Reception for Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works
You are invited to celebrate the opening of Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works.
This nationally touring exhibition explores the rich and multifaceted career of PEI’s Erica Rutherford (1923–2008), a painter, writer, and performer whose work reflects a lifelong engagement with identity, gender, and belonging. Presenting a survey of artworks alongside personal photographs and memorabilia, the exhibition offers an intimate look at an artist whose life and practice were marked by transformation, resilience, and creativity.
Rutherford’s experience of transitioning and living across the gender binary deeply informed her art. Drawing on the bold colours and graphic style of Pop Art, she examined how identity is shaped, performed, and perceived. Her background in theatre is evident in stylized figures, dark humour, and a sense of visual drama that runs through her work. Together, these elements reveal an artist attuned to the complexities of selfhood and society—one whose legacy continues to resonate.
Curated by Pan Wendt, this exhibition is organized and circulated by Confederation Centre Art Gallery in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada.
