art of the Peace | Issue #13

www.artofthepeace.ca A Publication for the Visual Arts Fall/Winter 2009 | Issue 13

of the Peace Ken HouseGo

Personal Landscapes

Juried Art Show Winners | AOTP ‘09 Symposium | Three Fort St. John Artists

TREX

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program

For the 2009/2010 Travelling Season the Prairie Art Gallery presents four new Exhibitions:

HIGH ART: PASSPORT TO THE PEAKS Robert Guest from Grande Cache, 2009 Twin Peaks of Mt. Deveber

DREAMS DO NOT COME WITH TITLES Ken HouseGo from Grande Prairie, 2007 Anchor

WITHOUT END: A COLLABORATION EXPLORING THE LINES THAT KEEP US APART Six Calgary Artists/Architects, 2009

WHAT LIES BENEATH Les Pinter from Calgary, 1993 Tea Leaf Series #6, from the AFA Collection

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:

Dialogue

THE PRAIRIE ART GALLERY

For a complete list of exhibitions visit

PRAIRIEGALLERY.COM

ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA THE ALBERTA SOCIETY OF ARTISTS ESPLANADE ARTS & HERITAGE CENTRE

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

Generously Supported By

Editor: Eileen Coristine

Publisher: Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association, Box 25227, Wapiti Road P.O. Grande Prairie, AB T8W 0G2 Phone: (780) 539-4046 (Dale Syrota) E-mail: art@artofthepeace.ca

there...

AOTP Juried

Art Show

Design, Layout & Advertising: imageDESIGN

art out

Editorial Committee: Dale Syrota, Carrie Klukas, Suzanne Sandboe, Jim Stokes

AOTP ‘09 Symposium

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Cover: Ken HouseGo with his painting Night Harbour

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contents

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

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The Alberta Foundation for the Arts

City of Grande Prairie Arts Development Fund

Three Artists

Don Austin Pettit

from Fort St. John

©All rights reserved Art of the Peace 2009 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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Ken HouseGo

Printing: Parsons Printing

A Landscape Lesson

Artist’s Statement Contributors Artcetera Site Bytes Art Books in Review A Gallery of Artists Exhibitions & Opportunities

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rt depicting the landscape seems to be the predominant genre in our part of the world. Perhaps because the Peace is so picturesque that its appeal is compelling, or perhaps because the scenery here is uncluttered and precise. Or is it the ever-changing light?

Wendy Stefansson

has earned degrees in English Lit and Education, as well as a diploma in Visual Arts. She is by turns (or all at the same time) an artist, a writer, a teacher and a mom. She was editor of Art of the Peace magazine from ‘06 to ‘08.

Painting or drawing a landscape is one of the most challenging tasks any artist can choose.

What might to the casual observer seem obvious and simple requires a complex set of skills. It isn’t enough to just be able to recognize that the view you are capturing is beautiful and worthy; the artist must also be perceptive and worthy.

For the audience, a landscape is either a satisfying journey into the artist’s world, or a bad trip into disbelief. Probably the genre most accessable to viewers, landscape is also the one they feel they know the most about. Confronted by an error in perspective or a wash of muddy colour, the viewer mutters, “That’s not what it looks like there.”

Landscape art demands a myriad of choices: What will be depicted? Does this call for panorama or detail, realism or interpretation? What medium would be best? What is it about this place that calls for expression?

Climate also challenges the Peace country landscape artist. As restricted as we are to being inside, it’s admirable that so many obviously live for the en plein air experience of sketching, painting and taking photographs. One might reasonably expect more still life and portraiture, yet the entries in the Art of the Peace Juried Art Show tell us that, as diverse as the works and genres in that show are, landscape art still predominates.

Though the demands are plentiful and rigorous, the local subject matter is divine. Next time you look out on a sunny, cloudy or snowy scene, grab your sketchbook, throw open the door, rip off your toque and throw it in the air. It’s always a perfect day for Peace landscape art.

Eileen Coristine

This summer I was surrounded by wonderful art works at exciting venues. It was fabulous to be at the opening of East Meets West and Vigil of Angels at the Montrose Cultural Centre. Iskoteo provided an astonishing variety of art shows. The juxtaposition of French Impressionist Printmakers and A Girl at the Alberta Art Gallery was mindbending but ultimately demonstrated how technology and art walk hand-in-hand. The National Gallery in Ottawa was just pure fun. But what made me feel most proud was the freshness and variety of the Art of the Peace Juried Show at the Glass Gallery.

Eileen at the National Gallery in Ottawa. Photo by M.I. Aldred

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Kim Fjordbotten

is an artist and the president of The Paint Spot, an art materials store where in-house artists love to share their product knowledge and experience to create an environment full of inspiration, technical advice and unique materials.

Jody Farrell

has spent 25 years writing for newspapers and magazines across Canada. A sometimes teacher, artist and contractor in the oil and gas industry, she raised her three daughters to find and follow their passion in life. Hers revolves around finding a way to live on English Bay in Vancouver.

Rob Swanston works at the Prairie Art Gallery in the areas of publications and fundraising. He studied Audio Visual Techniques at Grant MacEwan College and earned a Film Studies diploma from the Vancouver Film School.

Judy Brown Judith A. Brown lives in Spirit River and teaches art to chil-

dren and adults throughout the Peace Country. She is a member of the Peace Watercolour Society and is the daughter in the Three Generation Watercolour Artists group. She has used art as a therapy and fun for seniors, handicapped, learning and emotionally disabled children.

Margaret Price wrote her first book at the age of five. While certainly

not destined for Pulitzer status, Margaret’s Book of Butterflies laid the groundwork for a career in journalism. With degrees in Anthropology and Art History from Vanderbilt University, she has been published in several American and Canadian publications. Margaret hopes to become an established writer one day, sans crayons and construction paper.

Photo by Paul Pivert

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contributors Photo by Kristine McGuinty

artist’s statement

art out there...

Sidewalks Paved in Gold

Art Gallery of Alberta

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n July, the Prairie Art Gallery and artists Sarah Alford were downtown at the 2009 Street Performers Festival installing her exhibition titled Faults. During the three days of the festival, Sarah applied gold foil to the cracks found on the street and sidewalk. She used “light and reflection to bring our attention to things that are around us everyday that we don’t normally see.” Alford said she loves how a crack in the landscape is called a fault because she sees them as a sign of life. “The ground is still breathing under the road, and the cracks are proof.” Calgary artist Devon Sandboe joined the Gallery at the festival and created elaborate chalk drawings on the pavement. Also, festival goers were able to visit the exhibition, Collective Soul: PNCR 2007, which was on view in a shipping truck. Guests could view the paintings and drawings inside the truck and learn more about the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program.

Sarah Alford at the Street Performers Festival.

hortly into 2010, Northern Albertans will have another new venue for viewing art.

That is when the $88M Art Gallery of Alberta will open in the heart of Edmonton.

The 85,000 square foot gallery will be a centre for regional, national and international exhibitions and will include dedicated space for the 6000 works in the AGA permanent collection.

The Beaverlodge Mural project.

McNaught Mural at Beaverlodge

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ver 130 painters contributed to the recreation of Euphemia McNaught’s painting, Edson Trail Days, in Beaverlodge this summer. The painting, originally done in the late 1920s, was enlarged to cover a 10’ x 12’ mural prepared by Beaverlodge Art Society members Toni Shuler, Darlene Dautel and Vicki Hotte. The three transferred the basic image onto three signboard panels then mixed and numbered 44 colours to be used in the final work. The giant paint-by-number was completed by passers-by from such diverse locales as Germany and Norway, as well as local folks from 3 to 94 years old.

The buildings design, created by Randall Stout Architects, Inc., is inspired by Edmonton’s urban grid against the curvilinear shapes of the North Saskatchewan River Valley and the prairie sky’s aurora borealis.

Also featured in the design are an Education Centre, a restaurant and a 150-seat theatre.

The new building, which is under construction at the site of the original gallery in Sir Winston Churchill Square, is slated to open to the public at the end of January 2010.

Artist’s Rendering of the new Art Gallery of Alberta.

The mural project, which was part of the celebration of the Beaverlodge 100th Anniversary of Settlement, was displayed to the public at the Beaverlodge Cultural Centre during September. A silent auction, ending during Alberta Art Days, will determine the painting’s permanent home. art of the peace 5

Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artists Awards

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inety-nine works of art graced the Tumbler Ridge Community Centre over the weekend of June 12-14. The works were those chosen for display in the 27th annual Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit.

Caily Oldershaw of Dawson Creek received the Distinguished Award as well as the People’s Choice Award, which is based on votes from those attending the show.

The Recognition Award went to Helen Vokaty of Fort St. John and the Student Award to Kalin Sitter of Tumbler Ridge.

During the exhibit, all 46 artists were invited to join the Artists Walk-through with jurors Carrie Klukas and Marjorie Henn.

The six communities of the Peace Liard Regional Arts Council are Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge.

Caily Oldershaw and her winning artwork, Be There

ighlighting the Iskoteo Festival in Grande Prairie last June was the Fire and Ice Gala at the Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre. This event marked the presentation of the 2009 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artists Awards.

The awards, personally presented by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Norman L. Kwong, were won by Joan Stebbins, long time director/curator of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and Rudy Weibe, Edmonton-based author of 21 books. Each award included a cash prize of $30,000 as well as a hand cast gold medallion and pin.

Leading the awards program was a show of vibrant musical talent by Garry Oker, Renee Golemba, the Dandylionesses and the Grande Prairie Boys’ Choir. The award presentations were followed by acceptance speeches by the winners and videos depicting their contributions to culture in Alberta.

Guests at the gala dinner were also able to view the Art of the Peace Juried Art Show on display at the Glass Gallery.

Five Decades of Landscape Painting in the Peace

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.ainting the Heart of the Peace, a retrospective show of paintings by Fairview’s Bernice Trider was showcased at Fairview Fine Arts Centre in August.

The display included art from Bernice’s school days, a large body of work amassed from her own favourites and the collections of family and friends plus 30 pieces by three generations of her offspring.

A true colourist, Bernice worked in many mediums until her mentor Bob Guest strongly suggested that she change to watercolours; she’s never looked back and to this day “just loves them.”

Also included in the show was a number of endearing unframed studies including notes that illuminate her process and colour choices. There was even a floral painting still in progress on display.

Although the show only represented about a quarter of Bernice’s works from over the years, the gallery was full to bursting with exquisite florals and beautiful Peace country landscapes.

Bernice Trider

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Diana Strid and Gavin Hayes

Creations Inc.

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he suspense, ahh, the suspense! Would the work of art you wished for be there when your turn to pick came up…or would a rival collector have scooped it up?

Eighty collectors and supporters of Fairview Fine Arts Centre came together in May to try their luck and help fund the centre’s Artists At School program.

Earlier in the spring, manager Carolyn Adams had distributed small canvasses to regional artists willing to donate a piece to the event. All 80 canvasses were returned and featured a wide diversity of styles and subjects. From weaving and jewelry to paint and ceramics, the exhibit was a stunning display of talent.

Tickets were sold to community members, all of whom attended a reception and had to wait until their names were chosen to select their new piece of art.

Running concurrently with the annual Artists At School Show, Creations Inc. was an inspiration, and a true gift to the students.

Montrose Cultural Centre Opening

Award Winning Book

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or those involved in visual arts, the crowning moment of the Grande Prairie Iskoteo Festival may have been the opening of the Montrose Cultural Centre on June 19.

After 10 years of planning and fundraising the large open Teresa Sargent Hall was full of people awed by the building’s beauty and jubilant about the success of the gallery/library combination.

Along with scores of people involved in the creation of the centre, others in attendance that evening were Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett, Senator Tommy Banks, members of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation and gallery directors and curators from across Alberta.

The opening of the first art show in the 6000 sq. ft. gallery, Vigil of Angels by Bibi Clement with East Wind Blows West by Yasuo Terada, coincided wonderfully with the celebratory event.

.he Peace: A History in Photographs,

by Donald A. Pettit, has recently won four prestigious book awards.

2009 IPPY Awards – Independent Publisher Book Awards Canada-West – Best Regional Non-Fiction – Gold The IPPY Awards are among the largest and most recognized book awards in the world, designed to bring recognition to independent publishers.

Donald A. Petit’s award winning book, The Peace.

Foreword Magazine 2008 Book of the Year Awards Regional Category – Bronze Awards are based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, author credentials relative to the book, and the value the book adds to its genre.

2009 Eric Hoffer Awards Self-Published Books, Art Category – Honorable Mention The Eric Hoffer Award recognizes writing of significant merit, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.

Thanks to a $5.6 million grant from the Building Fund Canada, work to reconstruct and connect the Prairie Art Gallery to the new centre will begin soon.

2009 BC Book Prizes Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize - Shortlisted The Roderick Haig-Brown prize is awarded to the authors of books contributing to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia.

Marjorie Taylor and Robert Steven

Muskoseepi Park Ampitheatre Mural Project

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rande Prairie’s Ampitheatre Mural Project included two phases. In phase one, muralist Tim Heimdal designed and painted the three walls facing the entrance to Muskoseepi Park. Tim’s murals illustrate “Muskoseepi,” the Cree word meaning Bear Creek.

in the moonlight, Louanne Hart and Louise Lissoway each developed a maquette depicting a view of Mount Ida (Tipi Mountain) and the Signal Tree near Wembly.

Clancy Moonbeam modified her poster for the Peace Starts at Home event for her mural concept.

The painting, which began in late July, was almost completed and ready to be clear-coated by the end of August. Project sponsors were the Centre for Creative Arts, Muskoseepi Park, City of Grande Prairie, Communities in Bloom, Crime Prevention, Rentco and General Paint.

Phase two was to guide aspiring muralists to design and paint murals on the south facing walls. Stacy Brown worked with Tim on a bear claw motif that formed visual bookends to the Amphitheater. Leslie Duggan’s mural features a tableau of animals

“Tim gave each artist tips, guidance and instructions on how to paint on such a large scale, using only regular exterior latex paint in the primary colours,” says artist Louise Lissoway. “All color mixing was done on site to achieve various values and tones.”

“Response to the Ampitheatre Mural Project has been very positive,” says Tim. “We can celebrate!”

Louise Lissoway, Louanne Hart and Tim Heimdal with one of the recently completed murals.

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AOTP ‘09 Symposium

Celebrating Alberta Arts Days

by Jody Farrell

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he Art of the Peace Seventh Annual Symposium promises to be a three day love affair; a coming together of artists and art enthusiasts to celebrate, discuss and view art in its many forms, from that which hangs, or sits, or moves as artistic expression, to the actual buildings that exhibit those various works. Speakers will address what drives artists to make art in the first place and how we can keep promoting it as a staple of our life and culture. The symposium takes place in the brand new Prairie Art Gallery in Grande Prairie from September 18 to 20, 2009, and coincides with the second annual province-wide Alberta Arts Days initiative. This year’s AOTP symposium guest speakers include artist/instructors Bev Tosh and Ken HouseGo, as well as Tony Luppino, former executive director of the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Works by Bev Tosh from her installation War Brides.

Bev Tosh

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algary artist Bev Tosh’s major touring exhibition One-Way Passage began over eight years ago with a large painting she made of her mother as a young war bride. That artwork evolved into a passionate look at the thousands of women who married foreign servicemen during or following World War II. The overseas passage to their husband’s homeland was typically paid for by the host government.

In a Kelowna Art Gallery article about One-Way Passage, Tosh says the initial painting was made for her mother’s 80th birthday. The resulting exhibition combines “years of research and hundreds of personal interviews with war brides in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England and the United States.” Of the 48,000 British and European women who married Canadian servicemen stationed overseas, approximately 44,000 women and their 23,000 children journeyed to Canada.

“Cargoes of women and children were deposited day and night, onto urban platforms and rural settings from coast to coast,” Tosh explained. “Most were claimed by husbands they barely recognized, seeing them for the first time in civilian clothes.” While the majority of women portrayed in One-Way Passage came to Canada, some, like Tosh’s mother, left this country as brides of Commonwealth servicemen who had trained here during the war years. “The exhibition,” Tosh says, “explores the rite of passage of leaving home physically, emotionally, and psychologically, and the passage of time and lifetimes.”

Tosh, who has taught at the University of Calgary and the Alberta College of Art and Design since the mid 1980s, has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions across Canada and internationally.

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Ken HouseGo

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his well-known Grande Prairie artist and college instructor has a love for both making and teaching art that many, including artists and connoisseurs, credit for having enhanced their appreciation of the medium. His unbridled enthusiasm is evident in his own colourful, whimsical assemblage artworks, a new series of which were recently featured as part of the official opening exhibition of the new Prairie Art Gallery in the Montrose Cultural Centre.

Tony Luppino

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ho better to address a community with a brand new public art gallery about the importance of housing and promoting art than someone whose most recent job included getting a big city to back and build a similar, but bigger, public gallery?

Tony Luppino, former executive director of the Art Gallery of Alberta, has been a featured speaker both nationally and internationally. He has spoken, in many cases, about the changing times in museums and art galleries, and these organizations’ vital role in the community.

In his keynote address at Reality Check, the 2008 Alberta Museums Association Conference, Luppino talked about how museums and galleries worldwide “can enact positive and real change, and deliver more value to their constituents.” Luppino’s own impact on the arts and business has garnered many awards and he was named one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people in Alberta Venture magazine in 2006.

Dan Wourms, a former Grande Prairie Regional College arts student and co-owner of Unique Gallery, is among those who have delighted in HouseGo’s visual arts fundamentals class. While Wourms admits initial general consensus was that he was a little “out there,” HouseGo’s expressive teaching methods and commitment to helping each student get the most out of the class resulted in their grasping some of the most important art concepts.

“He’d usually be teaching us three things at the same time,’’ Wourms recalls. “He might yell, or jump up and down; anything to help drive home a concept in a way that each student, in whatever way they learned, might understand. By the end of the first semester, most of us found we’d made breakthroughs as to how to incorporate some of those fundamentals and technical skills into our art.”

Ken HouseGo, Sailor Man Tattoo #1 & #2.

HouseGo, whose artistic experiences include national exhibitions dating back to the seventies, as well as public commissions in Toronto, Prince Edward Island, and Grande Prairie, will speak about both the process of making art and his upcoming touring exhibition, Dreams Don’t Come With Titles, an Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition curated by Prairie Art Gallery’s Todd Schaber and Missy Finlay.

The 84,000 square foot Art Gallery of Alberta, which incorporates the former Edmonton Art Gallery building, is a focal point in that city’s downtown core. The Randall Stout design features a twisted ribbon of steel which wraps around the building. Construction challenges included the tight, urban site with its adjacent underground LRT line, and integrating the existing structure with the new design.

The gallery is set to open in early 2010. art of the peace 9

U P C O M I N G

coming in october...

format printing

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ANGIE PATTERSON Sept. 17 - Oct. 3

JIM STOKES, WHITNEY LEE HAYES & LYNN LECORRE Oct. 29 - Nov. 16

CARRIE KLUKAS Oct. 8 - Oct. 24

BARB GREENTREE Nov. 26 - Dec. 14

Watercolour or Canvas Giclee Prints Art Cards & Posters

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WANT TO GET INVOLVED? We need volunteers in all cultural areas: PERFORMING ARTS PHOTO MENTORSHIP PROGRAM COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT FASHION SHOW

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Contact the Games office at: 780-538-4777 volunteers@awg2010.org

AWG2010.org art of the peace 11

Art of the Peace Juried Art Show

An Excellent Representation of the Fine Art of the Region

by Eileen Coristine

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he Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association launched the Iskoteo Arts Festival with their first juried art show. In the show, which was displayed at the Glass Gallery in conjunction with the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards, 53 artworks ranging from paintings and photographs to sculpture and fibre art, demonstrated the variety and excellence of our regional artists.

“Artists were challenged to submit work that met national standards for consideration in the show,” says Dale Syrota, president of Art of the Peace.

“This show reflects the deep well of artistic talent that quietly grows in the Peace country.”

The jury consisted of Doug McLean, private art dealer and owner of the Canadian Art Gallery in Canmore, Karin Richter, Calgary artist and instructor and member of CSPWC, ASA, the Canadian Federation of Artists and the Society of Canadian Artists, and Robert Steven, Director/Curator of the Prairie Art Gallery.

The winner of the first Award of Excellence was Grace, a collage of magazine paper circles on bamboo, by Kiren Niki Sangra. Second went to Island, an oil and mixed media by Ken HouseGo and third to Vase with Traditional Japanese Iron Ash Glaze, wood fired clay, by Bibi Clement.

Kiren Niki Sangra, Grace

Niki Sangra, currently the Creative Operations Coordinator at the Grande Prairie Centre for Creative Arts, says she was very surprised to have taken away the top award. “It is an honour just to be in the same show as Ken and Bibi, let alone winning.”

Sangra likes to work with a variety of media, especially found material and “green” materials that she can re-use. “Creating art

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makes me come alive and allows me to channel the ideas in my head into something I can share with others,” she says.

Ken HouseGo too, likes to give old objects and materials new life as artworks. “I respond with junk as well as painted and constructed material,” he says. “The world is a mixed material interface.”

“I was taken aback by this award,” says HouseGo. “I was delighted and pleased to be part of such a diverse show with a completely different group of people.”

Vase with Traditional Japanese Iron Ash Glaze, by Hythe potter Bibi Clement, was wood fired for 70 hours. “The color of this traditional iron ash glaze was a dream come true when we opened the kiln,” she says.

Steven explained to those in attendance at the show’s opening on June 16, that the jurors used a mathematical formula based on points for originality, skill and appeal to arrive at the three winning entries.

All three winners were awarded with cash prizes generously provided by event sponsor Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines.

As well nine artists received Honourable Mentions for their pieces. These were: Northwind, soapstone carving, by Grant Berg; The Argument, soapstone carving, by Leslie Bjur; The Tree Family, acrylic paint on canvas, by Vicki Hotte; Plato’s Cave, acrylic, by Carrie Klukas; Belong to Yourself, acrylic, by Kristine McGuinty; Make Hay, black and white photograph, by Katherine McLaughlin; Wild Peace, linocut print on paper, by Mary Parslow, Letting Go, photography print by Angela Patterson and Tree StudiesMy House, acrylic and charcoal collage on paper, by Bernadine Schroyer.

The jurors, who had so conclusively scored the three winners, all came up with different favourites for the category of Honourable Mention. “There was no duplication in choosing, each judge chose three different entries, said Robert Steven. “This tells us that appeal, skill and ability do not necessarily equal preference.”

“I was impressed with the talent that is found in Northern Alberta,” commented juror, Karin Richter.

“My wish would be to have more artistic communication between the regions, something we all could work on in the future.”

Ken HouseGo, Island.

Bibi Clement, Vase with Traditional Japenese Iron Ash Glaze.

