Cheerleaders, quilts and blankets at the Art Gallery

Join artists Vivienne Pearson and Siobhan Doherty at an opening reception on Friday, April 16 from 7:00pm-9:00pm as they celebrate the opening of their new exhibits at the Campbell River Art Gallery.

Pearson’s “No Place Like Home” offers textiles on a large scale. Blankets and quilts are the focus as they interpret how community, our environment and sense of belonging all connect to our feeling of “home” and what it means to each of us.

This exhibit is sponsored by Poppy Steele and Hans Op de Beek of Royal Lepage Advance Realty.

In the Discovery Gallery is “More Hot Cheerleaders”. Siobhan Doherty gives us 30 miniature wax sculptures of these well-known pop culture icons. Come by and explore the parallels to The Little Fourteen Year Old Dancer by Degas.

Both exhibits are on display for your viewing pleasure until May 21, 2010.

Admission is by donation. The Campbell River Art Gallery is at 1235 Shopper’s Row, across from the library and in the same buildling as the Visitor’s Centre. The Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon until 5pm.

The Gallery appreciates the support of its members and volunteers, the Campbell River Arts Council, the Friends of the Campbell River Art Gallery, Marna Disbrow, the City of Campbell River, Shaw Cable, Moeller and Co. Chartered Accountants, Areas B, C, and D of the Strathcona Regional District, as well as the BC Gaming Commisson, the BC Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

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Art as remedy to indifference

Public land that sits idle, devastated by abuse and neglect, affects they way we view our community.  The Campbell River Art Gallery will host an illustrated talk on Wednesday night, March 31 at 7:00 pm at the Gallery by land artist Oliver Kellhammer. He’ll discuss his restoration of public property ravaged by industrial activity and neglect. 

“Kellhammer is a gifted speaker,” says Gallery Director Jeanette Taylor. “His work is both uplifting and inspiring, a model for positive solutions to our current environmental crisis.”

Kellhammer will describe a number of the sites he’s worked on, bringing an artist’s sensibilities to the transformation of difficult cityscapes like a three-acre site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Kellhammer led the process of transforming a place littered with weeds, pet carcasses and needles into a lush community garden. This and other projects have impressed Kellhammer with nature’s surprising ability to rebound.

Oliver Kellhammer is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, Bainbridge Graduate Institute and the University of British Columbia’s Masters of Fine Arts program. He has taught all over North America. His talk at the Gallery will appeal to not only art lovers but those interested in social values, landscape renewal and community action.

The Gallery also extends an invitation to the public to attend their Annual General Meeting, which precedes Kellhammer’s talk at 6 p.m.  Gallery staff and board will give a fast-paced preview of plans for the coming year, followed by an election of officers.  Attendance at the AGM is free. It costs $5 to attend Kellhammer’s talk if you’re not an Art Gallery member.

Campbell River Art Gallery is in Tyee Plaza, across from the Tidemark theatre. The current exhibitions are open by donation on Tuesday through Saturday from Noon to 5:00 pm. Call 250-287-2261 for more info.

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Art Gallery’s Christmas Arts and Crafts Market offers cool gifts

Let the Art Gallery’s Christmas Arts and Crafts Market help you this Christmas shopping season. 

Last Christmas there was one person on my gift-buying list who was a particular challenge. I wanted something fun but without a hefty price tag, to be honest. I was doing errands one afternoon when the Christmas Market sign at the Art Gallery/Visitor Info Centre building caught my eye. I made a quick detour and came out a few minutes later with a huge smile on my face.

I found the most funky handmade magnet that included local driftwood. The recipient was absolutely thrilled and I was pleased to give a gift that was so genuinely well received.

The Christmas Market is now open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5:00pm until Christmas Eve. Enjoy late shopping until 9:00pm on Saturday, November 28 as part of the Downtown Starlight Shopping evening.
They’re located at 1235 Shoppers Row, in the Tyee Plaza, right beside the spiffy new Spirit Square. Call 250-287-2261 or visit online at www.crartgallery.ca.

When you shop at the Gallery‛s Christmas Arts & Crafts Market  you get a classy handcrafted gift that reflects
our local arts and culture community. You support not only your local artisans but Art Gallery programs too. You can’t beat that for value!

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Tibetan monks offer variety of gifts

Starting next Tuesday, October 27 through to Wednesday, November 4, five exiled Tibetan monks will make Campbell River their home as part of their Sacred Art cross country tour. A variety of community programs are happening during their stay.

Join the monks every day except Sunday at the Art Gallery in Tyee Plaza between 10am and noon and again from 1:30pm to 5:00pm for chanting in the morning and to watch the creation of a sand mandala. The suggested donation is $5.00. Timberline  Secondary is the place to catch them on November 3 at 7:00pm for music and blessings. Call 250-923-9500, ext. 218 for more information.

For those outside of the Campbell River area, be part of this unique opportunity at 7:45pm on Quadra Island, at the Community Centre, for Tibetan music and dance followed by a screening of “Unmistaken Child”, a current documentary. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for seniors and students. If that day doesn’t work for you, how about Saturday, November 1 for a talk and meditation at the Community Centre starting at 11am? Admission is by donation. And for those on Cortes, come on down to Manson’s Hall on Sunday, November 1 at 7:00pm for Tibetan music, debates, and chanting. Admission is by donation for this event too.

The sand mandala the group creates as part of their meditation practice will be dismantled at a ceremony starting at 1:30pm on Wednesday, November 4. Following this, there will be a walk to Discovery Pier to release the sand.

The monks are also available for private blessings of people or places during their stay in our area. Give the Campbell River Art Gallery a call at 250-287-2261 for details or email them at contact@crartgallery.ca.

Monies raised from their time in Campbell River will benefit the monks’ monstery in India. The monk’s appearance on Cortes is sponsored by Hollyhock and the Squirrel Cover Trading Co. Their residency at the Campbel River Art Gallery is sponsored by Klari Varallyai and the Campbell River Physiothearpy Clinic.

Welcome to Campbell River. We are blessed to have you here.

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Plant passions take root at annual Garden Tour

One of the perks of being a gardener is checking out other people’s gardens. The upcoming Campbell River Art Gallery Tour gives you the perfect chance to do just that.

This year’s two day event, on Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, is the fourteenth year, and showcases 12 gardens, eight of which are making their debut as part of this self-guided tour.

The event allows you to visit the gardens on either the Saturday or Sunday or both. Do them all on Saturday and go back to your favorites the next day or divide them up (like irises!) and tour some on both days. It’s up to you.  All gardens are open both days and the tour runs rain or shine. Sunscreen and water are wise things to bring along.

Wondering how to incorporate into your garden that plant you inherited from a family member, the one you’re not even sure the name of? Curious to see how others use a specific color scheme? Or are you simply wanting a chance to wander through a variety of local gardens that show off their owner’s personaliites?

Don’t miss this highlight of a Campbell River summer. As an added attraction, some gardens will feature at-work local artists. 

As in years past, this year’s gardens run the gamut from small city-sized to sprawling acreages, with water elements, gazebos, and the array of shrubs, trees, and flowering wonders we’re so fortunate to be able to grow successfully here in our corner of paradise.

 Keep an eye out for a series of articles on the various gardens featured this year in current issues of The Mirror. The first article appeared on Friday, June 12.

Can’t tell periwinkle from peonies? No worries. This popular event has something for everyone – from the novice gardener starting to develop his or her own style to those who have indulged their green passion for years. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a more seasoned gardener – all that matters is enthusiasm and curiosity. Bring both and you’ll be in good company.

Tickets are only $15 for both Saturday and Sunday. Get yours at the Art Gallery or Visitor Information Centre, located side by side in Tyee Plaza, at Serendipity in the Garden on Shoppers Row, in Willow Point at the Willows Farm Market and Garden Centre and also in Courtenay at the Comox Valley Art Gallery.

Proceeds from this event go towards on-going children’s programs at the Campbell River Art Gallery.

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