A unique and engaging art exhibit arrived at the Hearth Gallery in Snug Cove on Wednesday, March 12 and was officially heralded-in on Saturday, March 15 with an opening night ‘artist pARTy.’
Paintings & Piano combines work by two island painters, Denise Pugash and Gregg Simpson, along with musician and composer, Nicole Thomas Zyczynski. Over 40 people enjoyed the hors d’oeuvres, colourful art and expressive music.
The Pugash paintings - she paints her landscapes on our Happy Isle and in the south of France - were the inspiration for the Thomas Zyczynski compositions. The music plays as visitors view the paintings; music will sometimes be heard in recordings, other times the musician will perform live, as she did opening night.
The idea for this uniting of visual art and music came about when Pugash, who last year left a full-time job to pursue her art, showed some of her paintings to Thomas Zyczynski.
She was rewarded with immediate results.
“Nicole composed five pieces for piano the same night,” Pugash told the Undercurrent. “I was astonished. It was really interesting to hear her interpretation of the paintings, from the sonority of church bells from the cathedral, to the sounds of dragonflies dancing around lily pads. Nicole’s music really resonated with me.”
That combining of their art sparked ideas in both artists.
“Nicole and I started talking about the nuances of her pieces, which led to a discussion of colours in music. It occurred to me that we should present my paintings along with Nicole’s compositions. We submitted a joint proposal to the Hearth.”
Pugash said she and Thomas Zyczynski wanted to “illustrate the confluence of visual art and music” and the gallery, excited by the results, gave the show the green light.
The gallery added Simpson, an abstract and surrealist, who has worked in other forms. He’s had solo and group exhibitions the world over, for decades. While joining after the collaboration of the others, Simpson’s work meshes nicely as each artist does not use colour sparingly and the music’s rhythms and tones evoke feelings of colour.
The Artists in Canada website has said that Simpson’s work has “… a somewhat lyrical quality to it” and his Celtic heritage “… evoked a mystical folklore within his imagery.” You can learn more about his paintings at greggsimpsonart.com
An opening night treat was island choir Carmina Bowena, lead by Thomas Zyczynski, who sing mostly Renaissance songs, a-cappella. Choir members include Michael Epp, Jack Callister, Gillian Haley, Gail Percy, Louw Verwey, Chris Corrigan, Sarah Jane Milroy, Richard Dohmeier, Aaron Davison and David van Berckel.
The works Carmina Bowena (Songs of Bowen) performed included If Ye Love Me, circa 1548, a motet from English composer Thomas Tallis. The piece, and the choir, gave the artist pARTy an extra splash of joy, joy felt by visitors and the artists alike.
“I was absolutely thrilled to feel so supported by the arts community on Bowen Island, and especially by Jami Scheffer, the Hearth’s executive director,” Pugash said. “I felt such energy in the room. I was immensely grateful and honoured that so many people interested in art, and who support the arts, were there on a cold, rainy evening.”
During exhibition days the artists themselves will often be there, sometimes music and painter together. The schedule is available for viewing at thehearthartsonbowen.ca
Paintings & Piano is at The Hearth Gallery in Snug Cove until March 31. Next up for the gallery will be Human & Nature, featuring photographers Cosmo Campbell, Marty Levenson and Dane Murner, with ceramic artist Russell Hackney; that exhibit focuses on environmental and endangered species themes and runs from April 2 to 21.
