Arts Project celebrates artist’s 10th anniversary

Donna Audreychuk is celebrating her 10th anniversary as an artist with an elaborate display of her dynamic oil paintings.

With works exhibited in both the north and south galleries and a three-week rental slot at the Arts Project, Audreychuk’s artwork has been making a big impression on the London community.

“It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” says Bruce Johnson, president of the Arts Project’s board of directors, on the public reception of the exhibit.

“This is her 10th anniversary, so she wanted to make it a special. Her sales typically are in her home in Delaware [Ontario]. This time she decided to go a little bit bigger, a little bit grander, and so she chose the Arts Project. We’re glad she did,” Johnson explains.

Audreychuk uses vibrant colours and bold brushwork to add spark to her large-scale paintings. She has established her signature artistic style by predominantly featuring scenes of nature with lots of movement.

“Of course, the first reaction is the Group of Seven, but that’s not by any sort of accident,” Johnson says. As a child, Audreychuk mimicked artwork by the Group of Seven, and has stuck with the theme of the famous Canadian landscape ever since. With interesting use of colour, each one of Audreychuk’s paintings has its own unique appeal.

FABULOUS FOREVER. This oil painting is an example of what can be expected from Donna Audreychuk’s artwork, currently on display at the Arts Project.

All of Audreychuk’s featured works at the Arts Project are for sale. This is common for art displayed at the gallery.

“The important thing to understand is that we work out a deal with the artist,” Johnson says. “This is the only gallery that I know of within this region that does not charge a commission.”

Any extra money from sales goes directly into the artist’s bank account.

The Arts Project’s gallery is covered with Audreychuk’s grandiose and colourful paintings. Huge signs marking her 10-year anniversary emphasize she is a prized artist for the Arts Project.

It comes as no surprise Audreychuk chose the Arts Project as the venue for her exhibit.

“The underlying credence throughout everything we do is that the artist comes first. The artist gets first attention for everything that he or she may want. That’s the most important thing,” Bruce says.

In addition to the art gallery, the Arts Project also has a theatre. Upstairs are 12 studios rented by artists who have 24-hour access to pursue their artistic endeavours.

“At the Arts Project, we handle things equally — gallery, theatre, studios. They’re all priorities. It doesn’t mean we don’t do other things,” says Sandra DeSalvo, the Arts Project’s manager. “But, those are the three primary activities that happen in this particular facility.”

“We help. We instruct. We advise. If the artists want something desperately, they can have it. We try to balance out the walls and make it look like it’s prepared,” says Johnson. Support like this has established the Arts Project as a prime go-to place for artists in the London area.

“This is a happening space. All kinds of things are going on here,” Bruce says. With so much happening at the Arts Project, it looks like Audreychuk’s exhibit has the opportunity for well-deserved exposure.

Donna Audreychuk’s A Solo Exhibition is on display until Satuday, Nov. 21. The Arts Project is open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and is located at 203 Dundas St.