art of the Peace | Issue #22

A PUBLICATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTIST

SPRING 2014

Dale Syrota DRAWN TO DISTANCE

CHASING THE DREAM

PARIS: A MOVEABLE MUSING

DONATING ART

ISSUE 22

THE CENTRE FOR

CREATIVE ARTS At the Centre

Classes for all ages and levels Monthly gallery exhibitions Gift Shop featuring local artists Birthday parties School and group bookings Drop in studio use

Calls for Entries

Celebrating 100 Years in Grande Prairie Create a piece of visual art in celebration of Grande Prairie’s 100th anniversary. Show us your favorite place, an experience or anything that shows how wonderful this city is.

2014 Wearable Arts Show It’s time to start thinking about the Wearable Art Show again and begin working on your wonderful wearable creations. The show will be held at the end of September in conjunction with Alberta Culture Days.

Interested artists are asked to contact the Centre to add their contact info to our Wearable Arts list. Artists on this list will get regular updates and deadline reminders.

Proposals must be submitted by August 1.

Details for Calls for Entries at www.creativecentre.ca/opportunities/call-for-entries

Alberta Culture Days

Alberta Culture Days will be celebrated September 26, 27 and 28. The Centre will be holding our 4th annual Wearable Arts Show on Saturday, September 27.

For more information on this and many other events please go to www.creativecentre.ca/culturedays

Upcoming Exhibitions April 4 -25 Reception: 7pm on April 4 The Centre Gallery Judith A. Brown and Carolyn Brown The Wall Gallery Gordon Mackey May 2 - 30 Reception: 7pm on May 2 The Centre and Wall Galleries Teen Art Exhibition June 6 - 27 Reception: 7pm on June 6 The Centre Gallery Teresa Durand, Helena Mulligan and Naomi Deutekam The Wall Gallery Angela Patterson and Wendy Nurcombe July 4 - 25 Reception: 7pm on July 4 The Centre Gallery Candace Gunsolley-Horsburgh The Wall Gallery Dean Rutt August 1 - 29 Reception: 7pm on August 1 The Centre Gallery Celebrating 100 Years of Grande Prairie The Wall Gallery Donna Kaut September 5 - 26 Reception: 7pm on September 5 The Centre Gallery Sandy Troudt The Wall Gallery Rob Weibe

Like The Centre for Creative Arts on Facebook Follow #CreativeArtsGP on Twitter

www.creativecentre.ca

9904-101 Avenue, Grande Prairie 780-814-6080 info@creativecentre.ca

in this issue: 4.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

4. CONTRIBUTORS 5.

ART OUT THERE

8.

PARIS: A MOVEABLE MUSING

EDITOR: Joanna Moen DESIGN & ADVERTISING: imageDESIGN 10017 100 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0V2 Phone: 780-532-6353 Email: info@imagedesignpros.com PUBLISHER: Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association Box 21503, Coop Plaza Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6W7 Phone: 780-532-2573 (Jim Stokes) Email: art@artofthepeace.ca PRINTING: McCallum Printing Group COVER: Dale Syrota in her studio with painting Kinney Lake.

Photo by Sean Trostem, Prairie Ranger Photography

Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association acknowledges the financial assistance of:

10.

AN ARTIST’S TRAVEL JOURNAL

CHASING THE DREAM THE GRANDE PRAIRIE CENTURY PLAY

14.

DRAWN TO DISTANCE

A CONVERSATION WITH WATERCOLOURIST DALE SYROTA

21.

ART BOOKS IN REVIEW

‘AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNEY’

22. ARTCETERA

IMPRESSIONS OF PRINTMAKING

24.

DONATING ART EQUITY FOR ARTISTS

28.

EXHIBITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

30.

SANDY TROUDT

©All rights reserved Art of the Peace 2014 Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

Art of the Peace makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions.

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IN THIS ISSUE...

BY JOANNA MOEN

We hope this 2014 Spring Issue of Art of the Peace will find you poised on that moment.

That moment refers to the one where spring first breaks through to all your senses and for just a moment or two, anything seems possible. Life, love and art seemed limitless in their potentialities.

Our cover artist Dale Syrota reflects such limitless possibilities as she describes the ‘chase and demand’ of watercolor and the spontaneous joy that can happen when working in this medium. Later, armchair travellers are invited to journey with Jim Stokes to Paris and stroll through Rodin’s garden. Our book review also reflects the theme of art and travel with an ‘Illustrated Journey’ as myriad artists take us on visual adventures. Sandy Troudt treats us to her view of the seasons on the last page as our featured artist; and the three winners of Home is Where the Art Is can be found in Art Out There. So too can we read about art in the mountains of Tumbler Ridge and the rolling foothills of Dawson Creek. And for all artists who have ever generously donated their work, former AGG executive director Roberts Steven suggests a win-win position on artistic donations.

Finally, this spring marks the high energy preparations for the 2014 Century play ‘Chasing the Dream’. This outdoor art-filled extravaganza which celebrates Grande Prairie’s 100th anniversary, continues to welcome all volunteers to come forth as actors, singers, visual artists, musicians, directors and organizers. And so dear reader, why not welcome spring by settling yourself in a sunshine-drenched spot with your Art of the Peace magazine? art of the peace

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Contributors

Artist’s Statement JOANNA MOEN

is an artist and former art educator. Currently she works as a psychologist. She is the past president of the Centre for Creative Arts and is passionate about supporting the arts community in the Peace Region.

DEB GUERETTE

has a background in business, journalism and communications.

Story-telling has always been the best part of all that work.

WENDY STEFANSSON is a mother, artist, writer, and teacher; by turns and all at the same time. Most recently, she has become a blogger. Find her musings about art on her blog: inno-particular-order.blogspot.ca.

JIM STOKES

has been making paintings and drawings for 35 years and spends too much time online instead of making canvas stretchers and framing his paintings. He has recently become obsessed with making the perfect raku ceramic bird!

ROBERT STEVEN

was the Executive Director and Curator of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie from 2006 to 2014. During his tenure at the Art Gallery the building collapsed, but it was rebuilt. Robert now works for the City of Grande Prairie, leading its Culture and Heritage Department.

SEAN TROSTEM is the owner of Prairie Ranger Photography and focuses on creative portraiture, fashion, glamour and commercial photography.

THE TWO MARYS, Mary Parslow (left), and Mary Mottishaw are Peace region artists. They became friends while enrolled in the Visual Arts program at Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek and have shown together in many exhibits and shared workshop experiences.

art out there...

