Elly MacKay: Only Human  

June 28 - October 4, 2025

Image courtesy of the artist, Elly MacKay.

Only Human is a solo exhibition by Owen Sound-based paper artist Elly MacKay that examines the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the ongoing struggle to preserve artistic autonomy in the digital age. MacKay, an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator, has recently experienced a rise in the plagiarism of her distinctive style—an issue amplified by AI technologies. Nearly everything MacKay has shared online over the years now contributes to the vast datasets used to train these generative models without attribution or her consent.

Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are asked to lock away their cellphones in secure lockers before engaging with an intricate diorama inspired by MacKay’s personal dreams. This act serves as both a symbolic and practical gesture, momentarily shielding the artist’s work from digital intrusion while prompting visitors to consider how their devices mediate, distort, or even replace direct experience of the world around them.

Protective, although perhaps ultimately futile, Only Human invites a deeper reflection on the delicate balance between human creativity and the ever-expanding digital landscape.

About the artists:

Elly MacKay is an acclaimed paper artist and award-winning children’s bookmaker. She is the author and illustrator of a number of picture books, including Frostfire and Red Sky at Night, and has illustrated, among others The Enchanted Symphony by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and I Am a Meadow Mermaid and The Secret Fawn by Kallie George. Before pursuing a career in picture books, she taught in schools and was an educator in galleries. Elly attended The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design where she met her husband, Simon MacKay. They live with their children in Owen Sound, Ontario.

Opening Reception: Saturday June 28, 2025 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm