This July, the Quinte Arts Council presents an exotic installation that promises to awaken your senses and transport your imagination. Saharan Beauty – The Magic of the Dunes and the Berber Tent by contemporary mixed media artist Rhonda Nolan opens at the QAC Cultural Hub on Thursday, July 3rd at 4:00 PM, and runs through July 31st.
Established contemporary, mixed media artist Rhonda Nolan isn’t afraid to take viewers on a journey. Through her bold adventures in paint and sculpture, Nolan’s evocative work renders global experiences manifest. This time, she’s taking us to Morocco.
Nolan writes, “See the wonders of this beauteous land, through my heartened marks. Hear the soundlessness of the Sahara and feel the radiant sand on your skin. Allow it to overtake you. Your senses will be heightened as you walk the dunes. You will learn to slow down. Meditate on this great expanse and the incredible freedom it offers you.”
Nolan’s installations are deeply personal and richly layered, grounded in shifting narratives and driven by raw energy and a desire to share. She is both storyteller and guide—leading us through some of the world’s most enigmatic spaces with honesty and intuition.
“My art conveys a process of problem-solving,” she explains. “My paintings are a conversation between form, energy, texture, and intuition. I’ve developed a personal pictorial dialect—a language of mark-making and symbols that speak from the moment of creation. I feel most authentic when I express myself through strong graphic shapes and gestural marks.”
Some of the works featured in Saharan Beauty debuted at Nolan’s solo show at Dar Cherifa Cultural Centre in Marrakech in 2024; others will be unveiled for the first time in this installation.
“I needed to express this in paint,” says Nolan. “To make simple, strong marks and lay them on the dunes—to capture this desert time, this special place. Each piece is imbued with love, always.”
She continues, “In Morocco, I return to a simple, timeless, sensual beauty—revealed slowly through weather-worn Amazigh and Berber artifacts, stories, music, and ritual. I want to hold on to the colours, scents, textures, and rhythms of a life so unlike my own. This is the Morocco I have come to know, inside the Berber tent.”
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this extraordinary installation and the stories it holds. Saharan Beauty opens with a reception on July 3rd at 4:00 PM and continues until July 31st at the QAC Cultural Hub.
rhondanolan.com
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Andrew Gray
Program Director
Quinte Arts Council
drew@quinteartscouncil.org
