FALL 2013
ISSUE 21
A PUBLICATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTIST
Marjorie Taylor BUILDING UP
AOTP SYMPOSIUM 2013
IMPRESSIONS OF ISTANBUL
REEL SHORTS FESTIVAL
THE CENTRE FOR
CREATIVE ARTS
At the Centre
Classes for all ages and levels: -Children’s Classes -Crafts -Drawing -Painting -Glass -Photography -Fibre -Pottery -Workshops
Monthly Gallery Exhibitions Gift Shop featuring local local artists artists shop featuring Parties Birthday parties Group bookings bookings School and group Drop In Studio Use studio use
Gift Shop and Gallery
We are looking for high quality art and craft items created by Peace area Area artists for our gift shop, as well as artists to exhibit in our gallery spaces. Please contact the Centre for more information.
Alberta Culture Christmas ShowDays and Sale
Alberta will have be celebrated Find theCulture perfectDays gift! We a large September 28 and 29. art Theand Centre selection of 27, locally made craftwill items. be holding our 4th annual Wearable Show runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 20. Arts Show on Saturday Opening receptionSeptember is Fri., Nov. 28. 29 at 7pm. For more information on this and the many other please go to may contact Artists events interested in showing www.creativecentre.ca/culturedays the Centre for details.
Like The Centre for Creative Arts on Facebook Follow #CreativeArtsGP on Twitter
Upcoming Exhibitions April 5 - 26 October 4 - 25 Reception: 7pm on April 5 4 October
Marcy Horswill Marjorie Taylor Rycroft Show The Wall Gallery Megan The Steampunk May 3 - 31 1 - 22 November Reception: 3 Reception: 7pm 7pm on on May November 1
Artist North
The Stokes, Tia Stanway, The Wall Wall Gallery Gallery Jim Group Show “Le Maske” Marj Tayler, Debbie Courvoisier and NovemberSnook 29 - December 20 Andrea Reception: 7pm on November 29 June 7 -Christmas 28 CFCA Show and Sale Reception: 7pm on June 7 January 10 - 31 CFCA Fundraiser “Art2” Reception: 7pm on January 10 The Wall Gallery Larena Shakotko
TBA
July 5 - 26 The Wall Gallery TBA Reception: 7pm on July 5 February 7 - 28 Lynn LeCorre Reception: 7pm on February 7 The Wall Gallery Klaus Peters
CFCA Student Show
August 2 - 30 March 7 - 28 Reception: 7pm on August 2 Reception: 7pm on March 7
CFCA Group Show “Black and White” Teresa Durand, Helena Mulligan and September 6 - 29 Naomi Deutekam Reception: 7pm September 6 The Wall Gallery on Building a Welcoming and Melanie Jenner Inclusive Grande Prairie The Wall Gallery Kiren Niki Sangra October 4 - 25 Reception: 7pm on October 4
Marj Taylor
The Wall Gallery
Mary Mottishaw
9904-101 9904-101 Avenue, Avenue, Grande Grande Prairie Prairie 780-814-6080 780-814-6080 info@creativecentre.ca info@creativecentre.ca
www.creativecentre.ca
in this issue:
4.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
4. CONTRIBUTORS 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: Marjorie Taylor Painting: Beyond the Veil Sculpture: The Clown Photo by Sean Trostem, Prairie Ranger Photography
Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association acknowledges the financial assistance of:
5.
ART OUT THERE
8.
ANATOLIA: IMPRESSIONS OF ISTANBUL
10.
14.
AN ARTIST’S TOUR OF TURKEY
REEL SHORTS: REAL INSPIRATION MARJORIE TAYLOR
BUILDING UP
21.
ART BOOKS IN REVIEW
OUT OF OUR MINDS: LEARING TO BE CREATIVE
22.
ARTCETERA
CREATIVE TRAVEL JOURNALS
24.
PAINTING THE BIG PICTURE
ANNUAL ART SYMPOSIUM
28.
EXHIBITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES
30.
SHANNON BUTLER
©All rights reserved Art of the Peace 2013 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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Artist’s Statement BY JOANNA MOEN Two of my favourite things in life are art and travel. If you have a stripe of the nomad-artist in you, then you understand the joy of experiencing new locales by encountering and investigating regional art. Truly, what better describes and represents a culture more than the work of its artisans? In this spirit then, we hope you will enjoy our new addition to Art of the Peace magazine. Beginning this fall we are offering art-based travel articles. We invite you to enjoy an intriguing description of art in Istanbul. Future issues will include articles in locales including Japan, Paris, Spain, and Santa Fe. In support of this new theme, we also offer tips and techniques on the art journal; an excellent way to document your travels. And, speaking of travel, three accomplished artists from far-flung destinations will share their talents at the Artists Symposium in Grande Prairie. This not-to-be-missed event will occur October 18th–20th.
Contributors
IN THIS ISSUE...
JOANNA MOEN
is an artist and former art educator. Currently she works as a counselling therapist. She is the past president of the Centre for Creative Arts and is passionate about supporting the arts community in the Peace Region.
JENNA BACKER
has a background in sculpture, operating a small art gallery, and founding a young artist collective. She enjoys the sounds of moose walking through the forest and making homemade chai.
JODY FARRELL
has more than 25 years experience as an editor and writer for newspapers, magazines, and education publications. She loves writing profiles of interesting people, many of whom happen to be artists.
DEB GUERETTE
has a background in business, journalism and communications. Story-telling has always been the best part of all that work.
MARGARET PRICE
wrote her first book at the age of five. With degrees in Anthropology and Art History from Vanderbilt University, she has been published in several American and Canadian publications.
WENDY STEFANSSON is a mother,
As we travel about our very own beautiful Peace Region, we hope you will be amazed by the varied expressions and artists we have right here at home. Reading about our cover artist, the talented and dynamic Marjorie Taylor, will prove to be a little excursion of its own as you read of her personal odyssey through art. Art Out There will delight you with everything from chainsaw art in Chetwynd, mural installations of Tim Heimdal, children’s art at the Centre for Creative Arts and much more. Also note the work of Fort St. John ceramist Shannon Butler, our feature artist.
JESSICA SANDERSON is an English
So sit back, relax, and enjoy your trek through the fall 2013 Art of the Peace magazine. We hope you enjoy the journey!
Ranger Photography and focuses on creative portraiture, fashion, glamour and commercial photography.
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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.
major currently enrolled at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. While new to writing for publication, Jessica loves the written word and has been writing for years.
SEAN TROSTEM is the owner of Prairie
art out there...
Photo by Sandra Milner
This exhibit was a collaboration between Peace of Art (formerly the Peace River Art Club) and the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre. In celebration of the Art Club’s 25th anniversary, the exhibit featured Peace River and area artists from as early as the 1950s right up to contemporary times. The museum and the art club hoped the viewer would gain an appreciation for those individuals who inspired, nurtured and promoted the visual arts at a time when support for the arts was limited and artists derived inspiration from each other. These cultural touchstones hung beside the works of today’s club members, including wood, metal, glass, ceramic, fibre, oil, watercolour, and acrylic mediums.