All of the artists who entered their work for consideration received valuable feedback from the jurors.

As well the entire show was exhibited from the opening until June 21 and presented a dramatic panorama for the enjoyment of those present for the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Awards Dinner.

“I would extend my congratulations to all the applicants for their efforts and works,” commented juror, Doug McLean. “There are some that will stay with me, and some that I wish were on the list, but sadly all cannot be there.”

Although not every entry was exhibited, all submissions to the show that were received by the deadline are presented in a virtual exhibition at www.artofthepeace.ca.

Judiberts Ro secret@telus.net (250) 262-1445 www.judiroberts.artspan.com

Northern Arts Studio & Gallery 8038 - 100 Street South, Fort St. John, BC

www.northernartsmagazine.com art of the peace 13

THE CENTRE FOR

artcetera: Tips for Artists W

ith a pack full of art supplies and a thermos of coffee, I set off to experience plein air painting. I find a suitable spot just a quarter mile away. The sun at my back, a level area to sit and some rock formations providing an artful composition all create the perfect moment. I will soon find that plein air painting is not so easy.

I sit, rescue my squashed lunch from under my sketchbook, and discover I forgot to pack water for my watercolours. While wondering about the archival concerns of using coffeetinted watercolour, I realize my viewing angle is not interesting.

A menacing cloud blocks the sunlight. A cold wind starts flapping the pages of my sketchbook. Art school taught me that a 30 second pose can yield art, so I persevere.

As child-like scribbles appear on the page I start to question my expensive schooling.

Then I discover ants are having a party on my palette, which is only fair considering I am sitting on their community. After much swishing and swatting, I move to another spot. I repeat the process a couple more times before heading back home, hoping no one will ask to see my feeble attempts at art.

So here is what I know now. Eat before you go – pack only water to art of the peace 14

drink and paint. Be prepared for wind, rain, sun and bugs. Don’t expect a masterpiece the first time out. Capture details and transitional skies using a digital camera. Create ‘thumbnails’ - small, quick sketches - to test out basic composition ideas. Sketching quickly means focusing only on the basic shapes and testing different values in the background, middle ground and foreground.

Keep materials simple for your first few times out. Here are my suggestions: Derwent Watercolour Pencils, #6 da Vinci Pocket Sable Brush. For watercolour: a compact set of 12-pan Schmincke watercolours, a block of 140 lb watercolour. For acrylics: Golden ‘Open’ Acrylics, slow drying.

For oils: Gamblin’s sketching oils, soft formula. Get a backpack with a folding stool attached and check into Guerilla boxes, Thumbnail boxes, and Soltek easels. Handy Porters are cardboard boxes that hold two wet canvases or four canvas boards.

My plein air experience taught me to respect artists who persevere and make the commitment to trek in search of their perfect spot! Like fishing, not every trip yields a keeper but the stories and the experiences are worth it.

-Monthly Gallery Exhibitions -Gift Shop featuring local artists -Classes for all ages and levels Children’s Classes Glass Fibre Literary Arts Photography Pottery Workshops Visual Arts -Drop In Studio Use gives you full access to our equipment and tools in our studios, including Mac computers, sewing machines and pottery equipment.

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www.creativecentre.ca Come visit us late this fall at our newly renovated location: 9904-101 Avenue Grande Prairie 780-814-6080 info@creativecentre.ca

Check us out on-line for more information

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Ph: (780) 354-3600 art of the peace 15

Ken HouseGo:

Personal Landscapes

by Wendy Stefansson photos by Doug Duplessis

Momentos

Night Harbour Anchor

art of the peace 16

T

o stand before the work of Grande Prairie artist Ken HouseGo is a little bit like contemplating Egyptian hieroglyphs or perhaps pictographs more generally. There is clearly a language here: symbols recurring in different shapes and forms and media.

a place where he would get up early in the morning and go for three-hour walks along the shoreline, learning the land with his feet. For him, the daily ritual of “walking and looking was really important.”

There is a small toy-like blue boat that appears, made out of wood and fastened to the frame of one work, then drawn or painted in several others. There are “x” shapes, or maybe they’re crosses or stars; simple child-like houses, lighthouses, and grain elevators; trees composed of balls or cones with cylindrical trunks. There are belaying cleats and mooring rings from small boats, as well as anchors. There are Milagros, small handmade votive objects collected on a trip to Mexico and Santa Fe. There are hearts and hands, some of which are pointing upwards. And the moon. Always the moon.

The lighthouses, the watery landscapes, and even the upward pointing hands (from an old grave marker in a nearby cemetery) are all drawn from his memories and dreams of this place-time. Fragments are collaged and constructed to form a whole; each stroke, each image, and each object adding layers of meaning in HouseGo’s interpretation of that place and the events that happened there. These artworks are not landscapes as such, though they incorporate elements of the landscape. They don’t represent what anybody else would see looking out a window in Lion’s Head. They are what HouseGo refers to as “personal landscapes.” They are his very personal responses to what he sees.

There are stories being told here, but the narratives are not linear ones; they’re more like the kinds of narratives you find in dreams. The objects, images and places in HouseGo’s art function symbolically. They are representative only in the way that words are representative; they signify or refer to things outside of themselves. They are not literal depictions of them.

HouseGo says, “Sometimes dreams and memories get mixed up, and dreams become like memory.”

His memory of the moon, for instance, is intimately connected with the time he spent when he was a child at his grandparents’ cottage in Lion’s Head, Ontario on the shores of Georgian Bay. It’s a place which still appears in both his dreams and his artwork. It was

Beacon

Basillica

HouseGo remembers: “As a child, making things and envisioning ideas was always an intense part of my life. The highlight of my summer holidays was making ‘stuff’ in my grandfather’s boathouse.”

It was there, he recalls, that: “At the age of 18, on December 11, 1968 at 8:00 p.m., less than twenty feet from that boathouse, I realized: I want to be an artist.”

That epiphany set HouseGo on a journey that took him first to study art at Humber College in Toronto, and later to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.

Eventually he found his way here to the Peace Country, where he has spent most of his lengthy career teaching the visual arts at Grande Prairie Regional College.

Captain

art of the peace 17

One might be tempted to describe HouseGo as a folk artist but for the level of his education. He himself says, “I would have made a great folk artist! Fortunately or unfortunately, I have attended art school for too many years.” Although admittedly “inspired by naïve expression,” the simplicity of the shapes and the clarity of the colours in HouseGo’s work belie its conceptual complexity.

from the frame of one work and moved it to another where he decided he liked it better.

He describes this process as “cannibalizing” one work to feed another: “This is just part of [that artwork’s] life cycle.” A work isn’t finished until it is safely crated, and out of easy reach.

In HouseGo’s view, art may be invaluable, but it isn’t untouchable. While I visited him in his studio in the basement of his home, he was still making changes to the collection of works now showing as the Alberta Foundation for the Arts’ travelling exhibit, Dreams Do Not Come With Titles. While talking to me, he casually removed a carved snowman

He sums it up: “The creative process connects me and anchors my life. For a moment in time, I am in that boathouse once again exploring my own creative vernacular temperament.”