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS: JUROR SELECTIONS OVER THE BOW

THE QUEST OF THE HUMMINGBIRD

The Forthcoming, Ken HouseGo

THE FORTHCOMING Ken HouseGo’s The Forthcoming was winner of the second place category in Home Is Where The Art Is competition. Housego cites his inspirations as everything from the sound of a seagull to a childhood memory or a new dream or discovery. Working frequently with found objects, these too serve as a base of creativity. As he stated, “Materials and ideas are bedfellows discovering each other, in a ‘flash of laughter.’ It is this moment of discovery that I live for as an artist”. Housego further describes that his pieces read more like poems or sculptures in that they are constructions of paint and objects which he ‘builds’. Found objects, materials and ‘cannibalized’ older works are the toy box from which he creates. Viewing The Forthcoming one juror noted, “The Forthcoming is an invitation to step into a scene and discover what is hidden. The textures and warm colours of the wood frame are a welcoming gesture that beckon the viewer to step onto the stage and watch a performance; or onto a lakeside dock to peer into the night sky.”

Over The Bow, Grant Berg

The Quest of the Hummingbrid, Carrie Klukas

The Quest of the Hummingbird by Carrie Klukas was named first prize winner in the Home Is Where The Art Is Competition. As one juror described it, “One can imagine the hummingbird within the work”; and there is an almost tactile quality to her piece. Klukas cites her references for The Quest of the Hummingbird, as the poetry of Rumi, sacred geometry and Masuru Emoto’s research on the effect of positive affirmations on water crystals.

Elements of these were incorporated in the painting’s original foundation.

Subsequently, Klukas layered substrates, sanded and built up her medium until the original under-painted elements were all but obscured. She likens this additive-subtractive process to the removal of personal obstacles which ultimately reveal the hidden magnificence in each individual.

The artist mused as to whether or not the viewer will subconsciously discover the ancient language beneath the surface of her painting. Only you the viewer may determine this for yourself.

Over the Bow by Grant Berg was named as third place winner in the Home Is Where The Art Is juried competition. Berg described that it is in his sculpture that he recognizes that while his hands may shape the piece, it is the combined experiences of his life—both positive and negative—that come together to create the spirit of his work. Influenced by Lawren Harris and Emily Carr, Berg seeks in part, to create three dimensional representation of landscape. Though stone can be a challenging and unforgiving medium, Berg succeeds in portraying, as one juror stated, “…the grace and balance you can discover in a precarious situation. The simplified forms of the tree branches flow towards the harder angles of the rock formation and keep your eye moving from top to bottom and back again.” Rendered with skill and simplicity, Over the Bow succeeds in creating movement and a Group of Seven feel—in a 3 dimensional form.

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ABORIGINAL ART AT PEACE RIVER MUSEUM

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A great location in Peace River to view monthly art exhibits is at the Peace River Municipal Library and Art Gallery.

In 2011 the library’s expansion opened with much celebration. Complementing this social gathering space was the inclusion of a dedicated art gallery.

Since that time, monthly rotations of art exhibits have delighted, informed and inspired visitors and artists alike.

Individual artists, art clubs, quilters and regional collaborations have been exhibited in this airy and inviting space.

Inviting one to stay and enjoy the exhibit and the atmosphere is a fireplace and comfortable seating. The gallery has, on average, the capacity to hang 30 pieces, and anyone wishing to exhibit can contact Linda PrudholmeWarrior at 780-624-4076 or lprudholme@prmlibrary.ab.ca

PEACE-LIARD REGIONAL ART The mountain community of Tumbler Ridge will be hosting the 32nd Regional Art Exhibit in 2015. All artists, emerging or professional, are invited to submit their works. The event, sponsored by the Tumbler Ridge Community Arts Council, is a member of the Peace-Liard Regional Arts Group. Members of this group include Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Chetwynd, Hudson Hope and Fort Nelson and each take yearly turns hosting this event. Submitted art will be displayed at the exhibit. Subsequently, judges choose first, second and third place winners plus nine honourable mentions. All twelve winners will be featured in a 2016 calendar. Whether you submit art, view the exhibit, or buy a calendar, all artistically-minded readers will benefit from involvement with the Peace-Liard juried shows.

Peace River Library show 2014

Aboriginal Masks courtesy Dr David Welch collection

Each month, visitors to the Museum can view a new solo exhibit from Peace region artists. The partnership between the Museum and artists has featured more than three years of creativity and expression. To further support local artists, the Gift Shop offers a diverse selection of locally created art and products.

PEACE RIVER LIBRARY AND ART GALLERY Alternate Image 2, Lydia Hibbing

The Peace River Museum currently features a unique exhibit A Sense of the Land and its People: a Private Collection. It is a lifetime collection of First Nations artifacts from the West Coast and Plains regions, on loan from local physician Dr. David Welch and curated by the Museum. Through the artistry of women’s work, this exhibit demonstrates how our early people were influenced by the specific elements of their environment. The land and its resources influenced First Nations toolmaking, as well as the colours and motifs favoured for their adornments.

Flying Colours’ second group show, Points of View, was recently shown at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery and Peace Gallery North in Fort St. John.

This exhibition presented images capturing familiar landscapes or small moments of everyday life in the Peace Region. Working from selected images and ideas, members rendered their viewpoints in colour, black-and-white, with a wide variety of media, and in many different styles—all with a variety of artistic intentions to demonstrate that artists interpret the same inspirational material in different ways.

TOWN OF FAIRVIEW ART AUCTION A large collection of Fairview and area art went under the auction hammer this spring. From 1980 to 1995 the Town of Fairview sponsored an annual art contest. The winning entries were purchased from the artists and became part of the town’s Permanent Collection.

All of the works were on display at Fairview Fine Arts Centre during the month of March and the auction took place on March 29th.

Left: Sandy Troudt. Right: Mary Parslow

“We have also been gifted with artwork for various commemorations,” says Town Director of Legislative Services, Monica Ralston. “As a result, the Town has amassed a large collection. Rather than store the precious collection in basement archives, council decided to hold an auction to ensure the artworks are dispersed to those in the community who have an appreciation for the pieces.”

Members wanted to intrigue viewers with the diversity and contrasting styles that can be found within an artistic community; and in the way an identical starting point can create diverse content. Examples of the various stages of the creative process of some works were part of the exhibit.

Cubist Inspired Broken Image collage, Jillian Brace, Grade 9, Crystal Park School

Green Island, Doris Reynolds

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW

TEEN ARTISTS Teen art will be featured this June at the Centre for Creative Arts (CFCA) in Grande Prairie. This Teen art show will feature only student art from Crystal Park School under the direction of Art teacher Lindsay Twerdoclib. In May however, another teen art show will feature the works of Peace region teens who chose to submit their artwork to the CFCA. The CFCA has always championed emerging artists; and teen artists represent the ultimate emerging artists. You will find that the freshness, innocence and passion they bring to their art is truly inspiring. Stop by the Centre in May and June to see what images are emerging from the hearts and minds of our teen artists.