SHAR COULTRY: 1941–2013 A CELEBRATION OF LIFE Shar Coultry was the driving force and dynamic personality behind Peace Gallery North at the North Peace Cultural Centre in Fort St. John. She generously supported the growth of the artistic community in Fort St. John by promoting and encouraging both established and emerging artists. She was dedicated to helping others shine.
The Peace of Art club donated and helped install a professional art hanging system in the Main Gallery of the Museum, so that the future will see more successful art exhibits hung!
She was once overheard to say that her years in Fort St. John were the happiest of her life. She will be sorely missed. Thank you Shar.
Photo by Megan Purcell
Though always involved in the arts, Shar found her true talent lay in the sales and connections area of the art world. She always said, “It’s vital to make the connections with the local artists because the circle can’t be broken.” She always maintained that a city would not thrive without the arts. According to her, “The gallery can’t exist without the community and the community is brought together and supported by the gallery.”
Chris Foltz, photo courtesy of Chetwynd Chamber of Commerce
PEACE RIVER MUSEUM
CHETWYND CHAINSAW CARVING CHAMPIONSHIP Chetwynd’s International Chainsaw Carving Championship is an annual event hosted by the Chetwynd Chamber of Commerce on the second weekend of June. In 2005 Chetwynd hosted the first annual Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship, hosting seven carvers from BC and the United States. In 2006, the number of carvers attending increased to twelve carvers from all across North America. Chetwynd is now drawing international attention, with carvers coming from as far as North Wales, Japan, and Germany. The carvings themselves are becoming more intricate, with details so fine it is hard to believe that they were created with a chainsaw. Now there are more than 134 carvings located in various places around town. art of the peace
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There is a happy, artful buzz in Hines Creek this season with the opening of Studio 41. Artist-owner Connie Larsback has realized her dream and that of her late beloved mother (whose birth year was 1941; ergo the name) by creating both a gallery and boutique which offers visitors a wide array of intriguing artworks. Her venue features well-chosen chatchkas, as well as original art by herself and local artists including Peter Frixel and Malvina James and signed numbered prints by Robert Bateman.
GPGA INVITATION TO CELEBRATE Grande Prairie Guild of Artists (GPGA) was formed in 1983 in Grande Prairie. Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) had offered an “Acrylic landscape painting class” with Bob Guest as the instructor. Subsequently, the GPRC registrar informed students that due to financial cutbacks, there would be no further Landscape Painting courses. Several members of the class felt motivated to form an official group. Consequently the GPGA was formed as a society.
Connie began painting more than seven years ago. She tends to work in a wet-in-wet style with oils. Her subjects range from both urban and rural landscapes to bold abstracts. Classes will be offered this fall. Connie’s gallery offers an exciting addition to the community-minded town of Hines Creek. So why not plan a little road trip to Hines Creek this season?
In celebration of their 30th Anniversary, The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie is hosting their exhibition, Ribbons of Art. They invite you to come and celebrate at the opening reception December 6th. Mark it on your calendar! art of the peace
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Photo by Joanna Moen
The group began meeting in the fall of 1983; and met in various locations over the years. Instructors have included Jim Adrain, Peter Von Tiesenhausen, Janice Robertson, Phyllis Ljuden, Jack Reid, Graham Flatt, Jim Stokes, and Carmen Haakstad.
Close-up of a flower, Jasper. Photo by Penny Walker
Ribbons of Art, Collection by the Grande Prairie Guild of Artists
STUDIO 41
JODY AND THE KIDS A’ joyful noise’ of colour, line, pattern, and image greeted guests at the Centre for Creative Arts (CFCA) this spring. This children’s art show was the product of artist/teacher Jody Farrell and the work of more than 230 children (ages 5–8) from Ecole Parkside elementary school. The twoweek exhibition mounted primarily by parent-volunteers, featured an opening ceremony involving cookies, cameras, coffee, kids, and proud, thrilled parents. Besides the delightful art, it was evident that inviting a local artist-teacher, familiar with students and school resources, was more cost-effective and user-friendly. The success of the show prompted the CFCA to invite other schools to mount similar shows, using guidelines of Jody’s inaugural project and exhibition. Grateful kudos are extended to Jody Farrell who with the support of Ginette Pele, vice-principal at Ecole Parkside, worked tirelessly over a period of four and a half days to inspire, guide and support the children in their lively creative expressions. Truly, this project represented cultural learning at its best!
Tipi Surround, Tim Heimdal
TIPI SURROUND, TIM HEIMDAL Historic Dunvegan hosted the Annual Fresh Air Market again this summer on Sunday, August 4th. This event honours the traditions of trading and gathering; while at the same time it celebrates the talents of Peace Country artisans. All items that are displayed and sold are handcrafted locally. In addition to the market, visitors were invited to tour the three fully restored historic buildings with costumed interpreters. As well, many fun activities were offered to the children.
Photo by Joanna Moen
The 2013 Fresh Air Market left more than 300 visitors smiling; after a sunny day of discovering a variety of hand-crafted goods such as natural beauty products, honey products, jewelry, and clothing. The Fresh Air Market will be offered again next year on Sunday August 5th, 2014. If you missed it this year, organizers bid you to come and share in the history and scenery of Dunvegan by shopping, viewing, and touring the historic Dunvegan buildings.
If you have not yet seen Tim Heimdal’s latest mural art at the Heritage Discovery Centre (Centre 2000), then you will want to stop by very soon— it’s a must-see. This gorgeous mural, saturated with the rich colours of Alberta autumn and sky was originally commissioned by Roy Bickell.
In 2013, the Dawson Creek Art Gallery is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in the unique grain elevator on Alaska Avenue. Celebrations have included an exciting banner event, where 44 local and regional artists donated images. This resulted in the creation of 22 street banners which were displayed on Dawson Creek’s main thoroughfares. Another anniversary event was the production of 30th anniversary cookbooks, featuring images from The Exploring Art Group. This group is a longstanding collection of artists dedicated to the learning of new visual arts techniques. As well, from June 24th through to August 15th, Dawson Creek Art Gallery celebrated their 30th anniversary with an Art Walk. The Art Walk promoted the work of more than 35 artists and was supported by more than 15 local businesses. As the Mile Zero City on the Alaska Highway, the Art Walk attracted tourists and community members to the downtown core. The Dawson Creek Art Gallery will feature their 30th Anniversary Exhibit September 19th–October 12th. Happy Anniversary Dawson Creek Art Gallery!
