SEPTEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 6

MAIN GALLERY

Exhibition Opening with Artist in Attendance ~ Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

Artist Talk ~ Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.

Born in Stourbridge England, Nick Bantock went to school in the soulless suburbs of North East London and from there moved on to art college in the market town of Maidstone, Kent where he received a BFA in painting.  At age 23 he gave up his job in a betting shop (a licensed gambling house) and began working as a freelance illustrator and over the next sixteen years produced approximately three hundred book covers including novels by Philip Roth and John Updike. This allowed him the freedom to pursue his love for painting and hone his craft. In 1988 Nick moved to Vancouver with his wife and young son where he began to work on his own book the Griffin & Sabine trilogy which would thrust him into international prominence. Since then he has continued to expand and develop a genre of narrative books that integrate both text and image.

Today Nick works in a wide variety of media often combining charcoal with watercolors, acrylics and collage to create the incredibly rich and layered works which make up his body of work. For Nick collage was the natural extension of these experiments and in one of his large works he will combine anywhere from ten to fifteen different media in order to achieve the desired affect and lushness of surface and depth of luminosity for which his work is best known. His richly layered paintings are evocative of the work of Paul Cézanne and Leonardo Da Vinci blending science with keen observations of the world around him. Nick also cites as an influence the surrealists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, picking up their lead, Nick has taken on the role of Cultural Anthropologist, collecting, classifying, displaying and repurposing the ephemera of civilizations and communities from across the globe.

As he travels he is constantly seeking out and collecting materials such as postcards, postage stamps, letters, photographs, old magazines, books, tickets and anything else which catches his eye and is evocative and could be repurposed and recontextualized into one of his paintings, sculptures or books. Nick is also the curator of his own museum with the self imposed responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects, he actively makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversees their care and documentation, conducts research based on the collection, provides proper packaging of the art for transport, and shares that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications. The only difference between Nick and the curator of a public museum and/or art gallery is the freedom of the artist to create history based on his interpretation and as they say, ‘Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?’The stories he creates are in themselves soulful, credible, believable and blur the fine line between truth and fiction.

Nick Bantock has authored twenty-five books, eleven of which have appeared on the best seller lists including three books on the New York Times top ten at one time. His Griffin & Sabine trilogy essentially created a new literary genre by combining fine art, fiction, and 3-dimensional interactive books. One of his titles stayed on the New York Times list for over two years. His books have been translated into numerous languages with over five million sold worldwide. He was recently named by Weird Tales magazine as one of the  all time ‘weirdest’ storytellers. In addition to his work as an author, Bantock has designed everything from postage stamps to pop-up books to the recently published Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

This exhibition features a large number of recent and never before seen paintings and drawings along with a large number of original works of art from his Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Nick encourages viewers to allow themselves to be catapulted into a world without a written narrative and encourages the viewing public to start using their intuitive visual brain. With all these artistic elements in place, the cohesive force of Bantock's world-view — stemming from a lifelong passion for the poetry of Yeats — signals a unity. A unity of birth, a unity of human struggle, a unity of understanding, a unity of compassion. The unity of life. "Now you're talking about the essence of everything I try to do," Bantock explains, referring to the transformative power of art. "I can't explain it better than in my books."

For more information on Nick Bantock please explore the following websites:

www.nickbantock.com

http://knowledge.ca/program/12-takes-shorts

The Project Room

This exhibition is part of an ongoing series of exhibits designed to highlight the work of emerging artists whose work falls outside of the traditional gallery culture. The intent is to provide a forum for a variety of artistic expression and to introduce non-traditional art to a wider audience thereby elevating it from relative obscurity and give legitimacy to the voice and vision of the next generation’s creative experience. Will Hoffman’s art is well known around Penticton through his numerous public art projects, graffiti and his award winning mural which graces the entrance of Voodoos. He works quickly and is constantly experimenting with media as everything he touches has the capacity to be transformed and repurposed into a work of art. Deceptively simple and at times easy to dismiss as a doodle or graffiti, these works when examined in greater detail and en-mass exhibit an incredible amount of sophistication.

In speaking of his own motivation Will writes, “The creation of art makes me feel present, I'm also trying to show that in my work. Who needs more inspiration than the freedom of holding the marker in hand and being able to create anything. I'm trying to convey to the viewer some sanity with something recognizable like a face as well as nonsense in the mix. A great deal of planning and thought go into the pieces before hand and there is a grand execution of the process. Many of my influences are from hiphop like the go-getters, the writers, the do-it-yourself attitude and the respect to individuality. I'm using techniques that were sacredly handed down to me by friends as well as self-taught things. My vision is to create artworks all different but with one single expression. The title of the exhibition, Always Changing Clothing, was chosen because it is three words, and three points form a strong triangle. The words mean that things are always changing and one way to know of this is through clothing. Clothing is changing daily, changing styles and even one garment that is stale is changing on a closer level. The name was also chosen because it neutral to me, not appealing but not terrible. The label is also beneficial to separate me from the art, for it to have a life of its own.”

Will Hoffman was born and raised in Penticton and in 2009 co-founded the Craft Club with Vince Freeborn bringing together a group of emerging artists who enjoy creating art mostly from used or recycled items and selling at the local markets. Also in 2009, Will entered the first Re-Imagine Art Festival only to have his mural covered up at the request of the organizers. Reluctantly he re-entered the competition again in 2010 without a plan or entry paperwork and ended up winning the $1,000 overall prize. Around this time he began making art from the pages of old books he found discarded behind the used bookstore. When he is not off travelling the world, Hoffman continues to tweak his drawing style and promote the Craft Club here in Penticton.

For more information on Will Hoffman and his adventures check out his website at:

www.alwayschangingclothing.com

Toni Onley Gallery

Artist talk Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Melanie was raised in the small tight-knit community of Naramata. As a Canadian of distant European heritage, Melanie grew up believing the only culture worth noting in Canada was native aboriginal culture, and as a non-native it created disconnection and confusion about what culture is for a white Canadian. After graduating from Pen – Hi, she moved to the Dominican Republic to learn a new language and to immerse herself in “culture” as many Canadians perceive travelling to be. Upon returning to Canada, Melanie attended Okanagan College as a visual arts student and later transferred to the University of Victoria where she completed an honours degree in art history with a focus on Islamic art history where she was particularly drawn to the illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings of India and Turkey.

In 1997 Melanie accepted a job in Taiwan as an English teacher and travelled to Japan. She was intrigued by the soft quality of the perfectly carved wood block prints in Kyoto and influenced by comic book images of Taipai, she began exploring paper collage and lino printing. As on all her trips abroad, Melanie kept extensive journals, which recorded her backpacking adventures, complete with images influenced by artist Nick Bantock. In keeping with the spirit of Bantock, Melanie used found bits of paper and collaged them into the pages of the journal, recording the adventures from a tactile paper perspective. In 2004, Melanie took a job in Shanghai. Disappointed by the lack of art supplies found in the city, she explored the fabric markets and began sewing blankets as a new form of creative expression. During a day trip to nearby Hangzhou, a city which Marco Polo described as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Melanie was inspired by the old Chinese characters that were imprinted into the sidewalk around the most famous lake in China. She worked these characters into the blankets she sewed, surprised to find that her communist co-workers had lost the understanding of these historic ancient symbols with China’s switch to simplified Chinese characters after the Cultural Revolution. After China, Melanie moved to the UAE, where she worked mostly in photography before moving on to Turkey to live with her sister and take up painting full time. Melanie was inspired by life in Turkey and drew upon the simple everyday stories of Istanbul: modern versions of the vignettes found in the miniature paintings of yesterday.

Melanie began to develop her work as travel journals with no intended audience than herself and close personal friends and family. The works are richly biographical and draw upon her education and profound interest in art history, culture and wanderlust. Working primarily on paper, Melanie uses many mediums including paint, collage and printmaking. Her approach to art, though whimsical in style, achieves a high level of detail due to her attention to technique and her critical eye. Because she is a traveler, Melanie works small and with easily transportable materials and creates her own of unique style of story telling by fusing the materials available to her, the cultural environment she finds herself in and her own explorations of what culture means for a Canadian abroad. Melanie’s paintings are stories, not unlike the narrative in a miniature painting, and they pay homage to the culture that is still innate in her even after a decade spent travelling. Currently Melanie divides her time between Naramata and Vancouver, where she is completing a degree in Education at UBC and upon graduation she hopes to find employment as a high school art teacher.

For more information on Melanie and to follow her travels check out her blog at:

http://creativecaravan.blogspot.com/

The Education Space ~ October 11 – November 6
For the Love of Art: Works from the Studio Sessions
Artist talk Wednesday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Studio Sessions are self-directed classes where students come to Kindrie Grove’s studio to learn about fundamental painting, drawing and sculpting skills while they work on their own projects. Kindrie believes in exposing people to as many techniques and ways of working as possible so they can find their own modes of self-expression. Kindrie has been a professional practicing artist for over twenty years and has taught and mentored numerous beginners, emerging and established artists here in the South Okanagan. Kindrie is well known for her gentle and supportive teaching style, and enjoys the process of seeing budding artists learn new skills that will enable them to reach new levels in their artistic endeavours.

Born in Alberta, Kindrie received her formal training at the Alberta College of Art and Design and is the author/illustrator of A Field Guide to Horses (Lone Pine Publishing) and illustrator of two children's books. In conjunction with her studio classes, Kindrie has also developed an online art instruction site which provides informative video lessons and mentoring to artists near and far in the comfort of their home studio. She has an extensive exhibition record, showing her work in commercial and public galleries and her work is part of numerous international public, corporate and private collections across the globe.

Visit her websites at:
www.onlineartinstruction.com
www.kindriegrove.com

SEPTEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 6

MAIN GALLERY

Exhibition Opening with Artist in Attendance ~ Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

Artist Talk ~ Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.

Born in Stourbridge England, Nick Bantock went to school in the soulless suburbs of North East London and from there moved on to art college in the market town of Maidstone, Kent where he received a BFA in painting.  At age 23 he gave up his job in a betting shop (a licensed gambling house) and began working as a freelance illustrator and over the next sixteen years produced approximately three hundred book covers including novels by Philip Roth and John Updike. This allowed him the freedom to pursue his love for painting and hone his craft. In 1988 Nick moved to Vancouver with his wife and young son where he began to work on his own book the Griffin & Sabine trilogy which would thrust him into international prominence. Since then he has continued to expand and develop a genre of narrative books that integrate both text and image.

Today Nick works in a wide variety of media often combining charcoal with watercolors, acrylics and collage to create the incredibly rich and layered works which make up his body of work. For Nick collage was the natural extension of these experiments and in one of his large works he will combine anywhere from ten to fifteen different media in order to achieve the desired affect and lushness of surface and depth of luminosity for which his work is best known. His richly layered paintings are evocative of the work of Paul Cézanne and Leonardo Da Vinci blending science with keen observations of the world around him. Nick also cites as an influence the surrealists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, picking up their lead, Nick has taken on the role of Cultural Anthropologist, collecting, classifying, displaying and repurposing the ephemera of civilizations and communities from across the globe.

As he travels he is constantly seeking out and collecting materials such as postcards, postage stamps, letters, photographs, old magazines, books, tickets and anything else which catches his eye and is evocative and could be repurposed and recontextualized into one of his paintings, sculptures or books. Nick is also the curator of his own museum with the self imposed responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects, he actively makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversees their care and documentation, conducts research based on the collection, provides proper packaging of the art for transport, and shares that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications. The only difference between Nick and the curator of a public museum and/or art gallery is the freedom of the artist to create history based on his interpretation and as they say, ‘Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?’The stories he creates are in themselves soulful, credible, believable and blur the fine line between truth and fiction.

Nick Bantock has authored twenty-five books, eleven of which have appeared on the best seller lists including three books on the New York Times top ten at one time. His Griffin & Sabine trilogy essentially created a new literary genre by combining fine art, fiction, and 3-dimensional interactive books. One of his titles stayed on the New York Times list for over two years. His books have been translated into numerous languages with over five million sold worldwide. He was recently named by Weird Tales magazine as one of the  all time ‘weirdest’ storytellers. In addition to his work as an author, Bantock has designed everything from postage stamps to pop-up books to the recently published Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

This exhibition features a large number of recent and never before seen paintings and drawings along with a large number of original works of art from his Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Nick encourages viewers to allow themselves to be catapulted into a world without a written narrative and encourages the viewing public to start using their intuitive visual brain. With all these artistic elements in place, the cohesive force of Bantock's world-view — stemming from a lifelong passion for the poetry of Yeats — signals a unity. A unity of birth, a unity of human struggle, a unity of understanding, a unity of compassion. The unity of life. "Now you're talking about the essence of everything I try to do," Bantock explains, referring to the transformative power of art. "I can't explain it better than in my books."

For more information on Nick Bantock please explore the following websites:

www.nickbantock.com

http://knowledge.ca/program/12-takes-shorts

The Project Room

This exhibition is part of an ongoing series of exhibits designed to highlight the work of emerging artists whose work falls outside of the traditional gallery culture. The intent is to provide a forum for a variety of artistic expression and to introduce non-traditional art to a wider audience thereby elevating it from relative obscurity and give legitimacy to the voice and vision of the next generation’s creative experience. Will Hoffman’s art is well known around Penticton through his numerous public art projects, graffiti and his award winning mural which graces the entrance of Voodoos. He works quickly and is constantly experimenting with media as everything he touches has the capacity to be transformed and repurposed into a work of art. Deceptively simple and at times easy to dismiss as a doodle or graffiti, these works when examined in greater detail and en-mass exhibit an incredible amount of sophistication.

In speaking of his own motivation Will writes, “The creation of art makes me feel present, I'm also trying to show that in my work. Who needs more inspiration than the freedom of holding the marker in hand and being able to create anything. I'm trying to convey to the viewer some sanity with something recognizable like a face as well as nonsense in the mix. A great deal of planning and thought go into the pieces before hand and there is a grand execution of the process. Many of my influences are from hiphop like the go-getters, the writers, the do-it-yourself attitude and the respect to individuality. I'm using techniques that were sacredly handed down to me by friends as well as self-taught things. My vision is to create artworks all different but with one single expression. The title of the exhibition, Always Changing Clothing, was chosen because it is three words, and three points form a strong triangle. The words mean that things are always changing and one way to know of this is through clothing. Clothing is changing daily, changing styles and even one garment that is stale is changing on a closer level. The name was also chosen because it neutral to me, not appealing but not terrible. The label is also beneficial to separate me from the art, for it to have a life of its own.”

Will Hoffman was born and raised in Penticton and in 2009 co-founded the Craft Club with Vince Freeborn bringing together a group of emerging artists who enjoy creating art mostly from used or recycled items and selling at the local markets. Also in 2009, Will entered the first Re-Imagine Art Festival only to have his mural covered up at the request of the organizers. Reluctantly he re-entered the competition again in 2010 without a plan or entry paperwork and ended up winning the $1,000 overall prize. Around this time he began making art from the pages of old books he found discarded behind the used bookstore. When he is not off travelling the world, Hoffman continues to tweak his drawing style and promote the Craft Club here in Penticton.

For more information on Will Hoffman and his adventures check out his website at:

www.alwayschangingclothing.com

Toni Onley Gallery

Artist talk Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Melanie was raised in the small tight-knit community of Naramata. As a Canadian of distant European heritage, Melanie grew up believing the only culture worth noting in Canada was native aboriginal culture, and as a non-native it created disconnection and confusion about what culture is for a white Canadian. After graduating from Pen – Hi, she moved to the Dominican Republic to learn a new language and to immerse herself in “culture” as many Canadians perceive travelling to be. Upon returning to Canada, Melanie attended Okanagan College as a visual arts student and later transferred to the University of Victoria where she completed an honours degree in art history with a focus on Islamic art history where she was particularly drawn to the illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings of India and Turkey.

