Written by Don Ross, OMAH Founder
The Founder/Visionary we recognize today is the late Qennefer Browne.
The late Qennefer Browne was born in Toronto in 1937, the only child of Canadian sculptors Emanuel Hahn and Orillia-born Elizabeth Wyn Wood. For more than 50 years, Qennefer was the sole executor of her parents’ estates. She devoted herself to carrying out their vision and curating their art legacy.
Fellow OMAH founder Don Ross commented on Qennefer’s invaluable contribution:
“Qennefer was the hardest-working and longest-standing member of the Orillia Historical Society and the History Committee of OMAH. Since returning to her parent’s home in Orillia in 1981, she was an unbridled supporter and creative leader in both art and history circles.
Orillia may forget how to spell her name, but will never forget Qennefer herself.
She was reserved, almost quiet, sincere, committed, smart, yet traditional and always willing to help. She was above all an Orillian with an infectious smile and a mild, determined manner.
Hers was a pride of place and heritage. The many projects she undertook over the years in Thunder Bay and in Orillia, were done initially with circumspection, which grew into a care of duty and ultimately with complete dedication.
Qennefer Browne
I first met Qennefer about 1992 when working on the concept of creating an Art Gallery in the Sir Sam Steele building that was about to be offered for sale by the city council. I arranged with her to have two initial Board members, Pete McGarvey and Jay Cody, to come with me to see the art, designs and sculptural maquettes of Wood and Hahn at the Browne house.
The first exhibit of art ever held – the 1994 opening exhibit of the Sir Sam Steele Art Gallery, had the support of Qennefer, who hung the plaster of the Deer in Forest done by her mother. This was later recast in aluminum by Qennefer and became the first public art bequest to OMAH. With the Lt. Governor Hal Jackman and Qennefer leading the walk up Mississaga St. we gathered in the chill of October the freshwater spring in Victoria Park for the unveiling and dedication of her mother’s panel sculpture.
Since these early days in the life of OMAH, Qennefer has been a member of the Board, and regularly showed up at the council meetings when OMAH requests were made for public support at budget meetings. She was there at the merger of the Orillia Historical Society, of which she was a longstanding member, with the Sir Sam Steele Art Gallery in 2001, supporting both societies. Although not fond of administration she became a major contributor to the new OMAH Guidelines Policies and Procedures book with Jim Angus, Wally Bremner and I, after the merger. At times I wished that Qennefer gave the same indefatigable support to art as she did to history. Even though eager to support the duality of purpose and direction of the Gallery and the History Society at the merger, her main interest remained with the History Committee. She was steadfastly very private about her responsibilities as custodian of her famous parents’ estate and legacy.
That is until I turned my own OMAH energies toward the history spectrum at the museum, and I realized that Qennefer had known where she was needed, and she gave her creativity willingly. Actually, she is one person who never stops pursuing new learning. She and Robert were the first seniors to register as students at the new campus of Lakehead University in Orillia when it opened in 2005. She was in anthropology and he in astronomy. Even as a senior, she wanted to become an anthropologist and ethnologist and attended the Huronia Anthropological Conferences regularly.
She orchestrated the excellent ‘Mac 200’ exhibit for John A’s 200th anniversary, for 2015 and proudly contributed her father Emanuel Hahn’s sculpture of the horse head in the WWI exhibit of 2014 to exemplify his wartime statuary; her name replaced Olive Schissler’s on the regular OMAH newsletter column on History Society events several years ago, which she wrote with dedication.
Qennefer’s two most memorable expressions of her love of art and history are her creation of the successful OMAH History Awards, a biannual event.” Now the Orillia Regional Art and History Awards (ORAH). Qennefer’s legacy has been recognized by creation of the Qennefer Browne Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual or group of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of their community. She was also the brainchild of the annual Carmichael Art History Lecture series OMAH fundraiser that commemorated Franklin Carmichael’s birth date.
I admired her generosity, kindness and support for OMAH, and a number of us have always regarded her as a mentor to our own efforts at OMAH. But then, opening the door into Qennefer’s house years ago revealed to Jay, Pete and I an amazing art museum all on its own. I am sure the many cartons filled with history papers and projects are still part of her home’s furnishings. Qennefer died in 2017 at the age of 80. She is not forgotten. “
In closing the award honours Qennefer Browne, who gave much of herself to support both arts and heritage organizations within the region.
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