Jean Richards is saying good bye to the Fine Line Art Gallery. Jean was one of the founding members of the Gallery, 28 years ago, when she and a small group of others took it on them- selves to raise the profile of local art. They knew of many talented artists across the district, and felt there was an appetite for an arts culture.
Jean, her husband John, and their three girls, moved here from Winni- peg more than 30 years ago. John had semi-retired, and their daughter Kathy and her husband Vic were living in Fort Frances. So the decision was made to move closer to Kathy. Jean shared she didn’t really want to move, but over the years, she has made the district her home. Sadly, John has since passed.
Jean was well known and respected painter in Manitoba, where she began her career in art. She sold and dis- played her paintings at art shows, in malls, and at the Convention Centre. Jean fondly remembers Art Shows at the Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall. She chuckled as she shared, “When I worked at Shoppers (on Pembina) the staff would say, ‘One day we will see your art displayed in the Richmond Mall.’ And it was!”
Jean knew she had to do something with her art.
The original plan was for Jean and John to purchase a big house in Fort Frances, where Jean could open an art gallery. That didn’t happen – the one house that would have suited an art gallery needed too much work, and Jean felt it wasn’t big enough.
The next plan was a co-op. Jean had been involved with an artists Co-op in Winnipeg – a group of about seven or eight artists who worked together and met once a month – so she decided to give it a try here. She pitched the idea to her local arts community, there was definitely an interest. It was decided to give it a try. Jean spearheaded a lot of the leg work, and fondly remembers Vie Plumridge being a great help. At that time, the only art awareness in town was an annual Art Show at the Rendez-Vouz. An established gallery was a big step forward. Everyone pitched in to get the space ready.
The first gallery was on Scott Street, right beside where it’s situated now. Jean remembers the grand opening – it was a memorable day with ribbon cutting and much celebration. The building was rented, and five years later an insurance company wanted to purchase the location. That is when the Gallery opened on Mowat Ave., Operating at that location for 14 years.
An arrangement was made between Van Green, Nancy Gibb, Jean and Van’s wife Signe, a well known artist. A large back room was offered in exchange for displaying Signe’s art, plus cleaning up the room to make it suitable for an Art Gallery. Nancy framed some of Signe’s paintings and displayed them, and Van generously offered that whatever sold of his wife’s paintings his wife would keep half and the rest would be donated to River- side Health Care.
The Mowat location was loved, with plenty of room to run regular events and weekly classes.
“It was fun!” said Jean. Art classes were offered for $5.00, a group of 4-6 ladies would scrap book paying $5.00. At one time there were 17 members paying $65.00 a month. Today members pay $85.00 a month, to display their art and whatever they sell is theirs.
Four years ago, the decision was made to move again, and the group chose a storefront on Scott Street, right beside the Gallery’s first location.
When I asked Jean what has been the most difficult part of the keeping the Gallery operating for 28 years she immediately responded, “ Having enough money to keep the Gallery open, trying to keep enough money coming into pay the rent, she recalled at one time, members took turn pay- ing the phone bill”.
Jean remembers people donating their parents’ and friends’ art work and supplies. The Gallery would sell them to help keep the Gallery going.
“I thought a good name for the Gallery would have been, Shoe String Gallery, but Fine Line was chosen,” joked Jean. After our talk I certainly realize the Gallery has often run on a shoestring budget.
Today there are 12 artists who dis- play and sell their art at the Gallery. This involves paintings, stained glass, pictures made with wool, wood carved bowls and wooden shelving art.
Jean first became interested in art when she started pencil drawing for her kids. She would draw witches and birds. Chickadee became her “bird of choice” to draw. Today Jean says acrylics are her favourite, once again drawing birds. She also enjoys making cards.
Jean’s first original painting was of “The Hallett”. She remembers her and John going for a walk and the Hallett caught her eye. She loved the way branches hung on it; at that time, the Hallett was on land in Point Park. The original was an 8×10 painting, sold to a buyer in the USA. This painting proved to be a popular one, with re- quests to purchase prints made before Jean had time to make them.
Jean has sold around 100 prints of The Hallett, in Canada, the USA and England.