In 1997 Melanie accepted a job in Taiwan as an English teacher and travelled to Japan. She was intrigued by the soft quality of the perfectly carved wood block prints in Kyoto and influenced by comic book images of Taipai, she began exploring paper collage and lino printing. As on all her trips abroad, Melanie kept extensive journals, which recorded her backpacking adventures, complete with images influenced by artist Nick Bantock. In keeping with the spirit of Bantock, Melanie used found bits of paper and collaged them into the pages of the journal, recording the adventures from a tactile paper perspective. In 2004, Melanie took a job in Shanghai. Disappointed by the lack of art supplies found in the city, she explored the fabric markets and began sewing blankets as a new form of creative expression. During a day trip to nearby Hangzhou, a city which Marco Polo described as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Melanie was inspired by the old Chinese characters that were imprinted into the sidewalk around the most famous lake in China. She worked these characters into the blankets she sewed, surprised to find that her communist co-workers had lost the understanding of these historic ancient symbols with China’s switch to simplified Chinese characters after the Cultural Revolution. After China, Melanie moved to the UAE, where she worked mostly in photography before moving on to Turkey to live with her sister and take up painting full time. Melanie was inspired by life in Turkey and drew upon the simple everyday stories of Istanbul: modern versions of the vignettes found in the miniature paintings of yesterday.

Melanie began to develop her work as travel journals with no intended audience than herself and close personal friends and family. The works are richly biographical and draw upon her education and profound interest in art history, culture and wanderlust. Working primarily on paper, Melanie uses many mediums including paint, collage and printmaking. Her approach to art, though whimsical in style, achieves a high level of detail due to her attention to technique and her critical eye. Because she is a traveler, Melanie works small and with easily transportable materials and creates her own of unique style of story telling by fusing the materials available to her, the cultural environment she finds herself in and her own explorations of what culture means for a Canadian abroad. Melanie’s paintings are stories, not unlike the narrative in a miniature painting, and they pay homage to the culture that is still innate in her even after a decade spent travelling. Currently Melanie divides her time between Naramata and Vancouver, where she is completing a degree in Education at UBC and upon graduation she hopes to find employment as a high school art teacher.

For more information on Melanie and to follow her travels check out her blog at:

http://creativecaravan.blogspot.com/

The Education Space ~ October 11 – November 6
For the Love of Art: Works from the Studio Sessions
Artist talk Wednesday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Studio Sessions are self-directed classes where students come to Kindrie Grove’s studio to learn about fundamental painting, drawing and sculpting skills while they work on their own projects. Kindrie believes in exposing people to as many techniques and ways of working as possible so they can find their own modes of self-expression. Kindrie has been a professional practicing artist for over twenty years and has taught and mentored numerous beginners, emerging and established artists here in the South Okanagan. Kindrie is well known for her gentle and supportive teaching style, and enjoys the process of seeing budding artists learn new skills that will enable them to reach new levels in their artistic endeavours.

Born in Alberta, Kindrie received her formal training at the Alberta College of Art and Design and is the author/illustrator of A Field Guide to Horses (Lone Pine Publishing) and illustrator of two children's books. In conjunction with her studio classes, Kindrie has also developed an online art instruction site which provides informative video lessons and mentoring to artists near and far in the comfort of their home studio. She has an extensive exhibition record, showing her work in commercial and public galleries and her work is part of numerous international public, corporate and private collections across the globe.

Visit her websites at:
www.onlineartinstruction.com
www.kindriegrove.com

SEPTEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 6

MAIN GALLERY

Exhibition Opening with Artist in Attendance ~ Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

Artist Talk ~ Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.

Born in Stourbridge England, Nick Bantock went to school in the soulless suburbs of North East London and from there moved on to art college in the market town of Maidstone, Kent where he received a BFA in painting.  At age 23 he gave up his job in a betting shop (a licensed gambling house) and began working as a freelance illustrator and over the next sixteen years produced approximately three hundred book covers including novels by Philip Roth and John Updike. This allowed him the freedom to pursue his love for painting and hone his craft. In 1988 Nick moved to Vancouver with his wife and young son where he began to work on his own book the Griffin & Sabine trilogy which would thrust him into international prominence. Since then he has continued to expand and develop a genre of narrative books that integrate both text and image.

Today Nick works in a wide variety of media often combining charcoal with watercolors, acrylics and collage to create the incredibly rich and layered works which make up his body of work. For Nick collage was the natural extension of these experiments and in one of his large works he will combine anywhere from ten to fifteen different media in order to achieve the desired affect and lushness of surface and depth of luminosity for which his work is best known. His richly layered paintings are evocative of the work of Paul Cézanne and Leonardo Da Vinci blending science with keen observations of the world around him. Nick also cites as an influence the surrealists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, picking up their lead, Nick has taken on the role of Cultural Anthropologist, collecting, classifying, displaying and repurposing the ephemera of civilizations and communities from across the globe.

As he travels he is constantly seeking out and collecting materials such as postcards, postage stamps, letters, photographs, old magazines, books, tickets and anything else which catches his eye and is evocative and could be repurposed and recontextualized into one of his paintings, sculptures or books. Nick is also the curator of his own museum with the self imposed responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects, he actively makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversees their care and documentation, conducts research based on the collection, provides proper packaging of the art for transport, and shares that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications. The only difference between Nick and the curator of a public museum and/or art gallery is the freedom of the artist to create history based on his interpretation and as they say, ‘Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?’The stories he creates are in themselves soulful, credible, believable and blur the fine line between truth and fiction.

Nick Bantock has authored twenty-five books, eleven of which have appeared on the best seller lists including three books on the New York Times top ten at one time. His Griffin & Sabine trilogy essentially created a new literary genre by combining fine art, fiction, and 3-dimensional interactive books. One of his titles stayed on the New York Times list for over two years. His books have been translated into numerous languages with over five million sold worldwide. He was recently named by Weird Tales magazine as one of the  all time ‘weirdest’ storytellers. In addition to his work as an author, Bantock has designed everything from postage stamps to pop-up books to the recently published Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

This exhibition features a large number of recent and never before seen paintings and drawings along with a large number of original works of art from his Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Nick encourages viewers to allow themselves to be catapulted into a world without a written narrative and encourages the viewing public to start using their intuitive visual brain. With all these artistic elements in place, the cohesive force of Bantock's world-view — stemming from a lifelong passion for the poetry of Yeats — signals a unity. A unity of birth, a unity of human struggle, a unity of understanding, a unity of compassion. The unity of life. "Now you're talking about the essence of everything I try to do," Bantock explains, referring to the transformative power of art. "I can't explain it better than in my books."

For more information on Nick Bantock please explore the following websites:

www.nickbantock.com

http://knowledge.ca/program/12-takes-shorts

The Project Room

This exhibition is part of an ongoing series of exhibits designed to highlight the work of emerging artists whose work falls outside of the traditional gallery culture. The intent is to provide a forum for a variety of artistic expression and to introduce non-traditional art to a wider audience thereby elevating it from relative obscurity and give legitimacy to the voice and vision of the next generation’s creative experience. Will Hoffman’s art is well known around Penticton through his numerous public art projects, graffiti and his award winning mural which graces the entrance of Voodoos. He works quickly and is constantly experimenting with media as everything he touches has the capacity to be transformed and repurposed into a work of art. Deceptively simple and at times easy to dismiss as a doodle or graffiti, these works when examined in greater detail and en-mass exhibit an incredible amount of sophistication.

In speaking of his own motivation Will writes, “The creation of art makes me feel present, I'm also trying to show that in my work. Who needs more inspiration than the freedom of holding the marker in hand and being able to create anything. I'm trying to convey to the viewer some sanity with something recognizable like a face as well as nonsense in the mix. A great deal of planning and thought go into the pieces before hand and there is a grand execution of the process. Many of my influences are from hiphop like the go-getters, the writers, the do-it-yourself attitude and the respect to individuality. I'm using techniques that were sacredly handed down to me by friends as well as self-taught things. My vision is to create artworks all different but with one single expression. The title of the exhibition, Always Changing Clothing, was chosen because it is three words, and three points form a strong triangle. The words mean that things are always changing and one way to know of this is through clothing. Clothing is changing daily, changing styles and even one garment that is stale is changing on a closer level. The name was also chosen because it neutral to me, not appealing but not terrible. The label is also beneficial to separate me from the art, for it to have a life of its own.”