It is based upon historical photos from this area; a tipi being erected, a family sitting by a campfire and a figure entering a tipi. In addition to the photos, Tim’s inspiration behind the mural included an emphasis on the black and white colours of aspen bark—some of which are rendered in almost totemic detail. The net result is a Tipi Surround; which also includes three smaller mural scenes rendered with greater detail. Centered within the surround is an actual tipi. Viewers take a walk through a painted aspen grove around the tipi, and see three different views of life within. This conceptualization was the result of input over a period of eight years from Lois Harper, Shirley Fredrickson, and Trenton Perrott. Ultimately, it took Tim Heimdal 3 months painting tirelessly to complete the mural. Tim is already onto new art ventures. He recently held a show at Beaverlodge Gallery and just completed a 1600 foot tropical mural at the new Spirit River Aquatic Center. We can look forward to a large exterior mural Tim will be painting in downtown Grande Prairie.
Photo by Kit Fast
FRESH AIR MARKET
DAWSON CREEK ART GALLERY CELEBRATES
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Anatolia: Impressions of Istanbul AN ARTIST’S TOUR OF TURKEY
In the fall of 2012, David Biltek of V the Vacation Store, organized a women’s only art tour to Turkey. Subsequently, 13 participants travelled there this spring. Peace Region artist Marilyn Gourlay was invited to share portions of her travel journals for the enjoyment of Art of the Peace magazine readers. David Biltek had earlier established a professional relationship with Meli, a native art-inspired travel guide in Istanbul. Hence, with Meli’s welcome guidance, Marilyn was able to deeply experience the art and culture of the region. Armchair travellers, we hope you will enjoy Marilyn’s snapshots of life and art in Turkey.
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THE WHITE AND OPEN ROAD: A MOTHER’S DAY IN ISTANBUL BY MARILYN GOURLAY Meli loved the word Anatolia. “I love the word,” she told us. “It means beautiful Ana Mother; she who is dolma-stuffed, with the features of a good mother and with a good working heart.” On Mother’s Day in May, we met our guide Meli, teacher of art history and magic mirror of all that we will experience in our two-week tour through Turkey. We are staying at the And Hotel, with an excellent view of the Golden Horn, Bosporus, Hagia Sophia, and Blue Mosque, from which we can hear the call to prayer. To me it is haunting. I have never entered a mosque. Once there, all 13 of us on the tour drape ourselves in shawls purchased by Meli’s daughter, a gift of our Grande Prairie-based travel agent, David. We remove our shoes, and Meli leads us to a far corner, where we sit on the floor and hear her story of the architectural history of the Blue Mosque; this beautiful place of worship. A polite gentleman in a grey suit is drawn to our group. He smiles and nods approvingly at Meli’s descriptions. He introduces himself as a retired singer who now calls the prayer. At Meli’s request he sings the Morning Prayer with heartfelt presence. The memory of his resonant song amazes me.
Aya Sofia, House of Sacred Wisdom
Anatolia, Land Where the Sun Rises
Istanbul, the wise old lady with young beauty, sits on two continents: Asia and Europe. This city of 17 million was, at different times, the capital to three empires: The Byzantine, the Roman, and the Ottoman. Religion and art are important in this culture, and never more so in a place so rich in both. The oral and traditional stories, told through illustrations, frescoes, tapestries, and icons, both pass along the word of God/Allah, as they offer optimism and hope. These also reflect subtle shifts in the needs of the people over the thousands of years that each period encompassed. On the second day, we visited the 12th Century Chora Christian Church, later used as a mosque. Its frescoes and mosaics are the best examples of the Christian art of the Byzantine era. Chora, Meli explained, means ‘in the womb of Mother Ana.’
May your road be white and open
Meli stated a memorable quote which stays with me still: “Don’t tell me how much you know. Tell me how much you have travelled. May your road be white and open.” Thank you Meli. May your road too, be white and open.
LEFT Istanbul, Wise Old Women with Young Ideas, Marilyn Gourlay. Watercolour
Republic of Turkey 1926. Blood red flag will never fade
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Reel Shorts: This year, the 7th Annual Reel Shorts Film Festival featured 102 films from twenty countries over a span of five days, making the largest showcase of short films in Alberta. The Festival continues to be a celebration of short films and the filmmakers and the events of this year included films, workshops, and opportunities to talk with the filmmakers and other industry professionals. A huge community draw for the festival is from students around the region: Out of the 2,780 people who took part in the festivities, there were over 1,000 students who attended. With so much to offer and with it growing bigger each year, the festival provides a great opportunity for both those seeking enjoyment as well as those with a desire to learn. The Festival offers a great opportunity for students looking to get into the film industry in its two week training and production program called Shoot for Reel. Twelve hand-picked interns helped on set during this program to create the film The Horizon Project, a twenty minute short about the survivors of a biological pandemic. Although the theme is quite popular in today’s industry, The Horizon Project was polart of the peace
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ished and very entertaining; well worth watching a second time. Director Scott Baelyea said he believes Grande Prairie has the potential to become a media hotbed or an indie scene for films. He found that there is so much access to community support and involvements thanks to the local embrace of filmmaking and the support of the project. Furthermore, the great rural locations help films like The Horizon Project achieve a sense of isolation not far from the city itself. With the opportunity for a sequel to the movie and the experience gained by local participants, the Grande Prairie film scene can only grow. As the Reel Shorts continues running and more and more opportunities become available, it becomes possible to be part of something big, but it is also possible to work on a smaller scale by yourself. Rio Fitch, a resident of the small community of Rolla in British Columbia, does his own filming, editing, and sound engineering. Fitch has no formal training and considers filming his hobby, but he has put a good deal of time into learning the craft. All his work certainly paid off, as could be seen in his latest film, The Trap, which
LEFT TO RIGHT Stills from the short films The Horizon Project, The Trap, and A Royal Commission. Photograph from An Afternoon with Phil Richards by Melanie Jenner
Real Inspiration WRITTEN BY JESSICA SANDERSON
was shown at Reel Shorts. The film is about the inquisitive nature of children and shows Fitch’s talented daughter Billie, taking actions to catch the tooth fairy. The Trap premiered at the Epiphany Children’s Film Festival in New York at which it won the “Best in Show” award. During this year’s Festival came a great opportunity to be inspired and educated through an afternoon with Phil Richards, a day with the artist behind the Diamond Jubilee portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The afternoon started with a screening of a behind the scene documentary, The Portrait, following the process Richards took in creating his portrait. The film, and Richards himself, were filled with inspirational messages and lessons that were encouraging for any artist to hear. Despite being told many times in his life that figure painting was dead, Richards refused to accept it; to him it is natural for humans to want to paint people. He didn’t want to be part of a fashionable movement, but something that would be sustainable over decades. With this mindset, Richards had to go through hard times but by pursuing what he loves, keeping a structured routine, and putting in a lot of preparation, he has
become successful. The day ended with the opportunity to see a live demonstration in portrait drawing. “Learning the details of the work involved to create a largescale masterpiece was very enlightening,” said Melanie Jenner, a local artist who attended the session with Richards. “Observing an artist work and having them explain their artistic process from start to finish is a rare experience. I’ve never had the pleasure of watching a professional artist draw a portrait live and in person and it made me wish I had this opportunity when I was an art student.” Artist or not, the presentation was a rare experience that was truly inspirational. An additional documentary, A Royal Commission, was also shown at the festival. The Reel Shorts Film Festival is an all-around enjoyable experience which brings opportunity to the Region and, whether you wish to attend for pleasure, education, or inspiration, you will find what you’re seeking. With a broad selection of films and a diverse schedule offering things on various days and times, there is really no excuse to miss out on this local gem. art of the peace
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CarmenHaakstad.com
“D o m ino IV” Show and Sale Beaverlodge Area Cultural Centre | September 29 th −October 24 th , 2013 For original artwork and studio visits, please call 780-539-4483 or email carmen@carmenhaakstad.com
Candace Gunsolley Frame & Gallery Ltd.
