The Eaton Corner Museum is closing its 2016 season with a flourish, presenting a free exhibition on October 15 and 16, A Tale of the Townships. Already in place for the past few weeks, the works of the artist Denis Palmer, of Randboro, tells the story of the colonisation of the Eastern Townships. The well-known artist will be present for the occasion to meet and talk with members of the public.
Palmer’s colossal work illustrates, among other things, the Haut-Saint-François region. Viewers will find illustrations of the Abenaki people and culture, the lives of the first colonists, and their fight for survival in the wilds of the Townships. The artist also presents the evolution of the crafts and trades developed by the colonists. Visitors will see history come to life under the brush of Denis Palmer.
Using an innovative digital technique, Josée Moisan of Pitteresco brought together the artist’s original works to create collages on screens installed inside the windows of the Museum’s church.
Palmer has taken part in numerous exhibitions and has worked in schools and municipalities on community art projects. He has also published a book of his artworks, entitled Homage to Rural Life. “I draw and paint with watercolours, preferring to work almost exclusively directly on the ground,” he said. “That lets me capture the ambiance of the moment: harvesting maple syrup, Remembrance Day, the Cookshire Fair, the plowing competition, auctions, and the daily events that furnish the lives of families, friends and neighbours.” Some 25 artworks are on exhibit inside the Foss House, situated just next to the church.
The artworks of Palmer are on sale, and the artist is donating part of the price of each painting sold to the Museum.
Museum
The Eaton Corner Museum has more than 4,000 artefacts, divided among three buildings, being the interior of the church, the Academy situated just across the street, and the Foss House. In addition to reading the various interpretation panels in the old Congregationalist church, it is possible to hear the personalities of olden days telling about their daily lives, on audio guides, in both French and English. “What we want is to share history with the community. What we have is a bilingual history created by the two communities, French and English-speaking,” said Jacqueline Hyman, secretary of the Museum’s board of directors.