Bio:
Originally from Ontario, Alison Grapes has lived in Nova Scotia since the 1980's. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University. 
Her work does not follow any one style as her curiosity for understanding new ways to do things, always leads her in new directions. She has explored many different mediums, including torn paper and encaustic. Since moving to Nova Scotia, the natural landscape has been a steady factor in her work.

With a partner, Alison completed a Canada 150 project travelling the Trans Canada Highway. The 106 piece collection exhibited in Montreal during the summer of 2018, garnering national attention.    

Alison’s paintings can be found in private collections, as well as The University of Western Ontario and The Art Ontario Gallery.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Representative Galleries-  Colouratura, Indian Brook, NS  (2012 -2021)
                                           Flying Kite Artisan Shop, Baddeck, NS
​                                          
Solo Exhibitions -          Synthesis Colouratura, Indian Brook, Cape Breton (May 2014)
Events -                         Paint the Hydrostones, en plein air event, Halifax, NS, 2019       

Selected Group Exhibitions
2021                                Society of Canadian Artists Open International Online Juried Exhibition (March 15 - June 15, 2021)
2020                                Igniting Hope, Port Moody Arts Centre, Port Moody, BC (May 21 - June 10, 2020) 
2020                                Society of Canadian Artists Open International Online Juried Exhibition (March 15 - June 15, 2020)
2019                                AOG Open House, "Portraiture", Frankville, ON.
2019                                  SCA 2019 Open International Online Juried Exhibition
2019                                Colouratura, Indian Brook, NS
​2019                                Christmas and Winter Show, Galerie 203, Montreal (Dec 8, 2018 - Feb 2019)
2018                               "Art 4 Life Exhibition", Juried Exhibition, Port Moody Arts Centre, B.C. (Sept 22 - Nov. 1)
2018                               "Representations", Hardware Gallery, Kentville, NS (July 26 - Aug. 29)
2018                                Trans Canada150 x Two Galerie 203, Montreal, QC (June 27 - July 6)
2018                               "Red", Hardware Gallery, Kentville, NS (July 1 - July 31)
2017                                Arta Gallery, Toronto, ON (June 28 - July 6)
2016                                Feral and Abandoned Cat Society, Streets of Sydney. Cape Breton. (June-October) 
2013                                Copper Fox Gallery, Hall's Harbour, NS (May - November)
2013                                Winterscene Group Show, Swoon Fine Art Gallery, Hammonds Plains, NS.
2013 - 2014                      Proletariart Group Show, Cape Breton University Art Gallery, Sydney, NS.
2012 - 2013                      Artisans in the Attic, Sydney NS.
2012 - 2018                      Colouratura, Indian Brook, Cape Breton. (May - November)
​
Publications

