About The Artist

Biography

Karole Marois, originally from Ottawa Canada, is a figurative painter living on the shore of Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County. A Fine Arts graduate of the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University), she also holds a diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence Italy.

For many years, Karole painted large historical murals for the National Museums and Parks Canada while continuing to exhibit her own personal artwork in galleries and museums nationally. Her paintings can be found in private and public collections in Canada, the US and Europe. Two of her large multi-panel figurative artworks, inspired by an art residency with the Canadian Forces Artist Program in 2005, are now in the collections of the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and the City Hall of Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.

She has received a number of grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts and is a long-time member of the Canadian Artists Representation/Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC).

In my studio 2016

Artist Statement

Our profound human/nature relationship has been a constant theme in my figurative paintings. I am especially interested in our deep emotional connection and strong attraction to the water’s energy. As a swimmer, sailor, and overall water lover, I am captivated by the magic and power of water.

Painting with acrylics using transparent washes and flowing brushstrokes, I merge the different elements in the composition to express the notion of interconnectedness and evoke themes of memory and reflection. With transparency, I try to create a sense of timelessness and transience that intrigues and engages the viewer.

My ongoing journey as an artist has led me to where I am now, living on the shore of Great Lake Ontario. The ever-changing moods of this freshwater ocean are a constant source of inspiration for my work.

CV (Résumé)

Karole Marois (AOCA)

241 Prinyers Cove Crescent, Picton, Ontario, Canada K0K 2T0
karolem.artist@gmail.com www.karolem.com 613-223-3549

Education

1987-88Computer Animation Diploma, Sheridan College (Oakville ON)
1979-80Concentration Painting, Accademia di Belle Arti (Florence Italy)
1977-78Off-campus Program, Ontario College of Art & Design (Florence Italy)
1975-79AOCAD (Associate of the Ontario College of Art Diploma), Fine Arts, OCAD (Toronto ON)

Solo Exhibitions

2024Wind & Water/Le vent & l'eau, Trinity Galleries (Saint John NB)
2023On an Even Keel/En équilibre, Focus Project Gallery, Base 31 (Prince Edward County ON)
2023Water Remembers/L'eau se souvient, Trinity Galleries (Saint John NB )
2022The Magic of Water/La magie de l'eau, KAROLEM Art Studio (Prince Edward County ON)
2022Freshwater Reflections/Réflexions sur l'eau douce (with Lindsay Brant poetry), John M. Parrott Art Gallery (Belleville ON)
2021When the Ice Breaks/Quand la glace brise, KAROLEM Art Studio (Prince Edward County ON)
2020For the Love of Water/Pour l'amour de l'eau (with Lindsay Brant poetry), 223 Main St (Picton PEC ON)
2019In Osmosis/En osmose (with contemporary poetry), Art Gallery Inside, The Armoury (Picton PEC ON)
2011Together Side by Side, City Hall (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands)
2010Together Side by Side, Odawa Native Friendship Centre (Ottawa Canada)
2010Together Side by Side, Cartier Square Drill Hall (Ottawa Canada)
2010Together Side by Side, Denison Armoury (Toronto ON)
2003L’Appel du large, Galerie de la Maison de l’Île (Hawkesbury ON)
2002Colourful People, Karsh-Masson Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
2001Quatre saisons, Galerie Eugène-Racette, MIFO (Ottawa Canada)
1999A votre Santé, Théâtre de l’Île (Hull QC)
1996Looking for Blue Skies (with classic poetry), A Source of Art Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
1994Musicality, A Source of Art Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
1994Musicality, La Galeruche (Timmins ON)
1994Diversity, Regional Art Gallery-CRAG (Cornwall ON)
1993Diversity, Intersection Gallery (Ottawa ON)
1983New Work, Nicholas Art Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
1981The Umbrella Women, Nicholas Art Gallery (Ottawa Canada)

Joint Exhibitions

2006Double Vision, with René Price, Cornwall Regional Art Gallery Cornwall ON)
2001Quatre saisons, with Serge Duguay, Écomusée (Hull QC)

