Guelph Photographers Guild presents work at Civic Museum
Running until Dec. 15, Guelph Civic Museum is displaying a collection of photographs centered on the theme of “Guelph, Wellington and the World.” This exhibit includes photographs taken by members of the Guelph Photographers Guild, captured from near and far. Some members turned their lens to local scenes, while others travelled for inspiration.
The exhibit, curated by local photographer Bruce Shapka, was open to submissions from the guild’s members. “It was left up to them to select, from their own particular collection of photographs, which ones they would want to print, frame, and submit,” said Shapka.
Over 40 images, taken by 14 guild members, occupy a single room in the museum. The subject matter includes farmhouses, bridges and rivers, historic buildings and architecture, forests and natural scenery, and a few human subjects. The overall theme is broad enough to accommodate a range of subjects.
Guelph residents will recognize many local landmarks, all presented in intriguing ways.
“Lady in the Mist” by Doug J. England is a moody, atmospheric image of the statue at the front of the iconic Church of Our Lady Immaculate. The church looms in the background, its spires fading into a thick fog.
Many photographers explore Guelph’s rural landscape for inspiration. “Abandoned Barn” by Nick Mares presents a red barn as the focal point in a desolate snowy field, a quintessential Southern Ontario scene.
“Gimme Shelter” by Alan Norsworthy captures the exterior of downtown hangout the Albion Hotel, caught in a snow flurry while its sign glows through the thick snowfall. Shapka explained the story behind the spontaneous image:
“That was taken a couple years ago on New Years Day. [Northsworthy] was out for a walk, and always carries his camera it seems, and the Albion Hotel left their lights on from overnight and it started to snow. It’s like being there at the right time, with your camera. You could never go back and duplicate that,” said Shapka.
“Shattered,” also captured by Norsworthy, is one particularly striking photograph in the collection; this colourful image depicts a close-up view of a shattered car window, revealing beauty in an unexpected place. The fractured, translucent glass picks up the colours in the background in pastel hues. The hole in centre of the window creates a striking focal point, and cracks radiate from the centre.
These locally sourced photographs are presented alongside images captured by Guelph guild members while travelling, providing some worldly context.
In addition to photographs, there are also displays of vintage cameras, some of which were selected from the museum’s historical archives. There are examples of homemade pinhole cameras, Kodak Brownie box cameras, early Polaroid cameras, and other artifacts from photography’s analogue past.
“Guelph, Wellington and the World” stands as a testament to the beauty and character of Guelph and its surrounding area, within the wider world, and it highlights the Guelph Photographers Guild’s dedication to exploring, capturing and sharing their creative work.
“You take your camera with you and most times you don’t use it. But you never know when something will crop up and you’re there at the right time to capture that moment in time,” said Shapka.