YARTMOUTH, N.S. - When the Land’s End Arts and Culture Centre first opened here in June, the operators decided to make a big splash with their first exhibit at the brand-new art gallery. They achieved that goal when they launched “Maud Lewis: Coming Home” which features many of Lewis’s paintings on display until September. “We knew we wanted to start with a big one,” said curator David Popplow. It is the second-biggest showcase ever of Lewis’s folk art. Many of the paintings by Lewis represent her early work, using bright colours to capture flowers, animals and winter scenes. There are also dozens of Lewis’s postcards which at one time, she sold door-to-door for five cents each. “The postcards are smaller, they’re more detailed and are more personal,” said Popplow. He added that paintings in general depict Lewis’s perspective of life in Southwestern Nova Scotia in the mid 20th century. “The small inlets, the small places, it was a little rougher and it represents, artistically the nature of the community.” Popplow said the new gallery is an attempt to preserve art and culture in Yarmouth and the surrounding area. While there is a lot of work still to be done, he is certain the new Maud Lewis display has put the Land’s End Arts and Culture Centre in a position to succeed going forward. “We acquired this gallery through the help of politicians and the town of Yarmouth, and we now are the custodians of the building, and we want to keep this going forever,” said Popplow. The exhibit is already a major tourism draw, attracting people from across Canada and around the world. “It is real and it is honest,” said Regina Vanberckel, who travelled from Alberta. “That’s what I’m really thinking, what you see is what you get.” Lewis, who died in 1970, spent most of her life in poverty and lived with rheumatoid arthritis. She only gained recognition for her art later in life, but today many of her paintings are worth tens of thousands of dollars. “She was disabled and had a very challenging life,” said JoAnn Ranson, chair of the Land’s End Arts and Culture Society. “Yet, every one of her paintings brings joy to everyone. Everybody smiles, and the paintings speak to all audiences young and old.” In total, the display has 74 pieces of art that offer a celebration of the life and legacy of Lewis and her importance to this community. She was born in the Yarmouth area and later in life moved to a tiny house in Marshalltown, N.S. “That’s why the exhibit is called ‘Maud Lewis: Coming Home’ because Maud has come home,” said Ranson. It is a fitting tribute and the perfect place to celebrate the world-famous paintings of folk artist Maud Lewis.
