Letters to Earth: Between Despair and Hope

The Morning Light. Photo: Carmel Brennan

Letters to Earth: Between Despair and Hope

Group Exhibition, Curated by Carmel Brennan

September 24 – November 28, 2026
Agnes Jamieson Gallery, Minden

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 1–3pm | Opening remarks and dance performance by Noriko Yamamoto will start at 1:30pm.

Curated by Carmel Brennan, Letters to the Earth: Between Despair and Hope is a group exhibition that invites communities to participate in an ongoing conversation about the environmental crisis—one that is affecting people around the world and Canadians directly. Brennan believes that we must not only begin this conversation, but continue it, asking: How can our actions and creative practices truly make an impact today?

Through her curatorial experience, Brennan has observed that audiences respond most strongly to the creative arts when stories are shared—stories that communicate urgency, care, and meaning. To participate in Letters to the Earth, artists are asked to handwrite a personal letter to the Earth and submit it to Brennan alongside their artwork. This gesture underscores Brennan’s belief that environmental action must be personal in order to inspire real change. The exhibit features 25 artists and over 40 pieces original artwork.

The exhibit will be on display at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery from September 24 to November 28, 2026. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, September 26 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Opening remarks and a dance performance by Noriko Yamamoto will start at 1:30pm. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Admission is by donation.

Curator Biography

Born in Birmingham, UK, Carmel Brennan holds a master’s degree in Contemporary Art and Archaeology. A retired Visual Arts educator, she is a Past President of the Ontario Society of Artists and curated a major exhibition for the Uxbridge Artist Collective from 2009 to 2018, called Work from Heart, Mind & Hand.

In 2020, Brennan curated Beyond the Walls at the Aurora Cultural Centre, followed by The Conversation in 2021. In 2022, she curated Breath. Heart. Spirit: OSA 150 Years at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario at Queen’s Park, Toronto.

Letters to the Earth: Between Despair and Hope has been presented at the Aurora Cultural Centre (2023), the Georgina Centre for Arts & Culture (2024), the Station Gallery in Whitby (2024), and Newmarket’s Old Town Hall (2025).

About the Agnes Jamieson Gallery

The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is a public gallery with year-round visual exhibitions of local and regional art. The Gallery is part of the Minden Hills Cultural Centre which also includes the Minden Hills Museum & Heritage Village and Nature’s Place Interpretive Centre. The Gallery is fully accessible. Admission is by donation. The Minden Hills Cultural Centre is located at 176 Bobcaygeon Road, Minden.

Minden Hills Cultural Centre – Agnes Jamieson Gallery
176 Bobcaygeon Road, Minden, ON K0M 2K0
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm
705-286-3763 | culturalcentre@mindenhills.ca

Instagram @MindenHillsCulturalCentre
Facebook @MindenCulturalCentre