Custom Picture Framing & Fine Art Gallery
780-539-4091 9934-100 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB
780-978-7212 | cLgunsolley@yahoo.com Sculptor/Painter/Wearable Art & Costumes/ Mixed Media/Clay
Vicki Hotte
BFA
Original Art from the Peace Region Available at the Beaverlodge Cultural Centre
780-933-6030 svhotte@telusplanet.net www.vickihotte.com
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Robert GUEST Thank you! To our friends in the Peace Country, Myrtle and I send our best wishes and thanks for your help and encouragement over the years. -R. Guest from Nanaimo, B.C.
For information: Art Gal l ery o f Gran de Pra i r i e 780-532-8111
First Trader’s Cabin on Sheep Creek, Grande Cache. 1935 Oil 14 in. x 18 in. panel, collection of the artist
101 - 816 Alaska Ave, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4T6
Tel: 250-782-2601 www.dcartgallery.ca September – May Tuesday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Saturday 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
June – August
Daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
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)
Artists Run Centre | 13 Exhibits Per Year | Children’s Art Classes Summer School for the Arts | Year Round
EXHIBITS Mary Mottishaw & Kit Fast Convergence
Federation of Canadian Artists
October 15 to November 9
August 19 to September 17
DC Art Gallery 30th Anniversary Exhibit
September 19 to October 12
South Peace Art Society Member’s Show, Christmas Exhibit and Sale November 12 to December 31
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Marjorie Taylor BUILDING UP WRITTEN BY JODY FARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN TROSTEM
Small wonder Marjorie Taylor thinks of herself as a builder. Her downstairs workspace, its shelves a veritable museum of mostly hand-fashioned, quasi-curated sculpted treasures, represents only some of this Grande Prairie artist’s need to create. Apart from working daily at her art, the dedicated wife, mother and grandmother continues to participate in all manner of workshop, reception, exhibition, auction, and art-related courses both here and abroad. Her many years assisting and chairing various boards, associations and interest groups for historical, social, recreational and cultural ventures are acknowledged and admired by fellow community builders. She was a recipient of a Grande Prairie Rotary Paul Harris Fellow for long hours spent envisioning and fundraising for the prestigious Montrose Cutural Centre, which houses the city’s public library and art gallery. In a world often plagued by negativity and destruction, Marjorie is widely recognized for her positive input and support for new and creative endeavours. So yes, a builder we’ll call her. But on this day, we’re talking specifically about her art. “I just think there’s another way of looking at and reshaping things,” Marjorie explains of her builder’s perspective. “It’s always about the form or the shape for me. That seems to be what I explore over and over.”
LEFT Women Kind
As she discusses this or that artwork in her studio, her inspiration often turns to re-imagining and re-designing the subject’s original state. In painting works featured in her current exhibition at the Centre for Creative Arts, Marjorie employed early geometric wood sculptures as subject matter in her new renderings of two-dimensional, painted forms. art of the peace
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ABOVE LEFT Pears
ABOVE RIGHT Sundress
“I like to set up challenges for myself,” she says of her initial approach to creating. “Parameters help me from getting sidetracked. The goal is to keep focused. And to try to not make judgements. “In this [new abstract painting] series, I used a limited palette with yellow ochre, hansa yellow lemon, phthalo blue, white and burnt umber. I added pumice, and gel, to give it transparency. I began with vertical lines. It was really just about reading different things into them as you paint. Straight lines became almost like doors, then windows, then I added spheres inside the windows, and finally introduced my [geometric plywood] sculptures.”
what I am; what I was. A young woman, lots of kids, a product of the prairie. Raising children; all the many things we do. We aren’t just this one person. Different dresses signify these: The caregiver, the everyday mom, the fancy, feminine self. They are part of our fabric, part of who we are.” While visiting the city several years ago, the interdisciplinary artist Rita McKeough spotted Marjorie’s colourfully-glazed, hand-built clay dresses, and made a video of them along with her hand-built shoes, which she THIS ONE PERSON. rarely makes in pairs because they are so hard to replicate.
“WE AREN’T JUST The recent paintings, like so many before, feature mixed DIFFERENT DRESSES SIGNIFY THESE: THE media with rough, heavy, tangible textures, that betray a Each medium presents its own CAREGIVER, THE EVERYDAY MOM, THE desire to shape or handle their set of challenges. Clay, as opFANCY, FEMININE SELF. THEY ARE PART OF contents. Although Marjorie posed to wood, is a more malconsiders herself a painter first, leable substance. Still, Marjorie OUR FABRIC, PART OF WHO WE ARE.” it is her sculptures—this wide has had to adapt it to suit her range of objects in every colour own creative style. She does not and size, made of wood, clay, use a wheel. foam, soapstone and found trinkets—that poke out of her shelves and cover her floorspace, vying for attention, invok“I can’t throw,” she admits. “I just make a mess. Clay on ing a sense of nostalgia, mischief and delight. a wheel has to be symmetrical and centred and finished very well. I hand-build, working up a form, then taking My personal favourites are the ceramic dresses which, for away. Sometimes I have an idea but the process is also Marjorie, illustrate the complexity of our gender. “I can’t deny very intuitive.” art of the peace
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ABOVE LEFT Conceptual Structure ABOVE RIGHT Bad Hair Day
And while painting necessitates “working for days on end to keep the flow going,” clay allows for relaxation. Kept sufficiently moist, it can sit and be worked on when there’s time and inspiration.
set onto two metal spikes, look like crater-covered planets. From a distance, their tiny multi-coloured peaks and valleys appear inhabited and are reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’s dustspeck that contained Whoville’s residents.
Marjorie points to two rather abstract clay figures dressed in long flowing coats whose bumps and bulges give a sense of heavy, textured fabric. These sculptures, which remind me of long-ago oriental warriors, have been sitting for six months, waiting for her to decide if, and how, they will be glazed. She doesn’t like to paint specific designs, yet is afraid to apply glaze in her usual, rather random fashion. She is struggling with the fact that these figures’ coats might require a different, more orderly approach.
