Past

Re-Imagining the OMAH Collection

Cited by poets and scholars as among the most beautiful pairings in the English language, the words, Cellar Door on the one hand describe a familiar object, while on the other, suggest something wonderful lying in wait.

"I  owned a farm in Oro Medonte from 1976 - 1981. Many paintings in this show were inspired by this rural retreat, including my series of The Painted Flags, and Barns.  I continue to paint in a waterfront studio on Lake Simcoe  converted from an Ice Storage Depot built in the 1920s. The lake, the hay fields, ducks, birds, moose, the peninsula of Eight Mile Point, all figure in the most recent works.

In this exhibition at the Orillia Museum of Art & History I examine local customs, symbols, historical events, and national iconography."

- Charles Pachter

Marta Brestovansky was a skilled art teacher and mentor for many Orillia students of art.  Most of all she was a driven and prolific painter, a beloved and influential figure in the art world of Orillia during the last three decades of the 20^th century.  Her subjects, with their distinctive European style, included landscape, portrait, fantasy, and Christian spirituality.  This large exhibit, the first Orillia retrospective of her work, will recall her spirit for the many who knew her and will introduce her generous vision to those who are new to her work.