October Exhibition

From October 1st till October 30th

A PLACE for the ARTS
presents

Once We Were Birds

About the Show

Once We Were Birds’ @ the Annex Gallery is a visual expression of Henry Gordon’s journey as a long-time student of dreaming. These drawings and paintings explore dreaming as a dance between our collective human consciousness and our individual consciousness. Henry channels mysterious, layered images, allowing this process of artmaking to be ‘random, but not random’ (the idea that every thought, feeling, and action is impactful, and comes from and returns to a vast web of interconnection). The images represent the Earth’s inhabitants in relationship as they continue to dream their shared past, present and future together. Henry draws also from a fascination with the process of unfathomable, unknowable cosmic evolution, as well as the small passing moments of each day. These images are visual poems.

Hosted by Henry Melissa Gordon

Henry Melissa Gordon (she/her) started life in South Africa before immigrating to Canada as a child. She is a member of the LGBTQ community. After completing an MFA at the University of Waterloo in 1999, Henry went on a long healing journey and lived with gratitude for many years near Bancroft, Ontario on the traditional lands of the Anishnaabeg Peoples and the traditional territory covered by the Williams Treaties. Henry worked part time as and artist and part-time at Grail Springs Retreat Centre as a workshop facilitator and life coach for 12 years. Henry also collaborated with The Samadhi Centre in Boulter, Ontario to create workshops that combined opportunities for meditation and deep heart-opening experiences in nature. Henry worked for 7 years as a volunteer at the Anahata Horse Centre (horse rescue) near Bancroft and co-created and co-facilitated a ‘horses as healers’ program for kids living with autism. In 2021, Henry moved back to the Waterloo area, and is feeling joyful about establishing a productive full-time art practice.

Questions? Email Henry Melissa Gordon