New Work: An Exhibit by Heather Topp and Ron Langin

To end the year at One Sky Gallery, we are proud and delighted to present this exhibit by distinguished and established local artists, Heather Topp and Ron Langin.

RON LANGIN

ARTIST STATEMENT

The “Brewery” paintings, presented in this exhibition, reflect the current deteriorated condition of the grounds and buildings of the defunct historic Doran’s brewery on Lorne Street in Sudbury. I was intrigued by the faded beauty of the rusting, decrepit and battered location and wanted to portray the site from a more artistic, generous viewpoint. The degradation of this once architectural showplace is contrasted by gems of colour and form discovered, captured, and recast in these watercolour paintings.

During a recent day trip this past summer, to the community of River Valley, in West Nipissing, I discovered the confluence of the mighty Sturgeon and Temagami rivers. This spiritual and visually stunning location became the inspiration for the new “River Valley” watercolour paintings included in this exhibition.

BIOGRAPHY

I was born in Sudbury, Ontario in 1949. The Sudbury landscape and people are an endless source of inspiration for my work. My unique perspective has been coloured by my involvement over the years with “The Drawing Circle”, a group of artists dedicated to the practice of life drawing; “The Malcontents”, a band of activists who accomplished their mission to save the Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre at the Bell Mansion as a public gallery. Heather Topp, Jocko Chartrand and I, comprised “The Cedar Collective”, a contrarian band of artists, focusing on the practice of still life painting.
I had a solo exhibition in January 2004 at La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario entitled “The Memento Mori Project”. It was a visual remembrance and homage to the deceased citizens of my community as well as an acknowledgement of my own mortality. In June 2007, I created a video entitled “The News” with performance artists, at an event hosted by this Francophone artist run centre.
I was a participating artist in the “Burlington Art Centre/Art Gallery of Sudbury Exchange Project” which started in July 2008, to encourage and support regional artists’ connections with galleries and artist communities, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences among Ontario artists. The project culminated in a six week exhibition at the Burlington Art Centre in May, 2010 and a companion exhibition at the Art Gallery of Sudbury in September, 2010.
My solo exhibition of large encaustic paintings entitled “three, trois, tre” was shown at “Open Studio/Cambrian College” in September 2015.
My work has been shown in sixty group shows since 1985 in Sudbury and throughout the province.
I am fortunate to have several paintings in the Permanent Collection of the Art Gallery of Sudbury.
My ninth solo exhibition “terrain”, which was composed of thirty watercolour paintings, exploring the Western Canadian landscape, was be held at the Art Gallery of Sudbury from February 28 to April 21, 2019.

HEATHER TOPP

Solo Exhibits
2017 Livid Here, Heather Topp Retrospective, Art Gallery of Sudbury
2012 Whose Care Unearthed, La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
2010 Still, Northern Flavours (Sudbury)
2010 Les dames, Glow Hair Studio (Sudbury)
2009 Inside/Outside, Vale INCO Hospice Gallery (Sudbury)
2005 Small Strange Interiors, Vinegar on the Rocks (Sudbury)
2004 Wet, Vinegar on the Rocks
1997 Spring Recital, The Attic (Sudbury)
1996 Figuratively Speaking, White Water Gallery, (North Bay, ON)
1995 Repetition, Rhythm & Symbols
1994 Featured Artist, The Attic
1993 University Radio Conference, Laurentian University (Sudbury)
1992 Odilisquing, Science North (Sudbury)
1991 Featured Artist (organized by SAC) , Greenleaf Cafe (Sudbury)
1989 Featured Artist, Sudbury Arts Council Office
1985 Featured Artist, Northern Gallery (West Bay, ON)

