2009 Exhibition "Nomads"

Allen Smutylo was born in 1946 in Toronto, Ontario. He was one of the founding members of Circle Arts Gallery, which opened in Tobermory in 1969. He is an honours graduate from Ontario College of Art and Design and a member of the Ontario Society of Artists.

For the last 20 years his work has been based exclusively on experiences from his extensive travels. These trips include over 25 kayaking and backpacking working expeditions in the high Arctic, the Amazon jungle, the Himalayas and Antarctica. Most recently Smutylo travelled to Ladakh in the Indian State of Kashmir.

Smutylo has been profiled in many magazine and newspaper articles in Canada and the United States. His art and travels have been part of three films. The most recent, "The Last Frontier," the Radio-Canada (Quebec, CBC) production of a Jean Lemire film. It depicts Smutylo's adventures and artistic response to kayaking with Humpback whales in Alaska and Labrador.

In May 2007, Allen Smutylo’s book “Wild Places Wild Hearts” was released, which tells of his experiences traveling in the Himalayas and showcases his artwork relating to the people and culture of the area. It was awarded the Best Adventure Travel Book Award, 2007, by the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, and was co-published by the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Allen Smutylo's work is included in numerous public and private collections in Canada and abroad. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally. Notable collections include, the Tom Thompson Memorial Art Gallery, The Brant Art Gallery and the University of Saskatchewan. Smutylo has won numerous awards including the prestigious Sapporo International Print Biennial in Japan.

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