Propeller Art Gallery

@propellergallery.bsky.social

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An artist-run gallery in Toronto’s West Queen West Art + Design district. New exhibitions every three weeks. https://propellerartgallery.com/

Annual Guest Curated Exhibition | Curated by Nancy Jacobi | July 8 – 26, 2026 | 2 People’s Choice Awards sponsored by the Japanese Paper Place to be presented at 2 pm before the Artist Talks on Sunday, July 26, 2 pm | “Looks Good on Paper…” Curatorial essay by Nancy Jacobi | Draw, paint, print, dye, Bind, tear, cut, fly. Paste, sculpt, stitch, mold, Wrap, light, hang, fold. The possibilities of paper in the creative human hand are endless. Considering the decline in our daily use of paper, our jury of three (Nancy Jacobi, Susan Low-Beer and George A. Walker) was amazed to hear that a whopping 225 works had been submitted for the exhibition “Looks Good on Paper….” at Propeller Art Gallery! As hand-written letters, bus transfers, theatre tickets, menus, newspapers, currency, holiday cards and parking tickets gradually surrender to the promise of technology, are we losing the tactile sensitivity of our hands?Are we panicking as we fear the ultimate disappearance of this ubiquitous material so familiar to our touch? Is that why so many responded to this call to pay close attention to the choosing of a paper, that its demise is near? Or are we becoming increasingly aware of the widely interesting choice of paper for artistic use, often more ecologically sound and much more expressive. Recovering from the surprise of the volume of entries that lay before us to be juried, we were delighted to review them one by one. A wide range of chosen “paper” included classic Stonehenge and Arches drawing and watercolour papers, photo and magazine paper, Canadian St. Armand flax and cotton, Yunlong Xuan from China, hanji from Korea, cardboard, various Japanese papers, vintage and cancelled postage stamps, dyed Canson, somegami and chiyogami with its tiny patterns.
This exhibition is for Propeller Members & Alumni only | Submission details: This call is specifically for Members and Alumni of Propeller Art Gallery to submit an artwork to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. The work could be something new or a favourite piece exhibited in the past. All mediums will be considered. We will do our best to ensure as many works as possible will be exhibited in the gallery. If impossible, part of the exhibition may be online.
“Looks Good on Paper…” | Curatorial essay by Nancy Jacobi | Draw, paint, print, dye, Bind, tear, cut, fly. Paste, sculpt, stitch, mold, Wrap, light, hang, fold. The possibilities of paper in the creative human hand are endless. Considering the decline in our daily use of paper, our jury of three (Nancy Jacobi, Susan Low-Beer and George A. Walker) was amazed to hear that a whopping 225 works had been submitted for the exhibition “Looks Good on Paper….” at Propeller Art Gallery! As hand-written letters, bus transfers, theatre tickets, menus, newspapers, currency, holiday cards and parking tickets gradually surrender to the promise of technology, are we losing the tactile sensitivity of our hands? Are we panicking as we fear the ultimate disappearance of this ubiquitous material so familiar to our touch? Is that why so many responded to this call to pay close attention to the choosing of a paper, that its demise is near? Or are we becoming increasingly aware of the widely interesting choice of paper for artistic use, often more ecologically sound and much more expressive? Recovering from the surprise of the volume of entries that lay before us to be juried, we were delighted to review them one by one. A wide range of chosen “paper” included classic Stonehenge and Arches drawing and watercolour papers, photo and magazine paper, Canadian St. Armand flax and cotton, Yunlong Xuan from China, hanji from Korea, cardboard, various Japanese papers, vintage and cancelled postage stamps, dyed Canson, somegami and chiyogami with its tiny patterns.
“Looks Good on Paper…” | Considering the decline in our daily use of paper, both for functional and artistic purposes, our jury of three (Nancy Jacobi, Susan Low-Beer and George A. Walker) was surprised to hear that 225 works had been submitted for the exhibition “Looks Good on Paper…” at Propeller Art Gallery. We were delighted to review the entries and see the wide range of “paper” and inventive applications in the submissions. The call asked for works that would celebrate the “diverse and often unsung creative potential” of paper. Artists were encouraged to choose paper carefully to enhance their artwork. The resulting 48 pieces selected did all of this. We are grateful for all the submissions, as each entry demonstrated excellent craftsmanship and creative exploration, even if not all could not be ultimately selected. The show celebrates the richness of paper as a medium and the inventive ways artists are redefining its possibilities. Nancy Jacobi
Looks Good on Paper… | ”Considering the decline in our daily use of paper, both for functional and artistic purposes, our jury of three (Nancy Jacobi, Susan Low-Beer and George A. Walker) was surprised to hear that 225 works had been submitted for the exhibition “Looks Good on Paper…” at Propeller Art Gallery. We were delighted to review the entries and see the wide range of “paper” and inventive applications in the submissions. The call asked for works that would celebrate the “diverse and often unsung creative potential” of paper. Artists were encouraged to choose paper carefully to enhance their artwork. The resulting 48 pieces selected did all of this. We are grateful for all the submissions, as each entry demonstrated excellent craftsmanship and creative exploration, even if not all could not be ultimately selected. The show celebrates the richness of paper as a medium and the inventive ways artists are redefining its possibilities. Nancy Jacobi
Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | Andres Vosu | Corrugation Reformulation was created due to my ongoing experimentation with corrugated cardboard. My previous work with corrugated cardboard created mostly 2-dimensional works. Now, however, I work with this medium in many different ways. For this gallery show, I produced some works that were three-dimensional. I became determined to find out exactly how sculptural I could get using this material. A few of these works became more than only about shape and form, as I attempted to add conceptualism. | Jacques Descoteaux | The exhibition “Night-time, Day-time” is intended as a metaphor for the times in which we live. The darkened sky and choppy sea depicted by Jacques Descoteaux could evoke the climate upheavals, socio-economic tensions and conflicts of our era. Yet the luminous reflections and clear skies that feature in other works offer a glimmer of hope. Jacques maintains an ambiguity: night, day, night, day. It is up to each viewer to find meaning in it, to recognize their own story. The works in this exhibition, like most of Jacques’s paintings, draw inspiration from the landscape, the memory of a moment, or the impression left by a glance towards the sky or the sea. His paintings thus become abstract landscapes, straddling the boundary between reality and emotion. We feel we recognize ourselves in them. Perhaps.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 | Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | Corrugation Reformulation was created due to my ongoing experimentation with corrugated cardboard. My previous work with corrugated cardboard created mostly 2-dimensional works. Now, however, I work with this medium in many different ways. For this gallery show, I produced some works that were three-dimensional. I became determined to find out exactly how sculptural I could get using this material. A few of these works became more than only about shape and form, as I attempted to add conceptualism. For other works, I distressed or flattened the corrugations. Also, some works ended up being somewhat brutalist, as I did not apply any paint to them. Then there were works created using other forms of corrugated cardboard packing materials, which I covered with lots of paint. Finally, for me, Corrugation Reformulation will continue to be a creative direction to develop further.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 | Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | The exhibition “Night-time, Day-time” is intended as a metaphor for the times in which we live. The darkened sky and choppy sea depicted by Jacques Descoteaux could evoke the climate upheavals, socio-economic tensions and conflicts of our era. Yet the luminous reflections and clear skies that feature in other works offer a glimmer of hope. Jacques maintains an ambiguity: night, day, night, day. It is up to each viewer to find meaning in it, to recognize their own story. The works in this exhibition, like most of Jacques’s paintings, draw inspiration from the landscape, the memory of a moment, or the impression left by a glance towards the sky or the sea. His paintings thus become abstract landscapes, straddling the boundary between reality and emotion. We feel we recognize ourselves in them. Perhaps.
