By Debra Downey, Senior Editor
The name of artist Olivia Brouwer’s first solo exhibit has both personal and professional significance.
BLUR refers to both the ambiguity of seeing what isn’t necessarily expected and Brouwer’s own experience of viewing the world through limited vision.
“I have been partially blind in my right eye since I was very young,” said Brouwer. “If I close my left eye, I can only see a blurred representation of what’s in front of me. My work for this exhibition is not completely blurry, but I am hinting on it.”
Brouwer, who hails from a creative family, has painted for as long as she can remember. In Grade 12 she created and sold her first oil painting after donating it to a fundraiser for arts programming at Hamilton District Christian High School.
When Brouwer started university, her passion for art — buoyed by supportive professors and peers — became somewhat of an obsession. She dove into six disciplines of art classes, including design, painting, drawing, sculpture, print-making and photography. Currently enrolled in her third year of the art and art history joint program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan, Brouwer works with acrylic paints, silk screen and woodcut printing, but oil painting has become her favourite medium.
“Media is important to become skilled at and build a reputation for,” said Brouwer. “I am at my beginning stages of experimenting with what these techniques are capable of doing.”
Brouwer’s artistic attributes have already garnered attention with awards for academic excellence from Sheridan and accolades from shows in Mississauga, Caledonia and Toronto. Her next solo exhibition is scheduled for the Hamilton Public Library in July.
Not surprisingly, the 20-year-old plans to one day become a full-time artist.
“I have big dreams and ambitions for the future, which I think is essential for artists pursuing that career,” she said. “I like to think of myself as a go-getter, taking every opportunity that comes my way. It’s a start that I hope will go far in my career.”
BLUR runs until March 16 at the Dundas Museum and Archives,139 Park St. W.
By Debra Downey, Senior Editor
The name of artist Olivia Brouwer’s first solo exhibit has both personal and professional significance.
BLUR refers to both the ambiguity of seeing what isn’t necessarily expected and Brouwer’s own experience of viewing the world through limited vision.
“I have been partially blind in my right eye since I was very young,” said Brouwer. “If I close my left eye, I can only see a blurred representation of what’s in front of me. My work for this exhibition is not completely blurry, but I am hinting on it.”
Brouwer, who hails from a creative family, has painted for as long as she can remember. In Grade 12 she created and sold her first oil painting after donating it to a fundraiser for arts programming at Hamilton District Christian High School.
When Brouwer started university, her passion for art — buoyed by supportive professors and peers — became somewhat of an obsession. She dove into six disciplines of art classes, including design, painting, drawing, sculpture, print-making and photography. Currently enrolled in her third year of the art and art history joint program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan, Brouwer works with acrylic paints, silk screen and woodcut printing, but oil painting has become her favourite medium.
“Media is important to become skilled at and build a reputation for,” said Brouwer. “I am at my beginning stages of experimenting with what these techniques are capable of doing.”
Brouwer’s artistic attributes have already garnered attention with awards for academic excellence from Sheridan and accolades from shows in Mississauga, Caledonia and Toronto. Her next solo exhibition is scheduled for the Hamilton Public Library in July.
Not surprisingly, the 20-year-old plans to one day become a full-time artist.
“I have big dreams and ambitions for the future, which I think is essential for artists pursuing that career,” she said. “I like to think of myself as a go-getter, taking every opportunity that comes my way. It’s a start that I hope will go far in my career.”
BLUR runs until March 16 at the Dundas Museum and Archives,139 Park St. W.
By Debra Downey, Senior Editor
The name of artist Olivia Brouwer’s first solo exhibit has both personal and professional significance.
BLUR refers to both the ambiguity of seeing what isn’t necessarily expected and Brouwer’s own experience of viewing the world through limited vision.
“I have been partially blind in my right eye since I was very young,” said Brouwer. “If I close my left eye, I can only see a blurred representation of what’s in front of me. My work for this exhibition is not completely blurry, but I am hinting on it.”
Brouwer, who hails from a creative family, has painted for as long as she can remember. In Grade 12 she created and sold her first oil painting after donating it to a fundraiser for arts programming at Hamilton District Christian High School.
When Brouwer started university, her passion for art — buoyed by supportive professors and peers — became somewhat of an obsession. She dove into six disciplines of art classes, including design, painting, drawing, sculpture, print-making and photography. Currently enrolled in her third year of the art and art history joint program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan, Brouwer works with acrylic paints, silk screen and woodcut printing, but oil painting has become her favourite medium.
“Media is important to become skilled at and build a reputation for,” said Brouwer. “I am at my beginning stages of experimenting with what these techniques are capable of doing.”
Brouwer’s artistic attributes have already garnered attention with awards for academic excellence from Sheridan and accolades from shows in Mississauga, Caledonia and Toronto. Her next solo exhibition is scheduled for the Hamilton Public Library in July.
Not surprisingly, the 20-year-old plans to one day become a full-time artist.
“I have big dreams and ambitions for the future, which I think is essential for artists pursuing that career,” she said. “I like to think of myself as a go-getter, taking every opportunity that comes my way. It’s a start that I hope will go far in my career.”
BLUR runs until March 16 at the Dundas Museum and Archives,139 Park St. W.