Art by Reilly Knowles, London, ON (2026)

02/28/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended "Our Coves Story"!

On February 22nd, led a program at Landon Branch Library where community members were invited to share their stories of living, working and playing in the Coves. Coves neighbours of today and yesterday offered their colourful histories and observations, illustrated by personal artifacts.

As a project of the Coves Collective, "Our Coves Story" brought people together through their love of this Environmentally Significant Area, and provided insight into the wider community’s relationship to this place in order to inform the collective’s future work.

As an extension of the program, Reilly is continuing to collect stories, photos and artworks of the Coves for a small publication which will be offered back to participants for free as a gesture of community-building. No submission is too “small”! Anything that speaks to your relationship to the Coves is welcome. To learn more and to submit material, please visit reillyknowles.ca/ourcovesstory (linked in Reilly's bio), or message him directly .

"Our Coves Story" was supported by the through the City of London's Community Arts Investment Program, and could not have happened without the amazing folks at the .

01/25/2025

People close to me and fellow artists have been discussing deleting their Instagram and Facebook accounts, and there is justified concern over losing track of the artists we love to follow. If you're leaving the platform, please consider subscribing to my newsletter via reillyknowles.ca/connect. The first issue goes out this Sunday!

I have had more fun making this first newsletter than the sum total of eight years of social media posting!

In my newsletters, you'll find:

💙New and available artwork
💙Exhibition & event announcements
💙Studio sneak peeks
💙Field trip photos
💙My dog Maisie (honestly, it's worth subscribing just for Maisie)

Wishing you all well!

01/23/2025

Thanks to the "Wortley Villager" magazine for sharing the news about "Our Coves Story," my upcoming program with and !

🌳 Event: Our Coves Story
🌊 Date: February 22nd, 2025
🌳 Time: 1:00-4:00pm (drop-in)
🌊 Location: Landon Branch Library, London Public Library (167 Wortley Road)
🌳 Audience: Everyone!
🌊 Cost: None!

01/12/2025

Announcing "Our Coves Story" on February 22nd!

"Our Coves Story" is a drop-in, all-ages event, where folks are welcome to share their experiences of living, working and playing in the Coves, an Environmentally Significant Area in the heart of London.

Over the past few years, I have led and assisted with creative workshops in the Coves with the Coves Collective, an ad-hoc group of artists, educators, and activists that have come together to attend to our responsibilities and relationships with the Coves. We are particularly inspired by the resilience of this land to foster life after decades of pollution.

From ice skating, to apple picking, to working in the Alma paint factory, countless Londoners have stories to tell about the Coves. "Our Coves Story" is an invitation to share these stories with neighbours, and no tale is too “small”!

Those interested will also be able to submit their stories and photos to be considered for a small publication. Folks will be able to scan their physical photos for this publication at the event.

Unable to attend in person but still want to submit your stories and photos? Physical and online submission forms are available at Landon Library from January 18th to February 22nd. Landon Library staff can also help you scan your physical photos to be submitted.

Drop into or call Landon Library, contact me directly, or visit the link in my bio for more information.

For those new to Landon Library and arriving by car, the parking lot is accessed via the one-way Bruce Street. Turn right just before Wortley Road.

This program is supported by the London Arts Council through the City of London's Community Arts Investment Program.

Can't wait to see you there!

🌳 Event: Our Coves Story
🌊 Date: February 22nd, 2025
🌳 Time: 1:00-4:00pm (drop-in)
🌊 Location: Landon Branch Library, London Public Library (167 Wortley Road)
🌳 Audience: Everyone!
🌊 Cost: None!

12/06/2024

These two watercolours are currently on display at the Member Show and Sale at !

The Members’ Show and Sale is FCG’s longest-running annual exhibition and serves as an important fundraising event for the year. This annual fundraiser supports the gallery’s capacity to program exhibitions, offer artistic resources, and promote dialogue amongst local, regional, and international arts communities.

This year there are over fifty-five participating artists and over 120 artworks by FCG members and Embassy Cultural House contributors!

The show continues until Dec. 20.

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11/20/2024

Now that my Ontario Culture Days project has come to a close, I'm delighted to share these great photos by Alex Walker!

A bit about this work:

"Magic Circle for Earth Communion". 2024. Embroidered textile (commercially and hand-dyed cloth and yarn, dyes and inks made from wild plants and kitchen scraps, beeswax, dirt, rust, and stones). 274 x 213 x 3 cm.

Through my work, I explore supernatural traditions from the settler cultures of Southern Ontario. This textile work is a response to a magic circle in the appendix of a 2008 edition of "The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses," an influential handbook of spells allegedly written by the ancient Hebrew leader and prophet. The text was used as part of the folk magic practices of Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in Waterloo, Ontario, as late as the 1950s, and in other traditions in North America. The magic circles are diagrams which the practitioner draws as part of rituals for commanding spirits.

