Meet our 2019 Artist in Residence, Holly Friesen

The Algonquin Art Centre and Algonquin Park are very excited to be welcoming artist Holly Friesen to Algonquin as our 2019 artist in residence. Holly was selected among a very competitive pool of applicants and will be in our on-site residence from Sept 17th  to Sept 26th,  exploring Algonquin alongside Park naturalists to learn about its various habitats and wildlife and to discover its inspiring nature for herself. 

Holly will also be hosting two art demos during her residency to showcase her paintings and techniques to Park visitors. The first will be on Sept 21st at the Algonquin Park Visitor’s Centre from 11 am to 3 pm. The second art demo will be on Sept 22nd at the Algonquin Art Centre from 11 am to 3 pm.

Holly Friesen was born in Saskatchewan, studied Visual Arts at John Abbott College in Montreal and painting at York University in Toronto. Her studio is currently based out of Montreal QC, where she creates  vibrant landscapes from the inside out while collaborating with other artists to make art more visible in our everyday world.

“My work revolves around earth-honoring images that reflect and instill connection to local bio-regions,” says Holly. “These images internalize a reverence for the earth and shift the intent from harming the world to living in a mutually life enhancing manner. I learn what I need to know by painting. The more I paint the less separation there is between inner and outer worlds. For me, painting is like deep prayer awakening an inner wilderness that reflects the earth’s landscape; the image is in you and you are in the image. Painting is my breath, beauty my compass and the earth is my body.”

Its All About Paint from Holly Friesen on Vimeo.