Archival Investigations features works by third-year students in Georgian College’s School of Design and Visual Arts using images from the Barrie Historical Archive in a fresh, new light. Students reconstructed scenes from the past to create transformative new artworks from a variety of perspectives: memories, nostalgia, civic planning, suburban sprawl, humour and wonder. Whether posing a political critique or portraying a moment in Barrie’s fascinating past, each student interpreted a scene as it appeared to them, and together the works create a series of altered visions of Barrie’s past.
Dr. Travis Doucette, Chair of the Barrie Historical Archive was at the debut on December 8th, and had these words for the Georgian College Art Students:
“On behalf of the Barrie Historical Archive I want to congratulate you on a remarkable and talent-filled exhibit at 
the MacLaren Thursday night. Myself and other members of our Board were absolutely stunned and awestruck by your remarkable work. Whether it was the simplistic interpretation of the old Post Office, the impressionable large canvas painting of the girls on the Minet’s Point Dock or the thought-provoking Allandale Station Piece, each and every one of your pieces was captivating and filled all of us with such a sense of pride. Our Director of Curation remarked to me at one point, “these interpretations are better than the original photos!”. I must concur. So please accept a virtual standing ovation from everyone here at the BHA. Mr. Evans, your curator I know is proud of each and every one of you and should also be commended for such fine work. We esteem and support the wonderful students at Georgian College. This has been an incredible partnership and we hope you will continue to discover, use and interpret the historical pieces contained in the BHA.
A hearty congratulations and Merry Christmas to you all!”
The Archival Investigations exhibit in the Molson Room at the MacLaren Art Centre runs from December 3,2016 until February 20, 2017.
