2026 Spring Arts Exhibition featuring Northwestern Ontario Artists
This year’s Spring Arts Exhibition at the Dyment Recreation Hall in Melgund Township is proud to welcome and spotlight the powerful work of local Borups Corners artist Leanne Nicholson.
Born in Red Lake and rooted in northwestern Ontario, Leanne Nicholson’s life and work are deeply shaped by the land that surrounds her. Much of her childhood was spent at her family’s cabin on McKenzie Island, where long days outdoors fostered a lasting connection to nature—one that continues to guide her creative practice.
Leanne works across visual and mixed-media forms, creating pieces that range from striking wildlife imagery to intricately painted antlers, bones, and skulls. Her work transforms natural materials into powerful, respectful expressions of life, memory, and continuity. Each piece carries a sense of reverence; through her process, she honours the animals by extending their presence—allowing their spirit to live on through art.
Spending countless hours in the forest, Leanne gathers what she describes as “gifts from nature,” which become the foundation of her creations. Her work exists at the intersection of land-based practice and artistic expression, blending organic textures with vivid, often deeply symbolic imagery.
Art has also been a vital personal language for Leanne. In times when words felt out of reach, her creative practice became a way to navigate and express her experiences with depression. This depth of feeling is embedded in her work, giving it an emotional resonance that connects with others in meaningful ways.
Today, Leanne brings her artistic skills into her professional life, where her work continues to support and benefit the people she works with—offering connection, reflection, and healing through creativity.
About the 2026 Spring Exhibition
Each year, our seasonal exhibitions rotate between Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. This year’s exhibition runs from April 17-May 17, 2026 at the Dyment Recreation Hall. The gallery space is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit https://melgundrecreation.ca.
- Live Creative Sessions: Open mic nights and communal music jams.
- Knowledge Sharing: Guest artist talks and hands-on participatory workshops.
- Community Dialogues: In-person and virtual community discussions on the intersections of art, climate change, virtual reality, and the transboundary impacts of nuclear waste management.
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