My "magic circle" is a record of reciprocity and connection with the land. It includes textiles dyed with local wild plants such as black walnuts and sumac, and others, such as avocados, brought to my kitchen from remote locations. In the making of this work, I also temporarily buried textiles in the ground, and wore others on my feet as I walked through the Coves, an Environmentally Significant Area in London.

"Magic Circle for Earth Communion" was commissioned as part of the Ontario Culture Days 2024 Creatives in Residence program, and was exhibited at Museum London from July to October, 2024.

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11/20/2024

Now that my Ontario Culture Days project has come to a close, I'm delighted to share these great photos by Alex Walker!

A bit about this work:

"Magic Circle for Earth Communion". 2024. Embroidered textile (commercially and hand-dyed cloth and yarn, dyes and inks made from wild plants and kitchen scraps, beeswax, dirt, rust, and stones). 274 x 213 x 3 cm.

Through my work, I explore supernatural traditions from the settler cultures of Southern Ontario. This textile work is a response to a magic circle in the appendix of a 2008 edition of "The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses," an influential handbook of spells allegedly written by the ancient Hebrew leader and prophet. The text was used as part of the folk magic practices of Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in Waterloo, Ontario, as late as the 1950s, and in other traditions in North America. The magic circles are diagrams which the practitioner draws as part of rituals for commanding spirits.

Rather than frame the earth as subservient to humans as the handbook does, my circle is a record of reciprocity and connection with the land. It includes textiles dyed with local wild plants such as black walnuts and sumac, and others, such as avocados, brought to my kitchen from remote locations. In the making of this work, I also temporarily buried textiles in the ground, and wore others on my feet as I walked through the Coves, an Environmentally Significant Area in London.

Between the footprints are rust stains from horseshoes. Around the outer edge are ‘hag stones’: rocks with naturally-occurring holes which I collected from the banks of the Deshkan Ziibi. Both horseshoes and hag stones have reputations for granting good luck. Red thread connects all the pieces together in a pattern which recalls a ‘log cabin’ quilt block, with a red hearth at the centre of four wooden walls. This reflects upon the earth’s role as our collective home.

"Magic Circle for Earth Communion" was commissioned as part of the Ontario Culture Days 2024 Creatives in Residence program, and was exhibited at Museum London from July to October, 2024.

11/20/2024

I am a featured artist at the upcoming Member Show and Sale at Forest City Gallery!

The Members’ Show and Sale is FCG’s longest-running annual exhibition and serves as an important fundraising event for the year. This annual fundraiser supports the gallery’s capacity to program exhibitions, offer artistic resources, and promote dialogue amongst local, regional, and international arts communities.

This year there are over fifty-five participating artists and over 120 artworks by FCG members and Embassy Cultural House contributors!

Pictured are details from my two works at the show: "Ugly Doll (Flapper Girl)" and "Deep Below."

See you at the opening this Friday, November 22nd from 7-9pm!

09/06/2024

A sneak peek at some booklets I'm prepping today for an upcoming workshop! 👀👀👀

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08/02/2024

I'm delighted to share photos from a recent garden sign commission! What a fun project!

05/24/2024

Sharing this super cute photo of and I from our interview with CBC about "unclaim. unsettle. belong." by at . The show runs until June 1st (there's still time!!) and you can hear the interview via the link in my bio.

05/24/2024

After several reclusive months in my studio (read: crouched over my dining table and kitchen floor), I'm happy to share a snapshot of the project I've been working on: "Magic Circle for Earth Communion".

Furthering my exploration of supernatural traditions from the settler cultures of Southern Ontario, this new work is a response to a magic circle in the appendix of a 2008 edition of The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, an influential handbook of spells allegedly written by the ancient Hebrew leader and prophet. The text was used as part of the folk magic practices of Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in Waterloo, Ontario, as late as the 1950s, and in other traditions in North America. The magic circles are diagrams which the practitioner draws as part of rituals for commanding spirits. I have reinterpreted one of the magic circles as expressing reciprocity with, rather than command over, the earth.

"Magic Circle for Earth Communion" was commissioned by and is part of their 2024 festival. The work will be exhibited at as part of their summer programming. You can catch a first glimpse at the museum's Summer Launch Party on June 20th from 7-9pm. Also, stay tuned for information on my accompanying artist talk and workshop, which will both be free to attend thanks to Ontario Culture Days.

Soon I will be able to share more photos of this 7' giant once it's installed (it's simply too big to document in my little studio). Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this creation process! I am truly excited to share this project and everything I have learned while bringing it into being.

Art by Reilly Knowles

02/28/2025

01/25/2025

01/23/2025

01/12/2025

12/06/2024

11/20/2024

11/20/2024

11/20/2024

09/06/2024

08/02/2024

05/24/2024

05/24/2024

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