Tourism centre partners with artists to showcase region

BREATHTAKING. Artist Janine Marson captures the fall beauty of Muskoka with her paintbrush. Her work will be on display at the Muskoka Tourism Visitor Centre through October. Submitted photo

MUSKOKA - What better place to showcase fall colours captured by brush stroke than the Muskoka Tourism Visitor Centre.
Huntsville artist Janine Marson’s unique painting style comes through bright and bold in her work, which is now hanging in the visitor centre just south of Gravenhurst.
Marson’s work embodies the explosion of colour found in Muskoka during the fall season, a popular tourist attraction in the region.
“I love everything about fall. The mind-blowing colours, the rich earthy smells and crispness in the air, the iconic calls of geese flying overhead, and the absolute fun of just jumping into a pile of leaves,” she said.
“As a painter, it is my most favourite time of the year when I get to bring out all the hot, big boys of cadmium red, Indian yellow and all my fun colours like transparent orange oxide. It all leaves me feeling heady, alive and blessed to live and work in Muskoka.”
Marson said she is delighted to be showing her work at the visitor centre as it is expected to be a popular stop for those visiting the region to take in the fall foliage.
“I am thrilled to see the connection made by Muskoka Tourism to bring artists into their space,” she said. “I feel it is a wonderful way to connect tourism and artists together.”
Marson has several pieces on display at the gallery, including landscapes and a self-portrait.
“The one of the woman is a self-portrait of me looking at the last rays of light filtering through the trees up at Ragged Falls (on the edge of Algonquin Provincial Park) during the fall,” she said. Her son had snapped a photo of her during an idyllic sunset. “It is a great picture and I felt it suited my sense of peace.”
The painting is called Temporary Home in homage to Earth being Marson’s temporary home, she said.
“I know I may not have much by the world’s standards, but what I do have is immeasurable and overflowing. For this I am extremely thankful,” she said. “This picture of Temporary Home reminds me of those feelings and the deep sense of gratitude that I have toward my community.”
The painting and the photo that inspired it have a deeper meaning for Marson because her son took it.
“This Thanksgiving I give thanks for the gift of community, of love and support that my son and I have received over the last 14 years since I moved back home,” she said.
Michael Lawley, executive director for Muskoka Tourism, said the exhibit is spectacular and encourages visitors to drop by and experience it for themselves.
The show is offered as part of a partnership between Muskoka Tourism and Muskoka Arts & Crafts, which facilitates exhibits at the centre through use the gallery space to hang the work of area artists on a regular basis.
More than 60,000 people visit the centre annually, said Lawley, with more than 900 expected on Thanksgiving weekend alone.
He noted the partnership with the artists’ organization is an excellent way to emphasize the important role the creative economy plays in the region’s economic health and tourism.
“It’s a wonderful way for us to showcase the creative economy in Muskoka along with the natural appeal of the region,” said Lawley.
Marson has approximately seven large paintings on display at the centre, along with an extensive collection of note cards and prints.
Muskoka Colours runs at the Muskoka Tourism Visitor Centre until Oct. 29. The centre, located at 1342 Highway 11, is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission fee to view the artwork.

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