of Windsor, which opens Sept. 12 at the Art Gallery of Windsor.