THUNDER BAY – Weeks after reopening its doors following a lengthy closure due to COVID-19, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is refreshing its displays with two new exhibitions that offer a mix of styles and approaches.
Waabooz/Rabbit, which opened Friday, draws on the gallery’s permanent collection to explore how the creature has been captured by northwestern Ontario artists through the years. It features over 30 pieces in a variety of media, from paintings to moccasins to masks.
The exhibition was originally slated to open for Easter before the pandemic disrupted those plans. Communications coordinator Corey Wilkinson said the gallery opted to go ahead with the belated opening because they felt the show offered something for everyone.
“Sometimes shows have a more serious theme, but [this is] a fun one,” he said. “There are some great works – there’s a Norval Morrisseau on display, Amanda Burk, Goyce Kakegamic… It’ll be a fun show with a little variety for everyone to enjoy.”
Waabooz/Rabbit will remain on display through the end of 2020.
The Drive, opening July 17, features a litany of major Canadian artists from Christi Belcourt and Edward Burtynsky, to Tom Thompson and A.Y. Jackson.
“The Drive situates the work of the Group of Seven and their peers in relation to diverse Canadian and Indigenous artists in order to highlight the complexity of the representation of landscape – particularly as it relates to the land and the history of resource development,” the gallery explains.
The two exhibitions are the first new shows at the art gallery, situated on the campus of Confederation College, since it reopened on June 23. Admission is on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested rate of $5 for adults, and free entrance for children under 12.