Interested teachers who would like to have their student works displayed at the Centre in the future should contact Candace at info@creativecentre.ca. art of the peace

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Paris: A Moveable Musing AN ARTIST’S TRAVEL JOURNAL WRITTEN BY JIM STOKES

“TRAVEL, IN THE YOUNGER SORT, IS A PART OF EDUCATION; IN THE ELDER, A PART OF EXPERIENCE.” – FRANCIS BACON

MUSINGS Some years back about the time the Clinton Administration balanced America’s books, there was crazy talk in the air of a peace dividend. The global travel industry, briefly surpassed the value of the global armaments industry. This brief moment gave many folks hope for this world; hope that the values of art, wacky concepts like education, exploration and fostering communication and understanding, might just lead us all to a better world...

And now I am in Paris. It is so great to visit a town with a lot of art museums. As any city with more than a dollop of moxie, this city has been racing to put up modern art museums with showplace architecture. Paris originated this trend with the Centre Georges Pompidou in the Beaubourg area of Paris near Les Halles. The Centre itself is a post-modern confection of exposed pipes and beams and glass. It is here you will see many Picassos; and also amazing exhibitions including the likes of Lichtenstein, Dali and Calder.

There are almost too many museums to visit. It seems that Paris has a great museum for each day of the week and many more obscure and quirky ones as well.

My favorite is The Rodin Museum, just kitty corner from Les Invalides which is the big shiny dome where Napoleon is buried. By most accounts, the Rodin is never crowded by Parisian standards. And what a treat it is!

After 1900 when Rodin was number one in world sculpture, his principle workplace was Rue Meudon, a suburb of Paris.

This location was mostly for showcasing new projects.

However, here at Musée Rodin on Rue Varenne, there is a former chapel that has a relaxed display of all Rodin’s major marbles. The grounds are wonderful with a lush pruned rose garden in front of the main house. The garden is perfectly augmented with a sound sculpture installation of hidden speakers and trigger sensors that release a subtle interplay of sound around many of Rodin’s key works in bronze.

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The great thing about Rodin’s house is that remarkably, it has been left largely as it was. The first floor’s heavy dark wood paneling is old and creaky from the humidity of a hundred winters. It really lets you imagine carousing and backslapping and animated discussions of the latest artistic triumph or scandal from back in Rodin’s day. One easily imagines his muse Camille Claudel, and Rodin’s many brilliant assistants and models in these spaces.

As I wander from one area of the museum to another, I note that it is so wonderful to see the sketch models for what became the great French writer, Balzac. In one sketch he has a pointy moustache; in another a leg jutting out as if he were a wrestler or juggler in a circus. The sketches and studies are so illuminating... compelling for anyone with an interest in squeezing a bit of clay about, or people interested in the origins of creativity.

Afterwards, a wander on fashionable boulevards awaits. I am off to a relaxing cafe to think about how much things change and how much they stay the same...

Ah, Paris…

TOP LEFT Rose Garden, In Musée Rodin, Jim Stokes TOP RIGHT Burghers, No Fries, Jim Stokes BOTTOM Reflections on Balzac, Jim Stokes art of the peace

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Chasing the Dream THE GRANDE PRAIRIE CENTURY PLAY WRITTEN BY JOANNA MOEN

Recipe for an Artful Centenary Celebration:

INGREDIENTS 1 passionate artistic director 1 ripened seed of an idea 2 local playwrights 1 gorgeous park venue Cast of (community-minded) thousands A dedicated, talented volunteer core

DIRECTIONS – –

– – – –

– – –

Inspire playwrights to create a play reflecting Grande Prairie’s evolution as a city Obtain grant funding and community agency participation Audition and include all interested actors Delegate volunteers to create masks, sets, costumes, puppets, paper lanterns and props Rehearse actors, musicians, dancers and singers Delegate talented residents to perform along the play routes Pray for good weather during the performances Add audience, Stir Jubilantly celebrate 100 years with the entire community of Grande Prairie

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On June 12th to 15th, 2014, residents of Grande Prairie and beyond, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of their city, by participating in the telling of historical stories. It will be an outdoor theatrical event which will take place in Muskoseepi Park.

Entitled Chasing the Dream, the GP Century play has been inspired by the unifying theme of celebrating myths, realities and journeys in the past, present and future of Grande Prairie.

It all began as an epiphany for artistic director Annie Smith.

Some years back, while teaching drama in another locale, Ms. Smith had learned of and was inspired by a theatre concept from the United Kingdom called ‘community plays’. Community plays involve residents coalescing together around an occasion. In an ‘ah-ha’ moment Ms. Smith realized that she wanted to—and could—create such a vision. The question was where and how? The idea continued to percolate in her mind and soul.

Then Annie moved to Grande Prairie to work in the GPRC drama department. When she learned that the City’s 100th anniversary was approaching, the opportunity became ripe.

Armed with knowledge, skill and passion, she approached GPRC for a one year sabbatical to produce and direct the play. GPRC graciously consented. Next, she applied for, and was granted, the necessary funds from various funding organizations including the City of GP, Alberta Community

Initiatives Program, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Alberta Human Rights, Education and Multiculturalism Fund.

Subsequently, Annie Smith engaged two local playwrights, Kristjanna Grimmelt and Catherine McLaughlin to collaborate with her in the writing of the play.

The result is a three act play. All three acts will be performed simultaneously in three different performance areas, on multiple platforms in Muskoseepi Park. Sets are being designed by local visual artist Tim Heimdal. Audience members will move from one performance site to another as each act ends, in order to view another yet unseen act. In this manner they will engage in the works of myriad local musicians, choreographers and songwriters.

Clearly the 2014 Grande Prairie Century Play will be a more dynamic experience than a static dramatic event. Because there is more—much more. For example, prior to each performance of the 2014 Grande Prairie Century Play, audience members will park and assemble at three sites at the edge of the park. At an appointed time as the church bell rings out, the audience will become a processional, playfully led by parade masters down respective paths. Each parade will meander down paths that are artfully strewn with children singing, solo musicians, poets, vocalists, drummers, dancers, stilt walkers, giant puppets, flautists, tableaux, and who knows what else! The three parade threads will end at the performance areas where aboriginal drummers will perform a welcome song for all.

Auditions and rehearsals are now underway. According to Annie Smith, no actor or volunteer who wishes to participate will be turned away. This fits with Ms. Smith’s intention that this be a multi-generational and multi-ethnic inclusive event.

In short, no matter who you are, if you want to be involvedyou will be involved.

