Saint John Community Arts Board purchases artwork from three local artists

The Granting Jury of the Saint John Community Arts Board has approved and purchased three pieces of artwork from local artists to be included in the Art Bank Collection. The three artists featured are Amy Ash, Sarah Wilson, and Melinda Sheehan.

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Amy Ash's "Nourishing the Feeling" is part of the ReGrowth series, featuring cyanotype prints that highlight themes of queer identity and collective care. The artwork uses images of bodies and natural forms to depict interconnectedness, resource sharing, and renewal. It encourages viewers to reflect on growth, loss, and healing, promoting the idea of mutual support and flourishing. This series was first shown in the Perennial Bodies exhibition at Beaverbrook Art Gallery and was created during a 2023 residency in Saint John, supported by ArtsNB.

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Sarah Wilson's painting "A Place of Rest" was inspired by a photo her son-in-law took during a safety inspection at the Saint John Port Lands. It shows cormorants perched on an old wharf, with weathered wood and a rugged coastline under a calm sky. The painting looks southeast toward the downtown waterfront, highlighting the historic Saint John Armory with its green roof. The Armory is set to reopen as a shelter for the homeless, symbolizing hope and renewal. However, the wharf, now demolished due to safety concerns, was once a resting place for the seabirds.

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Melinda Sheehan's "The Guesthouse" invites viewers into a space that feels both familiar and mysterious, evoking nostalgia and curiosity. Using rich layers of oil paint, the artwork explores themes of hospitality, sanctuary, and the hidden stories within temporary homes. The brushstrokes hint at the fleeting connections and unseen moments in these transient spaces. Inspired by the passage of time and its impact on personal environments in Saint John, this piece examines the balance between permanence and impermanence. "The Guesthouse" encourages reflection on the spaces that shape our lives and the people who briefly inhabit them.

For more information about the Saint John Community Arts Board, please visit the City’s website.

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