50th art show and "My Friend Wallis" CD Release at Studio 16 1/2 (downstairs)

Press Release!

"Opening July 4th, for the first time, the as-of-yet-unnamed New Art Gallery downstairs from Studio 16 1/2 will be exhibiting a wide variety of artists that we have worked with over the past 5 years, and owners Bill Cowen and Kirsten Wright mark their 50th show curated in Fan Tan Alley. Opening night is also a cd release event for My Friend Wallis, Crystal Dorval's (Vincat) solo project. This summer-themed release, "When the blue turned yellow" promises to set the tone for your beach days. Accompanied by Himalayan Bear (Ryan Beattie of Chet notoriety) and It It (Old Life), it's time to break out the paper drink umbrellas! CDs and merch will be for sale too, so bring your money! we will also have some drinks to drink. with limes. In the gallery we will be showing a selection of original art and prints by Ben van Netten, Ryan Thompson, Charlotte Campbell, Tani Hamagishi, Lyle Schultz, Ben Westergreen, Allan Edgar, Stefan Thompson, Ellen Box, Vrinda Conroy, and many others. Please join us in warming our new gallery and celebrating the birth of a new art space in Victoria. MUSIC STARTS AROUND 9PM!"

Sounds like a blast! As I saw at the Renovation party it is a beautiful space.

50th art show and "My Friend Wallis" CD Release at Studio 16 1/2 (downstairs)
16 Fan Tan Alley
July 4th 2009
Party starts at seven, music starts at nine o' clock

Us Ones In Between at Open Space

Press release from Open Space!

"Open Space presents, Us Ones In Between, a group show bustling with young local talent, featuring the work of eight emerging artists: Ty Danylchuck, Caitlin Gallupe, Cody Haight, Liam Hannah-Lloyd, Cameron Kidd, Brooke Semple-Haight, Eden Veaudry and Eric Volet. Us Ones In Between is curated by Nick Robins.

The artists in Us Ones In Between are very productive, whose profusion of output appears unlinked to careerist objectives. With bee-like instinct, these artists have produced striking visual cornucopia, while sketching out their place in other art contexts outside of the studio/hive. Working in media ranging from paint, paper and assemblage to crochet and video, Open Space will be filled to the brim with fustian colour. Us Ones In Between is a celebration of a niche community and an examination of art practice in Victoria, today."

Sounds good to me! Same night as the Deluge opening, so let's all do some walking. This event will feature live music on opening night from Xarl Marx and DJ St. Christopher. And Every Tuesday at 8pm throughout the show’s duration Art Jams will commence, featuring film screenings and drawing jams. Be there or be square.

Art Jam Schedule:

July 7: Releasing The Lions, Artist Panel Discussion

July 14: Free Form Cinema, Film Screenings by Ty Danylchuk

July 21: Psychodoolia, Drawing Jam

Opening July 3rd

Eight o' clock

Open Space

510 Fort Street second floor

Quantitative Easing at Xchnages

Press Release from Xchanges!

"Xchanges rolls the art-money printing presses in a one-evening exhibition fundraiser to “ease” the pressure of the recent relocation and renovation that has created this new venue for Canada's longest-running Artist-Run Centre. All art in the exhibition will be formatted to the size of a Canadian $20 bill, and will be sold for $20.00. These original artworks, donated by Xchanges artists and others, range from paintings to hand-pulled prints, from drawings to sculpture, with subjects that may or may not reflect the money-formatted size. This is an excellent opportunity to add original art to your collection while enjoying our pre-fireworks party — then walk downtown afterwards for the fireworks. Admission charge is $2.00, which includes refreshments and live music!"

Wednesday July 1st

2333 Government Street

Seven o' clock to nine thirty in the evening.

Don't forget those two bucks! Actaully make that twenty two!

Update: What a success! It was a great night with a large turnout. So many sales!

Sarah Turner at the Ministry of Casual Living

I recieved an email from Jerry the Minister of Casual Living this morning. Looks like there is an upcoming show at the Ministry! How exciting! The artists name is Sarah Turner, and she will be exhibiting some sculptures. I thought I would include the press release:

"In Our relative dramas of hope and fear, Sarah Turner draws from current research in neurobiology and human development to produce a series of sculptures that point to the cleavage between passion and reason. In this new work, found objects and everyday materials are used to explore the tensions [between] dualistic concepts [in the distance between]: subject-object and sensation-perception. By working through a process of open-ended experimentation, Turner seeks an adequate framework for participatory learning that includes pleasure and connectivity. As a result, the assembled works rarely function as separate entities. Rather, they refer back to one and other via shared materials or repeated imagery to collectively refract our human condition through a prism of [shared] illusions and anxieties."

That's pretty sweet. "Cleavage between passion and reason"? Love it! My boobs are now named Passion and Reason.

Anyways, this Friday is looking chalk-a-block full of awesome things to do. Hip hip hooray!

Sarah Turner "Our relative dramas of hope and fear"
Opening night Friday June 26th, evening.
Show runs June 26 - July 15, 2009
Ministry of Casual Living, 1442 Haultain Street.

Update: Saw this the other day with Marlaina and Ross.

MFA Graduate Show at Legacy Art Gallery

The Legacy Art Gallery is hosting the University of Victoria Grad show! The recently graduated MFA students are Allison Cake, Katie Lyle , Shelly Penfold, Sara Robichaud and Ethan Wills. The exhibit features a variety of works, from soapstone sculptures in the form of every day objects, to paintings of ghostly young women, to abstract wooden structures.

The show runs May 13 to August 16, 2009

The Legacy Art Gallery
630 Yates Street

Call 250 381-7670 for more info.

Haven Society's 'Birdhouse' Exhibition at the Nanaimo Art Gallery

The Haven Society presents a special exhibition, “Birdhouse” at the Downtown Gallery for three days only. The show features creations from Vancouver Island artists. On June 27th from 6:00 to 8:30pm, there will be an auction available to bid on the pieces. All proceeds from the auction will go to support the Haven Society and their continuing work within the community. It is a very good cause and if you're up that way it would be worth looking at. Check out the Haven Society Website to learn more.

Haven Society: http://www.havensociety.com/

Nanaimo Art Gallery: http://www.nanaimoartgallery.com/index.php

"Birdhouse" at the Nanaimo Art Gallery

This show will take place in the downtown location of the NAG. 150 Commercial Street

June 25th to 27th, 2009

Auction June 27th from six o' clock to eight o' clock in the evening.

"Summer Small Works" at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Put some art on your walls people! "Summer Small Works" at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is where you should be if you've got a couple hundred to spend on a piece of original artwork by a Vancouver Island artist. The gallery says that the $200 to $400 price tags "will appeal to all budgets." I don't know about mine, but if you're like me and don't have the greenery I still urge you to go. The AGGV says that there will be eighty artists represented and more than 200 works on display!

"Summer Small Works" at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Saturday, June 27 - Sunday, August 30

Meeting with Artists: Friday, June 26th in the afternoon

http://aggv.bc.ca/

Cristine Clark's Art in Victoria

Surfing the web today I came across another individual who is equally excited about the visual arts community of Victoria. Cristine Clark's Art in Victoria Blog documents her experiences attending many of the shows in the city. After reader her blog I realized that I had seen her work at the Slide Room Gallery, in the Representations of Desire show. Good job Cristine! Check out her blog it's worth a read!

http://artinvictoria.blogspot.com/

http://www.clarkandmihaly.ca/

Reno Costume Party!

Studio 16 1/2 are moving downstairs? Oh my goodness!

What was once DragonSong Music will now be the gallery and upstairs will be multi-purpose studio/venue space. So to raise funds for the move the gallery is hosting a costume party. For $5, you are invited to dress up as a tradesman and party your face off! Live music, raffle prizes and a BBQ are promised. Did I hear a rumour of a sawing competition? So lets put on those party hats, or hard hats if you've got em!

Saturday June 20th

$5

Eight o'clock

16 Fan Tan Alley

http://fantanstudios.com/

Update:

The party was super fun! Rachel Evans and I both competed in the sawing, nailing and screwing competitions! When Kirsten and Phil proposed these awesome events there was a flurry of giggles. Screwing competition? We were all promptly told to get our minds out of the gutter. I actually suffered a small injury from the sawing competition, but I think I'll live. It looks like a paper cut on my pinky finger. Damn those splintery two by fours. I have to admit it, I miss that dayglo vest I was wearing.

And the space! I can't wait to see it full of art. I imagine the walk through traffic to be far more significant compared to what the upper level gets. The outside space is also ripe with possibilities. Looks like there is the starts of a pretty garden there. Once this place is open and kicking go visit!

Jessica Wozny: Last Drop First Flame

For those people who needs lots of notice before attending an event here is one; in two weeks there will be an opening at Deluge. A group of drawings by Jessica Wozny.

From what I've seen so far I am looking forward to seeing these drawings up close. The press release says that this show Last Drop First Flame, refrences the history of the gallery. Who knew that the building was once Victoria's first fire hall? I hope the forest fires are burning bright for this one. Be there or be square.

Opening July 3, 2009
Seven o' clock in the evening
636 Yates Street

http://www.deluge.ws/

Moving in!

This blog was created because my last online art space was terminated! A sorry message I received in my inbox read:

"On 7 June 2009 the terminus 1525 web site will be shut down.
We would like to thank all members of the t-1525 online community for their contributions and participation. We would also like to thank zinc roe design and the young producers who took part in moderating the site and developing t-1525 community activities. The contents of the site will be deleted, but the Canada Council may retain an archive for reference purposes. If you have any questions about t-1525 or the Canada Council for the Arts, please contact kim.lymburner *at* canadacouncil.ca

Thank you to all the fantastic members of this site over the last few years. You've been great."

Bummer.

So what I was doing at terminus 1525 was documenting my own art as well as the art around my small, small, small city of Victoria, British Columbia. And as the title of this suggests, if I come across any phat art, I'll be wanting to share that too. No rules!