Carl Ahrens Day
The April 28th, 2007 general meeting for the Waterloo Historical Society was dubbed Carl Ahrens Day, in celebration of a Waterloo County painter who has, until recently, been overshadowed by Homer Watson in the local history books. The meeting took place at the Kitchener/Waterloo Art Gallery - 101 Queen Street North, Kitchener, Ontario. It was open to the public and roughly 150 people attended, many of whom were not members of the WHS.
With approximately 35 pieces of art on display, courtesy of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, the Government of Ontario Art Collection and many private lenders, it was the largest public showing of Carl Ahrens' paintings and prints until 2015, when the Dundas Museum & Archives put on an exhibition called Parallel Destinies, featuring the art of both Homer Watson and Carl Ahrens.
Kim Bullock, a great granddaughter of Carl Ahrens, was the keynote speaker. She outlined aspects of Carl's life and art and also brought along a number of family artifacts pertaining to him. Other speakers included Wilfrid Laurier professor Paul Tiessen, Kitchener mayor Carl Zehr, K/WAG director Alf Bogusky, WHS president rych mills, WHS publications editor Susan Hoffman, K/WAG curatorial assistant Cindy Wayvon and Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy.
April 28th was also the release date for the 2006 Waterloo Historical Society annual volume featuring Carl Ahrens on the front and back covers. A large article on the painter by Bullock appears in the volume.
Untitled Landscape with House and Pond
Oil on canvas
20 x 25.5 cm
Signed 1929
Private Collection
Photo by Lorna Ferguson
Possibly painted for fellow landscape painter, Homer Watson.
The Pool
Oil on canvas
61 x 46 cm
Signed between 1909 and 1911
Kitchener/Waterloo Art Gallery
Gift of the Volunteer Committee, 1985
Photo by Chris Keith
This painting, along with the rest of the Mercer Collection, was exhibited in the Toronto Reverence Library in October of 1911.
Wooded Landscape with Reflective Pool
Oil on panel
20 x 15 cm
Signed / Undated
Collection of Rick Taylor
Photo by Rick Taylor
Seascape with Purple Sky
Watercolor on paper
Signed lower left
Collection of Greg Chard
Likely painted in Rockport, Massachusetts in 1921
Untitled Landscape with Figure and Stream
Oil on canvas
15 x 18 cm
Signed / Undated
Private Collection
Photo by Lorna Ferguson
This painting may have originally belonged to landscape painter, Homer Watson, a good friend of Carl's.
Forest Interior
Oil on board
26.5 x 21.5 cm
Signed / Undated
Collection of Sandu Sindile
Photo by Sandu Sindile
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This photo was taken at the Rum Runner in the Walper Terrace Hotel after the Carl Ahrens Day on April 28th, 2007. Included in the photo are from left to right: Chris Keith (great-grandson of Ahrens), Fred Downes (grandson of Ahrens), Deb Downes and Kim Bullock (great-granddaughter of Ahrens).
Photo by Wendy Miller
This photo was taken at the end of the Carl Ahrens Day event on April 28th, 2007. Included in the photo are from left to right: Jennifer Watson (former curator of the K/WAG and author of the catalog for the Ahrens exhibition at the gallery in 1984), Fred Downes (grandson of Ahrens), Siegie Baca (granddaughter of Ahrens) and Kim Bullock (great granddaughter of Ahrens.)
Photo by Deborah Downes
This photo was taken at the Rum Runner in the Walper Terrace Hotel. Included in the photo are from left to right: Wendy Miller, Mike Ahrens (Ontario), Deb Downes, Fred Downes (grandson of Ahrens), Kim Bullock (great-granddaughter of Ahrens), Chris Keith (great grandson of Ahrens), Siegie Baca (granddaughter of Ahrens), Keila Baca and Mike Ahrens (Iowa).
Photo by rych mills
From left to right: Kim Bullock (great-granddaughter of Ahrens), Chris Keith (great-grandson of Ahrens), Wendy Miller and Mike Ahrens. Taken at the Rum Runner Pub in Kitchener, Ontario, after the Carl Ahrens Day event.
Photo by rych mills
This photograph was taken at the Rum Runner Pub in the Walper Terrace Hotel after the Carl Ahrens Day exhibit. Included are Kim Bullock (great-granddaughter of Ahrens and keynote speaker for the event) and rych mills, the president of the Waterloo Historical Society.
Photo by Mike Ahrens
This photo was taken at the Roycroft Inn in East Aurora, NY in September of 2006. The photo includes Martha McGowan (great-granddaughter of Ahrens and Emily Carroll) and Kim Bullock (great-granddaughter of Ahrens and Martha "Madonna" Niles.) I include it because Martha was present at Carl Ahrens Day but no photos were taken of her there.
Photo by Kitty Turgeon
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