Will Hoffman was born and raised in Penticton and in 2009 co-founded the Craft Club with Vince Freeborn bringing together a group of emerging artists who enjoy creating art mostly from used or recycled items and selling at the local markets. Also in 2009, Will entered the first Re-Imagine Art Festival only to have his mural covered up at the request of the organizers. Reluctantly he re-entered the competition again in 2010 without a plan or entry paperwork and ended up winning the $1,000 overall prize. Around this time he began making art from the pages of old books he found discarded behind the used bookstore. When he is not off travelling the world, Hoffman continues to tweak his drawing style and promote the Craft Club here in Penticton.

For more information on Will Hoffman and his adventures check out his website at:

www.alwayschangingclothing.com

Toni Onley Gallery

Artist talk Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Melanie was raised in the small tight-knit community of Naramata. As a Canadian of distant European heritage, Melanie grew up believing the only culture worth noting in Canada was native aboriginal culture, and as a non-native it created disconnection and confusion about what culture is for a white Canadian. After graduating from Pen – Hi, she moved to the Dominican Republic to learn a new language and to immerse herself in “culture” as many Canadians perceive travelling to be. Upon returning to Canada, Melanie attended Okanagan College as a visual arts student and later transferred to the University of Victoria where she completed an honours degree in art history with a focus on Islamic art history where she was particularly drawn to the illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings of India and Turkey.

In 1997 Melanie accepted a job in Taiwan as an English teacher and travelled to Japan. She was intrigued by the soft quality of the perfectly carved wood block prints in Kyoto and influenced by comic book images of Taipai, she began exploring paper collage and lino printing. As on all her trips abroad, Melanie kept extensive journals, which recorded her backpacking adventures, complete with images influenced by artist Nick Bantock. In keeping with the spirit of Bantock, Melanie used found bits of paper and collaged them into the pages of the journal, recording the adventures from a tactile paper perspective. In 2004, Melanie took a job in Shanghai. Disappointed by the lack of art supplies found in the city, she explored the fabric markets and began sewing blankets as a new form of creative expression. During a day trip to nearby Hangzhou, a city which Marco Polo described as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Melanie was inspired by the old Chinese characters that were imprinted into the sidewalk around the most famous lake in China. She worked these characters into the blankets she sewed, surprised to find that her communist co-workers had lost the understanding of these historic ancient symbols with China’s switch to simplified Chinese characters after the Cultural Revolution. After China, Melanie moved to the UAE, where she worked mostly in photography before moving on to Turkey to live with her sister and take up painting full time. Melanie was inspired by life in Turkey and drew upon the simple everyday stories of Istanbul: modern versions of the vignettes found in the miniature paintings of yesterday.

Melanie began to develop her work as travel journals with no intended audience than herself and close personal friends and family. The works are richly biographical and draw upon her education and profound interest in art history, culture and wanderlust. Working primarily on paper, Melanie uses many mediums including paint, collage and printmaking. Her approach to art, though whimsical in style, achieves a high level of detail due to her attention to technique and her critical eye. Because she is a traveler, Melanie works small and with easily transportable materials and creates her own of unique style of story telling by fusing the materials available to her, the cultural environment she finds herself in and her own explorations of what culture means for a Canadian abroad. Melanie’s paintings are stories, not unlike the narrative in a miniature painting, and they pay homage to the culture that is still innate in her even after a decade spent travelling. Currently Melanie divides her time between Naramata and Vancouver, where she is completing a degree in Education at UBC and upon graduation she hopes to find employment as a high school art teacher.

For more information on Melanie and to follow her travels check out her blog at:

http://creativecaravan.blogspot.com/

The Education Space ~ October 11 – November 6
For the Love of Art: Works from the Studio Sessions
Artist talk Wednesday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Studio Sessions are self-directed classes where students come to Kindrie Grove’s studio to learn about fundamental painting, drawing and sculpting skills while they work on their own projects. Kindrie believes in exposing people to as many techniques and ways of working as possible so they can find their own modes of self-expression. Kindrie has been a professional practicing artist for over twenty years and has taught and mentored numerous beginners, emerging and established artists here in the South Okanagan. Kindrie is well known for her gentle and supportive teaching style, and enjoys the process of seeing budding artists learn new skills that will enable them to reach new levels in their artistic endeavours.

Born in Alberta, Kindrie received her formal training at the Alberta College of Art and Design and is the author/illustrator of A Field Guide to Horses (Lone Pine Publishing) and illustrator of two children's books. In conjunction with her studio classes, Kindrie has also developed an online art instruction site which provides informative video lessons and mentoring to artists near and far in the comfort of their home studio. She has an extensive exhibition record, showing her work in commercial and public galleries and her work is part of numerous international public, corporate and private collections across the globe.

Visit her websites at:
www.onlineartinstruction.com
www.kindriegrove.com

SEPTEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 6

MAIN GALLERY

Exhibition Opening with Artist in Attendance ~ Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

Artist Talk ~ Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.

Born in Stourbridge England, Nick Bantock went to school in the soulless suburbs of North East London and from there moved on to art college in the market town of Maidstone, Kent where he received a BFA in painting.  At age 23 he gave up his job in a betting shop (a licensed gambling house) and began working as a freelance illustrator and over the next sixteen years produced approximately three hundred book covers including novels by Philip Roth and John Updike. This allowed him the freedom to pursue his love for painting and hone his craft. In 1988 Nick moved to Vancouver with his wife and young son where he began to work on his own book the Griffin & Sabine trilogy which would thrust him into international prominence. Since then he has continued to expand and develop a genre of narrative books that integrate both text and image.

Today Nick works in a wide variety of media often combining charcoal with watercolors, acrylics and collage to create the incredibly rich and layered works which make up his body of work. For Nick collage was the natural extension of these experiments and in one of his large works he will combine anywhere from ten to fifteen different media in order to achieve the desired affect and lushness of surface and depth of luminosity for which his work is best known. His richly layered paintings are evocative of the work of Paul Cézanne and Leonardo Da Vinci blending science with keen observations of the world around him. Nick also cites as an influence the surrealists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, picking up their lead, Nick has taken on the role of Cultural Anthropologist, collecting, classifying, displaying and repurposing the ephemera of civilizations and communities from across the globe.

As he travels he is constantly seeking out and collecting materials such as postcards, postage stamps, letters, photographs, old magazines, books, tickets and anything else which catches his eye and is evocative and could be repurposed and recontextualized into one of his paintings, sculptures or books. Nick is also the curator of his own museum with the self imposed responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects, he actively makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversees their care and documentation, conducts research based on the collection, provides proper packaging of the art for transport, and shares that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications. The only difference between Nick and the curator of a public museum and/or art gallery is the freedom of the artist to create history based on his interpretation and as they say, ‘Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?’The stories he creates are in themselves soulful, credible, believable and blur the fine line between truth and fiction.

Nick Bantock has authored twenty-five books, eleven of which have appeared on the best seller lists including three books on the New York Times top ten at one time. His Griffin & Sabine trilogy essentially created a new literary genre by combining fine art, fiction, and 3-dimensional interactive books. One of his titles stayed on the New York Times list for over two years. His books have been translated into numerous languages with over five million sold worldwide. He was recently named by Weird Tales magazine as one of the  all time ‘weirdest’ storytellers. In addition to his work as an author, Bantock has designed everything from postage stamps to pop-up books to the recently published Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

This exhibition features a large number of recent and never before seen paintings and drawings along with a large number of original works of art from his Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Nick encourages viewers to allow themselves to be catapulted into a world without a written narrative and encourages the viewing public to start using their intuitive visual brain. With all these artistic elements in place, the cohesive force of Bantock's world-view — stemming from a lifelong passion for the poetry of Yeats — signals a unity. A unity of birth, a unity of human struggle, a unity of understanding, a unity of compassion. The unity of life. "Now you're talking about the essence of everything I try to do," Bantock explains, referring to the transformative power of art. "I can't explain it better than in my books."

For more information on Nick Bantock please explore the following websites:

www.nickbantock.com

http://knowledge.ca/program/12-takes-shorts

The Project Room

This exhibition is part of an ongoing series of exhibits designed to highlight the work of emerging artists whose work falls outside of the traditional gallery culture. The intent is to provide a forum for a variety of artistic expression and to introduce non-traditional art to a wider audience thereby elevating it from relative obscurity and give legitimacy to the voice and vision of the next generation’s creative experience. Will Hoffman’s art is well known around Penticton through his numerous public art projects, graffiti and his award winning mural which graces the entrance of Voodoos. He works quickly and is constantly experimenting with media as everything he touches has the capacity to be transformed and repurposed into a work of art. Deceptively simple and at times easy to dismiss as a doodle or graffiti, these works when examined in greater detail and en-mass exhibit an incredible amount of sophistication.