Another ongoing sculpture features found objects on a trail of wire, accommodating threadless spools, buttons, beads, earrings, faucet pieces, pins, and a butterfly. Nearby shelves house series of small, shiny, glazed pears with real stems; tiny hand-built shoes, slab-built vessels, soapstone carvings, and painted clay.
Other ‘unfinished’ work alludes to Marjorie’s prairie upbringing, where everything was seen to either have a purpose, or be re-purposed, by elders who had lived through hard economic times. These sculptures are done lightly, with humour, in a way that both pays homage to and transforms the original subject matter. In one such piece, leftover pumice was sculpted into two balls and covered with mounds of used-up paint. The balls,
A single ceramic sculpture—a working girl in a yellow hardhat and blue coveralls—stands alone among the carefully organized collections. I ask about her origin. “We were going to have a dance,” Marjorie recalls. “I got on board, [making the sculpture]. It was going to be a fundraiser, a western night; an oilpatch theme. That was back in 1999. It would have been so much fun...” Somehow, the fundraiser never got off the ground. But as the hand-built, hard-hatted working woman will attest, it was not for a lack of concrete effort on the part of Marjorie Taylor.
Marjorie Taylor A VOLUNTEER FOR ALL SEASONS WRITTEN BY JOANNA MOEN
evening. In particular as the funding increased, she gratefully mentioned the efforts of Mel Knight, Rob Swanston, Gerry Bauer and the Provincial Government in realizing the dream of a new gallery. As well, Marjorie emphasized what a good board she worked with; and how Art of the Peace HER NATURAL HUMILITY AND DOWN-TO-EARTH NATURE MIGHT WELL so many peowould like to DOWNPLAY HER EFFORTS. AS SHE PUT IT, “IT’S JUST WHAT WE DO”. ple stepped up take this opfrom all walks portunity to of life to crecelebrate Marate the world-status facility we now call The Art Gallery of jorie’s many volunteer accomplishments. After all it was Grande Prairie. with Marjorie and Dale Syrota, Trenton Perrott, and other art-enthusiasts who created Art of the Peace in response Along the way, Marjorie Taylor also served on the Historical to a perceived need for collective representation which acSociety Advisory Committee with the City of Grande Prairie. knowledged the talented artists in the Peace Region. The delightful museum in Muskoseepi Park exists in part due to her efforts. She was Chairperson of the Fine Arts Advisory As an artist, Marjorie’s efforts to promote the arts in the Committee with the GPRC for six years and also served on Peace Region have been remarkable. Most notably perthe City Arts Committee working to assist fine artists in obhaps, the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie exists in its present taining financial grants necessary for the continuation of their illustrious form today because of her efforts and those of work. Marjorie also volunteered at the QE II Hospital, introher board; to whom she gives generous praise for their ducing art to patients and recently she worked with the Mcdedication and hard work. As the past chair of the then Naught Restoration Society in Prairie Art Gallery board, she Beaverlodge. And somewhere and other board members dealong the way Marjorie found termined as early as 2000, that time to study for and receive a new facility was essential. her diploma in Fine Arts from She emphasized that there was zero –literally no money the GPRC. available at that time to fund a new gallery. So along with her Her natural humility and downboard, Trenton Perrott, and to-earth nature might well colleagues, grants were writdownplay her efforts. As she ten and presentations made put it, “it’s just what we do”. But to obtain needed funding. for those of us who can now Marjorie described a particuenjoy the fruits of her efforts, we lar fundraising event as great say “Thank you, Marjorie.” We fun: Tempt Your Palette invited pay tribute to your hard work, local chefs, performance and your community-minded spirit visual artists to display their and the goodness you have ofMarjorie on a site visit of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, May 31, 2008 talents in a gala fundraising fered to us all. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie People in the Peace Region help each other out. It is what we do and who we are. The city of Grande Prairie, for example, is known for its strong and active core of volunteers. In this field of outstanding community helpers, Marjorie Taylor stands tall.
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home is where the art is
of 2014 art the peace juried show CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE Ç Ç
Exhibit tours to Dawson Creek in September 2014
Cash awards
Ç
Opening April 2014 at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie
details online at
Ribbons
artofthepeace.ca
mary mottishaw
mixed media artist, painter, printmaker
of Art Grande Prairie
GUILD OF ARTISTS
30th Anniversary
EXHIBITION
Opening Night Gala December 6th, 7:00 pm Showing until March 16th, 2014
view recent work at marymottishaw.com
Suzanne Sandboe Active Member
FCA, ASA, PWS
Art Gallery of Grande Prairie For information email info@gpguild.ca
gpguild.ca
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780-568-4124 | art@suzannesandboe.com | www.suzannesandboe.com
art books in review BY WENDY STEFANSSON
OUT OF OUR MINDS: LEARNING TO BE CREATIVE Sir Kenneth Robinson “Problem solving is a feature of creative processes. But it would be wrong to equate creativity only with problem solving. Creativity can be as much a process of finding problems as solving them.” In Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, Sir Kenneth Robinson grapples with this paradox and many others in trying to define the nature of creativity. Robinson argues that in a world where the everyday realities of the today’s technology were barely imagined ten years ago; and where the jobs our children will do in the future haven’t even been invented yet, creativity is increasingly an essential skill. But we still treat it as a luxury.
This is not specifically an art book: The author discusses creativity in the broadest of terms. He proposes a school system in which there are no subjects; or one in which the subjects and ways of learning are brought together, boundaries between them crossed, and ideas intermingled. Creativity is organic, messy and difficult to schedule. It thrives in a context which values risk-taking and failure more than productivity. Innovation must be honored more highly than accountability; so that the outcome may be defining a new problem rather than solving an old one.
366700 13-09-19 12:20 PM Page 1
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Imagine your very own art playground. In this place you can make no mistakes. You may experiment with different media, express your thoughts sentiments and experiences. You can paint, draw, collage, and dream. And the best part is, your inner critic—that nasty inner predator that shrilly tells you that you have no talent and will never make it as an artist—is strictly forbidden entry. Facing the blank canvas is transformed from a challenge to a joy.
artcetera
Welcome to the world of art journaling. The written diary has been a long honored tradition. In the spirit however, of ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, the art journal offers a way to document your life with words, images, and colour.
BY JOANNA MOEN
While the art journals of Leonardo da Vinci are famous for their detailing of his thoughts and experiences, your art journal can be anything and any way you want it to be. Tap the ‘Images’ toggle on Google to view the eclectic array of individual expressions via the art journal. Let yourself be inspired by the works of others.
CREATIVE TRAVEL JOURNALS
A creative way to record your travel experiences in an artful manner. Look forward to future artist travel articles in Art of the Peace magazine.
