Having been “on the loose” at the Fine Line Art Gallery since April 12, a menagerie of about 30 pieces of works by area artists will for one last evening remain untamed this Saturday for the grand finale of the “Wild ’n Wooly” exhibit.
And filling the gallery that evening shouldn’t be hard, said local artist Nancy Gibb, who also runs Pro Picture Framing at the same location as the gallery.
“For one thing, the opening (on April 12) was very well-received,” she remarked. “Since then, there’s been quite a few people who’ve come by. When we feature ‘Lulu’ (a diorama featuring a sheep with attitude by John Jankiewicz called “Lulu tries bungee jumping”) as a focal point of the exhibit, people take a look as soon as they come through the door.
“That kind of opens them up for the rest of the works that are here,” added Gibb. “The work is so varied. There’s something for everyone.”
The works on display range from oil, watercolour, and acrylic paintings to photography and mixed media—are definitely either wild, woolly, or a combination of the two, said Gibb.
Another work that’s gotten quite a bit of attention is a purposely unfinished rug hooking, entitled “Ibrahim,” by Debbie Logan.
“People are quite astounded by the intricate work,” said Gibb, adding the interest stemming from it has been so great, Logan has been asked to teach a class on rug hooking at the gallery.
Starting at 7 p.m., the special event, which is free and open to the public, will feature refreshments and music by the Northern Lights Ensemble.
“It’s always a fun thing,” enthused Vi Plumridge, another one of the artists in the Fine Line co-op. “We’ll have something for people to munch on.”
“It’s going to be pretty wild,” said Katherine Williams, who along with Stephanie Hawkins and several guest musicians, will perform as the Northern Lights Ensemble.
She noted the selection o songs promises to be a mix of “classical and Celtic, with a little bit of everything in between.”
Like last spring’s popular “Shades of Yellow” grand finale, the ensemble will explain why they chose each selection, which will include “wild” or “woolly” in its title, or be about a “wild” or “woolly” subject, said Williams.
The grand finale starts at 7 p.m., and should run about two hours. Tickets are on sale now at the gallery. Cost is $8.
For those who want to check out the “Wild ’ Wooly” exhibit at a time before the grand finale, they’re welcome to drop by the Fine Line Art Gallery (529 Mowat Ave.) from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
In related news, Plumridge currently has as exhibit at the Fort Frances Museum.
In the spirit of the town’s centennial celebration, the show, entitled “An Artist’s View of Fort Frances—Past and Present” features over 40 watercolour paintings of historic buildings in Fort Frances.
The exhibit, which opened April 2, will run until May 31.
The museum is open from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