However you wish to participate—whether as a cast member, volunteer or as audience participant—Chasing the Dream: the Grande Prairie Century Play promises to celebrate who we are as citizens of Grande Prairie and the Peace Country. It is a community festivity which will invite us all to acknowledge the gifts of the early residents who settled here; leaving to us the legacy of community, prosperity, and an abundance of opportunity and natural beauty.

What better vehicle than art to say thank you to those who laid the foundation for our community? Come Chase the Dream with us in Muskoseepi Park, June 12th – 15th!

For information on how to get involved contact: gpcp.artisticdirector@gmail.com art of the peace

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September Twelfth two thousand fourteen

Vicki Hotte

Available at the Beaverlodge Cultural Centre

BFA

Original Art from the Peace Region

780-933-6030 svhotte@telusplanet.net www.vickihotte.com

Suzanne Sandboe Active Member

FCA, ASA, PWS

780-568-4124 | art@suzannesandboe.com | www.suzannesandboe.com art of the peace

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TREX

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program

For the 2013/2014 Travelling Season the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie Presents Three New Exhibitions: Contested Ground: Galt Gardens

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) has supported a provincial travelling exhibition program since 1981. The mandate of the AFA Travelling Exhibition Program is to provide every Albertan with the opportunity to enjoy visual art exhibitions in their community.

Ed Bader

Three regional galleries and one arts organization coordinate the program for the AFA: Northwest Alberta: Art Gallery of Grande Prairie Northeast and North Central Alberta: Art Gallery of Alberta Southwest Alberta: The Alberta Society of Artists Southeast Alberta: Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre

Emplir le Vide:(Filling the Void)

War Memorial

Jean-Rene' LeBlanc; 1 of 7 artists in the exhibition Presentification d'un Parades #3

Urban Vernacular Laura St. Pierre 07/31

Generously Supported By:

encana

™

natural gas

For a complete list of exhibitions visit aggp.ca

Located in the Montrose Cultural Centre 9839 103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6M7 P: 780-532-8111 | F: 780-539-9522 | E: info@prairiegallery.com

Come

ENJOY the FUN!

McNaught Homestead Heritage � Art

Retreats

� Hiking Trails � Historical Art

A Sense of the Land and its People

Studio/Schoolhouse

2014 Special Events: Saturday, April 12th, 2014

A Private Collection

Annual Gala Fundraiser

An exhibit of First Nations artifacts.

Runs until December 2014

Sunday, July 27th, 2014

Annual McNaught Festival + IODE Strawberry Tea Live music, art demos, exhibits & children's activities

Saturday, October 25th, 2014 Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre 780-624-4261 | PeaceRiverMuseum.com 10302- 99 Street, Peace River, AB T8S 1K1 museum@peaceriver.net

Ghost Walk

Halloween fun for families

www.mcnaught-homestead-heritage.com art of the peace

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Drawn to Distance

A CONVERSATION WITH WATERCOLOURIST DALE SYROTA WRITTEN BY DEB GUERETTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN TROSTEM

Watching paint dry is never boring for Dale Syrota; but then again, she’s not just watching.

A master watercolour painter, Syrota says there is a chase and demand in applying water and colour to paper that makes the medium her favourite.

Drawing comes naturally to her, and doing portraits or painting in acrylics is a comfortable extension of that talent. But, the dare in working quickly with natural absorbency, shaping ripple or run of wet colour, has been the draw to a career in watercolour work for her.

LEFT Inside Passage

RIGHT Dale Syrota

“Sometimes the nicest thing is when things don’t go as planned – and you have to work with the way things are going. It makes you grow a little as an artist.” art of the peace

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“In watercolour you are forced to work very quickly, because you are quite often using water on the paper and have to get paint on before it dries. I have an idea in my head and can have it all drawn out, but that is why I think I like watercolour—the surprises that can happen.”

“I found that when I did acrylics, I would work and work on a painting until I thought it was right. Once I tried watercolour, it made my work more spontaneous. Even though I tend to do things in a controlled manner, aspects of water colour lend themselves to working quickly and letting the paint do the work,” said Syrota during an interview at her home in Grande Prairie in January.

Although her talent drawing was evident early, she can remember childhood drawings that won a prize at a fair, or were displayed in her elementary school entranceway for years.

Syrota’s practical side directed her university education to a art of the peace

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degree in child psychology. Fortunately, her artistic pulse beat on nonetheless.

“My extra classes were always art,” she said, “mainly drawing and art history at the University of Saskatoon. It gave me a really good fundamental education.”

Before Syrota married and moved to Alberta, she studied with Rita Cowley, one of Canada’s top watercolourists, and enjoyed her first experience landscape painting during a university summer extension program that took her to Yeovil, in Summerset, England.

“Up to that point, I did mainly figure drawing and portraits, but then I went to England and all of a sudden we were out in the countryside. That was my first opportunity to do landscape, and that was a really good experience.”

LEFT Kinney Lake CENTRE Dale browses her images RIGHT Coastal Sunset

ALWAYS A VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY

LANDSCAPE ALL THE WAY

Syrota didn’t know what the Peace Region landscape or arts community had to offer when she moved to Grande Prairie in 1979, but she certainly was not disappointed.

Syrota found her stride in watercolour work out in the Peace Region countryside, and enjoyed painting alongside other artists in the Guild, as well as the places it took them to.

“I remember one of the first shows I saw – it might have been a Peace Watercolour Society show – and it had people like Euphemia McNaught, Bob Guest and Jim Adrain, and I was just really pleased to see the quality of work that was here, and such a vibrant arts community..., because I didn’t know what to expect.”

“One of the goals of the Guild was to provide opportunities to paint together. We did a lot of plein air outings, painting outside, being right there with the landscape in front of you,” said Syrota who still looks forward to getting out to paint in new locations whenever possible.

Syrota says it was easy to get involved, and she did. Painting and taking workshops in the early years from or alongside McNaught, Guest, Adrain, or other Peace Region artists such as Jim Stokes and Carmen Haakstad. She was also one of the founding members of the Grande Prairie Guild of Artists in 1983, and volunteered for a number of years as a board or executive member for the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Art of the Peace, and the Peace Watercolour Society.

Once her three daughters became school-aged, Syrota made the choice to paint full-time and not return to work in child psychology. Her involvement in the Grande Prairie arts community expanded then too, to teaching drawing and watercolour painting to children and adults, at schools, and the Prairie Art Gallery.

“I had already started to do as much as I could, I just tried to do more as years went by,” Syrota said.

“It’s very portable and easy to do on-site,” she said. “You set yourself up and hope for the best as the light and weather changes. I remember once, on Spirit Island in Maligne Lake in Jasper, I had a painting wash away right in front of me when the rain came down so fast. That’s part of the fun of it.”

