JNAAG Presents Final Exhibition In Share The Passion: Gifts Of Art Series

JNAAG Assistant Curator Sonya Blazek show tools used to restore two recently donated Emily Carr paintings behind her. June 29, 2017 (Photo by Melanie Irwin/Blackburn News)

The final exhibition in the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery’s Share the Passion: Gifts of Art series opens Friday.

Assistant Curator Sonya Blazek says Heavy Hitters: The Group of 7 & Contemporaries showcases a number of Sarnia-Lambton’s most adorned Group of 7 paintings.

She says there will be paintings or drawings by almost every member of the group on display, but a special focus will be placed on two recently donated paintings by Emily Carr.

“They just returned to us from being newly restored,” says Blazek. So, since we’re putting the spotlight on the gallery as a caretaker of the art pieces that we receive from donors, it’s important to take a glimpse behind the scenes a little bit and look at what the restoration process means. What it means with the gallery receives a piece that needs some care. How it effects the appearance of the actual pieces themselves as well.”

She says the Emily Carr works were done on paper and have undergone meticulous restoration in London to remove discolouration and reinvigorate the colours.

“We’ve done these really elaborate didactics, which show the actual conservation process, which are really fascinating. You get to see where there have been tears that have been restored, what the colours looked like when they first came into the gallery and what they look like now that they’re returned to a more original state.”

The conservator who worked on the paintings will visit the gallery Thursday July 20, at 7pm.

Jennifer Robertson will share details of the conservation process at that time.

The exhibit runs until August 6.

Original Article:http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2017/07/07/jnaag-presents-final-exhibition-share-passion-gifts-art-series/