"SPIT" The Art of Disclosure by Fran Hanover

The Alex Dufresne Art Gallery in Callander, Ontario will open an exhibition featuring Northern Ontario artist Fran Hanover on October 9, open for viewing until November 13, 2021.

SPIT, The Art of Disclosure, features a visual narrative of the artist’s journey through the mysteries and social challenges of ambiguous ethnicity, 1960’s adoption, and discovery. Works include oil, sculpture and mixed media.

Born in Toronto in the 60’s, Fran Hanover opens up about a lifetime of “comparison searching” for her ethnic roots. Adopted during the time of The Sixties Scoop, and the forced removal of children from single mothers in Post-war Canada, records were sealed, ethnicities kept hidden, and medical records were not included. Attempts to trace her biological family were met with redacted documents and vague details. In 2016, technology changed all of this when sample DNA verified her ethnicity, connected her with her biological family, and gave warning to a ticking time bomb.

Hanover’s work is a demonstration that emotional complexities and creative passions are not entirely learned through nurture. Our genetic memory creates a molecular roadmap for our lives established by inherited traits, and may even offer clues to the design of our imminent death. SPIT is an exhibit about the disclosures and discoveries that lead to redemption, confirmation, validation – and a medical miracle.

The show will open on Saturday October 9, there will not be an official reception however the artist will be on site in the afternoon. The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00-5:00pm all fall/winter long.

Please respect social distancing and wear a mask. The maximum occupancy for the gallery is 14 and the museum 12.