Friday, February 22, 2008
31st Annual La Cloche Art Show Distinguished Artist
The La Cloche Art Show committee is pleased to announce that the Distinguished Artist for 2008 will be Beth Bouffard.
Beth lives and paints year round on the north shore of Lake Huron, surrounded by the rugged beauty of the ancient La Cloche Mountains, the ever-changing waters of Bay of Islands and in close proximity to the spirituality of Manitoulin Island. It is not surprising that Beth has chosen to use the landscape in her paintings as a metaphor for the human condition.
While Beth’s paintings can be enjoyed at face value (as depictions of specific scenery) the artist invites the viewer to delve beneath the surface to see what she is really saying about life. Her concerns are really the conflicts, frustrations, hopes, joys and yearnings we all experience.
Beth was born and raised in Ottawa and studied Fine Arts at Mount Allison and McMaster Universities. She received her degree in 1972 and then lived in the Sudbury area for many years. She was active artistically in The Sudbury Women Artists Collective, The Attic and The Drawing Circle.
Beth worked mainly in oils and mixed media until her move to the Whitefish Falls area in 2000. At this time, Beth began exploring Bay of Islands by kayak and turned to watercolours to facilitate painting trips. In 2002, Beth joined Bay of Islands Group of Five, with whom she has exhibited locally.
In the winter of 2005, Beth began painting with soft pastels. This new body of work has been well received, garnering many awards at juried shows, including 3 Best of Show and numerous 1st and 2nd prizes.
Beth has had work accepted into the La Cloche Art Show every year since 1999. Her awards at La Cloche include 1st prize in pastel in 2005 and 2007 and the Best of Show award in 2006. In Sept/Oct 2007, Beth had a very successful solo exhibition of over 40 pastels in Toronto.
Beth is a member of Visual Arts Ontario (VAO), Pastel Artists Canada (PAC) and the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada (PSEC) (from whom she received Signature status in Nov. 2007).
The 31st annual La Cloche Art Show will be held at the Whitefish Falls Community Centre, Whitefish Falls, Ontario, from July 5 to 13, 2008. The artist’s deadline for pre-registration is June 15, 2008. For more information visit our website at www.geocities.com/laclocheartshow, the Facebook site - La Cloche Art Show or email laclocheartshow@hotmail.com .
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posted by The Manitoulin Fine Arts Association 8:18 AM