"Sorry! We're closed for Canada Day" Announcement Image for Propeller Art Gallery featuring exhibition views of Corrugation Reformulation by Andres Vosu, and Night-time, Day-time by Jacques Descoteaux.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 | Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | Corrugation Reformulation was created due to my ongoing experimentation with corrugated cardboard. My previous work with corrugated cardboard created mostly 2-dimensional works. Now, however, I work with this medium in many different ways. For this gallery show, I produced some works that were three-dimensional. I became determined to find out exactly how sculptural I could get using this material. A few of these works became more than only about shape and form, as I attempted to add conceptualism. For other works, I distressed or flattened the corrugations. Also, some works ended up being somewhat brutalist, as I did not apply any paint to them. Then there were works created using other forms of corrugated cardboard packing materials, which I covered with lots of paint. Finally, for me, Corrugation Reformulation will continue to be a creative direction to develop further.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 | Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | The exhibition “Night-time, Day-time” is intended as a metaphor for the times in which we live. The darkened sky and choppy sea depicted by Jacques Descoteaux could evoke the climate upheavals, socio-economic tensions and conflicts of our era. Yet the luminous reflections and clear skies that feature in other works offer a glimmer of hope. Jacques maintains an ambiguity: night, day, night, day. It is up to each viewer to find meaning in it, to recognize their own story. The works in this exhibition, like most of Jacques’s paintings, draw inspiration from the landscape, the memory of a moment, or the impression left by a glance towards the sky or the sea. His paintings thus become abstract landscapes, straddling the boundary between reality and emotion. We feel we recognize ourselves in them. Perhaps.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 | Opening Reception: Saturday, June 20, 2 – 5 pm | Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | The exhibition “Night-time, Day-time” is intended as a metaphor for the times in which we live. The darkened sky and choppy sea depicted by Jacques Descoteaux could evoke the climate upheavals, socio-economic tensions and conflicts of our era. Yet the luminous reflections and clear skies that feature in other works offer a glimmer of hope. Jacques maintains an ambiguity: night, day, night, day. It is up to each viewer to find meaning in it, to recognize their own story. The works in this exhibition, like most of Jacques’s paintings, draw inspiration from the landscape, the memory of a moment, or the impression left by a glance towards the sky or the sea. His paintings thus become abstract landscapes, straddling the boundary between reality and emotion. We feel we recognize ourselves in them. Perhaps.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 |Opening Reception: Saturday, June 20, 2 – 5 pm | Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | Corrugation Reformulation was created due to my ongoing experimentation with corrugated cardboard. My previous work with corrugated cardboard created mostly 2-dimensional works. Now, however, I work with this medium in many different ways. For this gallery show, I produced some works that were three-dimensional. I became determined to find out exactly how sculptural I could get using this material. A few of these works became more than only about shape and form, as I attempted to add conceptualism. For other works, I distressed or flattened the corrugations. Also, some works ended up being somewhat brutalist, as I did not apply any paint to them. Then there were works created using other forms of corrugated cardboard packing materials, which I covered with lots of paint.Finally, for me, Corrugation Reformulation will continue to be a creative direction to develop further.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 Opening Reception: Saturday, June 20, 2 – 5 pm Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | Corrugation Reformulation was created due to my ongoing experimentation with corrugated cardboard. My previous work with corrugated cardboard created mostly 2-dimensional works. Now, however, I work with this medium in many different ways. For this gallery show, I produced some works that were three-dimensional. I became determined to find out exactly how sculptural I could get using this material. A few of these works became more than only about shape and form, as I attempted to add conceptualism. For other works, I distressed or flattened the corrugations. Also, some works ended up being somewhat brutalist, as I did not apply any paint to them. Then there were works created using other forms of corrugated cardboard packing materials, which I covered with lots of paint. Finally, for me, Corrugation Reformulation will continue to be a creative direction to develop further.
June 17 – July 5, 2026 | Opening Reception: Saturday, June 20, 2 – 5 pm Artist Talk: Sunday, July 5, 2 pm | The exhibition “Night-time, Day-time” is intended as a metaphor for the times in which we live. The darkened sky and choppy sea depicted by Jacques Descoteaux could evoke the climate upheavals, socio-economic tensions and conflicts of our era. Yet the luminous reflections and clear skies that feature in other works offer a glimmer of hope. Jacques maintains an ambiguity: night, day, night, day. It is up to each viewer to find meaning in it, to recognize their own story. The works in this exhibition, like most of Jacques’s paintings, draw inspiration from the landscape, the memory of a moment, or the impression left by a glance towards the sky or the sea. His paintings thus become abstract landscapes, straddling the boundary between reality and emotion. We feel we recognize ourselves in them. Perhaps.