HouseGo contends, “Mixed media and collage are essential to my way of thinking and Still, HouseGo says, “folk art is indigenous” – it grows naturally from a specific place building.” He mixes a wide variety of media in his work – from traditional art materials or environment – and this is also true of his own art. HouseGo’s work is very rooted; to found objects to glitter. He also mixes “polarities of working modes in his construca natural outgrowth of the places where he has lived, the communities he has been a tions,” working at times two-dimensionally (painting and drawing) and at other times part of. It is also indigenous in the sense three-dimensionally (carving, hammering, that it is not about “some concept coming nailing, gluing). Sometimes he fabricates from a big urban centre.” He has learned in the objects he includes, as in the case of HouseGo says, “Sometimes dreams and memories get spite of his education that he doesn’t need the upward-pointing hand cut out of sheet to “paraphrase other people’s aesthetics to metal; other times he attaches objects that mixed up, and dreams become like memory.” find (his) own work.” As he puts it, “I want are pre-existing, that have had a life of their to do work that is indigenous to myself.” own. In some ways his work is functional, in other ways it is playful. In some ways, HouseGo would also say his art fits within folk art conventions in another respect: It is his process is very controlled (as in the construction of the multi-layered frames integral functional in a way that is perhaps analogous to the way one uses a handcrafted or hand to each work); in other ways, it is expressive (as in the scumbling and dribbling of paint). painted piece of furniture. “My art is used,” he contends, “by the very activity of making it and living with it. If it breaks, I just fix it. What could be more obvious? Would you HouseGo likens his art/life journey to the long walks he took as a kid on Georgian Bay. question fixing a wooden chair? If it can’t be fixed, it might be repurposed, trashed or He says, “You know how you go for a walk and see something new each time? I’ve been used as kindling. I have used all four approaches as solutions in building my construc- learning how to do that through my art. I’ve been learning how to replenish my soul tions.” while on my journey.”

art of the peace 18

Sailor Man Tattoo #3

Old Stone

I DoS. Photo by Ken HouseGo

An Artist’s Statements By Ken HouseGo The following is my purely subjective selection of Ken HouseGo’s thoughts about art - WS

Sisters in the Moon

Explorer #3

Noon Moon

WHEN YOU ARE MAKING ART, YOU HAD BETTER BE DANCING ON THE INSIDE, IF YOU ARE NOT PHYSICALLY DANCING ON THE OUTSIDE! IT IS A VISUAL CELEBRATION OF JOYOUS LIVING. ACT AS IF IT IS!

To be an artist is not an economic decision. It is a lifestyle choice, a way of being.

ONE SHOULD WEAR THEIR ART, THEIR ENVIRONMENT, THEIR HOME AND THEIR LIFE. IF INTEGRATED, THEY ARE ALL THE SAME THING. I can usually appreciate or find something in every work of art that I can learn from. However, I do not have to like it.

Your education will surface at the oddest times. Be careful.

Art is usually regarded as an asset once it is finished. It may eventually wane and become a liability. Every now and again, it is time for a garage sale, time to de-clutter and simplify. THAT IS THE TIME TO SELL IT or cannibalize it. Always sell used art rather than new art. New art should never leave the studio too soon; it has not taught you everything yet.

THE ART THAT I HAVE PURCHASED OR TRADED FOR AMONG PEERS HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE. I CAN LEARN FROM IT; IT HAS SOMETHING TO TEACH ME. Jokingly, I once said to a friend (in 1981), “Every artist needs a hobby!” To me, this is not a ridiculous concept. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Learn to replenish your well and laugh more! Explore. The world is a big place. I would rather be expansive than reductive.

MY ART CONTAINS THE EMBERS OF A PERSONAL LANDSCAPE THAT I LEAVE BEHIND FOR OTHERS TO DISCOVER.

art of the peace 19

A Landscape Lesson

Creating the Illusion of Depth and Distance in Your Paintings

by Judy Brown

W

atercolour painting is all about creating the illusion of three dimensional space and distance on a two dimensional surface. To create a believable landscape painting, you must be aware of aerial perspective and what this means with regard to your scene.

Figure 1 Shows a side view of the scene I will be demonstrating and gives a brief summary of the points to be kept in mind.

I will use only three colours: a yellow, a red and a blue.

Since this is a fall issue of the magazine, I decided to paint a fall scene. Wanting a warm fall day, I chose to work with Indian Yellow, Alizarin Crimson and Ultra Marine Blue.

To create a different atmosphere, try experimenting with different triads.

Figure 2 Shows how my sketch was set up. An X lightly drawn from corner to corner is an easy way to find the center of the page. This is where you do not want the horizon or the center of interest. My horizon is just below the center. The arms of the X indicate good spots for the sailboat, which is my center of interest. A light line to indicate the island and the sketch is done. If I sketch lightly I will be able to erase the pencil marks when the painting is finished. I have sketched in some clouds just as a guide. To maintain the white of the sail, I cut a triangle shaped sail out of masking tape and stuck it on, positioned so that the sail cuts into the island.

Figure 3 Before I begin, I mix a puddle of each of the three colours, spread out from more intense to less intense so that they are ready. I have one mixing area for each colour and several clean areas for quick mixing. This first part

art of the peace 20

moves along very quickly and must be thought out ahead as there is no time to hesitate once I begin to paint. I make a mental note or put a tiny mark to remind myself of where the light is coming from. I wet the area where I want the most light above and below the horizon and then draw pale yellow into that area followed by pale alizarin above and below that, working gently, gradually adding a bit more pigment as I move away from the horizon. I don’t mix the colours; I let them do that themselves. This will only work if you keep the paint on the paper wet.

Next, I load a big round brush with a darker value of blue.

Starting at the top I roll the brush on its side around the puffy clouds at the top of the painting. I gradually lighten the value of the blue as it meets the red and yellow. Red in the arch of the sky makes it appear to be overhead while a bit of yellow will warm the sky. Note that all of the colours below the horizon more or less match the colours in the sky but have darker values.

Before the paint has a chance to dry, I put some pale yellow and red in the clouds in a sort of semi circular fluffy motion. I leave some of the edges white and unblended or hard. Some of the edges of the clouds blur and blend a bit with the sky, forming soft edges.

A mix of red and blue or red and blue with a tinge of yellow to make a light grey will make good shadow areas on the rounded shapes of fluffy clouds and the shadowed areas on the bottoms of the clouds. Remember, clouds are threedimensional. Using mixes of the three colours, I painted the smaller, less defined clouds near to the horizon (further away). At this point I let the painting dry thoroughly.

Figure 4 I mix more pigment into the puddles. As the objects become nearer, the colours become more intense.

Using blue first, I begin to paint the distant hills (remembering to start on a downhill slope from the edge - compositionally it is more pleasing to have the edges higher).

I draw the slopes by pulling down from the tops of the hills and make irregular shapes across the page (not a series of teepees and not an outline). Think about tobogganing your brush down the hills, climbing the next one and sliding down again.

Figure 5 I use the same process using even more intense colour for the trees on the island. Tipping the paper toward the top will cause the colour to run in that direction producing a glowing top to the bushes. Because the pigment is thicker, the dark greens and blue added for shadow will probably run up the tilted paper and “grow trees”. I mix a sand colour for the beach from red, yellow and blue mixed. The same mixture but in different proportions is used to paint the tiny fir trees on the island mingling the fir tree branches with the bright deciduous trees in front of them. I repeat this upside down for the reflections. Remember that the reflections don’t have to be exact. You are creating an illusion, not a photograph.

While the paint is still wet I add red into the hills thinking of the sun-lit side of the slopes. Before any of it has a chance to dry, I add yellow to the bottom and up into the sun“When the hills are dry, I dance niest parts of the hills. Again, I let the colours mix themselves. in a more intense yellow As each colour is added, it pushes the one before it out of the across the base of the hills to way. The darkest blues will end up at the top and on the shadbe the trees in front of them. owed side of the hills, abutting the complimentary yellow of the .. Alizarin crimson is painted sky. This makes the hills stand out and forward from the sky.

rather randomly into the trees

Figure 6 Using a clean flat brush held upright, I squeeze most of the moisture out of the hair and lift out the shorelines. I lift out light ripples the same way and put in dark ripples using paint I picked up on the brush from the light ripple. I take off the masking tape to reveal the white sail and paint a tiny boat and its reflection.