Landscape views have remained the dominant focus of Syrota’s work, which she has shown and sold at exhibitions and shows for three decades now.

“I wonder if that comes back to living on the prairies?” muses Syrota, who grew up in Regina, “you tend to see a lot of atmospheric effects or something.”

“Even though I started out doing portraiture, and I can certainly do closer things, I’ve always had a long view. I am drawn to landscape; the big view; the distance. I do really tend to focus on landscape.”

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example, look at the totem poles. The carvings themselves are very detailed, but are juxtaposed with a background that is much more stylized and simple.”

“I do like areas where your eye can rest; I do like big washes of paint and areas of quiet; and that is some of the feedback I have gotten about my work.”

TRANSPARENT, BUT SOLID STYLE As comfortable as she is painting the landscape her eye calls her to, Syrota’s style as a watercolourist also emerged early, and she is happy to stick with it.

Syrota recalls a review she received from western watercolourist Robert Genn that she appreciated. “He noticed that my work is quiet and clean. He said, ‘I could tell you how to be more vibrant and dynamic, but I don’t think that is who you are.’ I think he noticed that I found my voice in my work.”

“I think it’s a combination of those experiences that I feel I established my own style very quickly, and I think it has been pretty consistent.”

Syrota’s watercolour work earned her an invitation to join the Peace Watercolour Society in 1995. In 2005 she was accepted as a member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC). Founded in 1925, the CSPWC has included members of the Group of Seven. Awards she has received along the way, such as receiving the CSPWC Heinz Jordan Award at the Open Water Exhibition in 2013 for The Last Stand, are always encouraging, as is feedback from other artists, Syrota says.

“I am a traditional transparent watercolourist, but at the same time I think I see things in a very clear way. I have been told that my work has peacefulness about it.”

In a CSPWC symposium in Calgary a few years ago, Syrota remembers one of the instructors mistaking her work for that of Walter J Phillips.

“I still like it to be immediate, and clean and simple..., but sometimes I do enjoy immersing myself in more detail.” Referring to a painting entitled The Last Stand, she says “for

“It was a wonderful compliment,” she said, adding she found it interesting to find out later that Rita Cowley, one of her first instructors, was one of Phillips’ students.

Drawing and art history classes in school taught Dale how to look at art, but her experience painting alongside others like Bob Guest taught her how to observe the landscape.

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HORIZONS AHEAD There’s never been a lack of upcoming shows spurring deadlines to complete new work, but Syrota feels the hectic years are behind her.

“I can literally remember bouncing a baby in my arms and trying to paint,” she said of her early years in Grande Prairie.

With her husband now retired, the couple spends half the year in Arizona. Along with the new landscape to paint as that location offers, there is also now more time for travel and exploring other countrysides as well.

“I am happy to be where I am at,” Syrota said. “As far as opportunities for showing my work, I can go in a variety of group shows that fit my lifestyle.”

FAR LEFT The Last Stand, Haida Gawaii LEFT

Waterton Lakes

RIGHT Monument Valley FAR RIGHT

Through the Trees

“I am really painting what I want now and it’s a nice place to be,” she said.

The most recent show Dale was a part of was Ribbons of Art, the Grande Prairie Guild of Artist’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie this past winter.

Syrota’s work can be viewed on the Grande Prairie Guild of Artists website.

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Frame & Gallery Ltd.

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Custom Picture Framer

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10106 89th Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0E4 Appointment Only Doreen Winnicky 780-512-8668

780-532-0355 ma_taylor@eastlink.ca 9506 77 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB T8V 4T3

art of the peace

lava flow studio

www.lynnlecorre.com

art books in review WRITTEN BY WENDY STEFANSSON

AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNEY Artist Robert Rauschenberg once said: “The artist’s job is to be a witness to his (or her) time in history.” I suspect Danny Gregory, editor of An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration from the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers, would agree. Because travel, of course, is its own form of witness.

In this book, Gregory opens the sketchbooks of more than 40 travelling artists, and lets us see the world as they have seen it. Not satisfied with the pre-packaged travel experience of whirling postcard racks and impatient tour buses, the travellers in Gregory’s book “want to see the world through their own eyes.” And for them, drawing is seeing; to draw a place is to see it more fully, to know it more intensely; to witness more deeply.”

Rendered in pencil or marker, watercolour or coloured pencils, sometimes containing the ephemera of the passing moment or reflections the artist has participated in—these sketchbook pages attempt to contain the experience of seeing the world.

Whether you are planning a trip or reminiscing about one, An Illustrated Journey will take you on a voyage of its own.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS Jon Havelock: The Secret Garden | March 27 - June 29, 2014 Opening Reception: Thursday, March 27, 2014 Liberation From Natural Forms: Ronald Kostyniuk and His Neo-Constructivist Style | March 27 - June 29, 2014 Opening Reception: Thursday, March 27, 2014 Tony Bloom: Landbuoys | April 17 - July 6, 2014 Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17, 2014 Allan MacKay: Selina and the Horse Rescue April 17 - July 6, 2014 Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17, 2014 Art of the Peace: Home is Where the Art Is April 24 - August 4, 2014 Opening Reception: Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 7:00 pm PHONE: 780-532-8111 EMAIL: info@aggp.ca

#103, 9839 – 103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB | AGGP.CA

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artcetera IMPRESSIONS OF PRINTMAKING WRITTEN BY MARY MOTTISHAW & MARY PARSLOW

A great deal of what can be called ‘play’ takes place in printmaking—with colours, positioning, sequencing, adding papers, deleting things and changing what is used. This is all immense fun and a lot of experimentation. It reminds us that print artists are often referred to as being the ‘engineers’ of the art world, as they wield many and varied tools and machinery to achieve their desired results.

Making a print is done by using a plate of some kind, creating an image on the plate, inking up the plate and printing it, – either by hand or through a printing press onto paper, thus transferring the image to the paper. The plate can be made of materials such as wood or linoleum and carved using sharp tools to make an image. Thin, rigid, plastic plates can also be used to paint directly onto with ink, which can produce an image when pressed onto paper by hand or in a printing press. Plates can be made of materials like zinc and copper for etching and cardboard and MDF board for making collagraphs. Even a thin layer of gelatin can be used as a plate.

More recently, cutting edge methods have been used to interface with computer images, solar plates and photographs, to produce exciting, printed, multiple images.

There are many types of printmaking, from toned etchings to stencilling, but basically it means transferring an image from one surface to another. Relief printing involves putting a medium onto the surface of the item to be printed and pressing onto the receiving material. Examples include stamping, potato printing and linoblock printing.

In intaglio printing, the medium is left in the grooves of the item to be printed and pressed onto the receiving item. A printing press is usually necessary for this process. Examples of intaglio include etching and collagraph printing.

