A new exhibition at the Art Gallery of Algoma features the work of late local artist Christopher Pollari, who died of cancer earlier this year at the age of 70.
Since then, his siblings and a friend of the family have been working to catalogue his vast portfolio.
The exhibition, "In Pursuit of Forever" features 24 paintings from the 1970s to 2023 exploring his growth and evolution of styles over a 50-year body of work.
But his family and friends believe many more paintings could out there.
"I think it is safe to say hundreds might be in existence," said Wendy Hamilton, a long-time friend of the family.
"Take a look at the website. We’ve done our best to document which ones are possibly out there somewhere with the 'Location Unknown' label. And then there are those that are in private collections. It is going to be a long treasure hunt!" Hamilton said via email.
The exhibit is running now and will close on Jan. 2, 2025. His family also intends to share Pollari's art by lending his works for display in public places.
The Art Gallery of Algoma's current exhibition of paintings represent one step along the path to helping his work find its way into public spaces, galleries and museums.
When Pollari died unexpectedly of cancer at the age of 70 in January, he left a body of work that spanned 50 years in the care of his family.
His siblings, Brian, Tiana and Gayanne, with the help of Hamilton, have been working to catalogue his vast portfolio of paintings and it has turned into a full on treasure hunt. Many paintings made their way into private collections over the years and by locating where they are, it will help the process of evaluating his place in the art world and the marketplace.
It would also help an owner of a Pollari original to be kept informed. The website was set up to assist in the cataloguing process.
Along with these efforts to catalogue, his family also intends to share Pollari's art by lending his works for display in public places where people can encounter them in the day to day, a news release said.
"Christopher donated paintings to many charitable fundraisers over the years. He also gave paintings to public institutions such as the Sault Area Hospital," the release said.
Enquiries for the loan of artwork are welcomed through the website.
When an artist dies their art takes on another significant level of importance. The last brushstroke has been made. There will be no new work, no next painting. What happens next can determine the fate of an artist's entire lifetime of creation.
The Art Gallery of Algoma's exhibition, entitled "In Pursuit of Forever" is a retrospective that features 24 paintings from the 1970s to 2023 that explore the artist's growth and evolution of styles over the years. The exhibit, which opened on Dec. 7 will close on Jan. 2.
The AGA will close for the holidays at noon on Dec. 24 and does not open again until Jan. 2, the final day of the exhibition.