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Artist explores post-war Dutch immigration story

The King’s University College in Edmonton has announced the opening of Immigrant, an exhibition of 20 new oil paintings

The King’s University College in Edmonton has announced the opening of Immigrant, an exhibition of 20 new oil paintings and one installation piece by Burlington, Ont. artist Rosemary Sloot. The exhibit explores the post-war emigration of the Dutch to Canada. In telling her own family’s story, Sloot is telling the story of every Dutch immigrant, and in telling of the post-war experience, the story of many immigrants.

“My efforts as artist-chronicler have resulted in a series of intimate works that are narrative by intent and reveal themselves readily while they recover personal history and speak to common universal themes of loss, uprootedness, family and individual identity, sacrifice, persistence, hope and faith,” Sloot says of the Immigrant exhibition in her artist’s statement.

In his article for the May/June issue of Dutch, The Magazine, Tom Bijvoet writes of the exhibition: “In her highly accomplished at times almost photographically realistic style, Ms. Sloot’s paintings bring the emotions of the immigrant and his burden across in their most raw and tactile form.

“Those who attend the show would be advised to stop by each painting and look at it with an eye for its layered detail and its symbolism. Each one, like Burden of the Immigrant, carries a huge amount of meaning, of story, for each one of us, although our stories may differ in the details. For this exhibition Ms. Sloot has created a collection of works that should be recognized as a significant addition to the representation of a quintessential Canadian experience — are we not all immigrants?”

Immigration was curated by George Wade at the Burlington Art Centre. Rosemary Sloot is a senior visual artist living and working in London, Ont.. She was born in Simcoe, Ont., two months after her parents landed in Canada. They had just emigrated from The Netherlands. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and with a master’s from the University of Alberta, both in painting. Rosemary Sloot has an exhibition history of 34 years. Her works are included in a number of major corporate collections in Canada and in private collections in Canada, the USA, Australia and The Netherlands among others.

The gallery is located in the Atrium of The King’s University College at 9125-50 St., Edmonton. The public is welcome. Immigrant is on display at The King’s University College Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. until Jan. 15. Admission is free.