In a bittersweet moment, the 131st annual exhibition of one of Canada’s oldest still-active art societies wrapped up today; the Women’s Art Society of Montreal (WASM). This art show was presented at the stunning Conseil des arts de Montréal (Montreal Arts Council), originally Montréal’s first public library from about 1917 and now a heritage building.
With its interior walls and decorative architectural elements in Canadian white marble, topped by a glowing ceiling of stained-glass panels, this is an exquisite venue in which to display the works of local artists. The exhibition opened on May 1st and continued all month, with a fabulous Vernissage or Opening Reception the evening of May 8th. It was a truly memorable experience to see two of my watercolour paintings on display in such a prestigious locale.
And I still haven’t gotten over my surprise at the Vernissage, when I realized that one of my paintings had been awarded 2nd Prize overall by the Jury – among works by more than 60 other professional artists! As a later-in-life artist – although an art lover and museum-hound since early childhood – who turned to art-learning and art-creation specifically to help with the chronic pain and Mild Cognitive Impairment from one of my two different rare diseases, it’s incredibly rewarding when others appreciate my watercolour experiments.
That’s particularly true of this piece, “Pain Waves”, painted as part of my #ArtDespitePain initiative which uses my artwork to raise awareness of chronic pain – while encouraging others who live with persistent pain to try creative pursuits to improve their symptoms and quality of life. “Pain Waves” is about confronting pain when it threatens to engulf you, acknowledging that even the most resilient among us can feel overwhelmed. If viewers simply see a wave, that’s fine too; I’ve always thought that the visual arts allow us to see whatever it is that each of us needs in any given moment!
Whichever way the Jurors interpreted my painting, I can’t thank them enough for seeing my little watercolour among so many brighter and bigger artworks; acrylics, mixed media, oils, other watercolours, and more. And giant thanks to Johanne for finding such a wonderful place for this exhibition, and for all her work organizing and presenting it – with thanks also to Eva and the rest of the WASM team, and the show’s sponsors.
It’s an absolute honour to have my name included in the awards list of this historic Canadian art society, which recognized one of my favourite Impressionist artists – Helen McNicoll – in the early 1900s: “the Women’s Art Society of Montreal selected Under the Shadow of the Tent, 1914, for its annual prize recognizing the best painting by a Canadian woman” per the Art Canada Institute.
Thanks so much for stopping by, as always, and keep well! I’d love to hear from you, over on my social media, as I’ve had to disable the Comments feature here due to the high level of spam from bots and hackers; it all became too much to deal with, because of my Mild Cognitive Impairment from one of my two different rare diseases.