SPRING BAY—The Perivale Gallery hosted its season opening last Sunday, celebrating its 33rd year as one of Northern Ontario’s premier galleries.
“We are very excited for the new season,” said owner Shannon McMullan. “We have a lot of amazing new artists in addition to the wonderful artists that we have been featuring since the galley’s inception such as Ivan Wheale.”
“One of our new artists that we are very excited to be showcasing is CA Henry,” continued Ms. McMullan. “He is a well established Canadian artist and it is a huge coup to be featuring his work.”
Other artists new to the gallery this year include Don Mackenzie, Kerry Butler, Guinevere Joy, Cathy Boyd, Col Mitchell and Rose Pearson, to name a few.
During The Expositor’s visit to the gallery opening, it was clear that the season was off to a great start, full of visitors complemented by numerous red dots marking sold works.
Long-time exhibitor Ivan Wheale was present at the opening Sunday, as he attends each season opening, visiting with the gallery’s many patrons.
In speaking with Dr. Wheale, he reflected that some of his works this year tell a story beyond the canvas such as ‘Approaching Storm.’
“I think all artists’ emotions are reflected in their work whether they realize it or not,” said Dr. Wheale. “When I was painting ‘Approaching Storm’ I was dealing with a difficult situation in my life, and I think you can see that in the painting.”
In his 80th year, Dr. Wheale still paints daily, waking up between 2 or 3 am and painting until noon, he shared with The Expositor
“The morning is the best time for me,” smiled Dr. Wheale. “It’s when I excel.”
Ms. McMullan’s late mother and father, Sheila and Bob McMullan, founded Perivale Gallery 33 years ago, originally opening the gallery as a retirement project, first premiering work from their good friend Ivan Wheale, and eventually expanding the gallery to include artists from across Canada.
Since 2009, Ms. McMullan’s daughter Shannon joined her mother in running the gallery, eventually fully taking it over after her death two years ago.
Each year, the Perivale Gallery gains more notability throughout Canada, this January reaching the number one spot on Tripadvisor.ca for shopping experiences in Ontario (currently ranked third).
The Perivale Gallery is open weekends until mid-September from 10 am to 5 pm. The gallery is located at 1320 Perivale Road East, P0P 2B0. For more information call 705-377-4847 or visit the Perivale Gallery website at www.perivalegallery.com for a complete list of artists.