In speaking of his own motivation Will writes, “The creation of art makes me feel present, I'm also trying to show that in my work. Who needs more inspiration than the freedom of holding the marker in hand and being able to create anything. I'm trying to convey to the viewer some sanity with something recognizable like a face as well as nonsense in the mix. A great deal of planning and thought go into the pieces before hand and there is a grand execution of the process. Many of my influences are from hiphop like the go-getters, the writers, the do-it-yourself attitude and the respect to individuality. I'm using techniques that were sacredly handed down to me by friends as well as self-taught things. My vision is to create artworks all different but with one single expression. The title of the exhibition, Always Changing Clothing, was chosen because it is three words, and three points form a strong triangle. The words mean that things are always changing and one way to know of this is through clothing. Clothing is changing daily, changing styles and even one garment that is stale is changing on a closer level. The name was also chosen because it neutral to me, not appealing but not terrible. The label is also beneficial to separate me from the art, for it to have a life of its own.”

Will Hoffman was born and raised in Penticton and in 2009 co-founded the Craft Club with Vince Freeborn bringing together a group of emerging artists who enjoy creating art mostly from used or recycled items and selling at the local markets. Also in 2009, Will entered the first Re-Imagine Art Festival only to have his mural covered up at the request of the organizers. Reluctantly he re-entered the competition again in 2010 without a plan or entry paperwork and ended up winning the $1,000 overall prize. Around this time he began making art from the pages of old books he found discarded behind the used bookstore. When he is not off travelling the world, Hoffman continues to tweak his drawing style and promote the Craft Club here in Penticton.

For more information on Will Hoffman and his adventures check out his website at:

www.alwayschangingclothing.com

Toni Onley Gallery

Artist talk Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Melanie was raised in the small tight-knit community of Naramata. As a Canadian of distant European heritage, Melanie grew up believing the only culture worth noting in Canada was native aboriginal culture, and as a non-native it created disconnection and confusion about what culture is for a white Canadian. After graduating from Pen – Hi, she moved to the Dominican Republic to learn a new language and to immerse herself in “culture” as many Canadians perceive travelling to be. Upon returning to Canada, Melanie attended Okanagan College as a visual arts student and later transferred to the University of Victoria where she completed an honours degree in art history with a focus on Islamic art history where she was particularly drawn to the illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings of India and Turkey.

In 1997 Melanie accepted a job in Taiwan as an English teacher and travelled to Japan. She was intrigued by the soft quality of the perfectly carved wood block prints in Kyoto and influenced by comic book images of Taipai, she began exploring paper collage and lino printing. As on all her trips abroad, Melanie kept extensive journals, which recorded her backpacking adventures, complete with images influenced by artist Nick Bantock. In keeping with the spirit of Bantock, Melanie used found bits of paper and collaged them into the pages of the journal, recording the adventures from a tactile paper perspective. In 2004, Melanie took a job in Shanghai. Disappointed by the lack of art supplies found in the city, she explored the fabric markets and began sewing blankets as a new form of creative expression. During a day trip to nearby Hangzhou, a city which Marco Polo described as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Melanie was inspired by the old Chinese characters that were imprinted into the sidewalk around the most famous lake in China. She worked these characters into the blankets she sewed, surprised to find that her communist co-workers had lost the understanding of these historic ancient symbols with China’s switch to simplified Chinese characters after the Cultural Revolution. After China, Melanie moved to the UAE, where she worked mostly in photography before moving on to Turkey to live with her sister and take up painting full time. Melanie was inspired by life in Turkey and drew upon the simple everyday stories of Istanbul: modern versions of the vignettes found in the miniature paintings of yesterday.

Melanie began to develop her work as travel journals with no intended audience than herself and close personal friends and family. The works are richly biographical and draw upon her education and profound interest in art history, culture and wanderlust. Working primarily on paper, Melanie uses many mediums including paint, collage and printmaking. Her approach to art, though whimsical in style, achieves a high level of detail due to her attention to technique and her critical eye. Because she is a traveler, Melanie works small and with easily transportable materials and creates her own of unique style of story telling by fusing the materials available to her, the cultural environment she finds herself in and her own explorations of what culture means for a Canadian abroad. Melanie’s paintings are stories, not unlike the narrative in a miniature painting, and they pay homage to the culture that is still innate in her even after a decade spent travelling. Currently Melanie divides her time between Naramata and Vancouver, where she is completing a degree in Education at UBC and upon graduation she hopes to find employment as a high school art teacher.

For more information on Melanie and to follow her travels check out her blog at:

http://creativecaravan.blogspot.com/

The Education Space ~ October 11 – November 6
For the Love of Art: Works from the Studio Sessions
Artist talk Wednesday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Studio Sessions are self-directed classes where students come to Kindrie Grove’s studio to learn about fundamental painting, drawing and sculpting skills while they work on their own projects. Kindrie believes in exposing people to as many techniques and ways of working as possible so they can find their own modes of self-expression. Kindrie has been a professional practicing artist for over twenty years and has taught and mentored numerous beginners, emerging and established artists here in the South Okanagan. Kindrie is well known for her gentle and supportive teaching style, and enjoys the process of seeing budding artists learn new skills that will enable them to reach new levels in their artistic endeavours.

Born in Alberta, Kindrie received her formal training at the Alberta College of Art and Design and is the author/illustrator of A Field Guide to Horses (Lone Pine Publishing) and illustrator of two children's books. In conjunction with her studio classes, Kindrie has also developed an online art instruction site which provides informative video lessons and mentoring to artists near and far in the comfort of their home studio. She has an extensive exhibition record, showing her work in commercial and public galleries and her work is part of numerous international public, corporate and private collections across the globe.

Visit her websites at:
www.onlineartinstruction.com
www.kindriegrove.com

SEPTEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 6

MAIN GALLERY

Exhibition Opening with Artist in Attendance ~ Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

Artist Talk ~ Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.

Born in Stourbridge England, Nick Bantock went to school in the soulless suburbs of North East London and from there moved on to art college in the market town of Maidstone, Kent where he received a BFA in painting.  At age 23 he gave up his job in a betting shop (a licensed gambling house) and began working as a freelance illustrator and over the next sixteen years produced approximately three hundred book covers including novels by Philip Roth and John Updike. This allowed him the freedom to pursue his love for painting and hone his craft. In 1988 Nick moved to Vancouver with his wife and young son where he began to work on his own book the Griffin & Sabine trilogy which would thrust him into international prominence. Since then he has continued to expand and develop a genre of narrative books that integrate both text and image.

Today Nick works in a wide variety of media often combining charcoal with watercolors, acrylics and collage to create the incredibly rich and layered works which make up his body of work. For Nick collage was the natural extension of these experiments and in one of his large works he will combine anywhere from ten to fifteen different media in order to achieve the desired affect and lushness of surface and depth of luminosity for which his work is best known. His richly layered paintings are evocative of the work of Paul Cézanne and Leonardo Da Vinci blending science with keen observations of the world around him. Nick also cites as an influence the surrealists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, picking up their lead, Nick has taken on the role of Cultural Anthropologist, collecting, classifying, displaying and repurposing the ephemera of civilizations and communities from across the globe.

As he travels he is constantly seeking out and collecting materials such as postcards, postage stamps, letters, photographs, old magazines, books, tickets and anything else which catches his eye and is evocative and could be repurposed and recontextualized into one of his paintings, sculptures or books. Nick is also the curator of his own museum with the self imposed responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects, he actively makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversees their care and documentation, conducts research based on the collection, provides proper packaging of the art for transport, and shares that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications. The only difference between Nick and the curator of a public museum and/or art gallery is the freedom of the artist to create history based on his interpretation and as they say, ‘Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?’The stories he creates are in themselves soulful, credible, believable and blur the fine line between truth and fiction.

