Being a visual artist in Canada is a rough haul, but there are certain wonderful people one meets along the way that lighten the load, and encourage the journey. There are also certain art shows and venues that enlighten the path. Here's how an upcoming art show, A Lasting Gift: The John & Gisela Sommer Collectio n January 8th - Feb 6th (Opening Jan. 16th) carries the five fold whammy of John & Gisela Sommer, The Sommer Collection, Art Gallery of Peel, Sybil Rampen, and Joshua Creek Heritage Arts Centre. For many years, Georgetown's John and Gisela Sommer have been enthusiastic supporters of visual artists in the GTA*, particularly in the western region of Halton Hills and Peel. Many a visual artist has been the lucky recipient of their generous support either in word or deed. The Sommers not only collected art, they exhibited it at Gallery Sol, their home turned gallery, in Georgetown, Halton Hills, Ontario.

I first met John, when, as juror, he awarded my painting Top Award at a juried art show. A few months later, I discovered that this soft-spoken and lively gentleman, and his charming wife Gisela, were popular visitors at the Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre in Glen Williams, where I just opened a studio. John often made reference to the Gallery Sol, which was, at that point, after decades of being open, was winding down.

My mistake was in assuming it was a showcase for regional artists. What I didn't realize was that the Sommers had an incredible collection of contemporary printmaking, painting, sculpture and photography that included Andy Warhol, Jack Chambers, Leonard Hutchinson and David Hockney. Luckily, I will get a another chance to see this art, and so can you!

The Sommers have recently generously donated their art collection (ensuring their legacy as well as that of many regional artists) to The Art Gallery of Peel (Peel Heritage Complex, Brampton). This art gallery, in the midst of transformation into a remarkable new venue across from Brampton's Gage Park, is temporarily closed. Until then, 200 of these art works will be on exhibition at Joshua Creek Heritage Centre in Oakville, Ontario.

The grand opening of this art show and opportunity to meet the very wonderful John & Gisela Sommer is Sunday, January 16, 2011, 2 - 4 pm. Joshua Creek Heritage Centre Gallery . Click here for map.

Oh, and as for Joshua Creek Heritage Centre, and artist & visionary Sybil Rampen, who created it, that my friends, is a whole other incredible story of inspiration, generosity, and legacy! Click here to read more.

*Greater Toronto Ontario

I just answered the door to a team of five middle school students wearing road safety vests. My "blink" intuition (yes, as in the Malcolm Gladwell BLINK sense) wasn't kicking in. My brain could not equate the facts - students in safety gear, the lack of chocolate bar boxes and school not yet out (it's only 1 pm) - and my experience, i.e. they want money.

To my pleasant surprise, what these young people were selling, was awareness.

These young Mississauga Peel School Board Students working as "Trout Unlimited Canada" volunteers, were spreading the word "only rain in storm drains" . They were giving a friendly reminder , and an important one , too, that storm drains connect directly to our local streams, rivers and lakes. As well, as part of the Yellow Fish Road campaign, they had just painted a yellow fish by drain on the road by my house.

You may be enlightened to learn , as I recently had, that in most cities, storm drains do not connect to the sewage treatment plant & that oil, salt, soap & fertilizer goes directly and untreated into your local waterbody!

What does this have to do with art?

Well, aside from the friendly, humourous and hopefully effective, creativity of the campaign, it is also another reminder to artists to responsibly dispose of our environmentally unfriendly materials.

And any campaign that has young people that might not normally paint, and have them think it is fun to paint, even it it just a yellow fish by the side of the road, is golden in my book.

For more information:

Yellow Fish Road

Trouts Unlimited Canada

Region of Peel: For Safe Disposal (unwanted chemicals, paints, oils) 905 791 9499

Report Spills & Dumping:

Into watercourses - Ontario Ministry of Environment Spills Action Centre 1 800 268 6060

Into storm drains - City of Mississauga 905 615 3000