Earlier this year, I posted a blog back in January entitled Exhibiting Your Work. The blog outlined the different processes of putting an exhibition together. I was inspired to write about preparing for an exhibition because I was going through the process for an upcoming exhibit that was to open later that month, on the 17th. The exhibition was postponed due to a high number of COVID-19 cases in the area, which brought about a number of pandemic restrictions, preventing the exhibition from going up on display as scheduled.
After a delay of six weeks the exhibition was installed on March 1st at Matthews House Hospice. The exhibition will be on view until the 1st of June. I am grateful for the opportunity to show my work in the community of Alliston, outside of a traditional art gallery setting as it will reach a wider audience including the staff, friends and family of loved ones being cared for in that facility.
This exhibition was made possible through a program offered by the South Simcoe Arts Council (SSAC). Arts in Our Community (AiOC) is an SSAC program that partners with local businesses and showcases artwork by local artists. The program is free for SSAC members to participate and the SSAC takes care of any artwork sales and inquiries. They also post artwork images from the exhibition on their website to increase exposure. To view my exhibition page on the SSAC website please follow the link:
I would like to acknowledge the South Simcoe Arts Council and those directly involved with the Arts in our Community program. I appreciate all the hard work of those involved who make this program possible. A special thank you to Matthews House Hospice for participating in the AiOC program by allowing the SSAC to use their wall space to showcase the work of local artists. I was amazed by the positive and friendly response of the staff when I was on site to install my artwork. I got the sense that it is a very special place.
For more information about SSAC, please visit their website at: https://southsimcoeartscouncil.com/
Below is a statement of intent for the site specific exhibition of my work that is currently on view at Matthews House Hospice.
Exhibition Statement: An Exhibition of Time
Matthews House Hospice
March 1 – June 1, 2022
An Exhibition of Time showcases a body of photographic work by Sarah Hawley. The exhibit is on view at Matthews House Hospice in Alliston – a space that the artist felt was an appropriate place to consider the theme of time. The artwork is displayed along two walls in the lower-level foyer. The two walls naturally divide the exhibit in half and therefore, the theme of time is explored using two sub-categories.
One wall explores the passage of time spent in the presence of others. Using a collection of photographs that feature objects that signify a human presence. These objects involve activities, and pastimes that require a significant amount of time to complete the task at hand. Over time these moments can become precious memories to reflect on later in life. The second category is timeless, which is illustrated through a selection of images that depict the beauty of nature through simple, common occurrences that take place in a seemingly endless cycle. These moments occur so often during our lives that they become the norm, they are expected and therefore less appreciated. They are often taken for granted because they occur on an on-going basis.
The imagery on both walls considers time and how we place a value on certain moments in time. How do we sort through memories and place a value on them, deciding which moments are worth remembering and which ones can be forgotten?
The wall that explores the passage of time with others, illustrates common pastimes that include baking a favourite recipe, listening to a record from start to finish, meeting a friend for coffee, watching time pass on the face of a clock, and documenting moments in time with a camera. Many of the objects shown in these images are by today’s standards considered antiques. They are items of the past that have a history and are associated with a certain period in time.
The other wall that focuses on the theme timeless, illustrates moments that are repeated in nature such as waves washing up on shore, a flower in bloom, a flock of birds flying overhead across an open sky, and the changing of weather and seasons
Personally for the artist, the value of a certain moment in time is rooted in the relationships that are built with other people and places, which helps us in deciding which moments in time are more precious than others. Revisiting these places, people and pastimes can provoke a recollection of the memories and moments of the past.
Exhibition Information:
An Exhibition of Time: Photographs by Sarah Hawley
At: Matthews House Hospice
131 Wellington Street East
Alliston, Ontario
L9R 0G7
On view in the lower level foyer from March 1 to June 1, 2022
For more information please see the Exhibitions & Events page
Comentários