The Galerie de Miss Rey presents its very first group exhibition, which is also the very last of the year 2020, entitled Popul'Art.
Clea Reynolds is somewhat the soul and the heart of Chambly's artistic heritage. The one who opened her gallery on avenue Bourgogne two and a half years ago, has since devoted herself to offering great visibility to the painters and sculptors who exhibit their works there, in addition to organizing benefit events. and cultural groups who want to bring people together in their neighbourhood.
Radiation for all
The pandemic will have made business particularly difficult for artists and merchants. Ms. Reynolds judged that it was necessary to “act quickly” and to think, as she usually does, of proposing a formula adapted to the needs of the artistic community, both for creators and for art lovers. Failing to organize successive individual exhibitions, it instead had the idea of bringing together the works of its eight permanent artists to offer visitors the collective exhibition Popul'Art, from November 12 to December 31, in order to "keep the living arts”. It is open to visitors in compliance with health standards, for a maximum of nine people inside the gallery.
Among the creators, there is none other than his mother, Jeanne Michaud, then Manon Marchand, Céline Martel, Dan Nadon, Édith Auclair and the artists known as "grand-masters" in fine arts, Christine Gagné, France Malo and François Faucher.
A family story
Clea begins the visit by showing the works of her mother, Jeanne Michaud, an artist she describes as complete and versatile, in love with the arts in every way. She makes us discover her vivid watercolors, imprinted with spirituality, light and emotion. “Mom has Alzheimer's. This last collection, curiously, is the one she remembers the least, because she mostly remembers works with which a strong emotion is associated. It's quite special! says Ms. Reynolds with a sparkle in her eyes that speaks volumes, even though her smile is hidden by the COVID-19 mask.
For Clea, working to bring art to life was inevitable in pursuing her career ambitions, since this call for the arts in various forms runs in her blood. “My father was also very cultured. He was very fond of classical music. Of course, my mother liked it a lot. Mom's works will always have a place in my gallery. Art is a common thread for my mother, and I think it is for many artists. Artists are very sensitive, especially to events and their environment, and will express this in what they create. Those I exhibit are not motivated by the mechanical need to mass-produce in order to sell, but rather by a desire to share their perception of the world. »
An appreciable variety
Sharing the same room called Passion, works by well-established professional artist Christine Gagné are installed on two other adjacent walls. It is a style that combines realism and fantasy that we particularly recognize in his sculptures of female elves, provided with wings, flowers and different colors. “She uses a patina technique, which consists of oxidizing the paint on the bronze. Kiki started out in drawing, then turned to sculpture, her true love. She has experience in fashion which she also uses. The canvases that she also painted, almost photographic, present us with a feminine ideal that pierces our gaze, under a beautiful headdress taken from the 1930s to 1950s and a distinguished hat. “This year, she went back to painting. Lately, she has been working on the environment of her characters, which she incorporates a little more into her works. »
The room named Earth is soothing, for the dominant white of its walls and the paintings exhibited there, but which the artists Céline Martel and Édith Auclair enliven with their respective personal touches. "These are paintings that are in tones that go well with brown", a color that is found in the minority on the paintings of Céline Martel, who each time incorporates a small square, sometimes golden, sometimes silver, to break the softness of white with modernism, arrows and parallel lines to recall the tumult of life and the multitude of possibilities available to us. Édith Auclair, for her part, plays with perceptions that are a bit trompe-l'oeil, by incorporating emotional faces in a subtle and clever way.
In the other two rooms, magnificent paintings by Dan Nadon, reminiscent of the colors of coral reefs, Plexiglas sculptures from Fay's collection, paintings by Manon Marchand inspired by her hikes, and musical, nervous and playful vibrationism by Francois Faucher.
Clea explains that two exhibitions that were to take place at the Pôle culturel de Chambly have unfortunately been cancelled. "But it's only a postponement. She also promises to hold an upcoming art battle in the parking lot of her gallery, this event which is always a great success and which also benefits charities to which the gallery contributes, such as POSA Source des Monts.
Ms. Reynolds intends to continue the sale of works until Christmas and continue to create partnerships with neighboring businesses, of which she is in solidarity, including the microbrewery Délire et Délices and FG Chocolatiers, which often provide drinks and hot chocolates during her events. , as was the case at the Christmas Village earlier this month. “We really have a great bond in Chambly. The 2021 lineup at Miss Rey's Gallery is one to watch.
Source: Journal de Chambly
By: Chloe-Anne Touma