Artist Talks: Sunday, June 14, 3 pm | Where We’re at Now – Another Conversation includes new environmentally-based artwork by each of the artists, as well as two group projects. In Roundtable (2025), the artists experimented with the circle in form and substrate while working together outdoors, as they had on canoe trips for thirty years. The group’s 2018-2022 mail art collaboration (600+ images) will also be shown in a new interactive iteration. Through their long history together, the Gibson Girls each embody the ability to support, challenge, and learn from one another. This exhibition opens their conversation to others as a gesture of hope through communication and understanding in our continuing fraught times. www.gibsongirlsart.com
May 27 – June 14, 2026 | Artist Talks: Sunday, June 14, 3 pm | Where We’re at Now – Another Conversation includes new environmentally-based artwork by each of the artists, as well as two group projects. In Roundtable (2025), the artists experimented with the circle in form and substrate while working together outdoors, as they had on canoe trips for thirty years. The group’s 2018-2022 mail art collaboration (600+ images) will also be shown in a new interactive iteration. Through their long history together, the Gibson Girls each embody the ability to support, challenge, and learn from one another. This exhibition opens their conversation to others as a gesture of hope through communication and understanding in our continuing fraught times. |www.gibsongirlsart.com
May 27 – June 14, 2026 | Artist Talks: Sunday, June 14, 3 pm Where We’re at Now – Another Conversation includes new environmentally-based artwork by each of the artists, as well as two group projects. In Roundtable (2025), the artists experimented with the circle in form and substrate while working together outdoors, as they had on canoe trips for thirty years. The group’s 2018-2022 mail art collaboration (600+ images) will also be shown in a new interactive iteration. Through their long history together, the Gibson Girls each embody the ability to support, challenge, and learn from one another. This exhibition opens their conversation to others as a gesture of hope through communication and understanding in our continuing fraught times. | www.gibsongirlsart.com
May 27 – June 14, 2026 | Opening Reception: Saturday, May 30, 2 – 4 pm Artist Talks: Sunday, June 14, 3 pm | Where We’re at Now – Another Conversation includes new environmentally-based artwork by each of the artists, as well as two group projects. In Roundtable (2025), the artists experimented with the circle in form and substrate while working together outdoors, as they had on canoe trips for thirty years. The group’s 2018-2022 mail art collaboration (600+ images) will also be shown in a new interactive iteration. Through their long history together, the Gibson Girls each embody the ability to support, challenge, and learn from one another. This exhibition opens their conversation to others as a gesture of hope through communication and understanding in our continuing fraught times. www.gibsongirlsart.com
May 27 – June 14, 2026 |Opening Reception: Saturday, May 30, 2 – 4 pm Artist Talks: Sunday, June 14, 3 pm | Where We’re at Now – Another Conversation includes new environmentally-based artwork by each of the artists, as well as two group projects. In Roundtable (2025), the artists experimented with the circle in form and substrate while working together outdoors, as they had on canoe trips for thirty years. The group’s 2018-2022 mail art collaboration (600+ images) will also be shown in a new interactive iteration. Through their long history together, the Gibson Girls each embody the ability to support, challenge, and learn from one another. This exhibition opens their conversation to others as a gesture of hope through communication and understanding in our continuing fraught times. www.gibsongirlsart.com
“Looks Good on Paper…” We are seeking submissions for a curated exhibition of works on paper, celebrating the medium’s diverse and often unsung creative potential. Submission Deadline: Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 11:59 PM Exhibition: July 8 – 26, 2026
This exhibition reflects on the metamorphosis of Toronto’s Leslie Street Spit, including what is now Tommy Thompson Park, tracing its evolution from landfill waste into a place of ecologically complex habitats. Through natural processes and human intervention, the Spit is now shared by wildlife and city residents alike—used for walking, cycling, birdwatching, and quiet retreat—a landscape shaped by both wildlife and human activity. Incorporating light-sensitized plant proteins, the handmade prints are created using pigments ground from brick and charcoal gathered from the site, establishing an aesthetic and physical connection to a place shaped by histories of use.
