Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven

April 19 – September 1, 2024

Members Reception: First Friday, May 3 | 7:00-9:00PM
Live music, drinks and light snacks

The opportunity to display Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven’s artwork in a space adjacent to their original palettes, paintboxes and artist tools is too irresistible to pass-by. In response to the exhibition Homage, the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery (JNAAG) is pleased to share a selection of paintings from the permanent collection.

The gallery’s historical connection to members of the iconic Group of Seven can be traced back to March 1920. Driven by the desire to foster a deeper appreciation of the arts within their burgeoning community, Norman Gurd and the Sarnia Women’s Conservation Art Association (SWCAA) began organizing modest sales and exhibitions of artwork, displayed above the bookstacks of Sarnia’s Carnegie Library—these exhibitions included members of the Group of Seven.

The far-reaching vision of the SWCAA would leave a lasting imprint on their community. Over time, they accumulated an impressive collection of artworks which would become the nucleus of a permanent collection for an art gallery, now known as the JNAAG, which would serve and enrich the community for years to come. The donation included paintings by Group of Seven members and one by Tom Thomson.

Thank you to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection for loaning the artifacts travelling with Homage.

Image credit: A. Y. Jackson, Fog on Eclipse Sound, 1927; oil on wood panel. From the collection of the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery.