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Greetings!
Some artists naturally bridge multiple forms of expression, blending visual art with poetry to explore the human experience. Rachel Berman and Florence Vale, two distinctive voices in Canadian art, embody this creative versatility.
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
The Architecture of Time, 2003 - watercolour & graphite, 14 x 17 inches
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Their works come together in Letters of Art, a thoughtful two-person exhibition on view February 12 through 28, 2026. The show offers an intimate exchange between generations: one shaped by mid-century Toronto's bohemian energy, the other by a life of quiet reinvention and travel.
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
Black Coffee, 2002 - oil, pencil, bee’s wax, 14.5 x 12.75 inches
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Florence Vale (1909–2003) was born in Ilford, Essex, England, she moved to Toronto at fifteen months old. Leaving school after grade seven, she worked in the garment district before marrying Dutch-born Canadian artist Albert Franck in 1929. Their Hazelton Avenue home became a gathering place for Toronto's Gerrard Street bohemian community of artists, writers, musicians, and critics. Vale began painting in the late 1940s using her husband's materials, drawing from Surrealism, Cubism, and Expressionism to create imaginative worlds of fantasy, memory, and sensuality.
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FLORENCE VALE (1909-2003)
Dido Legend of Carthage, 1962 - oil & collage on board, 12 x 10 inches
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A self-taught artist, she famously said, “I paint what I dream, I draw what I know, and I collage who I am.” Her pen-and-ink drawings often carried erotic poetry, her collages layered personal identity, and her oils mixed whimsy with intimacy. A published poet, she grew verse into books including a couch of grass (below), The Amorous Unicorn and Selected Drawings & Verse. Vale continued evolving her practice into her 80s, producing abstract, textured works that probed the subconscious.
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a couch of grass, 1993
Twelve selected poems by Florence Vale
illustrated with six drypoint etchings by John Hartman
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FLORENCE VALE (1909-2003)
Bust of Becket - R. Burton, 1964 - mixed media collage, 12.5 x 9.25 inches
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Rachel Berman (1946–2014), the enigmatic flâneur and self-educated painter, captured humanity with empathy. Born in New Orleans as Susan King, she reclaimed her true name and identity later in life, mirroring the autobiographical depth in her art. From lyrical children's book illustrations (earning Governor General's nominations) to intellectual and meaningful oils, watercolours, and mixed media works, Berman observed humanity with a poet's eye: solitary figures in cafes, drifters carrying unspoken stories, urban moments infused with melancholy and grace.
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
Study for “Red Cloud” - Queen St. W. Toronto, 2009 - oil, pencil, bee’s wax on recycled book cover, 11.25 x 8.5 inches
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
“I am lost, I am lost, in the robes of all this light” - Sylvia Plath from Poem for a Birthday No. 6, 2010 - oil, pencil, bee’s wax, 11.25 x 11.5 inches
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A solitary observer, she often shared envelopes filled with drawings, philosophy, calligraphy, and poetry, infusing her practice with curiosity and quiet goodness.
At heart, Berman was a humanist wanderer, always learning, always creating, always travelling (as she often inscribed: Rachel Berman is Still Travelling).
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Together in Letters of Art, the works of Rachel Berman and Florence Vale form a rich dialogue: Vale's dream-forged fantasies speak to Berman's lived introspection; their shared poetry illuminates the eternal human quest for meaning, identity, and connection.
Both were artists' artists — born to create, unbound by convention, forever exploring the depths of what it means to be alive.
Wish to learn more? We can send you the full Letters of Art exhibition catalogues for Rachel Berman and Florence Vale, as well as larger images reflecting the framing treatments. Drop us a line to receive. We are here to be of help.
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
Ceri Reading - 99 Fulham Rd., 2003 - oil, pencil, bee’s wax, 9.75 x 5.5 inches
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FLORENCE VALE (1909-2003)
Crowned Heads, 1968 - collage on board, 16 x 12 inches
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"Artists are supposed to be different and will be if they are allowed to bring out what is welling up in them. They cannot stomach interference, but must make decisions entirely alone and they must be responsible for them. There is no telling where talent will spring from; some backward little town, a poor environment, it has happened before; but I feel it often evolves through a person who has been loved and who has been allowed to dream happily as a child"
— Florence Vale // Selected Drawings & Verse
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
“Blue Munk” - James Ellison, Abysinian Baptist Church N.Y. City, 2003 - oil, bee’s wax, cookie tin on recycled book cover, 10.75 x 8 inches
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
Bach Handel, 2002 - graphite, 9 x 6 inches
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RACHEL BERMAN (1946-2014)
Maple Syrup & Marmalade Jam, 2000 - watercolour & graphite, 7 x 7.5 inches
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This exhibition is a rare opportunity to witness two extraordinary lives dedicated to the boundless language of art.
Visit Ingram Gallery to experience the art, letters, and poetry they left behind. Letters of Art is a visual, verbal, and deeply moving experience. We look forward to welcoming you at the gallery and sharing in their words and wisdom together.
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With the beauty of spring up next, be sure to mark your calendars for Barry Hodgson's solo exhibition. Wanderings opens Saturday, March 21, with his artist's reception between 1pm and 3pm.
All best wishes,
Tarah & Jeff
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