The RiverBrink Art Museum is celebrating the arrival of spring this Saturday with the opening of two new exhibitions by two modern Canadian artists.
The dual solo exhibitions, opening May 11 from 3 to 5 p.m., are Millie Chen’s “Turbulence,” a collection of new drawings and older work, and Dianne Davis’ “We live the opposite dar(l)ing,” which combines photography, drawing and installations.
Chen’s “Turbulence” dives into the relationship between “phenomenon, history, social justice and sorrow,” according to RiverBrink’s description of the exhibition.
The series emerges from years of walking along both banks of the Niagara River and focuses on sites that have historic and symbolic significance, depicted in the turbulence created by underwater disturbances — a connection to turbulence, or unrest, in life and history.
The title is named after a new series of her drawings, with the first three works in the series to be included in the exhibiton, along with her older works dating back to 2013.
Davis’ “We live the opposite dar(l)ing” is a reimagining of the history of RiverBrink, an “alternative history,” RiverBrink states, with imaginary characters who make up an invented historical queer community in Niagara.
These characters and relationships pay homage to queer artists from the past and Davis’ current community (she was born in Niagara and based in Toronto).
This is the third installment of a series the artist started in 2017.
The exhibition opening on Saturday is one of several events RiverBrink has slated this spring and summer, with a garden party, jewellry workshop, studio tour, art installation festival and kids’ summer art camp also coming up.
To RSVP for the spring exhibition opening, contact RiverBrink administrator Janet Zylstra at jzylstra@riverbrink.org. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, visit riverbrink.org/upcoming-exhibitions. The RiverBrink Art Museum is located at 116 Queenston St. in Queenston.