2026 Spring Arts Exhibition Featuring Northwestern Ontario Artists
This year’s Spring Arts Exhibition at the Dyment Recreation Hall in Melgund Township proudly welcomes and highlights the powerful work of Borups Corners artist Leanne Nicholson.
Born in Red Lake and deeply connected to northwestern Ontario, Leanne Nicholson’s life and artistic practice are shaped by the land around her. She spent much of her childhood at her family’s cabin on McKenzie Island, where time spent outdoors fostered a lasting relationship with nature—one that continues to influence her work today.
Leanne creates across visual and mixed-media disciplines, producing work that ranges from vivid wildlife imagery to intricately painted antlers, bones, and skulls. Her pieces transform natural materials into meaningful expressions of life, memory, and continuity. With a strong sense of respect, her process honours the animals she works with—extending their presence and allowing their spirit to endure through art.
Spending extensive time in the forest, Leanne gathers what she calls “gifts from nature,” which form the basis of her creations. Her work sits at the intersection of land-based practice and contemporary visual art, combining organic textures with rich, symbolic imagery.
Art has also served as an essential form of expression for Leanne. During times when words felt out of reach, her creative practice helped her navigate and communicate her experiences with depression. That emotional depth is present throughout her work, creating pieces that resonate with others on a meaningful level.
Today, Leanne integrates her artistic skills into her professional work, where her creativity continues to support and benefit those she works with—offering opportunities for connection, reflection, and healing.
About the 2026 Spring Exhibition
Each year, our seasonal exhibitions alternate between Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. The 2026 exhibition runs from April 17 to May 17 at the Dyment Recreation Hall. The gallery will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 1–4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For additional details, please visit https://melgundrecreation.ca.
Programming Highlights:
Live Creative Sessions: Open mic nights and collaborative music jams.
Knowledge Sharing: Guest artist talks and interactive, hands-on workshops.
Community Dialogues: In-person and virtual conversations exploring the intersections of art, climate change, virtual reality, and the transboundary impacts of nuclear waste management.
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