Well, maybe the weather this time was nothing to rejoice in, but a good time was had nonetheless. London offered us a chance to explore outstanding regional collections and to reflect on the leading role this city has played in the development of the visual arts in Ontario. We were pleased to welcome several new members and guests from the south-west of the province and from the Toronto area.

This image is, perhaps, symbolic of us singing in the rain

Great books, but the London Public Library's collections also include a wide range of other interesting material

The day got off to a great start at the London Public Library, where we were warmly greeted by Pearl Santopinto, Arthur McClelland, and Carmen Sprovieri and her team, who had generously provided us with coffee and refreshments and a venue to meet and mingle. The current Central Library, which had begun life with the dual mandate of art gallery and library, was a fitting location for our group. But it was also exciting to learn about the beautiful new facilities into which the LPL will move within the year -- something to look forward to on a return visit, perhaps?

Arthur proceeded to introduce us to the collections of the London Room, a leading regional resource, in which the history of artists as diverse as Paul Peel and Greg Curnoe could be traced.

We then heard from Pearl, who manages the Fine Arts department of the library and faces challenges to which we could all relate. The LPL's holdings include a strong collection of artists' vertical files, which they are in the process of automating, numerous important local publications, and an interesting collection of visual art.

I hope this is not too clichéd: the 19th-century artist en plein air

More silly symbolism: this oak tree represents the leafy UWO campus

We moved on to the verdant campus of the University of Western Ontario (and somehow penetrated the fortress of the D. B. Weldon Library!) to find lunch awaiting us. After our meal, we proceeded to the J. J. Talman Regional Collection, the varied riches of which were introduced to us by John Lutman and Theresa Regnier. This outstanding collection includes much to delight documentalists, historians of art and design, and archivists alike.

With the indispensable help of Brenda MacEachern, we found our (relatively dry!) way to the McIntosh Gallery, where curator and education officer Catherine Elliot Shaw capably guided us through an exhibition intended to showcase the Gallery's strong and diverse collections. There were outstanding items to be seen within the gallery, though unfortunately, due in part to the weather, we missed viewing the substantial portion of the collections which are dispersed throughout the campus, both outside and in.

Brenda again came to our aid in guiding us to, and through, the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, a beautiful purpose-built facility designed by Raymond Moriyama. Members from art and design schools were particularly eager to see the airy studio spaces and the thoughtfully-designed visual resources library. Brenda's enthusiasm for the building was catching!

We finished off with the business meeting, at which we discussed the recent ARLIS/NA Conference in Los Angeles, fundraising strategies, and the upcoming Fall 2001 meeting in Elliott Lake. We were delighted to count ARLIS/NA Past President Karen McKenzie and current ARLIS Canada Chair Carole Goldsmith among those present -- Carole had made the trip all the way from Vancouver, and had some welcome insights for the chapter.

Provisional meeting minutes are available, for further details.

Many thanks to all who helped out to make this day possible!

If only we had a non-copyrighted image of the wonderful John Labatt Visual Arts Centre. But this teapot will stand in for the business meeting