Propeller Art Gallery is pleased to present the solo exhibitions of Peter Friedrichsen in the North Gallery and Frances Patella in the South Gallery.

May 6 – 24, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9, 2 – 4pm
Artists Talk: Sunday, May 24, 2 & 3pm
Propeller Art Gallery, Toronto
Artists will be in attendance on Saturdays and Sundays during the exhibition or by appointment.

Peter Friedrichsen, Weekend (2026), charcoal, brick in ferric-wheat (CHIBA), 10 x 10 inches

Peter Friedrichsen
Ruin, Refuge, Resistance

Part of CONTACT Photography Festival, this exhibition reflects on the metamorphosis of Toronto’s Leslie Street Spit, including what is now Tommy Thompson Park, tracing its evolution from landfill waste into a place of ecologically complex habitats. Through natural processes and human intervention, the Spit is now shared by wildlife and city residents alike—used for walking, cycling, birdwatching, and quiet retreat—a landscape shaped by both wildlife and human activity.

Incorporating light sensitized plant proteins, the handmade prints are created using pigments derived from brick and charcoal gathered from the site, establishing an aesthetic and physical connection to a place shaped by histories of use.

More Info…

Frances Patella, Flame, 2026, acrylic and photography on wood panel, 7 x 6 x 1 inches

Frances Patella
Hot Spots

My photo-based mixed-media work explores time, transience, and transformation. During my childhood in Italy and during repeated visits, fires, ruins and volcanic eruptions sparked my interest. Fire is used in many countries to clear fields, control invasive species and to smoke out your enemies in times of war.

Closer to home, the City of Toronto conducts prescribed burns to regenerate the Oak Savannahs. The urban nature of the Golden Horseshoe has squeezed these rare endangered ecosystems into specially designated areas, including High Park in Toronto. Fire stimulates the germination of Savannah species and controls invasive ones. During the burn events, the Savannahs are transformed into ephemeral places by fire and smoke. I have photographed these landscapes, which transition through states of destruction and recreation. My process violates classic rules of photography, and I exploit these infringements to create and confirm the transformation process. Blending painting and photography, the work depicts the real world, but also exists in a more fulsome picture of reality.

More Info…

Peter Friedrichsen, Reflected, charcoal, brick, in ferric-wheat (CHIBA), 18 x 12 inches

About Peter Friedrichsen

Peter Friedrichsen is a Toronto-based photographer and alternative process printmaker known for his experimental approach and minimalist aesthetic in image making. His work reinterprets historical photographic printing techniques, exploring how materials, surfaces, and processes shape the interpretation of the image.

Peter is an active member of the alternative process printmaking community, with a focus on sustainable methods. His work has been exhibited both locally and internationally, and has been featured in several articles and book publications within the alternative photography community. As a current member and past Chair of Propeller Art Gallery, he remains actively involved in Toronto’s arts community.

www.peterfriedrichsen.com
Instagram @peterfriedrichsen.art

Frances Patella, House & Red Flare, acrylic, photography, bark, 8 x 7.5 inches

About Frances Patella

Frances Patella was born in Italy, resides in Toronto. Her work has been exhibited in Canada and the U.S. and has received numerous grants for Artists In Education and Mid-Career from the Ontario and Toronto Arts Councils. Her work has won Best In Show and Purchase Awards, is in private and public collections, including the Ontario Archives, and reproduced on magazine and CD covers. Frances received a BFA from York University, a B.ED. from the University of Toronto, studied Visual Arts and French at the University of Western Ontario and drawing and art history in Florence, Italy. She is a Member of the Ontario Society of Artists, and a long-time member of Propeller Art Gallery and former Chair. Frances taught visual arts and analog photography in the TDSB, Cyanotype workshops in schools throughout Southern Ontario, for the Photo Educators Forum in Toronto and the National Gallery of Photography in Ottawa. Frances was a long-time Member of the Board and Chair of Jury and Judges for the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Frances has exhibited in Toronto, New York, Brooklyn, Connecticut, and throughout Ontario, in public and private galleries, art fairs, commercial and artist-run galleries. She continues to be active in the Toronto arts community.

www.francespatella.com
Instagram @francespatella

Propeller’s 30 Year History: 1996 – 2026

Propeller Gallery’s mission is “artists empowering artists.” Propeller is an artist-run centre and exhibition space in Toronto’s Queen West Art + Design District that supports innovative, sustainable programming.

Propeller fosters artists’ creative pursuits by hosting curated, juried, and member exhibitions. Additionally, it provides platforms for networking and learning through lectures, workshops, and artist talks.

For more information contact:
Tom Taylor, Director
info@propellerartgallery.com
416-504-7142

Propeller Art Gallery
30 Abell Street
Toronto, ON M6J 0A9
propellerartgallery.com

Facebook @propellerartgallery
Instagram @propellerartgallery
Bluesky @propellergallery.bsky.social

Hours
Wednesday – Saturday, 1 – 5:30pm, Sundays 12 – 4pm, or by appointment

Partially Accessible
propellerartgallery.com/accessibility