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Kate Taylor (front), at the Mary Taylor memorial show at the VAB Studio. Mary Noble, Doris Ayde-White, and Marian Simpson are also in the photo. The exhibit featured portraits of Mary, as seen in behind, and art she created.

VAB showing Mary Taylor's work

Wednesday, April 13th, 2005, The Brampton Guardian
GARRETT GOODISON, Special to The Guardian

MARY TAYLOR

While Brampton artist Mary Taylor has passed on, her impression on the hearts of those she touched is here to stay.

"You can tell she did it for the pleasure," said Keith Moreau, Taylor's fellow artist and friend. "You can tell she enjoyed the creative process and wanted to share that."

Moreau, president and founding member of Visual Arts Brampton, decided to hold an exhibit at Golden Pheasant Gallery in memory of Taylor, who was known for being generous with her art, as well as her time.

"We had a senior come in one day, and she didn't even know if she could draw or not," said Moreau. "But her daughter in-law told her to ask for Mary. So Mary took this woman under her wing and the woman, who didn't know if she could draw, blossomed as an artist under Mary's guidance."

Moreau said that many times her art was for her friends or family, and that she really didn't see herself as an artist, but always saved the term for her daughter Kate.

"She never considered herself an artist, but it is obvious to see, by her works, that she was," said Moreau. "I would tell her, 'Mary you are an artist,' and she would just tell me, I was being nice."

Taylor's style is very bright and bold, save for one piece that is on display, which is much more subtler, showing her range at capturing different parts of reality.

But her contributions were reached beyond that of art.

"She always stood out as what a volunteer should be," said Moreau, who went into detail of her efforts as a runner at a bingo hall. "We used to have to work bingos to pay for the building, and a lot of the other younger people would complain, 'It's so far away, why can't it be closer?' But, when somebody called bingo, Mary would literally run over to help. And sure enough, the younger people decided they didn't have much to complain about after seeing that."

The exhibit is free, but a donation is appreciated. The gallery is located in the Visual Arts Brampton Gallery at northeast corner of Hurontario Street and Steeles Avenue, part of Bartley Square. For more information call 905-453-9142 or e-mail visualartsbrampton@gmail.com.