W H AT ' S H A P P E N I N G O N Y O U R L A K E ?
Art for everyone SUBMITTED BY THE MUSE - DOUGLAS FAMILY ART CENTRE AND LAKE OF THE WOODS ARTS COMMUNITY The arts community in Kenora and Lake of the Woods has always been strong, including a rich array of artists from all creative disciplines—visual, vocal, performing and literary arts. While the pandemic had a profound impact on the arts, local arts organizations like The Muse - Douglas Family Art Centre and Lake of the Woods Arts Community (LOWAC) found ways to offer virtual programming and exhibits to bring artists and their audiences together when it wasn’t possible to do so in person. Both organizations are looking forward to welcoming arts enthusiasts “back” now that restrictions are being eased. The Douglas Family Art Centre had only been open a matter of months when COVID-19 hit, and it was required to close its doors. “This was incredibly disappointing,” said Sophie Lavoie, curator. “Our original opening date was delayed, so we were raring to go and had some outstanding exhibits planned for the earlier part of 2020,” she said. Not knowing when they would be allowed to re-open, The Muse team put their heads together. “It was becoming evident that, during the lockdown, the arts were playing an important role, assisting people with the processing of the pandemic and just getting through the days of isolation.” The Muse put out a call for artists to provide artworks for an exhibit that would be entitled Art in the Time of Corona. The response was extraordinary and the exhibit, originally featured live at the Douglas Family Art Centre, from late October 2020 to February 2021, featured over 46 pieces of works by artists of all levels of experience who expressed their COVID-19 experience through poetry, paintings, glass, ceramics, photography, textiles, videos, and more. “It truly was a means by which we could come together as a community and through the art that was created, support each other, and share in our collective experience,” said Lavoie. With both the museum and art centre closed during lockdowns, Art Centre programmer Shelby Smith was at the core of
developing online content for Art in the time of Corona, Maud Lewis, and Strike a Pose. “We also had up for a limited time Colour with a U and there is currently Story Trees as well.” The virtual exhibitions are available at themusekenora.ca/ exhibitions/virtual-exhibitions.
The Man in the Mirror, c1895, photographer unknown, from the collection of the Banning Family on Coney Island, is one of over 60 portraits featured in Strike a Pose: Portraits from the Collection, now available as a virtual exhibition.
Once its annual ArtsFest was cancelled in 2020, LOWAC, which is a local non-profit that supports the arts community, knew it too needed to find new ways to fulfill its mission to foster and promote the spirit of creativity in the City of Kenora and the surrounding area of Lake of the Woods. “As artists ourselves, our Board was seeing first-hand how much the arts community was helping to bring people together online to experience, create and share art in the early days of the pandemic,” said LOWAC’s chair Leanne Fournier.
Title photo: Art in the Time of Corona, originally exhibited at the Douglas Family Art Centre, is now available as a virtual tour (where you can see the artists names and statements) at themusekenora.ca/exhibitions/virtual-exhibitions.
Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association In the District
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