Artist Talk: Sunday, May 24, 3 pm | My photo-based mixed-media work explores time, transience, and transformation. During my childhood in Italy and during repeated visits, fires, ruins and volcanic eruptions sparked my interest. I was born in Southern Italy in the land between the volcanoes of Mt. Etna and Vesuvius. Fire is used in many countries to clear fields, control invasive species and to smoke out your enemies in times of war. Closer to home, the City of Toronto conducts prescribed burns to regenerate the Oak Savannahs. The urban nature of the Golden Horseshoe has squeezed these rare endangered ecosystems into specially designated areas, including High Park in Toronto. Fire stimulates the germination of Savannah species and controls invasive ones. During the burn events, the Savannahs are transformed into ephemeral places by fire and smoke. I have photographed these landscapes, which transition through states of destruction and recreation, capturing serial and incremental changes. In Hot Spots, I have used elements of the Savannahs, including burnt wood, to create three-dimensional scenes, incorporating orthographic film and gel transfers, from protests and other “hot spots”. My process violates the classic rules of photography, and I exploit these infringements to create and confirm the transformation process. Blending painting and photography, the work depicts the real world, but also exists in a more fulsome picture of reality.
This exhibition reflects on the metamorphosis of Toronto’s Leslie Street Spit, including what is now Tommy Thompson Park, tracing its evolution from landfill waste into a place of ecologically complex habitats. Through natural processes and human intervention, the Spit is now shared by wildlife and city residents alike—used for walking, cycling, birdwatching, and quiet retreat—a landscape shaped by both wildlife and human activity. Incorporating light-sensitized plant proteins, the handmade prints are created using pigments ground from brick and charcoal gathered from the site, establishing an aesthetic and physical connection to a place shaped by histories of use.
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9, 2 – 4 pm | Artist Talk: Sunday, May 24, 3 pm | My photo-based mixed-media work explores time, transience, and transformation. | During my childhood in Italy and during repeated visits, fires, ruins and volcanic eruptions sparked my interest. I was born in Southern Italy in the land between the volcanoes of Mt. Etna and Vesuvius. Fire is used in many countries to clear fields, control invasive species and to smoke out your enemies in times of war. Closer to home, the City of Toronto conducts prescribed burns to regenerate the Oak Savannahs. The urban nature of the Golden Horseshoe has squeezed these rare endangered ecosystems into specially designated areas, including High Park in Toronto. Fire stimulates the germination of Savannah species and controls invasive ones. During the burn events, the Savannahs are transformed into ephemeral places by fire and smoke. I have photographed these landscapes, which transition through states of destruction and recreation, capturing serial and incremental changes. In Hot Spots, I have used elements of the Savannahs, including burnt wood, to create three-dimensional scenes, incorporating orthographic film and gel transfers, from protests and other “hot spots”. My process violates the classic rules of photography, and I exploit these infringements to create and confirm the transformation process. Blending painting and photography, the work depicts the real world, but also exists in a more fulsome picture of reality.
May 6 – 24, 2026 | Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9, 2 – 4 pm | Artist Talk: Sunday, May 24, 3 pm | My photo-based mixed-media work explores time, transience, and transformation. During my childhood in Italy and during repeated visits, fires, ruins and volcanic eruptions sparked my interest. I was born in Southern Italy in the land between the volcanoes of Mt. Etna and Vesuvius. Fire is used in many countries to clear fields, control invasive species and to smoke out your enemies in times of war.
We are seeking submissions for a curated exhibition of works on paper, celebrating the medium’s diverse and often unsung creative potential. Submission Deadline: Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 11:59 PM. Exhibition: July 8 – 26, 2026
To Whisper in Colour brings together paper-loving artists, Dominique Prévost and Tricia W Rawlins. Both experiment with the possibilities of paper through different media, techniques and processes, slowly unearthing each paper’s unique personality. The exhibition is an ode to movement and beauty where textures, patterns, colours, lines and empty space gather, and we encourage the viewer to peek at this quiet conversation between the artist and their muse.
minimal | liminal explores the smallest details of heritage Japanese washi, paying homage to the incredible craft that has been practiced in Japan for over 1400 years, resulting in material of breathtaking beauty, surprising strength, and a subtle array of wonderful natural tones. Small moves and minimal interventions encourage the washi to take a lead role. Sometimes, what is not there is as important as what is—the invisible ingredients of time and thought embed a layer of meaning to these simple works.
