Northwestern Ontario art exhibition highlights Leanne Nicholson’s nature-based mixed-media creative practice.
Northwestern Ontario Mixed-Media Artist Leanne Nicholson Featured in Regional Spring Exhibition
The spring exhibition at the Dyment Recreation Hall lower level arts space continues to highlight the depth of artistic practice emerging from Northwestern Ontario. This season, the work of Leanne Nicholson brings a striking and reflective presence to the gallery, offering a body of mixed-media art that is both visually compelling and emotionally grounded.
Originally from Red Lake and deeply connected to the region, Nicholson’s creative practice is shaped by a lifelong relationship with the land. Time spent growing up at her family’s cabin on McKenzie Island fostered an early and lasting bond with the natural world—an influence that continues to inform her work today.
Her mixed-media pieces move between painting, drawing, and the transformation of natural materials such as antlers, bones, and skulls. These elements are not treated as objects, but as continuations of life in another form. Through careful artistic intervention, Nicholson reworks them into expressive pieces that reflect wildlife, memory, and presence.
Much of her process is rooted in time spent in the forest, where she gathers what she describes as “gifts from nature.” These materials become the foundation for work that blends texture, symbolism, and organic form. The result is art that feels grounded in place, yet open to broader reflection on life cycles and continuity.
Nicholson’s work also carries a deeply personal undercurrent. Art has served as a vital means of expression during periods when words were difficult, particularly in navigating experiences with depression. This emotional dimension gives her work a quiet intensity, inviting viewers into a space of reflection and connection.
The exhibition forms part of a broader spring showcase of Northwestern Ontario artists from Melgund Township and surrounding communities, with work spanning photography, painting, and mixed media practices.
The exhibition runs until May 20, 2026, at the Dyment Recreation Hall lower level arts space. Visiting hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 1–4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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