Dorthy Cameron, Me and the Art Scene.

In 1965 I was trying to be an Artist. I tried to get into OCA and was rejected. I was still living in Uxbridge working with my buddy Gary Hodgkins in his sign business. We had a 'pad' and a lot of parties and a lot of unhappy fathers.

Anyway we were in Toronto on some sign biz and stopped into the Morrissey Tavern for a few beers. I had read the paper and mentioned that 'Eros 65' the erotic art show everybody was talking about was just across the street and we should have a looksee. So with few beers in us   we wander  over to the Cameron Gallery to find chaos. Dorthy was cowering in a corner as this idiot was grabbing pictures off the wall and throwing them on the floor screaming religious stuff. So Hodge and I are big strong guys we grab the guy and throw him out the door. We tried to help with the mess but she just thanked us profusely and closed the gallery so we went back to the Morrissey. So next year I moved to Toronto and soon was a hanger onner on the Art Scene and Dorthy remembered me and we became friends and met up at many shows and quaffed a few wines. Dorthy was a beautiful person knew more about the art scene then anybody around. She was a big supporter of Art and Toronto Artists.

Eros '65

Exhibition

May 21, 1965 - June 7, 1965

Dorothy Cameron Gallery

Dorothy Cameron Gallery, Toronto

Eros '65 featured the drawings and sculptures by: Martin Berkovitz, Claude Breeze, Dennis Burton, Graham Coughtry, Greg Curnoe, John Fillion, Gould, Harman, Peter Harris, Tom Hodgson, Gerald Humen, Robert Markle, Louis de Niverville, Willis Perron, Colette Romanow, Fred Ross, Ivor Smith, Harold Town, Joyce Wieland, Walter Yarwood and Paul Young

Incredible interview with Robert Markle (this was like the pilot in those days)

(There is more philosophy in a bottle of wine than all the books ever written)

http://www.cbc.ca/…/…/cops-ban-artist-for-lewd-drawings.html

Eros '65

Exhibition May 21, 1965 - June 7, 1965 Dorothy Cameron Gallery Dorothy Cameron Gallery, Toronto Eros '65 featured the drawings and sculptures by: Martin Berkovitz, Claude Breeze, Dennis Burton, Graham Coughtry, Greg Curnoe, John Fillion, Gould, Harman, Peter Harris, Tom Hodgson, Gerald Humen, Robert Markle, Louis de Niverville, Willis Perron, Colette Romanow, Fred Ross, Ivor Smith, Harold Town, Joyce Wieland, Walter Yarwood and Paul Young Related people    Martin Berkovitz - Artist    Claude Breeze - Artist    Dennis Burton - Artist    Graham Coughtry - Artist    Greg Curnoe - Artist    Louis de Niverville - Artist    John Fillion - Artist    Jack Harman - Artist    Peter Harris - Artist    Tom Hodgson - Artist    Gerald Humen - Artist    John Gould - Artist    Robert Markle - Artist    Willis Perron - Artist    Colette Romanow - Artist    Fred Ross - Artist    John Ivor Smith - Artist    Harold Town - Artist    Joyce Wieland - Artist    Walter Yarwood - Artist    Paul Young - Artist

Typical me

A few years and many Art Shows later I was dating an Artist (I tried but can't remember her name) who was showing at the Roberts Gallery. She was part of the Christmas group show and had two paintings in the show so she invited me to go to the opening with her. The show was at 8pm and at 7:30 we are in a large line waiting for the doors to open. It was cold and I had never seen anything like it. At 8 the doors open and everybody runs. So I run  ?? to the bar. Nobody there. Everybody ran to the walls and had their hand on a painting. They sold every painting in minutes. Girl was a bit pissed at me.  But in all my years of going to Art Openings I never saw another one like this.They had a great bar.

Shame

I went with Nancy Hazelgrove.

She was a really good artist. I was living at the commune at 127 Hazelton. Nancy kind of fell for me and kind of moved in with me. she gave me a great painting that hung at the foot of my bed. She sort of took over my life and scared the shit out of me and I broke it off. So one morning I wake up kinda stoned as usual and my eyes wont focus on the painting. Then I realize that Nancy had replaced the painting with a collage of pigs. I laughed and laughed I got the point. I sure wish I had that painting. Hell i wish I had the collage.

Nancy Hazelgrove remembered

On Thurday, September 7th at 3 pm, UTM’s Blackwood gallery held a memorial service and solo exhibition to honour artist and former curator Nancy Hazelgrove, who passed away on June 7th at the age of 54. Nancy Hazelgrove was a professional artist, and served as curator of the Blackwood Gallery between 1979 and 1984, and from 1988 to 1998. As curator of the Blackwood, Nancy Hazelgrove was responsible for the formation of the art gallery advisory board, enhancing the Blackwood gallery’s permanent collection, and organizing traveling exhibitions across Canada as a part of the Grassroots programme.

I made the tshirts for the 50th anniversary of the group of seven. A.Y. wore his proudly.



I was at a Michael Snow retrospective and went back to a party at a huge house in Rosedale. I was wandering around upstairs looking for a washroom to smoke a joint in when this guy grabbed me and pulled me into a room where we talked and smoked a couple of joints. I soon realized the guy was George

Eaton. We were soon joined by Thor and his wife and we smoked a bunch and went downstairs real giggly. We got drinks but I found out they didn't like to smooze. We sort of hid out in this big alcove under the stairway. Soon we were joined by their mother who basically went and got us drinks and sandwiches. So I am smoking dope with the Eaton boys and getting served by Lady Eaton. good one Mike.