EXHIBITION
A River Flows Through Us
September 3 to November 28, 2021
Featuring the works of Janet Stritychuk, Pat Krywy, Paulina Zaborska, and Shelley Gerger
Inspired by the Grand River and its tributaries that run through the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and surrounding communities, this exhibition features four artists’ unique interpretations of the diverse and abundant natural scenery, wildlife, and historic and contemporary structures along the Grand. In our busy lives, we often neglect to see the beauty, complexity and change around us. This exhibit gives the viewer the opportunity to see the Grand River through new eyes, to appreciate the river that flows through us.
Listen to the river song,
That’s the sound of history,
As it rolls its way along…
There’s a lesson that the water brings,
Of survival and of hope,
Listen to the song the river sings.
– James Gordon –
Janet Stritychuk
The gentle flowing Speed River was an abiding presence throughout my years growing up in Preston. The nearby confluence of the Speed and Grand Rivers has proven to be a spiritual grounding place for my soul.
My works speak of the serene nature of the rivers and the beauty in which one is immersed when traversing the lands adjacent to the rivers in the Grand River watershed.
MEMBERSHIPS
Founding member of Artists’ Co-Op Workshop and Gallery, Prince George, BC, 1987
Vancouver Art Gallery, 1988 to 1995
Urban Sketchers Waterloo Region, 2015 to present
Homer Watson Gallery, 2017 to present
EDUCATION
Oil painting techniques, Preston (Cambridge) 1972 to 1974; Hart Highway Art Studio, Prince George, 1986 to 1987
Art Access, Colour: An Introduction, Contemporary Art In Canada, and Drawing, Emily Carr College of Art and Design, early ‘90’s
Acrylic Techniques Workshop, instructor Soheila Esfahani, Homer Watson House & Gallery, 2014
Composition Concentration, Instructor Amy Ferrari, Homer Watson House & Gallery, 2017
Into The Gallery: Emerging Artists, instructor Faith Hieblinger, Homer Watson House & Gallery, 2017
Gesture: Hidden Lines, Instructor Scott McNichol, Homer Watson House & Gallery, 2018
Tricks of the Trade: Painting en Plein Air, Instructor Ralf Wall, Homer Watson House & Gallery, 2018
Assorted Online Workshops – urban sketching, watercolour painting, 2020/2021
DONATIONS
Hidden Valley No. 1 and Cooperage, Hespeler ON – ArtON150 Miniatures Art Exhibition at Homer Watson
House & Gallery
Ellacott Lookout, Hespeler ON – Employee Reception, Fairview Mennonite Home
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Artists’ Co-Op Workshop and Gallery, Prince George, BC, 1987
BRIDGE Waterloo Architecture/Phidon Pens Limited’s “A Night Of Postcards”, Cambridge, November 2014
BRIDGE Waterloo Architecture/Phidon Pens Limited’s “100 Notebook Project”, Cambridge, April 2015
USkWR exhibition – “Sights and Scenes from Kitchener” – Berlin Tower ARTSPACE, Kitchener, 2016
The Railway Museum Exhibition, St. Jacobs, ON, 2016
16th Annual Juried Show, Cambridge Centre For The Arts, Cambridge, October to November 2017
17th Annual Juried Show, Cambridge Centre For The Arts, Cambridge, October to November 2018
18th Annual Juried Show, Cambridge Centre For The Arts, Cambridge, October to November 2019
SALES
Paintings in private collections
CONTACT
email: j.strity@live.com
Pat Krywy
A resident of Cambridge, I am the third generation of my family to make their home near the banks and the confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers. All my life, I’ve walked the trails that skirt the shorelines, following in the footsteps of my parents and my grandparents, gazing out across the river vistas that represented “home” to them and now to me.
In my work, I set out to capture the spirit, the history and the beauty of the Grand River’s built environment, the development and prosperity of which was fostered by close proximity to the river’s power and transportation links. I’m intrigued by the conversations that these structures have with the river as they border, cross and cast their reflections into the water. I work both in studio and en plein air.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts major, University of Waterloo
Diploma, Interior Design, International Academy of Design, Toronto
COURSES
Vicenza, Italy – Urban Sketching/Palladian Architecture workshop with Liz Steel
Homer Watson Gallery – variety of courses/ workshops focusing on drawing, pastel, watercolour, composition with Laura Urquhart, Amy Ferrari, Scott McNichol, Ralf Wall, Brett Holmes, Faith Hieblinger
Cambridge Centre for the Arts – variety of courses/workshops focusing on drawing and urban sketching with David Antscherl, Heather Franklin, Michele Braniff
Cambridge Galleries/Idea Exchange – courses focusing on etching and drawing
VOLUNTEER WORK
Stratford Lung Association Designer Showcase Home fundraiser
ACO Cambridge Designer Showcase Home fundraiser
McDougall Cottage “Paint the Grand” fundraiser – 2016, 2017, 2018,
Homer Watson Gallery “ARTon150” fundraiser
EXHIBITIONS
“A Night of Postcards”, UW/Phidon Pens project, 2014
“100 Notebook Project”, UW/Phidon Pens project, 2015
UskWR/Urban Sketchers Waterloo Region group shows, Kitchener City Hall, 2016, 2018
“ARTon150”, miniature art exhibition, Homer Watson Gallery, 2017
Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts, Cambridge, juried show, 2017, 2018, 2019
Annual Juried Exhibition, Cambridge Centre for the Arts, 2018, 2019
Patricia (Pat) Krywy
519-884-0727
pat@fivegreenapples.ca
Paulina Zaborska
I grew up living along the edge of a Grand River trailhead, where as a child I would explore the trails closest to home with my stoic old dog. Later on I would retreat to the trails as an escape from the pretense of high school; I would find inspiration there during my much needed breaks through university where I studied Wildlife Biology. Enjoying the trails from horseback offers me a quieter look into the cycles of native wildlife that consider the river their home. Always, the great rushing waters of the Grand River were present through the seasons of my life; I would not be lost as long as I stayed connected to my river and the animal life that shared it with me.
