First Big Arts District Weekend In 2020
By John Swartz
With 139 artists participating to make 128 pieces of art for the 24th annual International Women’s Day Art Show, you would expect at least double that number of people to pass through the Orillia Museum of Art and History on opening day.
For crowd size there was no disappointment. The show is not juried so there is a wide range of talent and experience represented in the art. This is Orillia however, so the quality was tipped in favour of the high end.
For the first time in memory, an actual stained glass window by Jae Fratzl was part of the exhibit. Eleven artists collaborated on one piece, a dress. There were three other exhibits to see. The biennial juried fiber art show was in the lounge gallery. She Shoots, She Scores was on the second floor and the Carmichael Room featured At Risk, by Tracy Lawko, which about the threatened environment for bees and other pollinators. Lawko was on hand for the opening of her exhibit.
All the other Arts District galleries had art and Hibernation Arts had a show opening with their Valentine’s group show, Love, while Lee Contemporary was wrapping up a short, three day, show of gallery owner Tanya Cunnington’s work. Lee is opening the annual Paper 2020 show with the work of 14 artists on hand next Saturday at 1 p.m.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
