A valued community space and hub for local artists lost its founder and administrator this fall, but members of the Wellington Artists’ Gallery are determined to keep the centre open and Beryl Dawson’s vision alive.
In 2008 Dawson persuaded township council to allow her to open a volunteer-run gallery on her property outside Fergus on Wellington Road 29. Since then, the space has grown to accommodate 25 exhibiting artists and 25 non-exhibiting volunteers.
After a short battle with cancer, Dawson passed away on Oct. 9 of this year.
Fergus photographer John McGill, an exhibiting member of the gallery for the last three years, says artists didn’t realize how much Dawson did behind the scenes – so the next year will be an uncertain transition period.
“It’s very difficult this year as you can imagine, it’s quite a transition from Beryl basically running everything behind the scenes,” he said.
“In the past couple of months since she passed we’re finding out really just how much Beryl did and so people are a little uneasy about the gallery and the direction it’s going to go.
“We’re in good shape and ready to move forward, but it’s all dependent on the number of members that return and the number of members we’re able to acquire.”
In the past, members and volunteers have staffed the gallery and served on various committees. McGill says this will most likely continue, with the addition of a possible executive committee able to take up some of Dawson’s former responsibilities.
“We have a number of members who have confirmed they are returning and we’re looking for new members. If we do reach that critical number, I see the gallery going forward as more of a cooperative,” he says. “The members are determined to keep it going, they want to see Beryl’s hard work continue.”
McGill said that even while in the hospital, Dawson was diligently working away getting things in order so the gallery could go on without her.
“Every time I would go to see her, Beryl would be sitting there with a binder in her lap, making notes, right up until the last day, on things that needed to be done for the gallery,” he recalls.
McGill says Dawson created a unique fixture in the community that stands out against more traditional gallery models because all exhibiting artists have a vested interest in the space itself.
“I think it’s one of the very few spaces in this area where local artists have the ability to show their work,” he says.
“There are not a lot of galleries that are like a co-op, were you have a vested interest in the entire gallery and not just in your work hanging there. You don’t just drop off your work and walk away.”
Although the gallery is closed for the season until May, members will exhibit work at various locales throughout the winter, including a month-long show at the Creperie in Elora beginning in February.
In the meantime, McGill says they will continue to reach out to the community with the hope of drawing in the 25 members needed to keep the gallery running.
He added officials have reduced the annual exhibiting membership fee to $300, while non-exhibiting memberships are $50 per year.
Although McGill is confident in the gallery’s future, he says it still won’t be the same without Dawson’s determination and passion for the arts.
“Beryl was a no-nonsense type of woman. She was very, very kind and very encouraging and supportive of the artist, especially new artists like myself when I came in,” he said. “She encouraged you to do your best and was extremely supportive, but she ran a fairly tight ship.”
For information or to become a member of the gallery, email McGill at johnsmcgill@outlook.com.
