For the first time ever, Allan Brooks art will be exhibited at the namesake nature centre.
The Allan Brooks Nature Centre Society and Vernon Public Art Gallery present the exhibition of original artwork by Major Allan Brooks, at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre.
Most of Brooks’ original paintings (over 1,800 cataloged to date) are in private and institutional collections around the world, many in Canada, including the Vernon Art Gallery permanent collection.
“Allan Brooks was the inspiration behind creating the Allan Brooks Nature Centre Society 25 years ago. To see his beautiful artworks in person is very special and we invite the community to come and see them in person,” centre manager Cheryl Hood said.
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Brooks (1869 – 1946) was a naturalist and talented, self-taught painter and wildlife artist of international stature who lived in the Okanagan Landing area in the early 1900’s. His work was featured in numerous publications including National Geographic magazine in the early 1920s and 1930s, and Birds of Canada (Taverner, 1934). In addition to his work as an artist, Brooks’ work assisted the scientific community of his day and of present times as well. The Government of Canada declared Brooks a Person of National Historic Significance, and he is commemorated in the siting of a plaque at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre in Vernon.
There are a total of five mixed media artworks on loan from the Vernon Art Gallery. The earliest of the artwork is dated in 1909. Brooks titled each of his works by the species represented. This collection includes Oregon Junco, English Partridges, Pronghorn Antelope, Chipping Sparrows and Steller Jay.
“The original artworks are stored in the permanent collection vault of the VPAG and we welcome the opportunity to take out the artwork from storage and provide ABNC visitors with an opportunity to view the original artworks, some of which were produced almost 100 years ago,” art gallery curator Lubos Culen said.
The artwork will be available for viewing in the Interpretive Centre until the end of September. The Allan Brooks Nature Centre and the Vernon Public Art Gallery are providing guests with complementary sketch books, activity guides, and pencil crayons, to help inspire everyone to get outside and create art in nature.
The Allan Brooks Nature Centre is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., by donation. For more information visit www.abnc.ca.
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An exhibition of Allan Brooks artwork, from the Vernon Public Art Gallery, is on display at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre. (Contributed)
