Mary Kroetsch: Changing Frequently and Uncertainly
Art Gallery of Bancroft
Mary Kroetsch, Gentleman Farmer and Wife, 2012. Vintage Photographs Digitally Altered and Printed on Fabric, Hand Embroidery, Painted Canvas. Image courtesy of the Artist.
Mary Kroetsch
Changing Frequently and Uncertainly
September 1 – 26, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, September 4, 7:30pm
Art Gallery of Bancroft
All are welcome, and admission is free.
The work displayed in this exhibition represents an ongoing project that spans 25 years of Mary Kroetsch visiting the meaning of ever changing identity which in the 21st century is complex and multifaceted.
Her work involves deconstructing through fragmentation and reconstructing those fragments to shift time that was, to time that is, or could be, attempting to navigate multiple identities—cultural, professional, ethnic, gender and more—continually experiencing a sense of both belonging and alienation.
Kroetsch probes the mysterious images of people and things using multiple mediums with creative technologies—merging, layering, cutting and melding the parts of a perceived existence into a hybrid identity.
She is inspired by the relationship she has with vintage photography, which in all its forms is used to create and archive circumstances—documenting, tracing and memorializing them.
When Kroetsch studies a photograph she tries to understand who and what is being preserved, chipping away to find a fragmented existence that is motionless and stagnant but has a history of being. Abstract imagery shares imagined stories—raising multiple conversations about individuality.
This exhibition is a series of mini installations sharing stories—not her story although there are plenty of those hidden in the works, but stories that the viewer may meet when experiencing the visuals.
Mary Kroetsch, The Girls Are Back in Town, 2026. Vintage studio portraits rendered as super Sheros and Hand Embroidered. Image courtesy of the Artist.
About the Artist
Mary Kroetsch’s creative practice is research-creational integrating mixed methods of making to push and explore issues arising from limitations and disconnects that happen when many layers impact surfaces, production, and fabrication.
Her recent works revolve around mini installations acting as a metaphor for the complexities in life, exploring identity mapping encompassed through memories, experiences, relationships, and numbered values that add up to one’s sense of self.
She obtained Certification in Textile Surface Design from the Haliburton School of the Arts, studied Visual Arts Foundations at Central Tech Art School, Toronto, and completed the Ontario Arts Council’s Artist-Educator Foundations Course. She completed her Studio Arts Degree at the University of Guelph Ontario in 2023.
Her work has recently been part of exhibitions at the Elora Centre for the Arts (Elora, Ontario), the Propeller Art Gallery (Toronto, Ontario), the Guelph Civic Museum (Guelph, Ontario), the Art Gallery of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario), and the King City Heritage Arts Centre (King City, Ontario).
Mary’s works are part of private and public collections, including St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto, Ontario) and the Ilkley Museum (Yorkshire, England).
Mary Kroetsch, Sirens, 2015. Digitally Altered Embroidered Photograph mounted on Painted Canvas. Image courtesy of the Artist.
About Art Gallery of Bancroft
The Art Gallery of Bancroft (AGB) is a vibrant, not-for-profit public gallery in Bancroft, Ontario—powered entirely by dedicated volunteers. Incorporated as a registered charity, the gallery receives no government funding. For the past 44 years the AGB has relied on fundraising, sponsorships and memberships to keep the doors open.
The AGB provides artists at all stages of their careers, working in any media, the opportunity to exhibit in a professional gallery venue. We present contemporary visual art by artists from the immediate area, region and nation, mounting 12 exhibitions per year.
The AGB values inclusivity, diversity and operates sustainably with a social conscience. As well as expanding the public’s understanding and appreciation of the arts, our mandate is to enrich life in our community through the arts.
For more information please contact:
Molly Moldovan for the Curatorial Committee
Art Gallery of Bancroft
agb.curatorial@gmail.com
Art Gallery of Bancroft
10 Flint Avenue
Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0
613-332-1542
artgalleryofbancroft@gmail.com
artgallerybancroft.ca
Instagram @artgalleryofbancroft
Facebook @artbancroft
YouTube @artgalleryofbancroft6362
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Sunday, Closed
Monday, Closed
The Art Gallery of Bancroft is accessible.
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