Artist donates original paintings to Timmins Museum in support of Indigenous women
When Molly McTiernan, the development and marketing coordinator at the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition saw Johanne Lamarche's art, she was inspired.
“It’s very deep. When you look at it, it’s abstract and it’s not just something typical that you see every day," said McTiernan.
McTiernan met Lamarche who was in town this fall visiting family.
"She was very moved by the work and I was very moved by her interest in the creation of the work," said Lamarche. I said to her, I’m going to leave you this work, I think it belongs in Timmins. I’d like to do something good with this work and I would like to find a charity that I can donate it to that might have an Indigenous connection.”
When Lamarche was growing up in Timmins, she said she was aware that Indigenous peoples dealt with issues, and realized the gravity of them when she heard about the residential school gravesites.
"You feel like you’re really helpless when news like the residential school horrific discoveries were made and I thought art can heal," said Lamarche.
Each painting is one-hundred and fifty dollars and every cent will be given to the Timmins and Area Women in Crisis. Centre officials said donations help cover costs that government funding won't.
“For example, if a woman needs to get out of the province and she’s trying to back to her home province of say Alberta, victim services can only pay within the province so when she hits Thunder Bay there’s no dollars to get her outside of that so we can help provide that additional support." explained Julie Nobert-DeMarchi, executive director of Timmins and Area Women in Crisis.
Lamarche, a retired periodontist, lives in Philadelphia. She said her favourite medium is an ancient one, involving adding beeswax to oil.
The original works she donated to the museum are matted, signed by Lamarche and are ready for framing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.