Title: Fresh Catch

Medium: acrylic

Measurements: 9″x12″

Lois Larkin was born in Niagara Falls, New York and at the age of 7 moved to Windsor with her family. Lois earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Windsor, majoring in Fine Art History, and following graduation became an elementary school teacher and librarian. Lois is now retired and devotes her time to story telling through representational painting. She is also a member of The Artists of Colour which was formed in 2008 and includes Black artists who, according to their website, use the visual and oral language of art to share their history. According to Lois her art piece “Fresh Catch” was taken on the Grand River in Caledonia, Ontario.

Title: Ribbons of Quebec

Medium: acrylic

Measurements: 8″x16″

Lois Larkin was born in Niagara Falls, New York and at the age of 7 moved to Windsor with her family. Lois earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Windsor, majoring in Fine Art History, and following graduation became an elementary school teacher and librarian. Lois is now retired and devotes her time to story telling through representational painting. She is also a member of The Artists of Colour which was formed in 2008 and includes Black artists who, according to their website, use the visual and oral language of art to share their history.

Title: Chillin

Medium: acrylic

Lana Talbot was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, and her creative talents include drawing, painting, designing and sewing, in addition to flower arranging and creating heritage dolls. At St. Clair College, Lana studied interior design and architectural drawing in the Interior Design program which was led by another artist who has donated a work of art for our auction, Patricia Neely-McCurdy. Lana is also the Vice-President of The Artists of Colour which was formed in 2008 and includes Black artists who, according to their website, use the visual and oral language of art to share their history. The Artist of Colour website also shares that Lana’s “portraits reveal the soul of the people she paints.”

Painting Description:

The first Black President of the United States of America.

This is a picture of the president giving his inaugural address as he became the 44th president of the United States of America. The picture shows how he rose above the clouds of adversity to stand tall, with a saint like quality, thus the halo around his head looking up to guide his country to a brighter future.

Bio: Patricia is a mother of four children, a designer, a historian, a teacher, an artist, and an author. Patricia earned a B.S. degree in Interior Design and a Masters in Housing and environmental Design from Michigan State University and there became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She is a retired professor from St. Clair College after 25 year of service. At St. Clair she developed the curriculum for the Interior Design Program. The program was recognized by the designs societies and leading design schools in the U.S. and Canada. She was the first Black woman to develop a major program at the College.

Patricia served on the 1970’s Black History committee of the Board of Education whose purpose was to get Black History into the education curriculum. She served as a founding member of the North American Black History Museum and became exhibit designer and later Vice President. She is past president of the Hour A Day Study Club, a member of the Essex County Black History Society, and a member of Black Woman of forward Action working for Black History in the Educational system.

Patricia is the Author of the book The Houses of Buxton, A Legacy of African Influences in Architecture. Patricia creates original textile pattern designs based on African Influences for home furnishing manufactures. She has displayed her art work with The Artist of Colour.

Dimensions: 9 x 12 inches
Title: Searching
Medium: Acrylic

Dolores Harold received her early education in Chatham, Ontario. After moving to Detroit she began her professional career as an art teacher in the Detroit Public Schools system. She early retired from the field of education to get credentialed as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Dolores has exhibited her work at the Mackenzie Hall Cultural Centre in Windsor, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Kayrod Gallery, the Swords and Plowshares Gallery in Detroit and the Kerry Town Concert Hall in Ann Arbor.

Painting Details:

Title: Still life #5 “Green glass jar”
Medium: acrylic on canvas Measures: 20″ x 24″

Artist Bio: LaSalle Artist, Dennis K. Smith, grew up in Harrow, Ontario, and his artistic talents include drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, music, and play writing. Dennis also teaches art lessons and is the President of The Artists of Colour which was formed in 2008 and includes Black artists who, according to their website, use the visual and oral language of art to share their history. If you’ve been to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, you will have seen his artwork with the theme of Emancipation Day on display. According to Dennis “”I believe that art is capable of engaging and enriching the spirit of man. Through art mankind overcomes the barrier of the spoken language and speaks a visual dialogue that is birth from the heart. I strive to convey a greater appreciation of my subject by shifting the perception of what many view as ordinary, and hopefully elevate it to art. To accomplish this, I am not challenged to render an exact likeness, but endeavor to artistically react to what I am seeing and feeling about my subject then visually and emotionally transferring that response to the viewer.”

Shelly Davis was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario. She is a retired Nurse and started painting 11 months ago after the loss of a loved one and when COVID-19 restrictions stopped her from participating in her usual activities. She is self taught and is really enjoying her new-found talent this late in life.

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Fiona Doyle-Hunt is an amateur embroidery artist located in LaSalle, Ontario. Having been taught to embroider as a child by her mother, portrait painter Diana L. Doyle, Doyle-Hunt was recently inspired to return to the art through a gift of embroidery from her son. She uses the art of hand stitching to create work that champions intersectional feminism and social justice. Her art is influenced by her worldview and she enjoys using this traditionally viewed “women’s work” to create pieces that honour women and make political statements. She works in second-hand, vintage and repurposed textiles.

Barn Quilt is blue, black, and white. 4foot x 4foot .