Within all the decisions, choices and techniques, the ‘play’ of printmaking emerges.

OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT For Everett and Ava, 5 x 6.5” Monoprint, Mary Mottishaw

OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT Echoes of an Ancient Peace, 9 x 12” Monoprint-Relief cut paper, Mary Parslow

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MARY PARSLOW I enjoy the kinaesthetic feel of actually carving the materials, or working on the plate; the variety of movements that sweep, etch, and glide across the plate using the tools that print artists use, providing an almost zen like experience. I take pleasure in the intuitive part of ‘going with the flow’ and including distortion when carving the block or painting on the plate.

I enjoy all the processes of planning, carving, constructing, inking, printing, and curating the prints along with the colour and design decisions to be made during the process that can really change the outcome of the finished work. There is always potential for happy accidents to occur and nothing can beat the glorious ‘reveal’ moment of pulling a print. No one was more surprised than I, at how my gelatin prints arrived on the paper, achieving quite a complex print from a simple process. There is also a collection of rejected prints from which beautiful pieces can be cut and included in mixed media applications later.

MARY MOTTISHAW The combination of control with the element of surprise is what I love best about printmaking. I puzzle out the process I want to use and follow the requisite steps, but the moment of the reveal is always exciting. I prefer to make a one-off print that leaves me the option to add other prints or mediums.

In the piece For Everett and Ava I wanted to try a painterly approach to my subject. I used a relief printmaking method.

I made paper pieces of the columbine flower, bud and leaf.

Using a rigid piece of plastic as a plate, and working from light to dark, I rolled ink onto the plate and paper pieces and arranged them on the plate. I placed the plate on the press, covered it with dampened paper and printed it. The plate is re-used and the paper templates manipulated to create a series of prints, none of which are alike, from which I select one or two I like.

The excitement builds with each layer of ink that is added and working backwards from light to dark is always a challenge, along with keeping in mind that what is printed on the paper will be a mirror image of the original design. I enjoy the melding of the layers of transparent ink and the patterned and calligraphic details of prints.

It seems to me that prints have the power to reveal an immediate, dramatic and sometimes shocking image that uniquely reflects the essence of the topic. I like the ‘shock’ factor. I think it links well historically with prints being associated with the written word and used to cheaply mass produce important messages of social justice and political importance for all to see. I like this link and hope that my own work reflects this connection.

Things to keep in mind when using this technique are to use transparent ink and good quality print paper as it receives ink well. As you are inking to the edge of the plate, it is important to put a clean piece of scrap paper between the blankets and your print, and to clean the press bed well between each printing.

Another aspect of printmaking that appeals to me is the possibility of making a plate that may be used repeatedly. I can create an etching into a zinc plate and have it on hand to use as I wish. I have a variety of etched plates of my personal symbols that I am able to print and manipulate as I choose.

It’s a great jumping off point for a series of work. art of the peace

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Donating Art EQUITY FOR ARTISTS WRITTEN BY ROBERT STEVEN The work that makes our society what we want it to be is often done by members of charities. Whether they are working to prevent or respond to tragedies, support those less fortunate, or simply build a more enlightened world, we can all admire the philanthropic work that participants of charities do; and as members of the society they are contributing to, we all benefit from their sacrifice and their efforts.

All charities depend upon donations to carry out their activities, which has been recognized in our tax system by the incentive that donors receive to make donations to registered charities in the form of charitable tax receipts. For many artists though, charitable tax receipts may have limited value, and donations of works of their own creation may expose them to special risks to their careers that other donors may not face.

As unpleasant as it is for us to face, it is a fact of life in Canada that most artists in this country have low incomes, and many may have no tax payable, in which case, a charitable receipt will have no value to the artist. For artists who make their living art of the peace

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from their work, a key element in continuing to earn their living is to ensure that the market for their paid work is not undermined by the availability of their works at fundraising events at bargain prices. But even more practically, the investment of time and money an artist has made in the creation of a particular work of art may be greater than the artist’s ability to give – no matter how much they support the cause – especially if that artist is subsisting on a low income. Just as no charity would ask a low income family to donate their rent money or the gas money they need to get to work, no charity should ask an artist to give more than they can afford. Unfortunately, many charities do ask this much and more of artists, primarily because of the charities’ lack of understanding of the value of an artist’s work to the artist’s business.

Artists are known by many charities to be very generous, and works of art have become a standard auction or raffle item in many charity fundraising events thanks to that generosity.

Artists receive ever larger numbers of donation requests from all types of charities, and many feel torn between their desire to help and the needs of their business.

The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie has recognized these concerns among our artist donors more than ever in recent years.

For 33 years, every work of art offered for auction at our annual fundraiser, the Art Auction, has been donated outright to the Gallery by the artist. But for 2014 we are making a change. We have chosen to adopt CARFAC (Canadian Artists Representation/Le Front des artistes Canadiens) Guidelines for Professional Standards in the Organization of Fundraising Events. And so this year, our artist donors will for the first time be able to support us with the donation of works of art in precisely the way they wish, while also protecting the market for their work.

To accomplish this, the artist will inform us in advance of the event of two critical numbers. One is the portion of the sale price of the work that they wish to recover, which we can think of as the wholesale cost of the work. Just as every work of art is unique, the factors that influence the amount of this fee will be unique for each artist. Some artists may need to recover their out of pocket expenses for framing or materials in order to part with a piece they have invested in heavily with their money. Others may need some reimbursement for the large amount of otherwise unpaid time they may have invested in a work. We are not questioning this fee or restricting it, so long as it allows some portion of the value of the work to be donated to the Gallery.

“FOR IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE�

- ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI

The other critical number is the minimum sale price or reserve bid. The artist will tell us the minimum price they would allow the work to sell for in public, so that their ability to sell their works at full price and their relationships with their paying customers are not jeopardized by the low prices that are sometimes found at fundraising events. If bidding for the work in the auction does not meet this reserve price, the work will be returned to the artist after the event.

We believe that this approach will empower artists to donate more freely to our event at less risk to their careers and livelihoods. In turn, it is our hope that this will lead to greater fundraising success for the Gallery at the event. The artist will control how much they donate, just as any cash donor would, and they will also control the pricing of their products, as most business people would.

Of course we will continue to accept outright donations of works of art, just as we will always accept donations of cash: but we are very proud that we have finally, after all of these years, arrived at a plan that will make donating works of art, more practical and desirable for the artists of this region.

At the time this article was written, Robert Steven was the Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.

