Virtual Exhibit:

W.A. Goodwin on exhibit at Virtual Museum of Canada

Within this exhibit you will discover never before seen photos of Goodwin and his family, intermingled with Goodwin’s art and in-depth discussions of other aspects of his life.

You will discover Goodwin was just like today’s citizens and visitors to Kawartha Lakes: an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed canoeing, camping, hunting and fishing.

A black and white photograph of an elderly man in a suit and a child sitting in a canoe with a paddle. They are on water in front of a wooden structure, likely a barn. Three other people stand in the background near the building.
Pencil drawing of a camp scene at Birch Camp, Kash-a-Mag Lake, dated August 30th, 1913, featuring a tent and trees.
A black and white photo of a man paddling a canoe with children near a boathouse at Sturgeon Point. A young girl stands on the shore.

About

The most recurring theme in Goodwin’s artwork is recreational land use. Rustic campsites – complete with large canvas tents – are common, as are canoes, sailboats, and hunting expeditions. Signs of human activity amount, reflecting our desire to engage with the landscape in ways that benefit both its health and our own.

“After dinner our 15-Year old visitor from Pittsburgh was anxious to try his bathing suit, and a Canoe. Finally, I let him out alone in the lightest Canoe by Keeping near Shore he succeeded in a dozen trips up and down to get used to the canoe & paddle and did very well.”

–W.A. Goodwin, August 1st 1910

The exhibit also features an interview

with local artist, RoseMarie Condon

Cherry Tree Lodge has once again become a focal point for the Sturgeon Point community. Plein air painting events have taken place on its grounds, carrying forward the traditions established by W.A. Goodwin. Forgotten by all buy his immediate family, the talents of the man who signed his work simply as “W.A>G” have at least been brought to light.