Last Saturday, people were able to discover more about natural and cultural art as Art Pontiac held its second installment of their four-event Artists’ Talk series.

The conference was held over Zoom and introduced two artists who thrive on the natural resources the Ottawa Valley has to offer. Trish Murphy and Michael Peterson both operate at the Beaux Arbres Native Plant Nursery.

Murphy covered the natural art portion, demonstrating the unique plants that are a part of the Ottawa Valley’s ecosystem along with how botanic art ties into paintings and photography.

Peterson touched on the cultural art portion. He spoke about how woodworking, basket making and other types of craftmanship tie into the area’s social history.

Murphy spoke on the appreciation she has for the plant’s honesty and minimalism while discussing artistic identity in the Ottawa Valley. She stressed the importance of finding inspiration from the valley’s rugged landscape.

“It’s undervalued and underappreciated…People in Canada are offered these models and yet we don’t have a style that’s an Ottawa Valley gardening style or even more generally an Eastern Canadian style. We haven’t even developed our own aesthetic.” said Murphy.

Peterson added that there are common misconceptions around native plants when it comes to large-scale marketing and sales.

“When you go to a garden centre, what do you see? You don’t see any native plants; they’ll be advertised as native plants but they’re not native plants. They’re cultivars.”

The conference was presented by Art Pontiac board member and secretary, Linda Girard. Girard explained that one of their missions is to support local artists through events like hosting conferences.

“The Pontiac region has a lot of wealth in visual artists, and they are very locally driven, we’re looking for ways to inspire the artists and the community to come to the gallery,” said Girard.

She also touched on the genuine experience that comes with these events and how people not only learn about the art but also the history behind it.

“It’s better than TV. You’ve got a local subject and you’ve got local people that are really interested,” said Girard.

The next Artists’ Talk event will be held at the Stone School art gallery in Portage-Du-Fort on July 10.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!