One the first floor, many threaded sculptures and other crafts gave the immediate impression of history and spirituality. Artists Janet Tulloch and Lise Perras joined forces to put on their first duo vernissage commemorating the overlaps in . . .

their culture’s histories, which they called Threads & Ties. Tulloch’s family comes from the Northern Scottish Isles and Perras has Métis and European heritage. Both groups of ancestors visited trading posts in the area.

“We know they were along the Ottawa River, so Lise and I figured that between the Hudson’s Bay posts bringing men in to trade with her people, both sets of our ancestors must have met together,” Tulloch said.

Perras and Tulloch began working on the show since January, but were not able to get together after the pandemic occurred. The vernissage was the first time they were able to meet in person since March.

Their art — which featured felted tapestries, sculptures, and painted paddles among other things — had a theme of water, spirituality and identity.

“The meeting of past life into this life and what has been snuffed,” said Perras. “The history and the voices of our ancestors and even now, it’s been pushed back.”

“It’s about our ancestors coming together in the past but also the healing of the ancestors because we don’t have the best past and we hurt each other deeply,” Tulloch added. “So I think it’s our attempt to do a little healing of the ancestors”

On the second floor, the Printer’s Ink: How many words make a picture? vernissage featured works from not one, not two, but 15 different artists, all members of the Ottawa-Gatineau Printmaker’s Connective. The theme of their exhibit was

Tina Petrovicz, the curator for Printer’s Ink: How many words make a picture?, stands infront of the many prints in the gallery. The exhibit features work from 15 different artists, all of which are based on a different text from childrens’ poems to Black Lives matter.

pictures speaking louder than words, so each printmaker chose a word or text to base their work around.

The group usually works out of a studio in Ottawa, but was locked out since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March. Many of the artists were not able to use their own equipment, so they had to get creative. This new gallery also gave them the opportunity to make more than just 2D prints and work on projects like a sculpture and a mobile.

“Some pieces are lighter, like we have children’s rhymes, and then we have really serious pieces with what we consider classic literature or even things that deal with serious subjects like the Black Lives Matter movement,” curator and artist Tina Petrovicz said. She said she was pleased with how diverse the art was and how well the show turned out.

“I think the show is just a knock-out. I was really honoured to be the curator for it.”

Both exhibits will be shown until Oct. 11.

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