Using very thick paint (lots of When the hills are dry, I dance in pigment, not much water), I being careful not to paint over a more intense yellow across the use all three colours to put in base of the hills to be the trees in the rocks in the foreground. all of that nice bright yellow. “ front of them. They are too far The three colours are put on away for the viewer to see detail randomly and with flair. Before but they have more value and the paint dries, I use the flat of more detail than the hills behind the blade of an exacto knife to them. Alizarin crimson is painted rather randomly into the squeeze and push the paint around to look like rocks piled on trees being careful not to paint over all of that nice bright the shore. The texture of the paper gives texture to the rocks. yellow. Blue and yellow are mixed, but not thoroughly so Using a rigger brush, I pull up some weeds from between that the resulting greens will be varied and interesting I the rocks. Finally, I use the exacto knife to scratch in some drop this into and below the wet yellow and red to become sparkling white along the shoreline and as a reflection from shadows. Again, the pigments will mix themselves in in- the sail. teresting shapes.

The only thing left to do is to sign the painting.

I repeat this process for the reflections. You may want to turn your painting upside down for easier painting. art of the peace 21

siteBYTES The Magpie

by Rob Swanston

O

n September 1, 2009 The Magpie was launched. The Magpie is a cutting edge online publication that connects communities, creates awareness and promotes art and culture in Northwestern Alberta. Its content is showcased using video, audio, animation and modern web and software tools. It is focused on Art, Music, Community, Life and Culture.

I sat down with the creator of The Magpie, Calvin Grandison, and asked him to speak about his motivations and inspirations regarding this new venture.

The medium of technology offers a variety of communication options and I prefer web media for many reasons. One reason is that it offers dynamic content and a range of interactive presentation choices. I want to give artists and visual communicators the opportunity to express themselves through different technologies. I would like to see the arts community reach out to each other through the use of this technology and per-

haps at the same time draw new artists in.

There are other sites and organizations that have inspired me along the way and I’ve brought some of those ideas into the mix.

I see it as a creative avenue where communities in the region can reach out and connect to one another like never before.

Seeing each other online, passing ideas, sharing stories and being inspired by each other is the point. Eventually I would like to see The Magpie as a household name in the Peace region, ideally as a favorite local homepage. Another goal is to allow the viewers and creators to take the publication in the direction that they see fit. There are many artists and collaborators who have worked on this project and I encourage everyone to visit www.themagpie.ca. I was speaking with someone the other night and they suggested Grande Prairie and region are in the midst of a big shift. I would agree and hope that the evolution of the arts and culture sector may benefit from this shift in an informative and inspiring way.�

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ogether, the Group of Seven developed a style of landscape painting in direct response to Canada’s wild, ‘new’ land. They showed us a vast land of wind-shaped trees and wave-shaped rocks reflected in lakes and rivers seemingly without end.

Show Ag Society Quilt & Christen Cook m llu He ie Melan en Coristine Grant Berg & Eile n, sso Wendy Stefan le Sa & ow Sh as Members' Christm

Phone: (780) 532-3701 Fax: (780) 532-7301

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Love Letters to Art

The Group of Seven, Canadian Identity and Contemporary Art,

r, al pottery, knitwea watercolours, loc d an d ilte qu s, int Calvin Cornish pr hand woven items

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Beyond Wilderness:

www.peacephotographics.com 1204 - 103 Ave. Dawson Creek

At issue is not what’s in the paintings so much as what is not – people, for instance. Representing Canada as an empty land created a sense that the wilderness was there to be claimed. Critics of the Group of Seven argue that their art fanned the flames of the colonial attitude of their time, enabling governments and corporations to claim land and natural resources without regard for social and environmental consequences. Some even contend that this national art of empty landscapes expressed a fundamental racism towards the First Nations peoples; negating them by aesthetic “sins of omission.”

That’s the extreme point of view, but the questions raised by more than 60 artists and writers in Beyond Wilderness are many and provocative, daring to deconstruct the mythology of Canada’s cultural icons.

by Robert Genn

obert Genn’s Group of Seven and Emily Carr inspired landscapes capture something of what is essential to us in the natural world – beauty that is healing, even redemptive, and maybe an occasional moment of transcendence, or of being transcended.

Since the year 2000, Genn has been writing and circulating short letters about art twice a week.

In them, he covers topics ranging from tips on composition to the complex intangibles of a life lived in the midst of art; repeatedly asking the question, “What could be?”

In Love Letters to Art, Genn has collected a sampling of these letters from over the years, punctuated with images of his paintings.

Start reading anywhere: it quickly becomes apparent that Genn is a poet as well as a painter.

What’s more, he is a well-read man, quoting widely from other poets, artists and philosophers of the last several hundred years.

For those of us susceptible to an exquisitelyturned phrase, and those of us partial to big, beautifully-produced art books – and I am both – Love Letters to Art is clearly a keeper.

art of the peace 23

Three Fort St. John Artists Inspiration, Immediacy and Landscape

by Margaret Price

Mike Kroecher

M

ike Kroecher greets me at the door of his Charlie Lake residence with Katya, a playful jet-black Karelian Bear Dog, at his heel. A whirlwind tour later, we’re in his studio overlooking the subject of many of the paintings scattered about: the Peace River Valley. The view resembles his recent work, Islands in the Peace River. Tepid rays of sunshine blanket the valley, but change is on the horizon. Faint storm clouds loom in the distance, a muddle of gray indiscernible to the untrained eye, yet Kroecher picks apart the landscape with artistic clout.

“Today is kind of a dull day, but even if you look at the distant hills, you see these really muted colors, and I find that attractive,” he says. “I think everyone can see things, it’s just a matter of focusing on them. Like reading a book, you can skim over it and know essentially what happened. But if the author is good you can take a paragraph and really think about what he is trying to say and you will discover all sorts of deeper meanings that might escape others.”

Mike Kroecher, Islands in the Peace River

Eliza Stanford, Field with Thistles

Those deeper meanings first drew Kroecher to art. German-born, Kroecher and his family relocated to Canada in 1954 to pursue farming. Painting, he says, has become his passion and hobby, a natural extension of his love affair with the country’s “beauty and moodswings.” Wife Mo lends a discerning eye time and again, providing insights otherwise overlooked. Working extensively with oils, Kroecher likes the freedom such a mutable medium provides. That is, until change becomes an impossibility.

“So far I’ve burned only three,” he muses. “I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do so in the end I figured I’d just burn them. And that made me feel good. They burn beautifully, all that oil. So I got them out of my system.”

Eliza Stanford

W

hen Eliza Stanford sits down in front of a canvas to paint, what emerges from her brush is infinitely more complex than what seems to be panoramic sweeps of landscape depicting robust, swirling clouds hovering over fields; she’s creating a meticulously crafted composition made up of elements of lighting, hints of colour, and the perfect combination of field, trees and sky.

“Sky is definitely at the top of my list right now,” she explains. “I just love the clouds up here. I really want to capture the sense of space. Down on the coast, which is where I’m from, you just don’t get that vastness of the land.”

Growing up in Vancouver, Stanford took cues from her mother, a fellow artist with a keen eye for composi-

art of the peace 24

tion and functionality. With art school degree in hand, Stanford traded her paintbrushes for a tripod, freelancing as a photographer for years until she slowly found herself gravitating back to painting, enticed by its directness. “There are not as many steps like in the process of making a photograph,” she reasons. “With painting, if you have a brush to paint with and a piece of paper for a canvas, you’re making your mark. It’s good to have that immediacy.”

Stanford’s Field With Thistles illustrates the contiguity of the art form. As it’s splashed across nearly three quarters of the canvas, her fixation with sky becomes clear to viewers. Clouds take on an almost transcendental quality over an expansive stretch of otherwise barren field. One takes away a true sense of the concept of landscape and an acknowledgement and appreciation of the incredible sense of space prairie living provides.