Nick Bantock has authored twenty-five books, eleven of which have appeared on the best seller lists including three books on the New York Times top ten at one time. His Griffin & Sabine trilogy essentially created a new literary genre by combining fine art, fiction, and 3-dimensional interactive books. One of his titles stayed on the New York Times list for over two years. His books have been translated into numerous languages with over five million sold worldwide. He was recently named by Weird Tales magazine as one of the  all time ‘weirdest’ storytellers. In addition to his work as an author, Bantock has designed everything from postage stamps to pop-up books to the recently published Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

This exhibition features a large number of recent and never before seen paintings and drawings along with a large number of original works of art from his Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Nick encourages viewers to allow themselves to be catapulted into a world without a written narrative and encourages the viewing public to start using their intuitive visual brain. With all these artistic elements in place, the cohesive force of Bantock's world-view — stemming from a lifelong passion for the poetry of Yeats — signals a unity. A unity of birth, a unity of human struggle, a unity of understanding, a unity of compassion. The unity of life. "Now you're talking about the essence of everything I try to do," Bantock explains, referring to the transformative power of art. "I can't explain it better than in my books."

For more information on Nick Bantock please explore the following websites:

www.nickbantock.com

http://knowledge.ca/program/12-takes-shorts

The Project Room

This exhibition is part of an ongoing series of exhibits designed to highlight the work of emerging artists whose work falls outside of the traditional gallery culture. The intent is to provide a forum for a variety of artistic expression and to introduce non-traditional art to a wider audience thereby elevating it from relative obscurity and give legitimacy to the voice and vision of the next generation’s creative experience. Will Hoffman’s art is well known around Penticton through his numerous public art projects, graffiti and his award winning mural which graces the entrance of Voodoos. He works quickly and is constantly experimenting with media as everything he touches has the capacity to be transformed and repurposed into a work of art. Deceptively simple and at times easy to dismiss as a doodle or graffiti, these works when examined in greater detail and en-mass exhibit an incredible amount of sophistication.

In speaking of his own motivation Will writes, “The creation of art makes me feel present, I'm also trying to show that in my work. Who needs more inspiration than the freedom of holding the marker in hand and being able to create anything. I'm trying to convey to the viewer some sanity with something recognizable like a face as well as nonsense in the mix. A great deal of planning and thought go into the pieces before hand and there is a grand execution of the process. Many of my influences are from hiphop like the go-getters, the writers, the do-it-yourself attitude and the respect to individuality. I'm using techniques that were sacredly handed down to me by friends as well as self-taught things. My vision is to create artworks all different but with one single expression. The title of the exhibition, Always Changing Clothing, was chosen because it is three words, and three points form a strong triangle. The words mean that things are always changing and one way to know of this is through clothing. Clothing is changing daily, changing styles and even one garment that is stale is changing on a closer level. The name was also chosen because it neutral to me, not appealing but not terrible. The label is also beneficial to separate me from the art, for it to have a life of its own.”

Will Hoffman was born and raised in Penticton and in 2009 co-founded the Craft Club with Vince Freeborn bringing together a group of emerging artists who enjoy creating art mostly from used or recycled items and selling at the local markets. Also in 2009, Will entered the first Re-Imagine Art Festival only to have his mural covered up at the request of the organizers. Reluctantly he re-entered the competition again in 2010 without a plan or entry paperwork and ended up winning the $1,000 overall prize. Around this time he began making art from the pages of old books he found discarded behind the used bookstore. When he is not off travelling the world, Hoffman continues to tweak his drawing style and promote the Craft Club here in Penticton.

For more information on Will Hoffman and his adventures check out his website at:

www.alwayschangingclothing.com

Toni Onley Gallery

Artist talk Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Melanie was raised in the small tight-knit community of Naramata. As a Canadian of distant European heritage, Melanie grew up believing the only culture worth noting in Canada was native aboriginal culture, and as a non-native it created disconnection and confusion about what culture is for a white Canadian. After graduating from Pen – Hi, she moved to the Dominican Republic to learn a new language and to immerse herself in “culture” as many Canadians perceive travelling to be. Upon returning to Canada, Melanie attended Okanagan College as a visual arts student and later transferred to the University of Victoria where she completed an honours degree in art history with a focus on Islamic art history where she was particularly drawn to the illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings of India and Turkey.

In 1997 Melanie accepted a job in Taiwan as an English teacher and travelled to Japan. She was intrigued by the soft quality of the perfectly carved wood block prints in Kyoto and influenced by comic book images of Taipai, she began exploring paper collage and lino printing. As on all her trips abroad, Melanie kept extensive journals, which recorded her backpacking adventures, complete with images influenced by artist Nick Bantock. In keeping with the spirit of Bantock, Melanie used found bits of paper and collaged them into the pages of the journal, recording the adventures from a tactile paper perspective. In 2004, Melanie took a job in Shanghai. Disappointed by the lack of art supplies found in the city, she explored the fabric markets and began sewing blankets as a new form of creative expression. During a day trip to nearby Hangzhou, a city which Marco Polo described as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Melanie was inspired by the old Chinese characters that were imprinted into the sidewalk around the most famous lake in China. She worked these characters into the blankets she sewed, surprised to find that her communist co-workers had lost the understanding of these historic ancient symbols with China’s switch to simplified Chinese characters after the Cultural Revolution. After China, Melanie moved to the UAE, where she worked mostly in photography before moving on to Turkey to live with her sister and take up painting full time. Melanie was inspired by life in Turkey and drew upon the simple everyday stories of Istanbul: modern versions of the vignettes found in the miniature paintings of yesterday.

Melanie began to develop her work as travel journals with no intended audience than herself and close personal friends and family. The works are richly biographical and draw upon her education and profound interest in art history, culture and wanderlust. Working primarily on paper, Melanie uses many mediums including paint, collage and printmaking. Her approach to art, though whimsical in style, achieves a high level of detail due to her attention to technique and her critical eye. Because she is a traveler, Melanie works small and with easily transportable materials and creates her own of unique style of story telling by fusing the materials available to her, the cultural environment she finds herself in and her own explorations of what culture means for a Canadian abroad. Melanie’s paintings are stories, not unlike the narrative in a miniature painting, and they pay homage to the culture that is still innate in her even after a decade spent travelling. Currently Melanie divides her time between Naramata and Vancouver, where she is completing a degree in Education at UBC and upon graduation she hopes to find employment as a high school art teacher.

For more information on Melanie and to follow her travels check out her blog at:

http://creativecaravan.blogspot.com/

The Education Space ~ October 11 – November 6
For the Love of Art: Works from the Studio Sessions
Artist talk Wednesday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Studio Sessions are self-directed classes where students come to Kindrie Grove’s studio to learn about fundamental painting, drawing and sculpting skills while they work on their own projects. Kindrie believes in exposing people to as many techniques and ways of working as possible so they can find their own modes of self-expression. Kindrie has been a professional practicing artist for over twenty years and has taught and mentored numerous beginners, emerging and established artists here in the South Okanagan. Kindrie is well known for her gentle and supportive teaching style, and enjoys the process of seeing budding artists learn new skills that will enable them to reach new levels in their artistic endeavours.

Born in Alberta, Kindrie received her formal training at the Alberta College of Art and Design and is the author/illustrator of A Field Guide to Horses (Lone Pine Publishing) and illustrator of two children's books. In conjunction with her studio classes, Kindrie has also developed an online art instruction site which provides informative video lessons and mentoring to artists near and far in the comfort of their home studio. She has an extensive exhibition record, showing her work in commercial and public galleries and her work is part of numerous international public, corporate and private collections across the globe.

Visit her websites at:
www.onlineartinstruction.com
www.kindriegrove.com

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

SEPTEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 6

MAIN GALLERY

Exhibition Opening with Artist in Attendance ~ Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

Artist Talk ~ Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m.

Born in Stourbridge England, Nick Bantock went to school in the soulless suburbs of North East London and from there moved on to art college in the market town of Maidstone, Kent where he received a BFA in painting.  At age 23 he gave up his job in a betting shop (a licensed gambling house) and began working as a freelance illustrator and over the next sixteen years produced approximately three hundred book covers including novels by Philip Roth and John Updike. This allowed him the freedom to pursue his love for painting and hone his craft. In 1988 Nick moved to Vancouver with his wife and young son where he began to work on his own book the Griffin & Sabine trilogy which would thrust him into international prominence. Since then he has continued to expand and develop a genre of narrative books that integrate both text and image.