2019           "Two Artists Travel Across Canada, Painting as the Go", Interview with Thom Hallock, Mountain Lake PBS, Plattsburgh, NY - Link to interview
2018           Trans-Canada 150 x Two, Two Artists' views, from coast to coast, at Canada's 150th, Carol Loeb and Alison Grapes, Carol Loeb Art 2018.
                  ISBN 978-1-7753741-0-7
2018          "Interview with Gloria Henriquez", Montreal Evening News, 2 July 2018, Global TV, Montreal, Quebec - link to interview.
2018           "Promotion Interview with Thom Hallock", Mountain Lake Journal, 29 June 2018, Mountain Lake PBS, Plattsburgh, NY - link to interview
2108           "Artists Carol Loeb and Alison Grapes' Canadian landscapes on display at Galerie 203", 17 June 2018, The Suburban Newspaper, Montreal,                         Quebec - link to story
2018           "Feature Story", 100% Local, 11 March 2018, Radio-Canada ICI TV, Montreal, Quebec, - link to video
2017           "Canada 150 in Nova Scotia - A quest for meaning in many media", Elissa Barnard, Billie: Undercurrents in Atlantic Canadian Visual Culture,                       Fall/Winter 2017 edition, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredricton, NB - link to story
2017           "Cross-country road trip fuels artists' inspiration", Yvonne Leblanc-Smith · CBC News · Posted: Apr 12, 2017 - link to story
Oct 2017      Cottage Life: https://cottagelife.com/general/two-artists-on-a-cross-canada-road-trip-are-painting-a-landscape-every-150-kilometres/
2017           "Two artists are painting pictures of Canada — every 150 km of the Trans- Canada", feature story, 16 October 2017, CBC Canada 2017                               website - link to story
2017            "Interview with Information Morning", Information Morning, 27 July 2017, CBC Radio, CBC Cape Breton, NS - link to interview
2017            "Artists celebrate the Nation through their interpretation of the lay of the Land", Justin Seward, July 2017, Cypress Courier, Bow Island,                              Alberta link to story
2017            "Making a Contribution to Canada's Art scene, 150 km at a Time", Bill Doucet, 6 July 2017, Cambridge Times, Cambridge, Ontario
                   - link to story
2017            "The Trans-Canada 150x2 Crew is in Thunder Bay on July 6th", 5 July 2017, ThunderBay.Lokol.me
2017            "Inspired to paint during cross-country drive", Ian Froese, Brandon Sun, 28 June 2017, Brondon, Monitoba - link to story
2017            "Painting Canada 150 across the Nation", Mo Cranker, Medicine Hat News, 16 June 2017, Medicine Hat, Alberta - link to story
2017            "Capturing Canada on Canvas", Crowsnest Pass Herald, 14 June 2017, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta - link to story
2017            "Artists paint coast-to-coast tour of Canada: on show at Arta Gallery", 2 June 2017, The Bulletin.ca, Toronto, Ontario - link to story
2017            "Two Artists painting Canada from coast to coast in celebration of country's 150th birthday", The Suburban, 3 March 2017, Montreal, Quebec
                    - link to story
2015             The Stonechild Effect", The Star Phoenix, Saskatoon, SK, Jan. 14, 2015 Illustration for - link to story
2014            "How Michael Zehaf-Bibeau went from petty criminal to the face of homegrown terrorism", National Post, illustration for- link to story     
2001-02        Illustrator on contract for children’s E-books, Compradore Communications, Atlanta, GA
2001             Illustrator on contract for E-magazine, Wee Ones Magazine, Baltimore, MD
1997             Illustrator, The Special Gift, children’s book, Vanmarkin Publications, Sydney, NS
1996             Illustrator, Duncan Well’s Back-to-Back, children’s book, Breton Books, Wreck Cove, NS
1996             Illustrator, God & Me, children's book, Breton Books, Wreck Cove, NS
1995             Illustrator, Time Travel: Life in the 18th century, CD-ROM for Folkus Atlantic, Sydney NS.
1994             Designer & Illustrator for video From the Heart, Folkus Atlantic, Sydney, NS.
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Competitions - 2017 Finalist in The Artist's Magazine 34th Annual Art Competition for "The Corner"

Memberships - SCA associate member
                        
​Other
1984-88             Storyboard and courtroom artist, Atlantic Television Systems Ltd., Halifax, NS 
1987                  Set design, Christmas Daddies, Atlantic Television Systems Ltd., Halifax, NS
1985                  Storyboard artist, various television commercials, Atlantic Plus and Lawton’s Drugstores, Needham Gate Productions, Halifax, NS

Private Collections
AOG Gallery, Frankville, ON
University of Western Ontario
​Colouratura Gallery
Collections in Canada, USA, Australia, U.K. 

Education
2009 Bachelor of Education, Memorial University, NL.
1984 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, NS.
1983 Diploma of Fine Arts, Fanshawe College, London, ON.

​Teaching
2014 - 2018 Arts Education teacher with the Saskatoon Public School Division, SK
2006- 2014 Visual Arts teacher with the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board, Sydney, NS.