“This wouldn’t be happening if I hadn’t met Peter,” said Michael Gibson. “It’s a partnership,”
This weekend, selected works from the Michael Gibson Gallery in London, Ontario will be featured in a pop up display at the Creemore gallery of photographer Peter Dušek. Gibson says that the pandemic was generally quite good for the art business but things are a bit soft right now, so it’s the right time to be innovative and reach out to new audiences.
While exhibiting in Toronto in late October, Gibson met Dušek and the two got to talking about life and art. Gibson followed up with a phone call and the partnership was born.
“This is ultimately a win-win which will make life a little more fun. We may make a few sales but at least we will meet some new people and reconnect with people we know.”
Gibson and his wife like to take long drives so they’ve been to Creemore a number of times over the years. Last August they spent a couple of weeks in the area and identified it as a place they’d like to return. He says they know many people who live here or who plan to retire here.
On a phone call earlier this week, Gibson reported that he hadn’t yet packed the van, but anticipated bringing about 30 pieces to the weekend show. These will include etchings by Peter Doig, a British artist who spent several years in Canada. During the pandemic he holed up in Zermatt, Switzerland and his recent works pay homage to his passion for skiing, rugged mountain landscapes and the alpine lifestyle.
The pop-up will also feature landscapes by Roly Fenwick, born in Owen Sound. Gibson says Fenwick’s paintings, “capture the soul of the Niagara Escarpment.”
Also on display will be works by the late Saskatoon based painter, Dorothy Knowles, known for her prairie landscapes with low horizons and endless skies.
From the estate of Greg Curnoe comes the Mariposa TT (above), a life-size rendering of a bicycle he helped design printed on plexiglass (above).
The works will be juxtaposed with the minimalist landscape photographs for which Dušek is well known to local art lovers.
The pop-up gallery will be open Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16 from noon to 5 p.m. at Peter Dušek Gallery, 151 Mill St., Creemore.
Michael Gibson Gallery was established in downtown London, Ontario in 1984 specializing in the works of established and emerging Canadian artists, and have a mission to enrich the cultural life of their clientele.
For more information, go to www.gibsongallery. com.