“Diversity” comes to life at the Alex Dufresne Art Gallery
- Eva MacWilliams
- Sep 14, 2018
- 3 min read
It was a packed house at the Alex Dufresne Art Gallery in Callander as over 100 people attended the opening of Helen Whitehead’s art exhibit entitled “Diversity.”
“This is such an excellent turnout,” said Helen, “This is great for a 90 plus artist. I thank you for coming and I am honoured and humbled as it gives me even more courage to keep going. I have dedicated the show to my late husband Ken who passed away very recently. He did literally everything for me including framing all of my artwork. I promised him I would honor my contract with the museum as he had worked so hard getting it all together for me. Today we celebrate and tomorrow I cry.”
There was a thunderous round of applause that could be heard out to the street as Helen finished her talk. She was both funny and emotional. All of her works of art showcasing her incredible talent.
Helen Whitehead was born and raised in Sudbury and she always wanted to go to art school but because it was 1947 and the veterans were all coming home from war her dad advised her to go to the University of Western Ontario and get her business degree. He told her to ‘paint on the side’ and that’s what she did.
Helen met her husband Ken and got married and raised four little boys but her heart was always in the arts. At a time when most moms were staying home she also ventured out and took art classes at UWO H.B. Beal Technical School in London. After returning to North Bay with her family Helen took classes at Canadore College. She took a course ‘every year’ at the college.
“In 2003 I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts,” said Helen, “it was the icing on the cake. By then I had my own studio and was teaching both adults and children three times a week in private lessons, classes and school settings.”
Helen likes to work on commission as ‘it’s the carrot dangling in front of her.’ She spends a lot of time researching and thinking about all of her pieces. It’s all about getting it ‘done right the first time.’
One painting from Carol O’Shaughnessy’s private collection is of a beautiful poodle, Nicky the Therapy Dog, who was taken to old age homes and hospitals to visit seniors. Helen promised to do it and was almost finished but she had to stop in June. Nicky became a therapy for her as she worked to finish it after her husband’s passing.
“Helen did a painting of my granddaughter,” said Callander resident Lorraine Symons, “a granddaughter that was not expected to survive but did. She is an amazing person and artist.”
Helen’s art work springs to life in your eyes as you absorb the colors and textures of people, animals, local scenery or old buildings in her impressionistic works.
Helen expresses her art through watercolour, acrylic, pastel, Relief prints, mixed media, graphite and coloured pencil works.
All of Helen’s works ‘hold many layers of symbolism’ while showing viewers the diversity of sports, culture, activities, volunteerism and everything else that North Bay has to offer.
“I wanted to have a show with the highest quality and unusual style that was out of the box and crazy,” said Helen, “this is a retrospect of my work. I am happy to share it also with all of the children who are also present as they are our future gallery goers with their open minds.”
Helen’s has had a ‘remarkable artistic career’ and her works are in both public and private collections and she has done exhibits in solo, duo and group shows around the province and has won over 20 awards with the North Ontario Art Association.
“I have so many people to thank for helping me with this exhibit,” said Helen, “my sponsors for the show include Hillside Funeral Services Ltd., Steven Wright (Investors Group Wealth Management), Dynamic Dentistry and Symetrics. Each of them is also giving me the courage to keep going. They are all impeccable professionals who have helped me through this difficult time. It’s been quite the learning curve and I thank them.”
The show will remain on display until October 27 and the fall/winter hours of the gallery are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with Tuesdays and Wednesdays open on request. Stop by and see another fantastic exhibit that the Callander Bay Heritage Museum & Alex Dufresne Gallery has to offer. You don’t know what you’re missing.
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