A History of Reverence

September 19, 2026 - January 2, 2027

Frances-Anne Johnston, A Deux, Chez Moi (detail), c. 1976, oil on canvas.

A History of Reverence gathers works from the past sixty years that engage with earlier artists as points of inspiration, reflection, and dialogue. Drawn from the Tom Thomson Art Gallery’s collection, the exhibition traces how acts of homage can take many forms—from direct stylistic reference to conceptual reimagining, critical interrogation, or inventive transformation. Each work acknowledges the presence of the past as an active force in the present, revealing how artists position themselves both within and against inherited traditions. In this continuum, reverence becomes less an act of imitation than a gesture of recognition and a way to sustain conversation across generations of artistic practice.

Rather than suggesting nostalgia or deference, the works in A History of Reverence expose the complexity of artistic lineage. Some artists invoke their predecessors to honor or preserve their influence; others engage them to question hierarchies, recast narratives, or assert new identities. Taken together, the exhibition charts a living history of exchange, in which memory and innovation coexist, and in which every creative act carries traces of those who came before while staking claim to its own presence.

Reception: Saturday October 17, 2026 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm