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Opening Reception
Saturday 15 October 6PM
Dennis Tourbin Members Gallery at NAC

On display until 4 November

AQUANISMA: THE WONDER OF WATER
By Ron Clavier

Water offers tranquility and peace, but also power and mystery. When water (seen as female in various mythologies) is partnered with earth (seen as male), a special sort of intimacy is created. The course of the water is altered and inhibited by earth; but water always finds a way to continue its journey. Meanwhile the earth is smoothed and polished by water. They are in constant contact with each other, endlessly nourishing each other. Water also encourages human reflection, which allows us to challenge our fixed interpretations, unlocking insights that foster personal growth.

Ron Clavier was born in Montreal in 1948. He attended McGill University, and earned a bachelors degree in psychology. Following his undergraduate days, Ron attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where, in 1974, he earned a Doctorate in Physiological and Experimental Psychology. He then held the title of Assistant Professor of Anatomy, teaching medical students in Chicago and at UBC in Vancouver. His research was funded by the (U.S.) National Institute of Mental Health.

CLINICAL PRACTICE

In 1982, Ron turned his attention to the practice of Clinical Psychology. In addition to his clinical work throughout Canada and the United States, Ron offered workshops to professional organizations in Germany, Italy, Jordan, Scotland, Spain, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. His video series Adolescence: The Stormy Decade was televised nationally in Canada for 6 years. His book Teen Brain, Teen Mind (Key Porter, 2009) has helped thousands of families comprehend and enjoy their children’s adolescent years.

THE ARTIST

Ron’s Artistic Training began when, at the age of six, he attended classes at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. In semi-retirement, Ron served briefly as the Artist-in-Residence to the “Bravo Niagara!” Festival of the Arts. He also served as Vice-Chair of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival.
Ron has showed his paintings at several juried exhibitions, including: “Art on the Water’s Edge”; the “Deck The Walls” exhibition; the annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition; the National Steinbeck Centre in Salinas California; Niagara Artists’ Centre; The Carrier Gallery, Toronto; and the Niagara Pumphouse Visual Art Centre.
Ron has also held many studio tours and had successful one-man exhibitions at the Rosedale United Church, the First Unitarian Church, and the North Toronto Station. His paintings have also been featured in the Canadian periodical “The Parkhurst Exchange” and in The Journal of Steinbeck Studies. His multimedia exhibition: “Awe and Humility and Joy: A Tribute to John Steinbeck” was exhibited at the Joseph D. Carrier Gallery in Toronto in October, 2014. That exhibition led to his being appointed to the Advisory Board of the Centre for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. His project “Pandora Revisited” was exhibited at the Joseph D. Carrier Gallery in Toronto in May, 2015 and the Niagara Artists’ Centre in November, 2017.

Ron has donated proceeds from the sale of his works to support: Royal St. George’s College; Crescent School; The Canadian Arthritis Foundation; The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; The Wildlife Preservation Fund; the Psychology Foundation of Canada; The Centre for Steinbeck Studies; Food Banks Canada; The Niagara Alzheimer’s Society; Gillian’s Place (St. Catharines); Bravo Niagara Arts Festival; The Niagara Falls Boys’ and Girls’ Club; Food Banks Canada; Music Niagara; Niagara College; and the TD Niagara Jazz Festival.

Ron lives in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, and works from his home studio.

ronclavier.com