By Caitlyn Gerrish – Arts & Culture Editor

This past Thursday, April 4, Foreman Art Gallery opened its doors to the friends, family and colleagues of eight talented fine arts graduates who showcased their final pieces created as Bishop’s students. The exhibition, titled “Flows of Change” draws on the evolution of the fine arts students during their time at Bishop’s. Student curator Juliana Frassetto expressed the challenge in finding a common thread between all eight artists, as their work is drastically different. Ultimately, she decided to focus on all the learning opportunities shared by graduating students, contributing to their growth and change as artists, students and as people. Thus, the title “Flows of Change” was born. 

The eight artists – Gabrielle Gagné, Alexis Nova Hazan Jepsen, Camille Hétu, Marie Constance Hountondji, Christian Jimenez, Annika Morin, Marie-Pierre Ranger and Bashar Shammas – sought inspiration from various places, whether that be heritage, childhood trauma or societal issues to name a few. Hétu was greatly inspired by her time spent near the St. Lawrence River. “My goal is to invite people in, to take the time to slow down and really interact with the exhibit. I included a chair to let visitors sit with my art and even hold it in their hands” explained Hétu. After spending a summer working in Baie-St-Paul, Hétu was deeply inspired by the natural surroundings of her environment. “There are little pieces of me in my art, and so much inspiration was drawn from my time at the St. Lawrence River.” She took water directly from the river to paint a series of small watercolour landscapes. Alongside her paintings, the exhibit also contains small hand-bound books. The books explore the meaningfulness of contemplation and attentiveness, themes lying at the crux of her art. “Normally when you visit an art exhibit, you cannot interact with the art at all. I want to invite people to pick up and manipulate my work”, she said.

In its 26th iteration, the Fine Arts Graduating Students’ Exhibition aims to highlight and celebrate the respective journeys of its students as they wrap up their time at Bishop’s University. The exhibition runs until April 13. As always, admission is free, and all are welcome.