durhamregion.com 6 The Citizen September 17, 2015 Station Gallery exhibit that takes residents back in time Photos of Brooklin included in new display Sometime early last year, Graeme George walked unexpectedly into my office. We exchanged niceties and I learned that he was part of the Whitby Seniors Services Photographic Club. From there, Mr. George wasted no time in explaining his idea for an exhibit that features then and now photographs of some of Whitby's most historic buildings and areas. I was immediately on board, recalling the success of similar exhibits in the Archives and various galleries, including Robert McLaughlin Gallery's 2012 exhibit called the Oshawa Creek Project: Then and Now which featured images from the gallery's historic Thomas Bouckley collection and photos taken by members of the Oshawa Seniors' Citizens Camera Club. Mr. George explained to me that his club was interested in using images from the Whitby Archives collection as the starting point for creating a story of Whitby over a period of 100 years using photos. The next step was to approach Whitby's Station Gallery to see if it would be willing to host the exhibit. Spoiler alert: it was! I worked with Mr. George over the course of the year selecting and identifying images that represented various stages of Whitby's development (although I can't take too much credit here: Mr. George scoured our online historic images database, conducted research, and generally did most of the work). Throughout the year we sent more than 60 e-mails to each other concerning file formats, building addresses, historical facts, preferred images, and administrative decisions. In the end, Mr. George came up with 20 wonderful historical images showcasing the communities of Whitby, Brooklin, Ashburn, and Myrtle. He then sent his club members out to take photos of the present day iterations of these images. The result of Mr. George's efforts, an exhibit of 40 photographs called Whitby: 100 Years of Change, will be on display at Station Gallery from Saturday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Oct. 11. Last week, I spent some time with Olex Wlasenko, curator at the gallery, helping to prepare the images for the exhibit (you can see proof on Facebook and Instagram). As I was fixing the images to the mats, we talked about the need for community-based exhibits in art galleries and the ease with which shows of this nature can draw citizens into the gallery. Exhibits and topics to which people can effortlessly relate seem to act as a jumping-off point for both art and history, something I'm more familiar with. In working with Mr. George, we've forged a community partnership, something that is incredibly important for public institutions like libraries, archives, museums, and galleries. Community members who take an interest in our collections and are dedicated to finding ways to work together can walk into my office any day of the week. I hope to see you at the Station Gallery on Sept. 19 for the opening reception, which starts at 1 p.m. Mr. George's hard work has really paid off. Sarah Ferencz is the archivist at the Whitby Public Library. Contact her at archives@whitbylibrary.on.ca Sarah Ferencz Whitby Public Library archivist history WHITBY -- Station Gallery curator Olex Wlasenko and Sarah Ferencz, archivist at Whitby Archives, prepared photographs for the exhibit, Whitby: 100 Years of Change, which will be on display at the gallery from Sept. 19 to Oct. 11. It features historical photos from the archives along with current photos of the same locations taken by the Whitby Seniors Services Photographic Club. Photo courtesy station Gallery Community's rich history set to be celebrated on Heritage Day WHITBY -- Step back in time to learn about Whitby's heritage and hidden architectural gems during Heritage Day, the largest one-day event held in the historic downtown. The annual event encourages the promotion and preservation of the town's historic, architectural, natural and scenic heritage. Re-enactments and activities will bring to life history and culture. Visit the antique mercantile, steam engines, chainsaw artist, blacksmith, and woodcarvers. Sample culinary delicacies at local restaurants. Farmers' market vendors will offer a variety of sweets, fall vegetables and decorations. There will also be a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, games, balloons, crafts, musical entertainment and more. Heritage Day takes place on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Whitby, at Brock and Colborne streets.