BELOW Collection of travel journals, Joanna Moen
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To begin your art journal, select a journal of your choice. This may be a book purchased from a stationery store, a notebook or even an unused printed book itself (where the print can be used if and when you deem it appropriate). Alternately you can create your own art journal from individual pages you assemble on your own. It is recommended that you gesso each page, both front and back. In this way, your page will assume the tooth and strength necessary to withstand any array of media you choose. Once you have chosen your journal and you have a general or specific idea, thought or emotion you wish to represent, begin by applying a colour base. This may include any type
of paint manipulated by brush, or moved about by an old credit card as I often do. You could also spray inks on the page; or you could begin by collaging the page with printed media, textiles, tissue papers, napkins, ticket stubs, bits of brochure, ripped washi—let your imagination and media at hand guide you. In essence you want to establish a base for the idea you are wishing to express in that moment.
Dan Wourms ceramics and mixed media
danwourms@gmail.com wourms.wordpress.com etsy.com/shop/DanWourmsCeramics
SOMETIMES THE PAGE WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT WANTS AND SIMPLY TAKE CONTROL. LET IT SPEAK FOR ITSELF—AND SEE WHERE IT TAKES YOU.
Fine Art Reproductions & Art Cards > Gicelee quality prints on Canvas, Fine Art &
Once you have created your base, let your inner artist rip, roar and tear. Use words via stencils, handwritten script, or stamps. You can also cut and collage words chosen from print media sources. Add your own photos or fabric pieces. Get out your favourite art supplies and let yourself go. The art journal is a great place to test drive new supplies, tools, ideas, subjects and methods. If you get yourself into a jam and you are clearly dissatisfied by what is manifesting, do what I call the ‘messcue’ (mess plus rescue). Collage an image over it, add more words, get out the coloured markers. Sometimes the page will tell you what it wants and simply take control. Let it speak for itself—and see where it takes you. Engaging in an art journal process invites you to begin to collect found objects. I have collaged butter wrappers, subway tickets, photos, price tags, cancelled postage stamps, playing cards, earrings, feathers, shiny tiny bits, foreign coins, wrapping papers, fabric pieces, and tags ripped from clothing. Personalized stamps can be created by carving into stamp-making medium and stencils can be made using any flexible plastic such as file folders and a sharp blade. In short pretty much anything goes, including photocopied images or even commercial stamps, stencils, or stickers. Art journal pages can serve as a base for future larger works. Sometimes they may act as studies. At other times they can inspire you to create an opus from what you have created. The beauty is that your pages often turn out quite unlike what you originally had in mind. Often the result is more amazing than your original vision. At times your art journal page can be works unto themselves. If you are pleased with the results, you may choose to frame and display them. Sharing your results, ideas, and techniques with other art journalists can be inspiring as well.
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Painting the Big Picture ANNUAL ART SYMPOSIUM BY JENNA BACKER
DAVID T. ALEXANDER paints landscape as it should Artists and art lovers from all over the Peace Region and beyond, are invited to attend the 10th Annual Art Symposium at the Centre for Creative Arts, Grande Prairie, October 18th–20th. These short biographies of this year’s world class artists will inspire you to mark the date on your calendar.
be painted. He captures time, human impact, and the true sense of the landscape; not photographic replica. To understand a place, he makes repeated trips, gaining appreciation for the effects that weather has on colour, as well as the dynamics of the different seasons. He does not arrange the landscape as he wants it to be; he grasps it as it exists. “I don’t know how to put a painting together, I don’t know how to structure a painting, but I do know that I allow that to happen,” says Alexander. His artwork is not political, but he is also not afraid to include the impact that people have had on the rest of nature. Creating these honest representations, his paintings include human society in what is almost the negative space, as humans exist in each piece through the use and abuse of the land. In his Wet Series, Alexander is clear that “[he is not] just painting water, [he is] understanding what water is.” Having observed lakes, rivers, and oceans his whole life, partly as his father was a tugboat captain, he suggests “a mud puddle can be perceived as an abyss. Symbolically, water could also represent reflections of a devastating fire […] It’s always about landscape.”
LEFT Untitled 10, David T. Alexander CENTRE Serving It Up: From the Foothills to the Mountains, Jackie Anderson. 2012. Photo by: Guy McCrum
RIGHT Neighbourhood Icons, Ritchie Velthuis
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Alexander spent twenty-three years in Saskatchewan, before moving to the Okanagan. He has had exhibitions in many other countries, including Iceland, where his artwork met kindred spirits in the Norse landscape. Currently, his series The Shape of Place is on national tour.
JACKIE ANDERSON
is an artist who has always been captivated by delicate pieces of everyday life, thinking of how eyeglasses literally “frame” a person’s view of the world. She has carried that fascination into her creative work. Born and raised in Calgary, Anderson was initially more interested in sewing. She pursued textiles at the Alberta College of Art and Design, until required to take metals as an option where, she says, “I initially quite disliked it.” However, one instructor saw her ability, and persisted until she switched to metalwork, which she has continued with ever since. Practicality is not a factor in her pieces; it’s playing with scale that draws her interest. According to Anderson, “it wasn’t until I spoke in a lecture hall for the first time, and saw my pieces projected six feet tall onto a wall, that I really became fascinated with scale.” Bringing these large structures down into a six-inch realm, Anderson creates shapes and silhouettes in her art jewelry that are inspired by urban architecture, vintage signage, bridges, mountains, and more. Making a Spectacle of Myself, her latest art eyewear exhibition, is a series that provokes consideration of the viewpoints from which we see our worlds. Using colourful acrylics and resins, Anderson’s pieces invite the viewer to see the world through each particular set of lenses, as well as through our own. Anderson works with The Metal Collective, currently showing an exhibition titled À Table. Well-travelled, she’s considering starting a series utilizing that theme, as well as new tools in her work.
RITCHIE VELTHUIS is an artist who will take a close and warmly personal look at you. In a project titled Neighbourhood Icons, Velthuis pulls the faces and bodies of his neighbours out of ceramics, transporting the hidden gems of his community into a series of visible works of art. Having your likeness made in sculpture, once a rare honour, is reimagined by Velthuis, as he demonstrates the true beauty and worthiness that individuals hold in a community. Born and raised in the Edmonton area, he is involved in projects in the city, from chairing the Silver Skate festival, to working with the Edmonton Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in creating a public memorial to homelessness. Thinking Big, the title of the memorial, also involved twenty people who had experienced homelessness at the time, with the finished piece containing ceramic tiles created by each person. “I love collaboration, I love working with people,” says Velthuis. Teaching once a week at the City Arts Centre, he also enjoys creating environments in which people can connect with their creativity. “Process is my drug of choice,” quotes Velthuis, who has experimented with ideas ranging from creating visceral clay figures within short modeling sessions, to building monumental snow sculptures that eventually melt away. Although some projects take time, immediacy is the quality that draws Velthuis to both clay and snow. Currently, Velthuis is completing projects in preparation for this year’s Silver Skate festival, as well as working on a piece with an Aboriginal youth, that hopes to elicit curiosity and contemplation in an area that is often misconstrued.
