The House the Spirit Builds Exhibition
June 2-July 5, 2022
Shenkman Arts Centre
Trinity Art Gallery, Salon A
245 Centrum Blvd.
Ottawa, ON
613-580-2787
shenkmanartscentre@ottawa.ca
Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

The House the Spirit Builds is a visual and poetic celebration of a place called Wintergreen, interpreted by two photographers, Diane Laundy and Peter Coffman, whose images inspired a collection of poems by Lorna Crozier and book of the poems and images of the same name.

Wintergreen is an educational retreat in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve in Southeastern Ontario, approximately 50 km from Kingston, ON. Photographers Diane Laundy and Peter Coffman spent many weeks shooting the grounds and the buildings over a period of more than two years. They created a photographic ‘portrait’ of the place, evoking the profound resonance of its quiet, still moments. The photographs were given to Lorna Crozier, whose poems respond to them and take us on an inner journey rooted in this deep experience of place.

Something astonishing happens when the poems and photos sit side by side and speak to one another in a language that is timeless, lucid and precise. They reveal the wisdom and peace gained from the simple act of being still and looking closely at what surrounds us. They present our environment- natural and built- as something not to be tamed and dominated, but loved and cherished.

Ten images with poems are mounted on an aluminum substrate and framed in a wood floater frame. They are in a limited edition of 5 for each image in the series. Copies of the book can be purchased from Perfect Books in Ottawa or other book sellers.