Welcome To My World
Guests will discover rarely seen and never-before-seen originals, experience live painting and enjoy the premiere of Murray’s new animal series, Friends of the Forest & Farm. Live music, wine and light hors d’oeuvres accompany the evening, with opportunities to purchase original works and participate in a silent auction supporting the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County.
Come out to this one-of-a-kind event in support of the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and Essex County!
"At twelve, Paul Murray exhibited at Willistead’s Art in the Park. This November, the internationally acclaimed artist returns to Willistead Manor with much more than paintings: the journals, recordings and untold stories of a life spent seeking out people and worlds too often overlooked.
His paintings have earned international awards and recognition, been exhibited in museums and more than 100 galleries worldwide and been featured in magazines and television documentaries—bringing attention to a forgotten world that holds remarkable stories, enduring wisdom and traditions worth preserving.
Welcome to My World, presented November 26 and 27, takes guests down rural Ontario back roads and into isolated Appalachian communities, where Murray shared meals, formed lasting friendships and sometimes lived among the people he painted. His work preserves their humanity, traditions and ways of life; this evening reveals the adventures behind it.
Through intimate storytelling, personal journals and rare footage, Murray shares the humour, hardships, trials and triumphs that never appear on a gallery label. A highlight of the evening program is a live virtual meeting by FaceTime with a legendary Tennessee moonshiner—an opportunity for guests to meet one of Murray’s Appalachian friends and hear his stories firsthand.
Guests will discover rarely seen and never-before-seen originals, experience live painting and enjoy the premiere of Murray’s new animal series, Friends of the Forest & Farm. Live music, wine and light hors d’oeuvres accompany the evening, with opportunities to purchase original works and participate in a silent auction supporting the Alzheimer Society.
The exhibition will also open to the public on November 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., welcoming school classes to explore Murray’s artwork and the people, traditions and history it preserves.
Murray began exhibiting at ten. His first major exhibition at twelve opened a chapter that now comes full circle—56 years later, at Willistead. With just 100 guests each evening, Welcome to My World offers a rare opportunity to hear the stories from the artist who lived them."
www.paulmurray.com