To Whisper in Colour brings together paper-loving artists, Dominique Prévost and Tricia W Rawlins. Both experiment with the possibilities of paper through different media, techniques and processes, slowly unearthing each paper’s unique personality. The exhibition is an ode to movement and beauty where textures, patterns, colours, lines and empty space gather, and we encourage the viewer to peek at this quiet conversation between the artist and their muse.
minimal | liminal explores the smallest details of heritage Japanese washi, paying homage to the incredible craft that has been practiced in Japan for over 1400 years, resulting in material of breathtaking beauty, surprising strength, and a subtle array of wonderful natural tones. Small moves and minimal interventions encourage the washi to take a lead role. Sometimes, what is not there is as important as what is—the invisible ingredients of time and thought embed a layer of meaning to these simple works.
April 15 – May 3, 2026 | Opening Reception: Saturday, April 18, 2 – 5pm Demonstration: Sunday, April 26, 2pm Artist Talk: Sunday, May 3, 2 pm minimal | liminal explores the smallest details of heritage Japanese washi, paying homage to the incredible craft that has been practiced in Japan for over 1400 years, resulting in material of breathtaking beauty, surprising strength, and a subtle array of wonderful natural tones. Small moves and minimal interventions encourage the washi to take a lead role. Sometimes, what is not there is as important as what is—the invisible ingredients of time and thought embed a layer of meaning to these simple works.
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 18, 2 – 5pm | Demonstrations: Sunday, April 26, 2 pm | Artist Talks: Sunday May 3, 2 pm | To Whisper in Colour brings together paper-loving artists, Dominique Prévost and Tricia W Rawlins. Both experiment with the possibilities of paper through different media, techniques and processes, slowly unearthing each paper’s unique personality. The exhibition is an ode to movement and beauty where textures, patterns, colours, lines and empty space gather, and we encourage the viewer to peek at this quiet conversation between the artist and their muse.
“Looks Good on Paper…” We are seeking submissions for a curated exhibition of works on paper, celebrating the medium’s diverse and often unsung creative potential. | Submission Deadline: Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 11:59 PM | Exhibition: July 8 – 26, 2026
Intangible Experiences is an exhibition of abstract art mounted in honour of the late painter Gwen Tooth, whose canvases anchor the show. Community response to our call for submissions describing an emotional or intellectual experience through form, texture, colour, gesture and line was overwhelming. We received 177 submissions from 128 artists who expressed themselves in a variety of mediums.
Intangible Experiences is an exhibition of abstract art mounted in honour of the late painter Gwen Tooth, whose canvases anchor the show. Community response to our call for submissions describing an emotional or intellectual experience through form, texture, colour, gesture and line was overwhelming. We received 177 submissions from 128 artists who expressed themselves in a variety of mediums.
This exhibition is my nod and expression in painted form to both Canadian landscape near water and to the landscape and the mythological creatures who live in reality rather than fable and verse, under the sea. During 2025, I spent a great deal of time traversing the international ocean ways through my time spent teaching watercolour painting on large ocean liners. The mysticism and the oral tradition of mythology depicting life under the surface of water are celebrated in every ocean in most countries. We have the Mermaid, the Merman, the Sirens, the Shape shifters and More. Most countries have their own oral tradition of telling stories of life under the sea. My series of paintings situated in Venice is part of creating a new chapter of Canadian mythology, The Canadian Mermaid in Venice. I became obsessed with the image of a large Canadian canoe traversing the waters of the Grand Canal, outfitted in traditional red brocades of the Venetian gondola over ten years ago. This hybrid vision of the boats of two countries sparked an idea to find an outlet to actualize the concept. I eventually discovered the Vogalonga Race in Venice, a place where a boat like this could have life. I have hopes of participating with a team representing Canada in the near future. The paintings in this exhibition that are deeply tied to Venice and Mythology represent this passionate interest. In the beauteous and atmospheric lakes north of Toronto, I appreciate the gift of solitude and the traditions of summer camps past. During the summer of 2025, I was a guest of many gracious cottage hosts in Ontario. Their support and kindness allowed me to sketch and to develop a new approach to capturing the essence of the atmospheric lakes in Ontario. All paintings and sketches are in oils. The two series running simultaneously through this exhibition are complemented by the sculptural forms of my hand-painted wedding gowns in mermaid attire. The gowns are ready to be worn, under the sea.
