On Thanksgiving weekend 2016, a potentially ground-breaking discovery in regards to Canada's iconic artist, Tom Thomson, was made by artists Joel Richardson and Germinio Pio Politi.

In 2012, the artists discovered a map in a copy of James Joyce's Portrait of An Artist as a Young Man. The book was purchased at a second hand book store and the hand-drawn map of Algonquin Park indicated something the artists believed was connected to Tom Thomson, located close to the lake now known as Tom Thomson Lake. Since then, the artists have returned several times to explore the area and to try to locate what the map marked.

The map and their search has generated much interest. In 2015 the artists – having made copies for their own research – presented the map to the Tom Thomson Art Gallery (The TOM) for its collection. This presentation was attended by a number of local dignitaries.

Their search is being documented by the Channel SIX News team and this year, their trip realized success when a journal was discovered having been buried in a tin box under a small cairn, near the spot indicated on the map. The journal was written by a man named George Nadjiwon, and sheds light on a previously untold story about Tom Thomson

Richardson and Pio Politi are working on a project about their search and this discovery which will be launched at the The TOM. Critically acclaimed author, Joseph Boyden, is also participating in this project. Betwixt & Between: An Untold Tom Thomson Story opens at The TOM and will tour to the Confederation Art Centre, Charlottetown, PEI; Grimsby Public Art Gallery, Grimsby, ON; The Reach, Abbotsford, BC; and the Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, Oshawa, ON.

The TOM is located in Owen Sound, ON. Inspired by the legacy of iconic Canadian artist, Tom Thomson, the TOM connects people to art and generates creative energy that sustains, enriches, empowers and inspires the communities it serves. The TOM is entrusted to preserve and present the life, work and ongoing legacy of Tom Thomson. As the cultural anchor organization for the Grey Bruce region, we develop opportunities for meaningful connections to contemporary and historical art, through exhibitions, education and programming. We play a prominent and supportive role within the cultural realm at a local, regional and national level.