Sara Graham: The West Montrose (Un)covered Bridge Project

January 12 - March 25, 2007
River Grand Chronicles #3
Organized by KW|AG

Public Opening: Friday, January 12, 2007, 7 - 9 p.m.
Artist Talk: Thursday Feb. 15, 2007 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Sara Graham, Installation view of The West Montrose (Un)covered Bridge Project. Image courtesy of the artist and KW|AG. Photo: K.J. Bedford.

Built in 1881, The West Montrose Bridge reminds us of how the romantic and the nostalgic sometimes intersect in vernacular architecture. Also known as the "Kissing Bridge", this covered bridge was not only a practical threshold between the North and South parts of the town, but also a site of romantic seclusion.

Sara Graham's project hypothesizes the future of West Montrose and the Region, had the bridge not been covered and fell into disrepair. Using existing maps, plans, and public archives, Graham has created fictional documents and objects that both mimic and challenge the authority of an archive. The West Montrose (Un)covered Bridge Project invites us to consider how the fate of a single piece of architecture could have seismic effects throughout the Region.

The River Grand Chronicles series presents projects with a strong connection to the Grand River and the regions it winds through. The series' frontispiece exhibition, River: Grand!, featured contemporary and historical works created from the embrace of the Grand River's past and present influences.

The River Grand Chronicles will focus on contemporary projects that cast the Grand River as either a conceptual or literal figure in visual storytelling. Major themes such as romanticized visions, traditional depictions of the landscape, and the First Nations perspective on the complex and often neglected cultural history of the region, will surface in these important projects.

As with other KW|AG programming series, the River Grand Chronicles remind our viewers to consider how stories, be they fictional or true, have resonance beyond geographic boundaries.

About Sara Graham
Toronto-based artist Sara Graham recently received an MFA at the University of Guelph. She has exhibited her work throughout Canada, with upcoming exhibitions in St. John's and Toronto.