Group Shows
2018 Sudbury Women in Art, Open Studio (Sudbury)
2003-18 Nouveau Louvre, Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
2003-18, Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
2001-16 Fringe Studio Tour, Studio 276 (Sudbury, ON)
2016 FAAS 5 Abricadabri, Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
2015 Downtown Sudbury Art Crawl 2010 X-Posed, Studio 276
2010 By Her Hand, La Fromagerie (Sudbury, ON)
2010 FAAS 2 Hors lieux, La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
2009 Good Enough to Eat, La Fromagerie
2009 Out of the Shadows, Art Gallery of Sudbury
2007-09 Erogenous Zone Out – Pride Week, Studio 276
2006-09 Local Colour, Art Gallery of Sudbury
2002 Contemporary Primitive Exposé, Niagara Artists’ Centre (St. Catherines, ON)
2001 Female Eye Film Festival, Bloor Cinema (Toronto, ON)
2001 Head Frame video art program, Campo Santa Marina (Venice, Italy)
2001 Off 17, On the Verge, Art Gallery of Sudbury
1999 1-3-5, La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
1997 21 Drum Salute (Ladies Luncheon) The Salon Show, Willet Green Centre & The Attic (Sudbury, ON)
1997 Sudbury Art Now!, Art Gallery of Sudbury
1996 Word a Wonder of Political Blunder, Malcontents at Fringe Nord (Sudbury)
1996 Stone Circle, West Parry Sound Museum (Parry Sound, ON)
1994 Studio Tour, Sudbury Arts Council
1994 Peep Show, Fringe Nord Theatre Festival (Sudbury)
1994 Clothesline International Women’s Day 1993 Angels, Crones and Ladies, Sudbury Women Artist Collective (Sudbury)
1994 Richard On Censorship, Fringe Nord Theatre Festival
1994 Sudbury Women Artist Collective, Ladies Luncheon (Sudbury)
1993 Exploration (Female Sexuality Exhibit), Northern Lights Festival Boreal (Sudbury)
1993 The Ancestral Sisters of Lysistrata, The Next Ten Years Conference (Sudbury)
1992 Glazes, Shadows, Contrasts and More, Alice’s Country Mill (Sudbury)
1991 More Moon Myths (SWAC), The Attic
1990 Absurd Person Singular, Sudbury Theatre Centre
1988 Cyclical Portage (SWAC), Definitely Superior (Thunder Bay, ON)
1988 Cyclical Portage (SWAC), Art Gallery of Sudbury
1988 Working to Wire, CBC Offices (Sudbury)
1988 Working to Wire, Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario
1986 Miniatures (SWAC), The Attic & LUMAC (Sudbury)
1985 Miniatures (SWAC), Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario

Commissions (to 1993)
2019 Science North – Wetlands Exhibit
2014 Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, Live Painting to “Pictures at an Exhibition” by M. Mussorgsky
2011 Keep-a-Breast United Way of Sudbury
2009 Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario sculptural design and collaboration Year of the Ox
1990 Access AIDS Committee of Sudbury Vigil
1995 Ice Sculpture for Winterlude Festival, Ottawa, ON
1994 Sisters II (Access AIDS Committee of Sudbury) Tribute Window for Steen
1993 Mural of graffiti for Le Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario

Collections
2017 Hazel Ecclestone
2014 Yes Theatre – Alessandro Constantini
2013 Arts Consultant Natalie Gaudet of the Conseil public du Grand-Nord de l’Ontario
2010 Daintry Topshee Private Collection
2009 Margaret Atwood Private Collection
2007 Météo +, Charbonneau Productions
2002 Bob Wiseman Private Collection
1991 Government of Ontario Northern Art Collection
1987 Cambrian College Permanent Art Collection
Awards
2016 Ontario Arts Council: Exhibition Assistance
2014 Exceptional Achievement in the Arts – 1st Inaugural Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts
2010 Ontario Arts Council: Material Assistance
2005 Ontario Arts Council: Material Assistance
2001 Ontario Arts Council: Material Assistance (also awarded in 1995, 1994, 1992, 1988)
1994 City of Sudbury: Heritage Award
1993 Ontario Arts Council: Visual Arts Grant
Reflections ’92 Grant
Jackie Washington Award, Northern Lights Festival Boréal