Local artist Leah Hicks travels to Florence Italy to showcase work.

Leah Hicks a contemporary artist from Smiths Falls Ontario and co-owner of Compositions was invited to Florence Biennale 2011 8th Edition Dec. 3 to 11, 2011 to showcase her art

Leah's form of art initially began when she was attending art class during her teenage years. She took graphic design in college and continued to take various art classes to help develop her skills. Her favourite tools are probably her hands. Creating paintings with a wide range of mediums has led her to showing her work in many juried exhibitions such as Ottawa Artisans Guild, Ottawa Art Expo's, and La Petite Mort Gallery. Stories born of her travels coast onto canvas taking strong direction from the ebb and flow of her materials.

She says: "I don't try and force my will with a brush. We work together with the material."

The Florence Biennale show was founded in 1997 as a global convocation of artists with all their diversity. By the late 1990s, contemporary art was at a cross road. The old assumptions - that art came in waves, each named with an 'ism' by the end, that auction prices equal the value received, that painting was 'dead' and so on - were collapsing. Suddenly it was obvious that art was alive, thriving, and as varied as humanity. Artists are everywhere. Around that time, in the old Florence, something new was stirring. A committee of Italian artists and curators proposed a biennial where talented and recognized artists could exhibit their latest work. The artists would decide how they would exhibit their work. The risks were enormous: there had never been a show on this scale with a direct connection between artists' studios and the exhibition walls. The evaluation of unfiltered results would be assigned to an international jury. In 1997, with hardly any publicity, the invitations were sent. The response was impressive: 317 artists from 17 different countries. By 2003, the 4th Florence Biennale had grown into the world's most comprehensive exhibition of contemporary art, showing more than 800 artists from 70 different countries. This year's 8th Biennale builds on those numbers and broadens its horizons.

Artists at every stage of their careers, including the most eminent artists, play key roles at the Biennale. Their presence is the confirmation that the garden of art yields wondrous fruit when tilled by many hands.

The Biennale believes in promoting respect and tolerance among the world's artists. In 2001, the Biennale was recognized by the United Nations as an official partner in its program, Dialogue among Civilizations. In 2005 features its collaborative association with the Triennale of India, the most important contemporary art exhibition in Asia, and in 2003 with the Turku Biennale in Finland. The interaction of art and science is an ongoing theme of the Biennale. FB03 presented exhibitions of the Vatican Museums Conservation Laboratory and historic Ferrari racing cars. Streamlined speed was again seen in this 2005 show of classic motorcycles by Harley Davidson.

Leah Hick is one of only 6 Canadian artist was selected for going to this year event .

Louis Tremblay co-owner of Compositions in Smiths Falls and president of the newly formed Smiths Falls & District Arts & Culture Council (SFDACC) say's, "I am so happy and honoured to be part of Leah's amazing Journey, and Smiths Falls and the district should also be proud. It shows that anything is possible if you follow your dreams. It wasn't easy, but, as wise people say: "Anything worth while is never easy.""

You can see some of Leah Hicks art work at Compositions Art Gallery on 47 Main Street East.

also follow th following link to see more of her art.




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