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Women Only Travel
Small groups, Women only, Fully escorted
Santa Fe: Art, Food &Photography November 17–23, 2013
Turkey: Art, Culture & Food July 5–18, 2014
Italy: Ruins, Art & Food September 22–October 2, 2014
Morocco: Markets, Sahara & Culture October 31–November 17, 2014
More to come...
Tammy Baduk 780-882-1304
tbaduk@gmail.com
www.VtheVacationStore.com
oils, acrylics, mixed media, sculpture, wearable art
Picture it! Marj Taylor 780-532-0355 ma_taylor@eastlink.ca
9506 77 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB T8V 4T3
custom framing
Creative framing at it's finest. conservation framing canvas stretching dry-mounting
plaque mounting hockey jersey framing needle art stretching & framing
Tuesday–Friday 9:30–5:30 | Saturday 10:00–4:00 Phone: 250-782-4101 | Email: paygekf@hotmail.com 10411 10th Street Dawson Creek, B.C. V1G 3T8
Gift Shop
780-835-2697
watercolours, local pottery, knitwear, Calvin Cornish prints, dichroic glass, jewellery, quilted and hand woven items
Fall Courses • glass 101 • fitted glass fusion • needle tatting • paverpol • encaustics • weaving • beading • KIDS art courses
www.fairviewfinearts.com Lynn LeCorre-Dallaire art of the peace
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www.lynnlecorre.com
September
October
November
December
January
February
June Lyons & CJ Lyons “Three” Show & Sale
Peace Watercolour Society Show & Sale
Connie Larsback & Friends Show & Sale
Members Annual Show & Sale
Janet Enfield & Friends "Whimsical Whirlwind" Show & Sale
Fairview Ag Society Quilt & Fibre AND the Bag Ladies Show & Sale
PRCFCA, PWS
Peace Country themes and wilderness vistas Unique Gallery
Cultural Centre
Grande Prairie
Picture Perfect
Beaverlodge
Grande Prairie
For information please call 780-228-3741
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:
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. 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
Contested Ground: Galt Gardens Ed Bader
War Memorial
Emplir le Vide:(Filling the Void) 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
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Art of the Peace EXHIBITS & EVENTS Art Symposium Centre for Creative Arts October 18th – 20th Artists Meet & Greet/ Wine & Cheese October 18th 7pm – 9pm Speakers: Ritchie Velthius, David T. Alexander & Jackie Anderson October 19th 8:30am – 4pm Workshops: Ritchie Velthius & David T. Alexander October 20th 10am – 4pm Members $80, Students $40 Register online at artofthepeace.ca or call 780-532-6353 Home is Where the Art Is 2014 Juried Exhibition Art Gallery of Grande Prairie Exhibiting until August 4th, 2014 Opening Reception April 24th OPPORTUNITIES Home is Where the Art Is 2014 Juried Exhibition Call for submissions. Digital submissions and details at www.artofthepeace.ca
PROGRAMS Beginner/Intermediate Painting (Oils/Acrylics) Janet Enfield Thursdays, October 3rd – November 7th 6:30pm – 9:30pm Beginner Wet Felting Carrie Klukas October 5th 10am – 4pm Intermediate Stained Glass Michele McNeil October 6th 11am – 4pm Beginner Weaving Karen Brown Mondays, October 7th – November 4th 7pm – 9pm Introduction to Henna Michelle Forrester October 19th 1:30pm – 4:30pm Fused Glass Pendant Wendy Olson-Lepchuk October 24th 7pm – 9pm Gelatin Monotype Printmaking Vivian Farnsworth October 26th 10am – 4pm
Exhibitions+ Opportunities CHECK OUT WWW.ARTOFTHEPEACE.CA FOR MORE DETAILS, LOCATIONS, AND HOURS
Beaverlodge, AB BEAVERLODGE CULTURAL CENTRE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Carmen Haakstad Show & Sale September 29th – October 24th Beaverlodge Art Society Miniature Show & Sale October 27th – November 21st Gord Mackey Show & Sale November 24th – December 19th Christy Teasdale Show & Sale January 5th – 30th Grande Prairie Regional College Art Students Exhibition February 2nd – 27th
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Wet Felted Hats Lynne Brown October 26th 1pm – 3:30pm Call 780-354-3600 for more programs and info or visit BeaverlodgeGallery.com OPPORTUNITIES Gallery exhibition and gift shop sales opportunities are available. Call 780-354-3600 for info.
MCNAUGHT HOMESTEAD EXHIBITS & EVENTS 3rd Annual Ghost Walk October 26th Annual Gala Fundraiser April 12th McNaught Festival and I.O.D.E Strawberry Tea 2014 July, 2014 OPPORTUNITIES The Schoolhouse Studio is available for retreats, classroom, gallery or meetings. For info call 780-512-6316 or visit McNaughtHomestead-Heritage.com
Dawson Creek, BC DAWSON CREEK ART GALLERY EXHIBITS & EVENTS Dawson Creek Art Gallery 30th Anniversary Exhibit September 19th – October 12th Federation of Canadian Artists October 15th – November 9th Opening October 18th, 7pm Christmas Exhibit and Sale November 12th – December 31st South Peace Art Society Member’s Show OPPORTUNITIES For information on opportunities for exhibition, visit online at DCArtGallery.ca
Fairview, AB FAIRVIEW FINE ARTS CENTRE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Peace Watercolour Society Show & Sale October 6th – 31st Connie Larsback and Friends Show & Sale November 1st – 28th Members’ Christmas Show & Sale November 29th – December 30th Janet Enfield and Friends Whimsical Whirlwind Show & Sale January 3rd – 31st Fairview Ag Society Quilt & Fibre and the Bag Ladies Show & Sale February 1st – 28th Fairview Fine Arts Society Permanent Collection Show March 1st – 31st PROGRAMS Art Quilting Sunny Theroux October 5th & 15th 10:30am – 4:30pm 7pm – 9pm Wine, Women & Watercolour The Browns October 10th 6:30pm – 9:30pm Pushing Realism in your Animal Drawings Rhonda Malik October 12th 9am – 4pm Paverpol - Raven Janet Enfield October 12th 10am – 4pm Painting Realistic Animals Rhonda Malik October 13th 9am – 4pm
Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving Loretta Skaley October 19th 9am – 5pm Encaustics Patricia Peters October 19th 10am – 4pm Radiant Landscape Martina Berg October 22nd 9:30am – 4:30pm Japanese Stab Bound Book Carolyn Adams October 26th 1pm – 4pm Fall courses include Glass 101, Fitted Glass Fusion, Needle Tatting, Paverpol, Encaustics, Loom Weaving, Bead Embroidery, and Drawing. Phone the Centre at 780-835-2697 email finearts@telus.net or visit FairviewFinearts.com for details.
