Janet Read

Solo Exhibitions (selected)

2023Janet Read: Recent Works, Dignam Gallery, Women’s Art Association, Toronto, ON
2023High Arctic Light, Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, Niagara on the Lake, ON
2022High Arctic Light, onsite, new work, Toronto Heliconian Club, Toronto, ON
2021High Arctic Light, Heliconian Club, Toronto, ON (virtual)
2020High Arctic Light, paintings and bookworks, Propeller Gallery
2019High Arctic Light, The Gallery at LE Shore, Thornbury, ON. OAC Exhibition Assistance Grant
2018Travelling Mercies Propeller Gallery, Toronto, ON
2018Embers of the Sky, Lee Contemporary, Orillia, ON
2017Embers of the Sky, Propeller Gallery, Toronto, ON. OAC Exhibition Assistance Grant
2016Janet Read, Recent Work, Rebecca Gallery, Toronto, ON
2016Janet Read, Atmospheric Abstraction, Navillus Gallery, 110 Davenport, Toronto, ON
2016The marks water makes, North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St. N.,North York, ON
2015Janet Read, Lake Simcoe: a book of hours, Propeller, Toronto, ON (Nov.26- Dec. 13)
2015Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, B21
2013Janet Read: An Abstract Practice, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, ON
2013Ways of Cloud & Water, Christensen Fine Art, Peterborough, ON
2013Recent Work, Context with Lorna Ducek, CBC Building, Wellington St, Toronto, ON
2013Recent Work, Galerie d’Avignon, Montreal, QC
2012Reading the Wave, Rebecca Gallery, Toronto, ON
2012Reading the Wave, Aurora Cultural Centre, Aurora, ON
2011Recent Paintings: Christensen Fine Art, Peterborough, ON
2010Hem of the Sea, Colborne Art Gallery, Colborne, ON
2010Hem of the Sea, A Mano Libera Gallery, St. Catherine’s, ON
2009Christensen Fine Art, Peterborough, ON
Rebecca Gallery, Toronto, ON
2008Yorkminster Park Gallery, Toronto, ON
Cambridge Centre for the Arts, Cambridge, ON
2007Ocean as Vessel, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, with catalogue Oshawa, ON
Christensen Fine Art, Peterborough, ON
2006Ocean as Vessel, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, ON
2005Hunter West Gallery, Peterborough, ON
2004Nomad/ A Traveler’s Paintings, On Sight, Toronto, ON
Upstairs Gallery, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Port Hope, ON
2002-03Imag~isle, isle d’Orleans, Quebec, Canada
2001First Canadian Place Gallery, Toronto
Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg
1994-2004Annually Painted City, Toronto
19911991 Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa

Duo & Group Exhibitions (selected)

2023Abstracts: John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
2023Carmichael: Tradition Transformed, Orillia Museum of Art and History, Orillia, ON
2022Nature to Abstraction, Women’s Art Association of Toronto, ON
Memory & Hope, TST 50th anniversary exhibition,Wycliffe College, U of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Breath. Heart. Spirit. OSA 150th, Queen’s Park, Lieutenant Governor’s Suite, Toronto,ON
Ambient Landscapes: OSA 150th Juried Exhibition, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, ON
Conversations: OSA 150th, Orillia Museum of Art and History, Orillia, ON
Breath. Heart. Spirit. OSA 150th, Juried Exhibition, Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant, Brant, ON
2021Temiskaming Art Gallery, Ontario Society of Artists, Juried Exhibition, Temiskaming, ON
2020-2021Carmichael Canadian Landscape Exhibition, Tradition Transformed, Orillia Museum of Art and History, Juror’s Prize award
2020Permanent Collection Exhibition, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, ON
2019Carmichael Canadian Landscape Exhibition, Orillia Museum of Art and History
2017Rebecca Last and Janet Read, Christensen Fine Art, Peterborough, ON
2016Wetlands, Watershed Project, Double Doors Gallery, Anten Mills, ON
2015Janet Read and Meredith Bingham, Christensen Fine Art, Peterborough, ON
2014Colour, In Theory, 4 large scale paintings Intro Gallery, Varley Gallery, Unionville,
ON companion show to permanent collection
2012Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Arts & Letters Club, Toronto, ON
2012Yorkminster Park Gallery anniversary show, Toronto, ON
2011-12OSA pARTners project, travelling exhibit, southern Ontario including the
Woodstock Gallery, John. B. Aird Gallery and The Japanese Paper Place
2010Being and Time, OSA Juried Show, Gallery Stratford, Stratford, ON
2008Sublunary, (duo) Whitby Station Gallery, Whitby, ON
2007Imag~isle, isle d’Orleans, Quebec, Canada
2006Fragility & Hope, St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto, ON
(International AIDS conference exhibit)
Sarah Beveridge, Barrie, ON Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, Toronto
2005Gallery 121, Belleville, ON
2004Longueil Art Centre, Neville Clark, Terence Jon Dyck, Janet Read, Montreal, Quebec
2003The Water Project, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg
2002Northumberland Artists, Upstairs Gallery, AGN, Port Hope
Blue Piano, Painted City, Toronto
2001400 Shades of Green, landscape across the spectrum, Sean McQuay, Janet Read, Andres Villars, The Mill Gallery, Visual Arts Centre, Clarington, ON
20007 Ontario Artists, First Canadian Place Gallery, Toronto
Winter Show, Painted City, Toronto
1998The Light is Waking, Laura Hair and Janet Read, Whitby Station Gallery, Whitby, ON
Permanent Collection, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg
1996Music in your Eyes, Edward Day Gallery, Kingston
Exhibit Ten, Edward Day Gallery, Kingston
Permanent Collection, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg
1991Four From the Region, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto
1991Janet Read & Alison Seale, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg
1990Janet Read & Suzanne Routh, Latcham Gallery, Stouffville
1989Janet Read & Suzanne Routh, The Mill Gallery, Visual Arts Centre, Clarington