This collection of pieces illustrates the ever flowing presence of the river which rests at the core of this vast community. Though the infrastructure changes and grows around it, the Grand River remains the backbone. In much the same way I show in my stylized realism style, a feeling rather than a specific moment in time. Although the sites change throughout the years, that overwhelming nostalgia always paints the same pictures in my mind.
EDUCATION
Has studied under: Kerri Reid, Faith Hieblinger, Paula Scheben, and Gwenn Seemel
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Everything Beaux Juried Fine Arts Show, Beaux Arts Brampton, ON
2019 Live painting – Nuit Blanche – World Animal Day, Alternity Toronto, ON
2019 12 Annual Open Juried Fine Arts Show, Beaux Arts Brampton, ON
2018 In The Wild Juried Exhibition, Beaux Arts Brampton, ON
2017-2018 Winter 2018 Artist Showcase, O Gallery, ON
2017 Living Narratives, Homer Watson House & Gallery, ON
2017 ARTON 150, Homer Watson House & Gallery, ON
2005 Expressions, Centre in the Square, ON
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Horseback Safari, Central Library Art Gallery, ON
2018 Trusting the Hand, O Gallery, ON
AWARDS
2019 2nd Place, ‘Etana’, In The Wild Juried Exhibition, Beaux Arts Brampton, ON
COLLECTIONS
Artwork displayed in many private collections throughout Ontario, The United States, and Poland.
PUBLICATIONS
2017 Cover Art, Band Arka Songbook, Sacred Heart Church, Kitchener, ON.
2017 Kleiman, L,M., Zaborska, P. 2017. The Gray Fox. Earth Rangers and The Nature Conservancy of
Canada Fundraiser. M&T Printing Ltd. Kitchener, ON.
TEACHING
Private mentorship for art school applications.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Social Media Feature: “Natural Mystic”, Bob Marley Official; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, February 2021
Portfolio Feature: “Equine Subconscious”, Equestrian Times Magazine, vol. 02, May/June 2016, p. 46-57
DONATIONS
2017 Live painting, Celebrate our Waters, St. Paul’s United Church, Paris, ON
2016 #noDAPL, Online Charity Auction, Kitchener, ON
Shelley Gerger
As an avid hiker I am inspired by the wonderful scenery I encounter while exploring the numerous trails along the Grand River and its tributaries, throughout the year. Working from photos and sketches from my hikes, I strive to evoke the mood of the river and surrounding structures, using ink, watercolour and acrylics. I particularly enjoy the challenge of capturing the play of light and its effect on form and colour. I am also drawn to the variety of bridges along the Grand River and these appear often in my paintings. Bridges are like a physical manifestation of transitions, between the old and the new, the known and the unknown, the past and the future.
EDUCATION
Registered Cardiac and General Ultrasound Technologist (retired)
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art Studio, University of Waterloo, 2016
Art History/Studio Courses, University of Toronto/Sheridan College
EXHIBITIONS
Into the Woods, Drawing, Sheridan College Gallery, Burlington, Ontario
Flight, Print Media, Sheridan College Gallery, Burlington, Ontario
Conflict, Sculpture Installation, ECH Gallery, University of Waterloo, Ontario
Impact No. 4, Mixed Media Print/Collage, Alumni Office, University of Waterloo, Ontario
Two Woods Reflections, Acrylic Painting, Instructors and Students Exhibition, Homer Watson Art Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario
AWARDS
Outstanding Achievement in Art and Art History, Art Gallery of Peel Award
COURSES
Watercolour and Ink – Homer Watson Art Gallery, Atena Ganea
Winter Landscapes – Homer Watson Art Gallery, Ana Vatres
Watercolour and Ink – Homer Watson Art Gallery, Aetna Ganea
Palette Knife Techniques, Acrylics – Homer Watson Art Gallery, Ralf Wall
En Plein Air Acrylic Painting Workshop – Ralf Wall
Large Scale Acrylic Painting – Homer Watson Art Gallery, Scott McNichol
All You Need to Know About Acrylics – Homer Watson Art Gallery, Soheila Esfahani
Composition, Colour and Light – Mary Bentz Gilkerson
TEACHING
Consultant, Grade 3 French Immersion Art Program – Elizabeth Zeigler School, Waterloo, Ontario
Contact
shelleygerger@rogers.com
519-498-2859