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CarmenHaakstad.com

Framework s

Cu stom Framing & Gallery

Custom Picture Framing - Orig inal works by local artists - Ready-made frames - Pre-cut mats in various sizes and colours - Handmade and uniq ue occasion cards

780-624-1984 9903 - 100 Avenue, Peace River, AB (the green building on the corner)

Spring 2014

Gift Shop

• quilting • glass • weaving • paper arts • pottery • oil painting • watercolour • acrylic painting • KIDS’ art

watercolours, local pottery, knitwear, Calvin Cornish prints, dichroic glass, jewellery, quilted and hand woven items

780-835-2697

www.fairviewfinearts.com April

May

June

July

Berwyn 5th Avenue Glass Workshop Show & Sale, April 2-30

Artists at School Show & Creations, Inc. May 2-30 Creations Inc. Event May 29

CJ Lyons and Friends Show & Sale June 4-28

Members’ Annual Summer Show & Sale

780-228-3741

please call for information

PRCFCA, PWS

Picture Perfect Grande Prairie

Beaverlodge Area Cultural Centre

Buddha meets Jesus while sitting on a hockey puck Oil on board and found object s

Tel: (250) 782-2601 | www.dcartgallery.ca

Exhibiting at: Home is Where the Art is | AGGP 4 | TBA Domino V | Centre for Creative Arts

101-816 Alaska Ave, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4T6

April 2014 Sept 2014 Oct 2015

For original artwork and studio visits, please contact carmen@carmenhaakstad.com or 780-539-4483

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Artists Run Centre | 13 Exhibits Per Year Art Rental | Education Programs

By Donation | Year Round | Gift Shop

Peace Country themes and wilderness vistas

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Art of the Peace EXHIBITS & EVENTS Home is Where the Art Is 2014 Juried Exhibition Art Gallery of Grande Prairie Exhibiting until August 4th, 2014 www.artofthepeace.ca

Beaverlodge, AB BEAVERLODGE CULTURAL CENTRE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Tammy McGee Show & Sale April 27th – May 22nd Velma Terry Show & Sale May 4th – 22nd

OPPORTUNITIES Gallery exhibition and gift shop sales opportunities are available.

Call 780-354-3600 for info.

MCNAUGHT HOMESTEAD EXHIBITS & EVENTS McNaught Festival and I.O.D.E Strawberry Tea 2014 July 27th Ghost Walk October 25th OPPORTUNITIES The Schoolhouse Studio is available for retreats, classroom, gallery or meetings. For info call 780-512-6316 or visit McNaughtHomestead-Heritage.com

Exhibitions+ Opportunities CHECK OUT WWW.ARTOFTHEPEACE.CA FOR MORE DETAILS, LOCATIONS, AND HOURS Carol Mayer Show & Sale May 25th – June19th Beaverlodge Regional High School Art Students Exhibtion May 25th – June 12th 3rd Biennial Juried Show & Sale June 15th – 26th Caily Oldershaw & Doru Braun Show & Sale June 29th – 24th Elke Kiesewetter Show & Sale July 27th – August 21st Lynn LeCorre-Dallaire Show & Sale August 24th – September 25th Michelle Forrester Show & Sale September 27th – October 23rd Peace Watercolour Society Show & Sale September 28th – October 23rd PROGRAMS Flute Building Workshop & Lessons Instructor: Janina Skutle Carlstad April 12th, 11:00am – 4:00pm Henna Mixology (Adult/Youth) Instructor: Michelle Forrester April 13th, 1:00 – 4:00pm Jewellery Making: Knotty Beaded Bracelet Instructor: Cheryl Brown April 26th, 12:00 – 4:00pm Call 780-354-3600 or visit BeaverlodgeGallery.com

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Fairview, AB FAIRVIEW FINE ARTS CENTRE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Berwyn 5th Avenue Glass Workshop, Show & Sale April 4th – 30th Artists at School Show & Creations Inc. May 2nd – 31st Creations Inc. Event May 29th CJ Lyons & Friends Show & Sale June 4th – 28th Members’ Annual Summer Show & Sale July 1st – August 2nd PROGRAMS Our spring courses include weaving with a rigid heddle loom, sprang, block printing, glass fusion, paper quilling, handmade books, and several kids art courses. Call the Centre at 780835-2697 or email finearts@telus. net for more details.

Fort St. John, BC Dawson Creek, BC DAWSON CREEK ART GALLERY EXHIBITS & EVENTS Exploring Art Group Show April 1st – 24th School District No.59 & Northern Light College Students Exhibition April 29th – May15th Stephen Ferris Maze May 17th – June 19th Ian Johnson At the End of the Tunnel June 25th – July 11th South Peace Art Society In the Summer Time July 15th – August 23rd Patricia Peters & Cathy Stafford A Murder Mystery August 26th – September 18th Joyce Benson Rural Roots September 23rd – October 18th Karl Mattson Lost October 21st – November 12th OPPORTUNITIES For information on opportunities for exhibition, visit online at DCArtGallery.ca

NORTH PEACE CULTURAL CENTRE OPPORTUNITIES For information call 250-787-0993, email gallery@npcc.bc.ca or visit npcc.bc.ca

Grande Cache, AB GRANDE CACHE TOURISM & INTERPRETIVE CENTRE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Photography in the Great Outdoors Instructor: Margaret Abraham May 21st, 7:00 – 9:00pm The River of No Return film showing Grande Cache Historical Society June 3rd

PROGRAMS Home of the Palette Pals Art Club and local art year round.

Visit GrandeCache.ca or Grande Cache Palette Pals Art Club on Facebook.

Grande Prairie, AB CENTRE FOR CREATIVE ARTS EXHIBITS & EVENTS CENTRE GALLERY Judith A. Brown & Carolyn Brown Allure April

The Teen Show May Teresa Durand, Naomi Deutekom & Helena Mulligan June Candace Gunsolley-Horsburgh July CFCA Group Show 100 Years of Grande Prairie August Sandy Troudt September WALL GALLERY Gordon Mackey 99 Bottles with Winks on the Wall April

The Teen Show May Angela Patterson & Wendy Nurcombe June Dean Rutt July Donna Kaut August Rob Wiebe September PROGRAMS The Centre has classes for everyone: beginner, intermediate or advanced oil painting, sewing, photography, pottery, and clay.

Check out CreativeCentre.ca or call 780-814-6080.

OPPORTUNITIES Looking for instructors to teach a variety of classes. School programming available.

Exhibition opportunities are available!

GRANDE PRAIRIE MUSEUM EXHIBITS & EVENTS That’s Entertainment Folks!

Opening May 18th Heritage Discovery Centre The Wedding Dream Opening May 18th Grande Prairie Museum

PROGRAMS Tours and school programming available. Phone 780-532-5482.

GRANDE PRAIRIE REGIONAL COLLEGE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Exhibits throughout the year in the Glass Gallery.

