Twin Passions for 58 years - History and Art

artwork and complementary displays of archival photos 

Dona Knudsen, Belleville Art Association Executive Council Chair, expressed the mood of the opening day perfectly when she said "Today is a spectacular opportunity for two groups with a long history in the area to get together to share their passion." The event was the opening of 'History in Brushstrokes'.

From March 12 to April 7, the Quinte area was treated to a unique art show called 'History in Brushstrokes'. The show was held at the Belleville Art Association's bright and beautiful gallery at 392 Front Street, Belleville. 'History in Brushstrokes' was a unique show, combining 35 artistic interpretations of historic scenes of the area painted by the artists of the BAA, with display panels of archival photographs. The photos depicted  the actual locations of the painting in many cases, or examples of the scenery which inspired the art work. Evocative historic mills of Hastings County were a typical example.

The behind the scenes work had gone on for some weeks at the Heritage Centre in Cannifton. Hastings County Historical Society volunteers had been seeking out and scanning photographs of local scenes and historic buildings and mills to match the topics of the artwork which BAA artists were collecting and preparing to hang. This combined show was the brainchild of ....




The opening was held on a warm bright spring Saturday afternoon. The doors were open, people flowed in to enjoy the artwork, the historical photographs, the luscious buffet brightened by cheerful red tulips. It was a great opportunity for many of us to see the gorgeous newly redecorated BAA gallery - its shiny wood floors, bright windows and  white walls creating a lovely gallery space.

A great crowd came to enjoy the treats, the artwork and the history at the March 15 opening

The Belleville Art Association and Hastings County Historical Society have a great deal more in common 

than this very successful show. As Dona put it "as of September, we're both 58!" With such a shared history of achievement, is it possible that we can look forward to another exciting event like 'History in Brushstrokes'?