Ten artists spend two days painting the South Georgian Bay Escarpment in partnership with the Escarpment Corridor Alliance
The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA), one of Canada’s oldest and most storied arts organizations, has brought ten of its members to the Blue Mountains this week for three days of plein air painting along the Niagara Escarpment — and the visit carries significance well beyond the canvas.
The OSA’s annual Standing Up program selects a landscape or cause worthy of artistic advocacy each year. This year, the artists are standing up for the Escarpment, and in a meaningful step forward, the OSA has entered into a multi-year commitment to work alongside the Escarpment Corridor Alliance (ECA) in support of both its land trust and conservation advocacy work in the South Georgian Bay region.
The parallels to the OSA’s own history are striking. Many members of the Group of Seven were OSA artists, and their paintings – alongside their vocal advocacy – were instrumental in the creation of Killarney Provincial Park. The OSA believes that art and activism belong together, and that the Escarpment deserves the same passionate defense that helped protect Killarney for generations of Canadians.
“We are here because this landscape matters,” said Janet Hendershot, Past President and Conservation Project Leader at the OSA. “The Escarpment is one of Ontario’s great natural treasures, and we want our work to help ensure it is protected and connected for future generations – just as our predecessors did for Killarney.”
The ECA welcomed the partnership as a significant milestone. “The Ontario Society of Artists brings not just extraordinary talent, but a proven legacy of making a difference,” said ECA Co Founder, Bruce Harbinson. “Having them stand with us is both an honour and an inspiration.”
The artists are on location this week. Follow the ECA and OSA for exhibition details.
