Kevin Whitaker’s latest solo exhibition: Courage

It has been nearly five years since Kevin Whitaker, a former Ontario Superior Court judge hung up his black robe and swapped his gavel for a paintbrush.

In 2014, Whitaker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and just two years later, he received bombshell news: He also had Lewy Body Dementia, a more aggressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects cognitive function and physical ability. Therefore, in 2018, after his illness forced him into

unexpected early retirement, Whitaker decided to spend his time travelling the world, enjoying his family home in the Eastern Townships, and launching his new career as a painter.

Today, Whitaker has produced over 200 paintings, which have filled seven

solo exhibitions in Quebec, Ontario, and France in just three years. Moreover, he and his loving wife, Marie Moliner, have also raised nearly $120,000 for a Lewy Body Dementia research fellow at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

His seventh exhibition, which will be located at the charming Gillygooly Art Gallery in Hatley, is titled “Courage”. The exhibition, which opens on Thursday, Aug. 5 until Sunday, Aug. 15., is open to the public and is free of charge.

Why “courage” as a theme for his latest solo exhibition? According to Whitaker, the inspiration for the theme came from his favourite The Tragically Hip song, which has the same name. “When I was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia six years ago, I learned that the average lifespan is five to eight years,” explained Whitaker. Therefore, he discovered that it truly takes courage to wake up every day and cope with a terminal diagnosis. “Courage” is also the title of his favourite piece from his latest series of paintings. It is a brilliantly coloured pink and black abstract painting of a person with a disability, and illustrates that “people who live with disabilities can still have a great quality of life,” explained Whitaker. “The person in the painting is also happy, which shows my gratitude for life and my close friends and family, especially my wife Marie, who continues to support me each day.” Like all his previous exhibitions, proceeds from sales will be donated to causes benefitting Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and Lewy Body Dementia. According to Moliner, “12 out of the 29 paintings that are being showcased in the exhibition have already been sold.”

Nevertheless, with the help of one of his lifelong friends who dabbles in photography, Whitaker’s paintings from some of his most recent exhibitions are available for purchase as digital art prints and cards on his website, explained Moliner.

People interested in contributing to the cause are also invited to donate directly at https://www. kevinwhitaker.art/donate. According to Moliner, “so far, people have been remarkably generous, and I attribute that to Kevin’s charming personality

and the fact that people love him.”

As both a person and an artist, Whitaker offers a portrait of immeasurable courage, proving that the power of art can overcome adversity, even in the darkest of situations.