Today Nick works in a wide variety of media often combining charcoal with watercolors, acrylics and collage to create the incredibly rich and layered works which make up his body of work. For Nick collage was the natural extension of these experiments and in one of his large works he will combine anywhere from ten to fifteen different media in order to achieve the desired affect and lushness of surface and depth of luminosity for which his work is best known. His richly layered paintings are evocative of the work of Paul Cézanne and Leonardo Da Vinci blending science with keen observations of the world around him. Nick also cites as an influence the surrealists Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, picking up their lead, Nick has taken on the role of Cultural Anthropologist, collecting, classifying, displaying and repurposing the ephemera of civilizations and communities from across the globe.

As he travels he is constantly seeking out and collecting materials such as postcards, postage stamps, letters, photographs, old magazines, books, tickets and anything else which catches his eye and is evocative and could be repurposed and recontextualized into one of his paintings, sculptures or books. Nick is also the curator of his own museum with the self imposed responsibility for the acquisition and care of objects, he actively makes decisions regarding what objects to collect, oversees their care and documentation, conducts research based on the collection, provides proper packaging of the art for transport, and shares that research with the public and scholarly community through exhibitions and publications. The only difference between Nick and the curator of a public museum and/or art gallery is the freedom of the artist to create history based on his interpretation and as they say, ‘Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?’The stories he creates are in themselves soulful, credible, believable and blur the fine line between truth and fiction.

Nick Bantock has authored twenty-five books, eleven of which have appeared on the best seller lists including three books on the New York Times top ten at one time. His Griffin & Sabine trilogy essentially created a new literary genre by combining fine art, fiction, and 3-dimensional interactive books. One of his titles stayed on the New York Times list for over two years. His books have been translated into numerous languages with over five million sold worldwide. He was recently named by Weird Tales magazine as one of the  all time ‘weirdest’ storytellers. In addition to his work as an author, Bantock has designed everything from postage stamps to pop-up books to the recently published Penguin edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

This exhibition features a large number of recent and never before seen paintings and drawings along with a large number of original works of art from his Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Nick encourages viewers to allow themselves to be catapulted into a world without a written narrative and encourages the viewing public to start using their intuitive visual brain. With all these artistic elements in place, the cohesive force of Bantock's world-view — stemming from a lifelong passion for the poetry of Yeats — signals a unity. A unity of birth, a unity of human struggle, a unity of understanding, a unity of compassion. The unity of life. "Now you're talking about the essence of everything I try to do," Bantock explains, referring to the transformative power of art. "I can't explain it better than in my books."

For more information on Nick Bantock please explore the following websites:

www.nickbantock.com

http://knowledge.ca/program/12-takes-shorts

The Project Room

This exhibition is part of an ongoing series of exhibits designed to highlight the work of emerging artists whose work falls outside of the traditional gallery culture. The intent is to provide a forum for a variety of artistic expression and to introduce non-traditional art to a wider audience thereby elevating it from relative obscurity and give legitimacy to the voice and vision of the next generation’s creative experience. Will Hoffman’s art is well known around Penticton through his numerous public art projects, graffiti and his award winning mural which graces the entrance of Voodoos. He works quickly and is constantly experimenting with media as everything he touches has the capacity to be transformed and repurposed into a work of art. Deceptively simple and at times easy to dismiss as a doodle or graffiti, these works when examined in greater detail and en-mass exhibit an incredible amount of sophistication.

In speaking of his own motivation Will writes, “The creation of art makes me feel present, I'm also trying to show that in my work. Who needs more inspiration than the freedom of holding the marker in hand and being able to create anything. I'm trying to convey to the viewer some sanity with something recognizable like a face as well as nonsense in the mix. A great deal of planning and thought go into the pieces before hand and there is a grand execution of the process. Many of my influences are from hiphop like the go-getters, the writers, the do-it-yourself attitude and the respect to individuality. I'm using techniques that were sacredly handed down to me by friends as well as self-taught things. My vision is to create artworks all different but with one single expression. The title of the exhibition, Always Changing Clothing, was chosen because it is three words, and three points form a strong triangle. The words mean that things are always changing and one way to know of this is through clothing. Clothing is changing daily, changing styles and even one garment that is stale is changing on a closer level. The name was also chosen because it neutral to me, not appealing but not terrible. The label is also beneficial to separate me from the art, for it to have a life of its own.”

Will Hoffman was born and raised in Penticton and in 2009 co-founded the Craft Club with Vince Freeborn bringing together a group of emerging artists who enjoy creating art mostly from used or recycled items and selling at the local markets. Also in 2009, Will entered the first Re-Imagine Art Festival only to have his mural covered up at the request of the organizers. Reluctantly he re-entered the competition again in 2010 without a plan or entry paperwork and ended up winning the $1,000 overall prize. Around this time he began making art from the pages of old books he found discarded behind the used bookstore. When he is not off travelling the world, Hoffman continues to tweak his drawing style and promote the Craft Club here in Penticton.

For more information on Will Hoffman and his adventures check out his website at:

www.alwayschangingclothing.com

Toni Onley Gallery

Artist talk Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m.

Melanie was raised in the small tight-knit community of Naramata. As a Canadian of distant European heritage, Melanie grew up believing the only culture worth noting in Canada was native aboriginal culture, and as a non-native it created disconnection and confusion about what culture is for a white Canadian. After graduating from Pen – Hi, she moved to the Dominican Republic to learn a new language and to immerse herself in “culture” as many Canadians perceive travelling to be. Upon returning to Canada, Melanie attended Okanagan College as a visual arts student and later transferred to the University of Victoria where she completed an honours degree in art history with a focus on Islamic art history where she was particularly drawn to the illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings of India and Turkey.

In 1997 Melanie accepted a job in Taiwan as an English teacher and travelled to Japan. She was intrigued by the soft quality of the perfectly carved wood block prints in Kyoto and influenced by comic book images of Taipai, she began exploring paper collage and lino printing. As on all her trips abroad, Melanie kept extensive journals, which recorded her backpacking adventures, complete with images influenced by artist Nick Bantock. In keeping with the spirit of Bantock, Melanie used found bits of paper and collaged them into the pages of the journal, recording the adventures from a tactile paper perspective. In 2004, Melanie took a job in Shanghai. Disappointed by the lack of art supplies found in the city, she explored the fabric markets and began sewing blankets as a new form of creative expression. During a day trip to nearby Hangzhou, a city which Marco Polo described as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Melanie was inspired by the old Chinese characters that were imprinted into the sidewalk around the most famous lake in China. She worked these characters into the blankets she sewed, surprised to find that her communist co-workers had lost the understanding of these historic ancient symbols with China’s switch to simplified Chinese characters after the Cultural Revolution. After China, Melanie moved to the UAE, where she worked mostly in photography before moving on to Turkey to live with her sister and take up painting full time. Melanie was inspired by life in Turkey and drew upon the simple everyday stories of Istanbul: modern versions of the vignettes found in the miniature paintings of yesterday.

Melanie began to develop her work as travel journals with no intended audience than herself and close personal friends and family. The works are richly biographical and draw upon her education and profound interest in art history, culture and wanderlust. Working primarily on paper, Melanie uses many mediums including paint, collage and printmaking. Her approach to art, though whimsical in style, achieves a high level of detail due to her attention to technique and her critical eye. Because she is a traveler, Melanie works small and with easily transportable materials and creates her own of unique style of story telling by fusing the materials available to her, the cultural environment she finds herself in and her own explorations of what culture means for a Canadian abroad. Melanie’s paintings are stories, not unlike the narrative in a miniature painting, and they pay homage to the culture that is still innate in her even after a decade spent travelling. Currently Melanie divides her time between Naramata and Vancouver, where she is completing a degree in Education at UBC and upon graduation she hopes to find employment as a high school art teacher.

