The RiverBrink Art Museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary this autumn with the debut of three exhibitions to the public on Saturday, Sept. 23. 

The fall opening reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m., during which patrons will be the first to see the new exhibitions: “Mark Crofton Bell: The Mom Project,” “On Aging” and “40X40: Anniversary Exhibition.” 

“These new exhibitions engage viewers on a personal level, from the selections and reflections provided in 40 x 40, to the poignant depictions of frailty captured by artist Mark Bell,” said the museum’s director and curator Debra Antoncic in a media release.

With “The Mom Project,” artist Mark Bell brings a series of portraits of his mother painted from observation during the final years of her life. 

What began as an activity to pursue while visiting his mother in long-term care developed into a sustained exercise in looking. The subtle changes over time are recorded in the small oil on board portraits. 

“On Aging” is a congregation of portraits from the Samuel E. Weir Collection at RiverBrink. As the title suggests, the sitters are older adults, their careworn faces displaying the passage of time. 

For “40X40: Anniversary Exhibition,” the art museum called upon its community to share their favourite piece from its permanent collection and asked them to describe why it held significance for them. 

The result is a selection of 40 pieces, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, silverware and more.

For those interested, information can be found online at riverbrink.org/current-exhibitions.html. 

To RSVP for the fall opening reception, contact Asta McCann to amccann@riverbrink.org. 

The RiverBrink Art Museum is located at 116 Queenston St. in Queenston.