Jean did take oil paintings lessons in Winnipeg, she shares,” I went from pencil, to oil to acrylics.”
When asked if her parents painted she shared, “My parents were poor farmers, raising seven children, back in those days. They didn’t have a chance for things like art.” She did recall one cousin named Ted Ranick who painted and made a donation to the Gallery.
When I asked Jean the highlight of her career, she pondered and then said, “I guess it would be doing a
painting of a famous Tiger Moth airplane, that was used in Common- wealth Air Training.”
This plane was shown in a movie starring Russell Crowe, For the Mo- ment, released in 1993. The paint- ing was commissioned to be a gift to the movie’s writer/director Aaron Kim Johnston (Manitoba’s premiere film-maker). Jean did attend the Cana- dian Theatrical Debut where she met Russell Crowe and she shared, He was very handsome”.
When I asked Jean if’s he thought there are many artistic people in the district she replied, “Yes, but they don’t belong to the Gallery. They dis- play at other places and businesses.” Jean has phoned people to join the Gallery. I also asked Jean what she has done to raise the profile of “The Arts” in the area. She laughed as they replied, I remember asking Duane Hicks, who at that time was working at The Fort Frances Times, to publish as ad for the Gallery. From then until he left the paper, he would be at every art display and every event featuring the Gallery. People would say, “Jean and Duane kept the Gallery going.”
One doesn’t have to spend much time with Jean to realize she’s an amazing lady. John Pierce shared, “She is amazing, talented, spunky, outgoing and a staunch advocate for the Gallery.
Emily Hyatt, a long time member of The Gallery, asked me to do a story about Jean, she shared, “Jean has done a lot to raise the profile of the arts in the area, she will be surely missed.
Jean is going to be moving to Ke- nora the end of March. Her daughter Kathy and husband Vic live there. One would never guess Jean is 90 years old – she is in extremely good health. It is with a heavy heart – tears swelled in Jean’s eyes both times I’ve had the joy of spending time with her. I shared with Jean that I, myself have absolutely no art ability, to which she shared, everyone has a talent, and we should all be willing to share what ours happens to be. Along with being an artist, Jean is a compassionate, knowledgeable spark of life. She feels she’s been blessed through her art to have met so many amazing people. She promotes keeping one’s brain active.
Jean will keep involved in her art career in Kenora – she has previously shown her art work under the Big Tent in Kenora at their summer market, and she’s had artists from Kenora connect with her from a Senior Centre, to inform her what opportunities Kenora has.
Jean will keep on as a member at the Gallery. She has plans on visiting often, where her beautiful art work is on display. Jean will miss many things here, including showing up at the Gallery Thursdays and Fridays to put in a days work. Jean told me, “If I wasn’t doing art work, I’d be doing something else.”
Her daughter Kathy has suggested starting an art store in Kenora, to which I replied to Jean, because isn’t that what every 90 year old does, start a business. I must say, I admire her enthusiasm and love for art and life.
Jean’s advice for people, if they have a desire to involve themselves in art is to never give up – practice makes perfect. She even finds in her own art work, there’s always room for improvement. People who do art work, will find their minds are always going – if Jean sees something of interest, she will be filled with the thought, “I want to paint that.”
Jean is very close with her family; she keeps in contact with her six grandkids and 11 great grandchildren. The morning I spent time with Jean, her great granddaughter phoned. I could just hear the happiness and love in her granddaughter’s voice as she said, “Good morning Grandma.”
As Jean and I ended our visit, she shared, “I’m going away flying solo. I’ve always been very independent.”
And that she is. But anyone knows Jean has touched not only the district and far beyond with not only her artistic ability and her contribution to the art community.
To celebrate Jean’s retirement, there will be a cake and coffee/tea gathering on Friday, March 22 from 2-4:30 p.m. at the Fine Line Art Gallery, 326 Scott St. Everyone is welcome to come out, say farewell to Jean, share special memories with her and wish her well!
Cake and coffee get-together
Friday, March 22 2-4:30 p.m. Fine Line Art Gallery 326 Scott Street All welcome!