Travelling Exhibitions

2009 to 2012A Brush with War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan - Canadian War Museum (travelling exhibition across Canada)
1991 to1993Images of American Immigration, US Dept of Justice & Immigration (travelling exhibition from Washington DC to Los Angeles CA)

Group Exhibitions

2024Expression, John Mann Gallery (St Catharines ON)
2023Decay, MELT Studio + Gallery, Base 31 (Picton ON)
2023Renewal, MELT Studio + Gallery, Base 31 (Picton ON)
2021 & 2023Expressions, John M. Parrott Art Gallery (Belleville ON)
2021The Healing Power of ART in Honour of Nature, Manhattan Arts International (New York NY)
2020Eight Annual Juried Show, The Colborne Art Gallery (Colborne ON)
2019Artworks 2019 OCAD Alumni Show, Great Hall OCAD University (Toronto ON)
2017Camp Picton Past & Present, Maison DePoivre (Prince Edward County ON)
2016Rue Pigalle, Sybil Frank Gallery (Wellington ON)
2014 to 2024Art in the County Juried Annual Exhibition (Prince Edward County ON)
2014Back Alleys of Ottawa II, CUBE Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
2012RUN, CUBE Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
2011Back Alleys and Lanes of Ottawa, CUBE Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
2010Points of View, Champlain Lookout, CUBE Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
2009The Canadian Portrait, CUBE Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
2006Canadian Forces Artist Program (CFAP), Aviation Museum (Shearwater NS)
2005Boots on the Ground, Canadian Embassy (Washington DC)
2004Arte para todos, Hotel Plaza del General (Tegucigalpa Honduras)
2001Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (Toronto ON)
2000Of Nature, Agora Gallery (New York NY)
1998Canadian Museum of Nature (Ottawa Canada)
1996Int’l Day/Elimination of Racial Discrimination, SAW Gallery (Ottawa Canada)
1992Blizzart, Regional Gallery of Ottawa Carleton (Ottawa Canada)

Artist Residencies

2024Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts Luminous Bodies (Toronto Islands, Canada)
2010Self-directed Art Residency (Florence Italy)
2005Canadian Forces Artist Program (Netherlands)
2005Self-directed Art Residency (Gandia Spain)
2003Self-directed Art Residency (St Vincent & the Grenadines)
2002Self-directed Art Residency (San Miguel de Allende Mexico)
1996Self-directed Art Residency (Antibes France)
1994-95Self-directed Art Residency (Fréjus France)

Gallery Representation

Trinity Galleries (Saint John NB)
Britton Gallery (Bracebridge ON)

Grants & Awards

2024Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2024Prince Edward Arts Council Professional Development
2023Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2022Prince Edward Arts Council Professional Development
2022Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2021Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2020Canada Council for the Arts, Digital Originals
2019Ontario Arts Council, Visual Arts (projets francophones)
2019Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2016Art in the County (Prince Edward County ON), Jury Prize for Devils Picker
2012Ontario Arts Council, Visual Arts (projets francophones)
2011Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, IPEP
2011Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2010Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2009Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2003Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2002Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
2001Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
1996Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
1994Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
1993Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance

Community Engagement

2024Assessor, Ontario Arts Council (Toronto ON)
2023Mentor, PEC Arts Council Mentorship Program (Prince Edward County ON)
2022-2015Featured artist in PEC Studio Tour (Prince Edward County ON)
2021Arts Advisory Committee member, PEC Arts Council (Prince Edward County ON)
2015Featured artist in PEC Arts Trail (Prince Edward County ON)
2011Artist Talk, Canadian Forces Artists Program, Canadian War Museum (Ottawa Canada)
2007Assessor, Canadian Forces Artist Program (Ottawa Canada)
2004Murals, Arte Para Todos event, United Nations Development Program, (Tegucigalpa Honduras)

Professional Associations

Canadian Artists Representation/Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC)
Copyright Visual Arts/ Droits d'auteur Arts visuels (CODA-DAAV)
Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l'Ontario (BRAVO)
Quinte Arts Council (QAC)
Prince Edward County Arts Council (PECAC)

