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Decades of art ‘unleashed’ at Shelburne Town Hall Art Gallery

March 13, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Three decades of art is being “unleashed” into Shelburne Town Hall for spectators to see.

The Shelburne Town Hall Art Gallery recently opened its latest exhibit, “Art Unleashed,” featuring the works of award-winning mixed media artist and marketer Anthony Fenech of Fenech Designs.

“It’s exciting for sure and I appreciate the interest,” said Fenech, who resides in Grand Valley, about the opening of the show. “When you do an art show or a showcase of your abilities it creates such a sense of vulnerability that can be stressful but also rewarding. It’s a bit of a roller coaster to put yourself out there and you can’t hide behind anything.”

The exhibit displays nearly three decades of Fenech’s accumulated work and is aptly called an “unleashing” with countless pieces of multi-media art showcased in the space.

Fenech has worked as a professional artist for over 30 years and is known for his diverse artistic practice that spans a wide range of mediums including signage design, carving, graphic design, painting, photography, videography, and web design.

His artistic career started in high school at the age of 16, when he began drawing portraits and selling framed finished pieces. From there he delved into photography and eventually became a professional videographer at 18 years old.

“Drawing was so tedious, meticulous and detailed and the return took a while, but with a photo I felt I could do a little quicker and get more gratification by turning more out,” explained Fenech.

Fenech’s drive to expand his artistic knowledge continued to grow, taking him into avenues of digital print, graphic design, and web design.

The exhibit at Shelburne Town Hall marks a milestone in Fenech’s career, being the first official showcasing of his work in a gallery.

Some of Fenech’s favourite pieces showcased in the exhibit include a cedar carving of a seahorse, affectionally referred to as “Cecil”; a scaled down version of a 15-foot mural of the Uptown Movie Theatre, which he was commissioned to paint at Alder Arena in Orangeville; and a wearable wooden bowtie he sports on special occasions.

“I am not one for repetition, no two pieces are the same,” said Fenech.

“Art Unleashed” will be on display at the Shelburne Town Hall Art Gallery until March 28.

The exhibit is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. 

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