Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery Reopening to the Public

Sarnia, ON - The Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery will reopen to Gallery members Friday, October 2 and to the general public on Saturday, October 3. Staff and volunteers are thrilled to welcome back visitors to experience two new exhibitions - Ode to the Inside Out Questions by Z'otz* Collective and Group of Seven: Their Visions Revisited 100 Years Later.

"Thank you to our gallery members, volunteers and community for the support you have shown us over the past few months. We are eager to welcome everyone back and to share our newest exhibitions," said Gallery Curator/Supervisor Sonya Blazek. "We have the pleasure of exhibiting drawings, sculptures and a site specific mural created by Z'otz* Collective. The three artists that make up the Collective have worked together for over 15 years and their art will send your imagination spiraling in delight. We are also pleased to open an exhibition dedicated to our permanent collection, this time taking a deep dive into the Sarnia Women's Conservation Art Association and their early connections to the Group of Seven."

Beginning Friday, October 2 the Gallery's new hours of operation are:

To allow for proper physical distancing, the Gallery is implementing timed-ticket entry. Visitors are required to book their appointment in advance. If visitors do not have an appointment, they will only be accommodated as space and time allow. You can book your visit online at jnaag.ca.

All visitors are asked to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to their visit, and to re-book their entry if they are feeling unwell. Additionally, visitors are asked to follow all health and safety measures in place and must wear a face covering or non-medical mask (unless exempted in the By-Law) to comply with City of Sarnia By-Law No 76 of 2020.

To aid in physical distancing, room capacities have been significantly reduced, floor markers are in place throughout the building and stairwells have been designated as "up" or "down" to limit close interactions. There is limited seating available and tours are temporarily cancelled. The elevator remains available for those who require it.

Group of Seven: Their Visions Revisited 100 Years Later
October 2, 2020 - August 22, 2021

Fragments of historic ephemera guide you down a century-old path to uncover early connections between the iconic Group of Seven painters and the beginnings of the Sarnia Women's Conservation Art Association and the Sarnia Art Movement. A selection of paintings and drawings from the gallery's permanent collection are partnered with archival photographs and handwritten notes between members of the Group of Seven and the pivotal community members who contributed to the cultural shift in our community.

To enhance the experience, a selection of paintings produced by female artists originally overshadowed by the Group of Seven, are included in the exhibition. Paintings by Emily Carr, Paraskeva Clark and Anne Savage join the conversation alongside Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H MacDonald, F.H. Varley, A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate and L.L. FitzGerald.

Ode to the Inside Out Questions
Z'otz* Collective
Nahúm Flores, Erik Jerezano and Ilyana Martínez
October 2, 2020 - March 7, 2021

Taking its name from the Mayan word for “bat,” Z’otz* Collective consists of three artists with Latin American roots: Nahúm Flores (Honduras), Erik Jerezano (Mexico), and Ilyana Martínez (Mexico/Canada). For over fifteen years, these artists have worked collaboratively out of a shared Toronto studio on drawings, paintings, collages, sculptures, and site-specific installations.

"Their process includes passing work between each other to create authorless art with a dreamlike quality. It’s impossible to tell which artist contributed what; the mix of ink, watercolour, pen, and paint seamlessly bleeds together to create a textured fabric which sits on top of the page. A tiny Z’otz* stamp performs the role of a collective signature: a figure bent over with its arms swung high behind them, as if it were submitting headfirst to the power of art. The imaginations of Flores, Jerezano, and Martínez, now extend to the viewer—the fourth collaborator who naturally projects a narrative onto the art."[1]

Z’otz* Collective has exhibited widely, participating in over 25 solo exhibitions and 40 group exhibitions in Canada, Mexico, the United States, Serbia, and China.

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Please contact:

Sonya Blazek
Curator/Supervisor, Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery
County of Lambton
519-336-8127 ext. 3220
Email Sonya Blazek