That sense of space also means room to enjoy the view. “We’re spoiled up here I guess,” she concludes. “We don’t have to share nature as much.”

Cindy Vincent

“

I thought he was bringing me to the edge of the world,” Cindy Vincent jokes, speaking of the move she and her husband made to Fort St. John nearly 30 years ago. “Of course we moved in the dead of winter.

But once I got here and started noticing the beauty, I really began to appreciate it. The fall is beautiful up here.”

Autumn Bear, a book Vincent illustrated with close friend, author and wildlife biologist Diane Culling, explores the splendor of fall through the eyes of a bear preparing for winter in the foothills of the Peace River country. Vincent’s flagship attempt at illustration, she insisted on collaborating after reading the story. “I just fell in love with it,” she states. “I wanted to paint to those beautiful words.” For a first-time illustrator, what results is an impressive attempt at a realistic and engaging portrayal of both the wildlife and landscape of Northern BC.

Illustration from Autumn Bear by Cindy Vincent

A veritable self-taught artist, Vincent’s love of drawing and painting began at an early age. Once settled in FSJ, she got involved with the local art gallery as a creative outlet. But her artistic endeavors didn’t stop there. “I recognize that I don’t have a lot of formal education in art, so a couple of years ago I took a printmaking course at Northern Lights College with [artist] Laine Dahlen and that opened up a new world for me.” In her free time she attends workshops to garner new skills in addition to running a custom framing business, which has proven to be a full time job.

At work on illustrating a second book, Vincent anticipates returning to the canvas in the future. “I’m hoping in the next few years that I’ll slow down and get into my painting a bit more.”

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art of the peace 25

a gallery of ARTISTS Showcasing a selection of Peace Region art

www.artofthepeace.ca

Painting by Carolyn Brown

Suzanne Sandboe

Three Generation Watercolour Artists

Evelyn E. Harris Grandmother

ASA, PWS

780-568-4124 art@suzannesandboe.com www.suzannesandboe.com art of the peace 26

Marj Taylor 780-532-0355 mataylor@telusplanet.net 9506 77 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB

Judith A. Brown Mother

Carolyn Brown

Bibi Clement

Granddaughter

780-356-2424 bibipot@telusplanet.net

780-864-3608 www.telusplanet.net/~jchbrown/

Clay Potter / Sculpter Works available at Unique Gallery

Wide Format Printing Photographic and Digital Art

Klaus & Rika Peters

780-814-7430 www.meanderworksofart.com

Intuitive Painting in Acrylic, Watercolor, Mixed Media

Peace Country themes & wilderness vistas

Cultural Centre, Beaverlodge Unique Gallery, Grande Pairie Picture Perfect, Grande Pairie 780-354-2165

PWS/CSPWC

780-539-4046 Exhibits with the Grande Prairie Guild of Artists and the Peace Watercolor Society

Marian Jacoba Shilka

780-532-7562 mshilka@telusplanet.net Grande Prairie

Corinne Cowan Watercolour & acrylic paintings of various subject matter

780-532-6643 corann@gpnet.ca

Barb

GREENTREE Vicki Hotte 780-354-3712 | www.vickihotte.com Unique rural art from the Peace Region available at the Beaverlodge Cultural Centre

780-532-6658 barbgreentree@telus.net My Artwork captures the ruggedness of the Wild Kakwa and Peace Country in acrylic, watercolour and oil mediums.

Carmen Haakstad 780-539-4483 Carmen@CarmenHaakstad.com For more info; google Carmen Haakstad art of the peace 27

BEAVERLODGE, ALBERTA

DAWSON CREEK, B.C.

• Beaverlodge Cultural Centre

• Dawson Creek Art Gallery

Exhibits & Events All shows & sales open at 2 pm at the Centre.

Exhibits & Events Kindred Spirits - Minds Alike - Woodfiring Friends Bibi Clement, Greg Crowe, and Tasuc Terada September 14th – October 2nd

Peace Watercolour Society Show & Sale September 27th – October 29th Jan Olson & Wendy Olson-Lepchuk Show & Sale November 1st – November 26th

Pick A Painting Fundraiser October 19th – 30th

exhibitions & opportunities

Refer to the Galley Directory for locations, contact information and hours.

Kristine McGuinty Show & Sale November 29th – December 22nd Programs Ongoing programs in pottery, stained glass, batik, weaving, acrylic, oil and watercolour painting. Call 780-354-3600 for dates and details.

Opportunities Gallery exhibition and gift shop sales opportunities are available. Call 780-354-3600 for further information.

• McNaught Homestead Programs Intermediate Photography Workshop Instructor: Don Pettit Saturday, October 3rd Call the Beaverlodge Cultural Centre at 780-3543600 or email Vicki at bacs@telus.net, or call the McNaught Homestead at 780-512-6316 for more information and pre-registration.

Opportunities Schoolhouse Studio is available as a retreat, event, classroom or gallery venue. For more information call 780-512-6316.

art of the peace 28

Closing Haloween Reception: October 30th $100 / Painting Converging Conversations Spencer Goldade & Friends October 3rd – November 8th South Peace Art Society Annual Christmas Show & Gift Fair November 14th – January 2010

Programs Graphic Design for Artists Instructor: Jacky Gilbertson Session One: Wednesdays, Sept. 9th – Oct. 14th Session Two: Wednesdays, Oct. 21st – Nov. 25th 7:00 – 9:30 pm $150 per session Beginner Oil Painting Instructor: Mary Mottishaw Saturdays, 12:30 – 3:30 pm $100 Encaustic Workshop Instructor: Carrie Klukas Sunday, October 25th, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm $60 Exploring Art ( Former Time Out for Seniors) Session One: Wednesdays, Sept. 23rd – Dec. 9th Session Two: Wednesdays, Jan. 6th – 17th 1:00 – 3:00 pm $35 per session Youth & Adult Jewellery Making Instructor: Joyce Lee Beginner Course: Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:00 pm September 23rd – December 9th Adults: $150 + $20 material fee Youth (12 - 18): $75 + $20 materials fee Advanced Course: Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

November 12th - December 10th Adults: $150 Youth (12 - 18): $75 For more information and registration contact the Gallery at 250-782-2601 Opportunities Opportunities for exhibition in the gallery are available. Guidelines for exhibitions can be viewed at www.dcartgallery.ca.

FAIRVIEW, ALBERTA • Fairview Fine Arts Centre Exhibits & Events Ag Society Annual Quilt and Fibre Show Septeptember 4th – 26th Melanie Hellum & Christen Cook October 2nd – 31st Rock, Paper, Paints Wendy Stefansson, Grant Berg & Eileen Coristine November 6th – 26th FAS Members’ Christmas Show and Sale November 28th – December 31st Programs The Centre offers fine art courses on an ongoing basis.

For course and membership information, phone the Centre at 780-835-2697 or send an email to finearts@ telus.net.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. • Fort St. John Community Arts Council

Exhibits & Events High On Ice Winter Carnival January 15th – 17th

GRANDE CACHE, ALBERTA • Grande Cache Tourism & Interpretive Centre

Exhibits & Events Small is All Inter-provincial Travelling Exhibit from The Alberta Society of Artists.

October 10th – 30th Graham Brown Memorial Ar/tea October 24th – 25th

High Art: Passport to the Peaks Robert Guest Travelling Exhibit from the Prairie Art Gallery November 1st – 30th Exhibiting the Palette Pals Art Club, local art, year round. Check out www.grandecache.ca for an up-todate schedule of exhibitions and events.

