The Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre is back and opening its first art exhibit since pandemic lockdowns ended.

For the month of August, the exhibit titled Bistros & Marchés of the World: Where it All Began will feature the work of Whitby artist Lynn Dooly-Marek.

The exhibit runs Aug. 4 to 29, with an opening reception Aug. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m.

“Lynn recreated the vibrant glow of street scenes in Aix-en-Provence and other locales in her unique, impressionistic style,” said Pumphouse marketing co-ordinator Aimee Medina.

“Her 20-plus paintings, most rendered using Sennelier brand oils imported from Paris, burst with colour, create a relaxing atmosphere and invite viewers to share the artist’s warm emotions,”

Cafes are a way of life, Dooly-Marek said in explaining the theme of the exhibit.

“They evoke a sense of the old world, of relaxation, of life, of stopping time as you sit at a café for hours people watching. The markets are filled with noise and vitality and life.”

She said she doesn't paint places. “I paint stories. I’m not painting the buildings. I don’t paint what I see, I paint what I feel, the instant response upon seeing the subject.”

Her art hang on walls around the world, including in the office of the mayor of Toronto.