For more information on Melanie and to follow her travels check out her blog at:

http://creativecaravan.blogspot.com/

The Education Space ~ October 11 – November 6
For the Love of Art: Works from the Studio Sessions
Artist talk Wednesday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

The Studio Sessions are self-directed classes where students come to Kindrie Grove’s studio to learn about fundamental painting, drawing and sculpting skills while they work on their own projects. Kindrie believes in exposing people to as many techniques and ways of working as possible so they can find their own modes of self-expression. Kindrie has been a professional practicing artist for over twenty years and has taught and mentored numerous beginners, emerging and established artists here in the South Okanagan. Kindrie is well known for her gentle and supportive teaching style, and enjoys the process of seeing budding artists learn new skills that will enable them to reach new levels in their artistic endeavours.

Born in Alberta, Kindrie received her formal training at the Alberta College of Art and Design and is the author/illustrator of A Field Guide to Horses (Lone Pine Publishing) and illustrator of two children's books. In conjunction with her studio classes, Kindrie has also developed an online art instruction site which provides informative video lessons and mentoring to artists near and far in the comfort of their home studio. She has an extensive exhibition record, showing her work in commercial and public galleries and her work is part of numerous international public, corporate and private collections across the globe.

Visit her websites at:
www.onlineartinstruction.com
www.kindriegrove.com

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.

November 5 – December 24

The Project Room ~ Small Wonder: Under $300 Exhibition & Sale

For the sixth year in a row, we are pleased to offer the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and fine craft at an affordable price with each item priced under $300. Building on the success of the previous shows, this year’s selection will feature a wide range of work in a variety of disciplines created by artists from across the province. This is a great opportunity to not only see the incredible range of work being created today but also offers the opportunity to discover a new and exciting artist at all stages of their careers from those who are emerging to those who are well established. It also offers you the opportunity to give those on your Christmas list something which is not only one-of-a-kind but is also an investment as it’s a gift which will continue to enrich and enhance the lives of the lucky recipient well beyond the holiday season.

November 18 – January 15

The Main Gallery ~ Terroir: Charting Boundaries

Group exhibition featuring the works of Carol Hermesh, Allison Howard, Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill

With the incredible range of talented artists working in the Okanagan Valley, this exhibition serves as the first in a series of exhibitions designed to explore the diversity of visual art being practiced here in our region. The title Terroir comes from the word “terre” meaning "land" and was originally a French term used by the wine industry to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. This exhibit hopes to explore this idea and begs the question, “Does the Okanagan have its own unique flavor when it comes to our art and culture?”  For this first installment five regional artists have been invited to participate: three painters – Jim Kalnin, Patricia Kushner and James Postill; and two photographers – Carol Hermesh and Allison Howard whose work all share a thematic connection, as indicated in the exhibition title.  

Our lives are all defined by the boundaries that delineate the world within which we live and operate on a daily basis. While we all live within the same region and under the same societal rules, our interpretation, understanding and definition of the boundaries which define our lives differs. Looking at these works one becomes a voyeur into the lives of the artists and the world as they see it.  Each of the five featured artists have explored physical, emotional and implied boundaries which impact, affect and direct our lives both known and unknown. Each of these work will elicit an emotional response based on past experience, upbringing and one’s personal boundaries and will strike a chord in some deeply personal way. In looking at these works consider your response and question the boundaries which direct your life and compare the limitations of your life against those of the artists and the views they present here.

Carol Hermesh uses digital photography to document the characteristics and characters which live amongst us. When viewing her work, one may feel either an uneasy sense of discomfort or a strange sense of fascination and voyeuristic pleasure which comes when afforded an unusual opportunity to peer into a world quite unlike their own. These intimate photos explore the underground world of fetish sexuality and brings to light a community which for many is a place far removed from their own existence. These images elicit a wide range of emotional response and will challenge many who are presented with this window into a world and culture which resides far from mainstream society. Each of the subjects of these photographs came to the artist on their own terms and willingly and enthusiastically participated in the photo shoots, providing costumes and suggestions as to how the photo shoot should be staged. Their boundaries are defined and well understood by the members of their community and by each of the participants and each respects the limits and limitations set out before them. For some, viewing these images will be uncomfortable and will provoke a range of emotions and thoughts which will, in turn, challenge personal boundaries. Each subject comes to this exhibit on their own terms and each is a willing participant in the process.  Conversely, the emotions and reactions to what we see are our own and the limitations to our level of comfort clearly define a boundary in our lives which may or may not match those depicted in the photos of Carol Hermesh or those of her subjects.

Allison Howard’s photographs also share a sense of voyeurism as they explore the built environment and the people who occupy these spaces. Allison uses the window as a metaphor to give insight into a world beyond while providing context and a barrier to separate the viewer from the observed. She wants her photos to relay as much about the photographer as they do the subject and as an architectural historian her work speaks volumes on both accounts. Of her work she states that she tries to convey something distinctive about the objects, buildings and landscapes she seeks out and is drawn to documenting. Each one of these photos clearly delineates the boundary between the observer and the observed and the reflected image provides a window into the world of the observer and provides an outward view looking back out at the photographer from the viewpoint of the observed. These works are fascinating in that they are everyday views cropped and edited with the keen eye of the artist and in constructing the image, the artist provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for our built environment. Allison’s photographs encompass a wide range of ideas and are richly layered providing the viewer with numerous points of perspective from which we can tell a story and create context for the image.

Jim Kalnin’s paintings document the intersection where the built environment meets the natural world, a boundary which has become increasingly vague as civilization expands exponentially outwards with devastating consequences. In spite of this pressure Jim still holds onto the notion that even these built environments remain inhabited by the spirits of the wilderness and underlining it all is the knowledge that nature will ultimately rise above and merge victorious.Most of Jim’s artwork created over the past several years has dealt with questions of ecology and civilisations, past and present and has resulted in numerous responses to ideas about boundaries and limitations. Through his paintings Jim works as nature’s ambassador and through his art he channels the spirits of the wilderness back into these ubiquitous urban landscapes, juxtaposing images of nature against the built environment in askew ways to highlight the uneasy, shifting boundary between human/natural habitats.  While highly political, he is not interested in ultimatums where he establishes an ‘either – or” scenario, rather Jim tries to find the middle ground and creates a harmonious balance between the two. Boundaries are found everywhere and the delineation between the urban built environment and that which remains wild has increasingly become blurred. The more we give in to “progress”, the more we come to rely on a romantic notion of what nature was, which will increasingly be based on the memories of our past experiences. We are lucky that here in Canada every citizen still has unfettered access to the untouched wilderness but as we continue to expand our urban environments, we will increasingly witness animals dislocated from traditional territories and forced to adapt to densely populated areas. You don’t have to look far to see the direst consequences of this expansion;  a quick look at our local headlines reports that in the short term at least, nature is not likely to win.

Patricia Kushner’s works are a blend of figurative and abstract painting and are part of an ongoing exploration of the boundary between the external and the inner self. These works explore the energy radiating from deep within ourselves and also those that pass between people through unspoken communication. The human figure is the basis of all her work and she has broken the human form down into a simplified figure using layers of colour and texture to express emotions, feelings and energies that capture the very essence of who we are. For Patricia the human figure is a way to see beyond borders and barriers, it is a vehicle to talk about life, relationships and humanity. Some of the works incorporate text as a means of commenting explicitly on the human condition, and how the artist has been affected by events as reported in the daily news. These highly personal documents form a diary of her life and record influential events such as meeting survivors of some of history’s most atrocious events such as the Auschwitz concentration camp or the University of Montreal Polytechnic massacre.  On the surface these paintings and their stylized representation of the human form themselves form a barrier between the observer and artist, but digging deeper one finds additional layers like an onion which can be peeled back to reveal more and more about the artist and the world in which she inhabits and this in turn reflects outwards to the individuals who come to look at these works.

James Postill’s work was a recent discovery at the Triptych exhibit held this past summer at the newly renovated Shatford Centre.  His painting entitled Highway captures the view through the windshield while driving during a rainstorm and the immediacy of the image and the clear division between the driver and the world beyond the interior of the car is striking. The paintings that comprise this body of work all focus on the perspective of the driver and it is a scene we are all familiar with — the straining eyes and shoulders as we peer through the wet windshield into the dark, brooding landscape which beacons us onward.  The universality of the experience becomes a metaphor for the experience of searching semi-blinded through the vastness of nature while immersed in its wonder but separated, and protected, by a thin veil of glass and steel.