top of page
Search

Exhibition Statement: Impressions of London

Writer's picture: sarahhawleysarahhawley

Exhibition Title: Impressions of London

Artist: Sarah Hawley

Date: July 19th, 2024 - October 11th, 2024

Location: The New Tecumseth Public Library - Memorial Branch

17 Victoria Street East, Alliston, Ontario, L9R 1V6


The South Simcoe Arts Council's (SSAC) Art in Our Community Program presents an exhibition of work by Sarah Hawley from July 19th - October 11th, 2024 at the New Tecumseth Public Library - Memorial Branch in Alliston, Ontario. This body of work will be on display on the main wall above the ramp just inside the library. The exhibition consists of a collection of photographs that were taken on a recent trip to London, England. The artist lived in London for a period of time while studying to get her Master's Degree in Fine Art. This trip was her first return to England after the COVID-19 pandemic. The imagery showcased in this exhibition is not about the many tourist attractions or iconic sites in London, but instead focuses on impressions that the city has left on the artist, her life and her art practice. Her artwork has always been based on patterns and repetition and this photographic body of work is a further exploration of this.


As mentioned, there are patterns and repetition in each of the images but the photographs themselves are a reflection that looks back on places that were old favourites and new discoveries on a recent trip to London in the fall of 2023. The images for the most part, are black and white photographs with a few consisting of subtle muted tones. The locations within London, where the images were captured, range from the inner city such as the South Bank of the Thames, and Covent Garden to the outskirts of the city including Greenwich, Wapping, and Wimbledon. Each location has a personal connection to the artist, where significant memories were made. This is not a collection of imagery to illustrate the uniqueness and greatness of London from a tourist’s perspective, but instead reflects on why it is such an important place to the artist and features the less iconic spots of the city.


You may question why the artist is showing photographs of London, England in a local public library in Alliston, Ontario in Canada. While the images are not at all connected to the location of the town or library, this exhibition is a visual story being shared in a space that holds thousands of published written and illustrated stories by authors and other creatives. Writing has recently become a newer form of expression for the artist since starting a blog back in 2020 and this naturally feels like a suitable location to share such a story.


The library is a great space to reach a range of people within the general public (not just art lovers) especially in the summer when children and adults alike tend to have holidays and more leisure time to drop into community spaces like the library (and in the fall with back to school). The main hub of a community is often a public library as is the case with the New Tecumseth Public Library. It is located on the main street in the middle of town. If you find yourself in Alliston over the next few months please visit the library to explore what it has to offer and take in this exhibition.


This exhibition was made possible through a program offered by the South Simcoe Arts Council (SSAC) known as Arts in Our Community (AiOC). AiOC is a 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 learn more, please visit: https://southsimcoeartscouncil.com/exhibits/aioc-details


I would like to thank and 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 the New Tecumseth Public Library 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 on site and it was a pleasure to work with you. 

For more information about SSAC, please visit their website at: https://southsimcoeartscouncil.com/


For more information about the artwork featured in this exhibition please see this link:



14 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page