Fort St. John, BC NORTH PEACE CULTURAL CENTRE EXHIBITS & EVENTS Mud, Sweat & Tears Bob Young September 28th – October 24th For further 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 Christmas Art Show & Sale To be announced
PROGRAMS Monotype Painting October 15th – 17th Evening Home of the Palette Pals Art Club and local art year round. Visit GrandeCache.ca for info.
Grande Prairie, AB CENTRE FOR CREATIVE ARTS EXHIBITS & EVENTS CENTRE GALLERY Marj Taylor October 4th – 25th Artist North November CFCA Christmas Show & Sale December CFCA Student Show February Teresa Durand, Helena Mulligan, and Naomi Deutekam March
WALL GALLERY The Steampunk Show October
QEII HOSPITAL, THE COURTYARD GALLERY
CFCA Group Show Le Maske November
EXHIBITS & EVENTS GALLERY Cathy Stafford September/October
CFCA Christmas Show & Sale December Building a Welcoming and Inclusive Grande Prairie March PROGRAMS The Centre has classes for everyone: beginner, intermediate or advanced oil painting, sewing, photography, pottery, and clay. Check out our website, CreativeCentre.ca or call 780-814-6080. OPPORTUNITIES We are looking for instructors to teach a variety of classes. School programming available.
Alexis (Lucky) Drewicki November/December Sara MacIntyre March/April OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS We are always looking for talented artists to display their works: 3D works for the Hospital Cubes; 2D works for the Courtyard Gallery; and for various styles of work for the Festival of Trees. If you are interested in the any of the above, please call Carrie Klukas at 780-830-4855.
GRANDE PRAIRIE MUSEUM
UNIQUE GALLERY
PROGRAMS Tours and school programming available phone 780-532-5482.
OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities for exhibitions. Call Dan at 780-538-2790.
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 Dean Drever: Everything is going to be okay again soon. September 28th – January 2014
Unbridled Vision: Euphemia McNaught’s lifelong study of horses throughout the 20th Century September 28th – January 2014 Grande Prairie Guild of Artists December 6th – March 16th, 2014 Harold Klunder January – March 2014 Clay Ellis January – March 2014 Upcoming and current exhibitions can be found on aggp.ca
High Prairie, AB HIGH PRAIRIE & DISTRICT MUSEUM
The Works also has venues for artists, designers, artisans, and craftspeople in the Street Market located on Sir Winston Churchill Square. These are excellent retail opportunities.
Edmonton, AB THE WORKS ART & DESIGN FESTIVAL OPPORTUNITIES Our Wilderness is Wisdom Festival Community Programs Festival Community Programs provide unique opportunities for emerging artists and designers to present their work to the festival’s large, diverse audience and are also eligible for The Works Society’s year-round programs. The festival pays participants in Festival Community Programs a fee based upon a portion of the special funds raised by The Works for artist fees.
For more information, email: marketing@theworks.ab.ca www.theworks.ab.ca
THE DAFFODIL GALLERY OPPORTUNITIES We welcome submissions from artists seeking representation throughout the year. For more information, visit: daffodilgallery. ca/artist-submissions.html
Calgary, AB
Group Exhibit Program Groups can apply to produce exhibitions in Edmonton’s Arts District. Group shows must be curated prior to application deadline. Artist honorarium: $500/exhibit
THE LEIGHTON ART CENTRE OPPORTUNITIES 2015 Exhibition Season Submission Deadline: Friday April 25, 2014 – 4:00pm
Individual Artist and Two Artist Shows Artists create their own exhibit. Artist’s proposal must include actual works to be exhibited. Artist honorarium: $350/exhibit
The Leighton Art Centre is now welcoming submissions from artists, collections, and collaborations practicing all artistic mediums. For more information, visit: www.leightoncentre.org/ artists/calls-for-submissions
For more information, email: amber.rooke@theworks.ab.ca
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 EXHIBITS & EVENTS Our Wilderness is Wisdom October 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
Come McNaught Homestead Heritage � Art
ENJOY the FUN!
Retreats
� Hiking Trails � Historical Art
Studio/Schoolhouse
PEACE RIVER MUSEUM EXHIBITS & EVENTS Roots of the Peace – Wholesome Bounty Features the production and growing of food in the Peace from a historical as a well as a contemporary perspective. June – October
2013 / 14 Special Events: Saturday, October 26th Ghost Walk
Halloween fun for families
Saturday, April 12th, 2014 Annual Gala Fundraiser
July, 2014
Annual McNaught Festival + IODE Strawberry Tea Live music, art demos, exhibits & children's activities
www.mcnaught-homestead-heritage.com art of the peace
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My greatest passion and accomplishment is the business I opened in 2008 named Kilnhouse Studio. I work full-time at Kilnhouse as a ceramic artist, selling handmade one-of-akind pieces to the public on Saturdays. In this way I have made my living for five years. I find it both fulfilling and very challenging; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My goal is to create progressive, dynamic work that engages with the reality of the place where I live and the people I live among. My biggest thrill is when I realize I have created something the likes of which I have never seen before. By “inventing” ceramic objects, such as letter holders or antler buckets, that are both practical and aesthetic, I am attempting to create a space of my own within the ceramic field. I feel that by marrying local materials, such as naturally shed antlers and vintage horse bridles, with my ceramic vessels, I am both up-cycling and creating something that functions at a “higher” level. At the same time I engage my northern community in the act of having a daily relationship with handmade objects.
Shannon Butler
It is a somewhat uncommon existence I lead here in this northern oilfield town. I am inspired by the irony of my situation, nostalgia, and popular and northern culture. I explore these inspirations in my work, juxtaposing ceramic techniques against each other while making objects that function in an extraordinary way. I am compelled to challenge conventional ceramics by mixing ideas from pop culture against historic, and vintage aesthetics against contemporary. This creates a sort of bricolage, a complicated and layered presentation that defies traditional notions of authenticity and even beauty.
LEFT Sleeping Buffalo Bucket art of the peace
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art peace of
ART SYMPOSIUM 2013
painting the big picture 10TH ANNUAL
Members $80 | Students $40 At the Centre for Creative Arts, Grande Prairie
Friday, October 18 | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Artists Meet & Greet/Wine & Cheese
Saturday, October 19 | 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Speakers - Ritchie Velthuis (sculptor), David T. Alexander (painter) & Jackie Anderson (metalwork artist) Complimentary breakfast, coffee breaks & lunch
Sunday, October 20 | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Workshops Members $105 | Non Members $157.50 Ritchie Velthuis & David T. Alexander Complimentary coffee breaks & lunch. Supplies extra
artofthepeace.ca 780.814.6080
Register online at or call
TH E AR T GA LLERY OF GRANDE 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. AG G P. C A