Multi award-winning artist Lynda Todd is making headlines nationwide as her latest exhibit, Echoes of the Senses, opens March today at ECCO Art Gallery in Lakefield. Todd is also featured in the March 2026 Member Profile of Costco Connection, reaching more than three million Canadian households.
The exhibit invites visitors to engage with art in a new way. Todd’s Migration Series explores endangered species and environmental responsibility through textured, tactile mixed-media pieces featuring polar bears, penguins, whales, and salmon.
“Art should never say ‘do not touch.’ It should say ‘come closer.’ This is art you can feel,” Todd said.
Accessibility is central to the show. Art is displayed lower for wheelchair users, large print and Braille labels accompany each piece, QR codes provide audio descriptions, and softened lighting reduces glare.
“This exhibition changes how people experience art. Lynda’s work is bold and filled with movement, but what makes it special is that everyone is welcome to engage with it through touch. It is art without barriers,” said Jody Ridpath, Curator of ECCO Gallery.
Todd, who is visually impaired and colour blind, has exhibited internationally and was named the Electric City Culture Council’s Outstanding 2025 Emerging Artist. Her piece Salmon, Salmon, Salmon has been selected for display in the Ontario Parliament in 2026 through the Art a la Carte collection.
The exhibit runs until April 5 at ECCO Art Gallery (46 Queen St., Lakefield), with an artist reception scheduled for Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 4 p.m.