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA • Centre for Creative Arts Programs Beginner Oil Painting For times and dates of sessions, visit creativecentre.ca $140 Adult Pottery For times and dates of sessions, visit creativecentre.ca $185 per session Advanced Oil Painting For times and dates of sessions, visit creativecentre.ca $140 Intermediate Oil Painting For times and dates of sessions, visit creativecentre.ca $140 Beginner Sewing Workshop September 26th – 27th, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm $110 Bibi Clement Pottery Workshop September 26 – 27, 10:00 am – 4:00pm $160 Exploring Watercolour Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:00 pm October 1st – October 29th $120 Beginner Photoshop for Photographers October 3rd, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm $150 Photography 101 Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 pm October 5th – November 16th, $200.00 Intermediate Photography Wednesdays, October 7th, – November 11th 7:00 – 9:00pm $300.00

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My Digital Camera is my New Best Friend October 15th, 6:00 – 9:00 pm October 29th, 6:00 – 9:00 pm November 12th, 6:00 – 9:00pm $49 Bookbinding Workshop October 17th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm $150 Beginner Knitting October 19th or November 23rd, 7:00 – 9:30pm $125 Intermediate Knitting Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:30 pm October 22nd – November 26th $125 Clay Building Workshop October 24th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm November 21st, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm $50 “What to do with all my pictures...?”

November 26th, 6:00 – 9:00 pm $49 The Centre has classes for everyone! Check out our website, www.creativecentre.ca, to find out more.

Opportunities Are you artistic or crafty? Are you looking for an outlet to share your craft? We are currently looking for instructors to teach a variety of classes. Interested parties can contact the centre.

• Grande Prairie Museum Exhibits & Events Harvest Dinner September 20th, 5:00 pm

• Grande Prairie Regional College Exhibits & Events Glass Gallery Rotating exhibits on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Programs The Fine Arts Department Classes include Diploma, University Transfer programs and courses in Music, Art and Drama. Programs may also fulfill Fine Arts option requirements with FAD credit courses. Non-credit Visual Arts courses include drawing, painting, digital arts and photography.

• Picture Perfect Opportunities The Robert Guest Gallery at Picture Perfect is available for exhibitions - call Allan at 780-539-4091 for information.

• Prairie Art Gallery

What Lies Beneath Les Pinter For a complete list of travelling exhibitions please check our website at www.prairiegallery.com.

Programs Artist Trading Cards Workshops and Trading Sessions Last Friday of every month, 6 - 8 pm Check www.prairiegallery.com for current programs for all ages or call 780-532-8111 for information.

Opportunities TREX For information about the Travelling Exhibition Program contact The Prairie Art Gallery, 780-532-8111 www.prairiegallery.com

Wisdom Of Ages Janet Enfield September – October

Without End: Collaborative Drawing/Exploring the Lines that Keep Us Apart Curated by Catherine Hamel September 18th – September 30th The Boundary Layer Curated by Catherine Dean Opening September 18th

1 Years Worth of Living Pat Nelson November – December Wendy Stefansson January – February Through My Eyes Linda Henderson March – April

Jim Stokes, Whitney Lee Hayes & Lynn LeCorre October 29th – November 16th Barb Greentree November 26th – December 14th Opportunities Opportunities for exhibitions in the Gallery are available. Call Dan at 780-538-2790.

Visual Arts Alberta presents...

Surroundings Featuring photographers Aaron Falkenberg, T.J. McLachlan & James Gaa

November 26 - December 19, 2009

SHOWCASES

Out of the Blue & Into the Red Olivia Kachman Opening October 3rd

Susan Williams, Andrea Johannson, Debbie Courvoisier & Marjorie Taylor October – November

Christmas Around the World December 6th

30th Annual Art Auction Saturday, April 10th

Seasonal Display December

When the Sun Goes Down Until December 2009 Rodacker/Campbell Gallery

New Travelling Exhibitions High Art: Passport To The Peaks Robert Guest

Fiddlers Jamboree April 25th, 2010

Without End: Collaborative Drawing/Exploring the Lines that Keep Us Apart Six Calgary Artists/Architects

Opportunities for Artists For information about exhibitions contact Carrie at the QEII Foundation office 780-538-7583. Display cubes (showcases) are also available for collections or 3-dimensional art.

Dreams Do Not Come With Titles Ken HouseGo

Carrie Klukas October 8th – October24th

Exhibits & Events GALLERY

Lantern Tours October 23rd & 24th

Programs Tours and school programming available by phoning 780-532-5482 for further information.

Exhibits & Events Angie Patterson September 17th – October 3rd

• The Courtyard Gallery, QEII Hospital

Exhibits & Events Grand Opening Of The Prairie Art Gallery 7:00 pm, Friday, September 18th Teresa Sargent Hall in the Montrose Cultural Centre

Voices from the Earth Han Opening September 18th

• Unique Gallery

VAAA Gallery 3rd Flr, 10215 - 112 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 1M7 780.421.1731 toll free 1.866.421.1731 info@visualartsalberta.com www.vaaaartblog.com

James Gaa, NS, Montreal

art of the peace 29

Don AUSTIN A

PEtTit

s a photographer, I enjoy being on the land and close to nature, for it is there that I can most easily lose my ego and intellect to experience that very elusive and refreshing creative flow. The Peace Country is the perfect place for this.

of ultra-high resolution panoramic landscapes and printing them on a 24 inch Epson ink jet printer. I use such techniques to reveal the invisible, and to help my audience increase their understanding and appreciation of the natural world and their place within it.

I have always liked pushing photographic technology to its limits, often taking it places it never thought of going. I have spent the last three years developing a method of shooting time-lapse video using digital still cameras. Most recently I am working on a series

Photography has always been, and always will be, a technologically driven, constantly evolving art form with unlimited possibilities that just keep expanding. For me, that’s half the fun!

art of the peace 30

G R A N D E

P R A I R I E

R E G I O N A L

COLLEGE

The Fine Arts Department at GPRC offers courses in Music, Art and Drama with a focus on student learning and success. The Department provides in-depth learning opportunities and one-on-one instructor time not often found at other institutions. We offer a range of programs in both traditional and new medias.

MUS IC

ART Diploma in Visual Arts

DRAM A

Diploma in Music

Diploma in Visual Arts

Diploma in Drama

INTERACTIVE DIGITAL DESIGN

TECHNICAL THEATRE

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Diploma in Drama

Diploma in Music ACOUSTIC

INTERACTIVE DIGITAL DESIGN

UNIVERSITY TRANSFER PROGRAM

Visual Arts

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

STUDIO PRACTICE

UNIVERSITY TRANSFER PROGRAM

A R T & A R C H I T E C T U R E

A 28-page book highlighting the notable artwork and architecture found in the Grande Prairie Regional College To get your copy, call 780-539-2021

DRAMA & PERFORMANCE

finearts.gprc.ab.ca | 780-539-2944 | Toll free 1-888-539-4772 ext. 2443 10726 106 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 4C4 | Email: finearts@gprc.ab.ca

T h e Prairie Art Ga l l e r y i s n o w o p e n i n t h e M o n t r o s e C u l t u r a l C e n t r e, thanks to the hard work and dedication of a very large number of volunteers and supporters.

We especially thank all of the Artists of the Peace Country for their generous support over the years and invite everyone to visit us and enjoy our growing service to the community

U P C O M ING EXHIBITION S The Boundary Layer Curated by Catherine Dean

THE BOUNDARY LAYER

temporary public projects opening september 18th,2009 www.theboundarylayer.ca

Without End Curated by Catherine Hamel Han Voices from the Earth

presented by the prairie art gallery curated by catherine dean

Opening October 3

Olivia Kachman Out of the Blue & Into the Red

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

www.prairiegallery.com

Photograph courtesy Glenbow Archives

Opening September 18