Leanne Nicholson’s mixed-media art transforms wildlife imagery, bones, and antlers into powerful works at Dyment Recreation Hall.
Leanne Nicholson Mixed-Media Art Featured in Dyment Recreation Hall Spring Exhibition
This spring, the lower level arts space at the Dyment Recreation Hall continues its celebration of Northwestern Ontario artists with a powerful mixed-media showcase by Leanne Nicholson. Her work stands out not only for its visual impact, but for the way it bridges landscape, memory, and material in deeply personal ways.
Born in Red Lake and rooted in the north, Nicholson’s artistic practice is shaped by a lifelong connection to the land. Much of her childhood was spent at her family’s cabin on McKenzie Island, where time in the forest and along the shoreline became more than experience—it became foundation. That relationship with place continues to guide her work today.
Her pieces move fluidly between painting, drawing, and three-dimensional mixed media. Wildlife imagery sits alongside carefully detailed skulls, antlers, and bones—natural materials she gathers and transforms through paint and pattern. These works are not about decoration, but continuation. Each piece carries a sense of respect, as though extending the life and presence of the animal beyond its physical form.
Nicholson often describes these materials as “gifts from nature,” collected during long walks in the forest. In her hands, they become vessels for storytelling—layered with symbolism, texture, and colour. The result is work that feels grounded and intimate, but also expansive in meaning.
Her art also holds a quieter, more personal dimension. In periods when language felt difficult, creating became a way to process and express lived experience. That emotional depth is present throughout her work, giving it a resonance that viewers often feel before they can fully explain it.
The spring exhibition at Dyment Recreation Hall brings together artists from Melgund Township and across Northwestern Ontario, but Nicholson’s work adds a distinct voice—one that speaks to both resilience and reverence for the natural world.
The exhibition runs until May 20, 2026, with viewing hours Mondays and Wednesdays from 1–4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
About the Author