PROGRAMS The Fine Arts Department at GPRC offers courses in music, art and drama with a focus on student learning and success.

We offer a range of programs in both traditional and new medias.

Call Joanne at 780-539-2443 for more information.

ART GALLERY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Jonathan Havelock The Secret Garden Showing until June 8th Ronald Kostyniuk and his Neo-Constructivist style Liberation From Natural Forms Showing until June 8th Tony Bloom Landbuoys April 17 – July 6, 2014 Allan MacKay Selina and the Horse Rescue April 17 – July 6, 2014 Art of the Peace Juried Exhibition Home is Where the Art Is April 24 – August 4, 2014 Upcoming and current exhibitions can be found on aggp.ca

QEII HOSPITAL, THE COURTYARD GALLERY EXHIBITS & EVENTS Sara MacIntyre March/April Donna Kaut May/June Edward Bader July/August OPPORTUNITIES Looking for talented artists to display their 3D or 2D works in the Hospital Cubes or Courtyard Gallery. Please call Fiona Munroe, Visual Arts Coordinator, at 780-830-4855.

High Prairie, AB HIGH PRAIRIE & DISTRICT MUSEUM OPPORTUNITIES If you are interested in showing your work at the High Prairie & District Museum please call 780523-2601.

Peace River, AB PEACE RIVER MUNICIPAL LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTRE OPPORTUNITIES If you are interested in showing your work at the Peace River Municipal Library and Cultural Centre please call 780-624-4076.

For exhibition opportunities email lprudholme@prmlibrary.ab.ca

PEACE RIVER MUSEUM EXHIBITS & EVENTS A Sense of the Land and it’s People An exhibit of first nations artifacts from a private collection Runs until December 2014

PEACE OR ART GALLERY Grimshaw Holy Family School Student Exhibition May Katy Gill June Rhonda Warren July Judy Wood August The Museum Gift Shop offers local and regional products from artists and producers.

Alberta & BC EDMONTON, AB OPPORTUNITIES The Daffodil Gallery Welcoming submissions from artists seeking representation throughout the year. For more information, visit: daffodilgallery. ca/artist-submissions.html Whyte Avenue Art Walk July 11th – 13th An outdoor studio and gallery featuring hundreds of working artists, provide affordable exposure for fine arts. Open to all interested artists. Register with The Paint Spot at http://paintspot.ca/ whyte-avenue-art-walk-2014/

RED DEER, AB PROGRAMS Series Summer Arts School July 7th – August 1st Five day workshops throughout the summer focusing on painting, drawing, jewellery, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, woodworking, glass art, mixed media and more. For info visit www.rdc. ab.ca or call 403-357-3663.

CALGARY, AB EXHIBITS & EVENTS Western Showcase at the Calgary Stampede July 4th – 13th Showcasing western heritage and values through visual arts exhibitions and events: Artists’ Studios, Western Art Gallery and Western Photo Gallery, and don’t miss the Western Art Auction on July 11th.

GRANDE PRAIRIE MUSEUM & HERITAGE DISCOVERY CENTRE COME SPEND SOME TIME IN THE PAST Come and visit the Grande Prairie Museum and the Heritage Discovery Centre and experience the history of the Peace!

View the many exhibits, interactive displays and local artefacts, take a stroll through the Museum’s historic Heritage Village, and take part in our hands-on programming.

SHERWOOD PARK, AB OPPORTUNITIES Gallery @ 501 Welcoming exhibition submissions from artists and curators.

Completed submissions accepted throughout the year. Visit Gallery@501 on the StrathconaCounty.ca website for more info.

PRINCE GEORGE, BC OPPORTUNITIES Two Rivers Gallery Smaller exhibitions, experimental projects, or projects by emerging artists are welcome. Exhibitions usually run for a month and are generally not booked more than three months in advance. For info visit tworiversgallery.ca

Grande Prairie Museum. 780.830.7090 Heritage Discovery Centre. 780.532.5790 cityofgp.com/gpmuseum facebook.com/G.P.Museum

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LEFT Untitled, Sandy Troudt

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I FIND INSPIRATION IN... THE SMALL COMPOSITIONS WE SEE AROUND US ALL THE TIME SUCH AS SUNLIGHT ON A PATCH OF WILDFLOWERS IN AN ALLEY...â&#x20AC;?

sandy troudt As a long-time resident of Fort St. John, I am deeply influenced by the beauty of my northern surroundings. I find inspiration in the simple aspects of daily life; the small compositions we see around us all the time such as sunlight on a patch of wildflowers in an alley, long shadows of aspens on a snowy field, the contrast between cultivated land and the wilderness, the beauty of a newborn calf in a field of clover. It is in these quiet moments that I believe we truly celebrate life.

My recent work focuses on acrylics, printmaking processes, and encaustics. The unifying element is the vibrancy of color and energy which I deliver in pursuit of my passion for art. I art of the peace

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enjoy the challenges of experimentation with technique and medium that continually refresh my eagerness to learn and sustain delight in the creative process.

I am currently creating a body of work, using black color ground on canvas. From the first stroke of my brush, this approach provides maximum contrast for values, highlights, shapes, edges, and vibrant color. This mirrors my essential priority; which is to develop an impression of the essence and liveliness of subjects, through emphasis on contrast and color relationships.

G N I M O C E M O H D N E K E E W AUGUST

1•2•3 2014

JOIN US AT MUSKOSEEPI PARK • Amazing Race • Parade • Fireworks • Free Community BBQ • Market in the Park • Heritage Carnival • Singers, Dancers, Story Tellers • Chamber of Commerce Homecoming Mixer

A weekend to remember!

For Event Listings, Check out:

CITYOFGP.COM/100YEARS WEGONORTH.COM GRANDE PRAIRIE HOMECOMING 2014 Photos courtesy of South Peace Regional Archives

T HE ART GALLE RY OF GRAN D E PRAIRIE IS NOW OPEN! We hope you will be inspired to visit our newly restored building and continue our journey of exploration, inspiration, and preservation of the human spirit through art. Since 1975, the community has created an engine for creativity, one that will never cease to expose the minds of this community to the newest, the most innovative, and the most beautiful creations of our society and it is our honour to continue protecting, nurturing, and enhancing that legacy. The future of the Art Gallery is just as surprising, enlightening, rewarding, exciting, and mysterious as is the experience of art itself.

Photos by: Teeple Architects

#103, 9839 – 103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V 6M7 | PHONE: 780-532-8111 | EMAIL: info@aggp.ca | FREE ADMISSION GALLERY HOURS: Monday – Thursday: 10 am – 9 pm | Friday: 10 am – 6 pm | Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm | Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm

WWW. A GGP. C A