The work of over 50 artists from New Brunswick is now being shown at Government House, on Woodstock Road in the province’s capital.
The collective show was inaugurated on Thursday, June 11, 2015, by the Lieutenant Governor of the Province, Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau and her husband, who welcomed the pictures into the home she has occupied since late last fall. Roy-Vienneau told the artists in both official languages, that the works, which all contain a little bit of each of the artists brought her much joy.
Also invited to speak, was the President of the Fredericton Society of Artists, Ruby Allan, who reminded the crowd of 40 people that this collaboration had been in existence for almost 80 years. Indeed, the Lieutenant Governor’s secretary, Tim Richardson, at the close of the opening ceremony, challenged the artists present to think of innovative ways to celebrate the 80th anniversary, which will happen in 2017, the same year as the 150th anniversary of Canada’s founding.
The paintings varied in medium, size, and style and the expo contains everything from lifelike images to more abstract paintings, such as Sandi McKessock’s watercolour of an Indigenous headdress to Eugenia Dietrich’s beautifully-framed interpretation of her work colleague’s muddy sneakers.
Other paintings, more realistic, featured well-known New Brunswick landmarks such as covered bridges, churches, and Queen Street in Fredericton. The expo is not without its share of stunning landscape paintings of the province’s natural environment such as those by Jim Daley.
The expo is housed on the second floor of Government House for the summer, open to the public from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm. The building is wheelchair accessible and has free parking. The view of the St. John River from the windows of the three North-facing rooms is a perk of making the trip there.
Sophie M. Lavoie covers arts and culture for the NB Media Co-op.