Press Release: Elora Centre for the Arts, Jan. 21, 2026.
ELORA — The Elora Centre for the Arts (ECFTA) officially marks another milestone in its transformation with the opening of Light & Solitude: Landscapes of Spirit and Place, a solo exhibition by acclaimed Canadian painter Barry McCarthy. Presented in the Art Centre’s newly revitalized gallery spaces, the exhibition offers both a powerful artistic experience and a celebratory moment for the community.
Light & Solitude: Landscapes of Spirit and Place will be on view in the gallery until March 8, 2026. Submitted photo
Light & Solitude brings together monumental watercolours and oil paintings that move beyond traditional landscape depiction, inviting viewers into quiet meditations on place, memory, and presence. From the mist-laden rivers and fields of Elora to the weathered Atlantic cliffs of Nova Scotia, McCarthy’s work captures not only what the eye perceives, but what the land quietly holds – emotion, stillness, and the passing of time.
“These paintings are about slowing down and listening,” said McCarthy. “I’m interested in how light and solitude allow us to enter a deeper relationship with place – how landscapes can reflect our inner lives, offering moments of clarity, grounding, and quiet transformation.”
Light & Solitude: Landscapes of Spirit and Place will be on view in the gallery until March 8, 2026. Submitted photo
The exhibition unfolds through a series of thematic regions that mirror McCarthy’s creative journey. Places Here grounds visitors in the familiar landscapes of Elora, shaped by long observation and intimacy. Places North explores Ontario’s rugged shorelines and open expanses, where solitude becomes refuge and time appears to slow. Places East draws on maritime environments marked by weather, labour and endurance, where dramatic light reinforces the emotional pull of the sea.
The exhibition also serves as a showcase for the Elora Centre for the Arts’ newly renovated gallery spaces, designed to support professional exhibitions. The revitalization includes enhanced lighting, climate control, and structural upgrades that elevate the Art Centre’s ability to present quality work.
“Barry helped guide us through our plans for the renovated gallery – suggesting inclusions like security, humidity controls, lighting, and reinforced plywood behind the drywall for hanging art,” says ECFTA Executive Director Lianne Carter. “Our goal was to build a gallery that Barry McCarthy would exhibit in – and here we are! We did it! It’s such a compliment that he agreed to show with us.”
Added Bonus: The artist will be hosting a free art clinic on Sunday February 8th in the atrium of the Arts Centre where artists can bring a work-in-progress piece and receive insights, suggestions and encouragement. Spaces are limited and sign-up is required via the Arts Centre website. Submitted photo.
Presented as a sensory dialogue between art, architecture, and environment, Light & Solitude encourages visitors to consider how they occupy space, and how space, in turn, shapes them. At its core, the exhibition is a reflection on being — on how light marks time, how landscapes hold memory,
and how familiar places continue to form who we are.
The exhibition includes a special highlight: McCarthy’s newest original work, David Street Bridge, unveiled publicly for the first time. A poster edition of the piece is available for purchase in the Elora Centre for the Arts’ artisan shop.
Everyone is invited to an artist reception to launch the exhibition on Sunday January 25th from 2 – 4PM. A wonderful chance to see the space transformed and enjoy an afternoon of meaningful connection. Admission is free.
Added Bonus: The artist will be hosting a free art clinic on Sunday February 8th in the atrium of the Arts Centre where artists can bring a work-in-progress piece and receive insights, suggestions and encouragement. Spaces are limited and sign-up is required via the Arts Centre website.
Everyone is invited to an artist reception to launch the exhibition on Sunday January 25th from 2 – 4PM. A wonderful chance to see the space transformed and enjoy an afternoon of meaningful connection. Admission is free.
Added Bonus: The artist will be hosting a free art clinic on Sunday February 8th in the atrium of the Arts Centre where artists can bring a work-in-progress piece and receive insights, suggestions and encouragement. Spaces are limited and sign-up is required via the Arts Centre website.
Light & Solitude: Landscapes of Spirit and Place will be on view in the gallery until March 8, 2026.