Grants

  • 1990-2003, 2017, 2019, 2023 Exhibition Assistance Grants, Ontario Arts Council
  • 1994 Writer’s Reserve Grant, Ontario Arts Council

Collections

  • Ontario Government Archives Collection
  • Royal Bank Collection, Toronto
  • Town of Markham, ON
  • Markham Museum, ON
  • Cornell Library, Markham, ON
  • Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie, ON
  • Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto, ON
  • Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg
  • Whitby Station Gallery, Whitby, ON
  • Mackie Research Capital Inc. T-D Centre, Toronto
  • Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, Toronto, ON
  • private collections in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, England, Australia, Washington and New York

Education

  • M.A. Philosophy of art, aesthetics, on phenomenology of the body and metaphor, focus on Merleau-Ponty and Ricoeur
  • B.A. Honours. Philosophy, English and Medieval studies, U of Toronto
  • Diploma in Child Study. Institute of Child Study, U of Toronto
  • Ontario Teaching Certificate. Primary specialist parts 1 and 2
  • Art studies York University, Georgian College and OCAD
  • Music studies Royal Conservatory of Music, pipe organ studies with Deirdre Morrell (co-director, La Jeunesse Youth Choirs, Cobourg, ON)

Residencies

  • Pouch Cove Foundation, August 2004, Dingle, Ireland July 2008

Publications: Catalogues

2020Catalogue: 60 Years: An Anniversary: The Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg (p.33)
2020Catalogue: High Arctic Light: Janet Read paintings essay by Margaret Rodgers
2017Catalogue: Janet Read/ Recent Work, essay by Judith A. Mason
2011Catalogue: Janet Read/ Recent Paintings, essay by Gil McElroy
2007Catalogue: Janet Read: Ocean as Vessel, Robert McLaughlin Gallery:
catalogue essay by David Aurandt, curator and executive director
2000Catalogue: The Light is Waking, Whitby Station Gallery

Writing by the artist

2001Letters From Tom, Borealis/Tecumseh Press, Ottawa.
Children’s time shift novel about a soldier’s letters home from WWI
www.borealispress.com/lettersfromtom.html
1998Wilberforce Street, ITP Nelson: children’s historical novel about black Ontario history in the l840’s, with teacher’s guide
1998Sing for the Inner Ear, (anthology) Sandburg-Livesay Award
1995A Walk By The Seine, Canadian Poets on Paris, Black Moss Press (anthology)
1992Blue Mind’s Flower, Moonstone Press, finalist for the Gerald Lampert Award for
best first collection of poetry, given by the League of Canadian Poets
Poems published in The New Quarterly, A Room of One’s Own, Hawthorne Chapbook Society, Livesay-Sandburg Competition

Reviews

  • Surfacing Winter 2013, Canadian Poetry Magazine, Durham Arts Magazine, Kingston Whig-Standard, Le Soleil, Lola, Markham Economist and Sun, National Post, Ontario Black History Association Magazine, Oshawa Times, Port Hope Evening Guide, Where

Television

  • Profile segment on Studio Two, TVO, April 2004

Readings

  • Readings have been given in galleries, schools and public libraries: most recently at 66 King, The Poetry Workshop, Cobourg
  • Peterborough, Port Hope, & Cobourg Public libraries
  • Kingston C.V.I. Kingston, ON
  • Markham-Stouffville Hospital, Markham, ON
  • Peterborough Women’s Art Association, Peterborough, ON

Workshops

2020-21Visual Artist in Residence, Toronto Heliconian Club, Toronto
2018Cobourg Art Club, Abstract Painting Techniques workshop
2018Whitby Station Gallery, Composition in Abstract Painting, (spring and fall workshops)
2014-15 Composition and technique in abstract painting, acrylic mediums and paints Varley Gallery, Oakville Society of Artists

Retreat

  • Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, North York, ON (weekend guided retreat) 2016, 2017

Jury

  • 2003 Peterborough Hospital Health and Healing
  • Arts and Letters Club, members exhibitions, 2010, 2015
  • South Simcoe Arts, Elemental, arts on Main, 2023

Affiliations

  • Propeller Gallery, Toronto, ON, Ontario Society of Artists, CARFAC, The Writers’ Union of Canada, CBBAG

About the artist…

  • Read is a poet, musician and artist. The ways of cloud and water over ocean and lake are her subject matter in a mode of atmospheric abstraction. Her work references the legacy of abstract expressionism and current UK painters such as Sean Scully and Howard Hodgkin.

Representation

Scroll to Top