
With many unique, colourful pieces of art at Gallery 415, it’s a good spot to bid adieu to artist, Wendy Provins.
The Artist
As Manitoba artist Wendy Provins prepares to move to British Columbia, Gallery 415 on St. Anne’s Road is hosting an open house / going away send off for the artist.
Provins, who grew up in Flin Flon, raised three daughters and lived in various parts of Canada, with a four year stint in Australia, has since called Winnipeg home for the last 11 years. At the end of April, she’ll be moving with her husband Dave to Keremeos, BC, where she plans to concentrate on painting full time.
It wasn’t until a few years ago, after suffering serious vision problems due to the genetic disorder, Marfan Syndrome, that Wendy Provins rekindled her passion for watercolours. After undergoing several eye surgeries, she utilized the recovery periods to enhance skills previously obtained through self-learning as well as water colour courses in Ontario, Australia and Manitoba.
For the past two years, Provins has taken her art in a different direction painting mainly acrylic abstracts. Her birch trees have become very popular and over the past year she has sold many of her acrylic paintings through the gallery.
Several of her paintings reflect her love of the rugged beauty of northern Manitoba.
The open house will be on Saturday, April 12th 11am – 4pm, and on Sunday, April 13th 1-4pm. The artist will be bringing in many new pieces into Gallery 415, so it will be a good opportunity to find some good buys and to say goodbye to Wendy Provins.
The Gallery
Winnipeg is a town full of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered in places like Gallery 415, where one can find some unique items.
Winnipegger Heather Gregory, the owner of this quaint art gallery and gift shop at 415 St. Anne’s Road, opened the gallery four years ago in a building that she owns. She retired from work and started to showcase mostly local artists. “It’s a retirement project gone wild,” she says.
An artist herself who specializes in fused glass creations — a hobby which she started doing about 10 to 12 years ago — Heather Gregory has also done painted and traditional stained glass since 1983, and classes on fused glass work are also offered at the gallery.
Along with some amazing ‘fused glass’ art, many other unique gifts and art can be found here including jewellery, pottery, photography, paintings and greeting cards. Some of the artists who sell their work at Gallery 415 include Courtney Smith (etchings, screen prints and woodcuts), QUIDAM (greeting cards and photography), Diane Lynn Sedger from Ontario (watercolours), Helga McInnes (acrylic paintings and painting on glass and vases), Cathy and Peter Schoenherr (fused glass bead jewellery, bookmarks and purse charms), Barb Roney (pottery, stoneware, and porcelain) Henri Pillot (acrylic), Jean-Pierre Grossman (photography), Samantha Atkinson (oil and acrylic), Debra Lasslo (jewellery), and the youngest artist of the group, teenager Shanelle St. Hilaire who does some wonderful acrylic paintings. Also featured in the gallery are works by the Rock of Ages Lapidary Club with their Manitoba polished stones and jewellery.
Currently, Wendy Provins works can be found at the Wayne Arthur Gallery, Gallery 415, the Oakwood Cafe, Finales, the Misericordia Hospital Gift Shop in Winnipeg, Fort Whyte Alive, as well as The Orange Toad and Rocky View Lodge in Flin Flon, Manitoba.
Wendy can be contacted at wrprovins@hotmail.com or 204-255-6044
Gallery 415 is at 415 St. Anne’s Road 204-257-0777
All photos by Doug Kretchmer