Month: July 2018

Don’t Forget You’re Irish

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to help me launch this new Irish-Canadian exhibit.

Thank you to Melynda Jarratt who wrote the following press release:

« Don’t Forget You’re Irish » New exhibit at Doucet Hennessy House July 2018

(June 24, 2018) – A new exhibition by Bathurst artist Sharon Olscamp explores the role of memory in recapturing cultural identity through the experiences of an Irish-Canadian family in northern New Brunswick. The exhibit will be on display at the Doucet Hennessy House during the month of July and is free to the public.

Sharon Olscamp is the Artist-in-Residence this summer at the Doucet Hennessy House. She explains her inspiration came from childhood memories of her grandmother, Mrs. Beatrice Hennessy, saying « Don’t forget you’re Irish. »

« At the time I didn’t know what she meant and I didn’t really think of it much all these years until I was asked to create an exhibit as the first Artist-in-Residence of the Doucet Hennessy House, » says Olscamp.

« My art begins with the biological fact of being born into an Irish-Canadian family. A distant Irish past is long lost to most of us except in old stones and books. All I really have left are the words of my grand-mother. I realize now how important her stories were in shaping me and influencing my art. I sketch from old photos while trying to recall details about my particular Irish-Canadian family along a timeline that might offer very different memories for other members of the same family. » she says.

« Don’t Forget You’re Irish » will be open to the public from Tuesday, July 3 to Saturday, July 28, 2018 at the Maison Doucet Hennessy House, 375 St. Peter Avenue, Bathurst, NB.

The artist will be on site, every Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-4 pm, by chance or by appointment.

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Never Forget

I am the first artist-in-residence at the Doucet-Hennessy house in Bathurst, New Brunswick. My new exhibit opens to the public on Wednesday, July 3

By the way, I strongly identify as Irish. Yes, technically I am Canadian and one might suppose that today I would be celebrating Canada Day. However, for reasons I’ll not go into at present, I prefer to celebrate the Heritage passed down to by my ancestors, the Hennessys and O’Tooles among others.

The Don’t Forget You’re Irish art exhibit opens to the public July 3. Drop by Tuesday to Saturday for a cup of tea and a chat at the historic Doucet-Hennessy House in Bathurst, New Brunswick. If you play Celtic or Acadian music or any sort of traditional folk music, we hope to have informal music sessions on Saturdays from 2-4. Bring along your acoustic instrument and join us. Music workshops are in the planning for September.

This exhibit is open to the public from July 3 – 28 in Bathurst, New Brunswick. More about the exhibit in this press release: https://surmonbabillard.com/art-exhibit-dont-forget-youre-irish-doucet-hennessy-house/”>Irish Canadian family settled on Bay of Chaleur in Canada.