Through a collection of prints and hand-bound books, and scrolls, Daniel Etigson’s Love Your Shadow exhibition explores the shadow as a source of beauty, protection, and love. The exhibition contains original essays, books, poems, and graphic works that draw upon a range of visual and literary traditions, including ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Hebrew, Syriac, Pali, Sanskrit, Buddhist, and Japanese texts. Viewers of the exhibition will experience Daniel’s original books and graphic works inspired by these traditions, and they will leave with a broadened understanding of the visual and literary history of the shadow’s beauty and power. For example, viewers will learn about the “sweet shadow” (gissu-du), “Buddha’s shadow” (foying), and the faithful shadow that “does not leave” (chāyā na jahāti). Daniel’s Love Your Shadow exhibition repositions Karl Jung’s notion of the shadow. In Jungian psychology, the shadow represents the repressed side of the psyche, but it also contains the seeds of psychic growth. Integrating the shadow enables psychological transformation. Thus, Jung writes, “[t]o confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light.” Love Your Shadow exhibition recovers the lost history of the shadow’s beauty, love, and protection.
January 21 – February 8, 2026 | Saturday, January 24: Opening | Reception 2 – 5 pm & Artist Talks 3 pm | Through a collection of prints and hand-bound books, and scrolls, Daniel Etigson’s Love Your Shadow exhibition explores the shadow as a source of beauty, protection, and love. The exhibition contains original essays, books, poems, and graphic works that draw upon a range of visual and literary traditions, including ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Hebrew, Syriac, Pali, Sanskrit, Buddhist, and Japanese texts. Viewers of the exhibition will experience Daniel’s original books and graphic works inspired by these traditions, and they will leave with a broadened understanding of the visual and literary history of the shadow’s beauty and power. For example, viewers will learn about the “sweet shadow” (gissu-du), “Buddha’s shadow” (foying), and the faithful shadow that “does not leave” (chāyā na jahāti).
January 21 – February 8, 2026 | Saturday, January 24: Opening Reception 2 – 5 pm & Artist Talks: 3 pm | This exhibition is my nod and expression in painted form to both Canadian landscape near water and to the landscape and the mythological creatures who live in reality rather than fable and verse, under the sea. During 2025, I spent a great deal of time traversing the international ocean ways through my time spent teaching watercolour painting on large ocean liners. The mysticism and the oral tradition of mythology depicting life under the surface of water are celebrated in every ocean in most countries. We have the Mermaid, the Merman, the Sirens, the Shape shifters and More. Most countries have their own oral tradition of telling stories of life under the sea. I have always imagined that Venice, Italy, is Mermaid Headquarters.
Propeller Art Gallery seeks submissions for Eureka!, a non-juried mixed media exhibition that celebrates the creative combination of multiple materials and techniques. We encourage experimentation and ingenuity, and will consider all forms of art that incorporate at least two different media. For example, acrylic and fibre, pencil crayon and ink, painting and photography, or wood and clay sculpture. Eureka! will take place at Propeller Art Gallery from February 11th to March 1st, 2026. It will include an opening reception on Saturday, February 14th, 2 to 5 pm and Artist Talks on Sunday, March 1st, at 2 pm. Image: Odilon Redon, The Chariot of Apollo, c 1910, pastel and tempera on canvas, Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
Every piece of art tells a story. Whether through image, form, or material, art is never silent—it carries traces of the artist: their memories, perspectives, and lived experiences. Stories emerge in the marks we make, the materials we choose, and the subjects we return to again and again. Though our practices span different mediums—photography, sculpture, painting, and printmaking—we are united by a shared commitment to storytelling as a way of translating life into visual form.
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 10, 2 – 5 pm | Every piece of art tells a story. Whether through image, form, or material, art is never silent—it carries traces of the artist: their memories, perspectives, and lived experiences. Stories emerge in the marks we make, the materials we choose, and the subjects we return to again and again. Though our practices span different mediums—photography, sculpture, painting, and printmaking—we are united by a shared commitment to storytelling as a way of translating life into visual form.