Professional Art Activities

2018-1984Commissions of murals, private & public
1992Courtroom Artist, Supreme Court of Canada (Ottawa Canada)
1987-88-89Computer Graphic artist, Canvas Digital Art Inc. (Ottawa Canada)
1985-86Portrait Painting teacher, Continuing Education, Algonquin College (Ottawa Canada)
1984Portraitist, Tin House Courtyard (Ottawa Canada)
1977-78Portraitist, Uffizi Galleries (Florence Italy)

Collections

Airborne Museum Hartenstein (Oosterbeek Netherlands)
City Hall of Apeldoorn (The Netherlands)
Canadian War Museum (Ottawa Canada)
Canadian Museum of Nature (Ottawa Canada)
High Commission of South Africa (Ottawa Canada)
Musée Royal 22e Régiment/La Citadelle (Québec QC)
The Military Museums (Calgary AB)
City of Pembroke (Pembroke ON)
La Maison de la francophonie d'Ottawa (Ottawa Canada)
Publi-Art Vanier, (Ottawa Canada)
Royal Lepage (Picton ON)

Media

2020 Jul 29Making Waves, Sharon Harrison, article, The Wellington Times (Wellington ON)
2020 Jul 15Well Versed...Art Scene Revival, Sharon Harrison, article, The Wellington Times (Wellington ON)
2019 Jul 11In Osmosis, Ramesh Pooran, article, The Wellington Times, (Wellington ON)
2019 Aug 9County Radio 993 interview, Artscene, Artist Profile, (Prince Edward County ON)
2018 May 19La route des arts, interview Radio-Canada.ca
2015 FallThe Canvas Terroir, Karole Marois' County Portraits, Quinte County Living Magazine, Cover + pp 20 to 29 (Bay of Quinte ON)
2014 Sept 11Muralist paints her panels inside a former Camp Picton barracks, Picton Gazette (Prince Edward County ON)
2010 May 7Legion Magazine, article, p 22, (Ottawa Canada)
2009Livre Couleur et narration, Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l'Ontario, p 72
2009Catalogue Sur le vif; l'art militaire de la Corée à l'Afghanistan, Canadian War Museum, pp 64-65 (Ottawa Canada)
2008 NovCBC Arts Online, Susan Noakes, article CBCNews.ca, Canada
2008 NovOttawa Living,Todd Cameron, réalisateur, interview Rogers TV (Ottawa Canada)
2007 NovLe Programme d'art des Forces canadiennes, David Akin, interview CTV National News Report (Ottawa Canada)
2002 NovGallery, Angela Cotroneo, article, Ottawa Life Magazine (Ottawa Canada)
2002 OctRegional Arts, Jean-François Dufault, réalisateur, interview Rogers TV (Ottawa Canada)
2002 OctPaul Gessel, critique, Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa Canada)
2002 SeptHommage aux amis peintres, France Pilon, critique, Journal Le Droit (Ottawa Canada)
2000 OctCe soir en couleurs,interview TV Radio-Canada (Ottawa Canada)
1993 AprilLe tour des galeries de la Basse-ville,critique, Journal En Direct (Ottawa Canada)
1993 MarLocal Artist addresses multi-culturalism in exhibit, Rick Sgabellone, critique, The Clarion (Ottawa Canada)

Articles

Click on photos to read articles

Interviews

Click on links to listen to interviews

County & Quinte Living Magazine

Autumn 2015, pages 21-29Photo by Daniel Vaughan
Article by Catherine Stutt

Picton Gazette

Sept 11 2014 Edition, page 13picton-gazette-sep-2015Photo and article by Jason Parks

Radio-Canada.ca

Radio Interview (French), Grands Lacs Café, Route des arts, mai 2018

Sylvie-Anne Jeanson nous présente le parcours de Karole Marois dans le premier d’une série de portraits sur les artistes établis dans ce qu’on appelle « La route des Arts » situé dans le comté de Prince Edward.

Prince Edward County is situated on the traditional territory of the Wendat, Anishnaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples.